# Haying for a Newbie



## Buckwild Child

Growing up my Grandparents lived and breathed haying and lawn care. They worked extremely hard and retired in their 60s. I of course was too young to learn about the equipment and the whole process to haying. Us kids just got to run around and occasionally would throw a bale on the trailers. Well, I am much older now and would like to get into haying myself. I am hoping to get some information and helpful hints from you farmers to get me started. I have been doing quite a bit of research but now I want to talk to real people. 
I have not bought any equipment yet. What do you recommend for good starter equipment. Of course I will buy used because I am by no means a rich women! How hard/costly is it to bring back grown up fields? I see lots of fields starting to go to crap but have beauties as well! Any information you can give or point me in the right direction would be so greatly appreciated!! Thank you in advance!


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## 8350HiTech

Your acreage and goals and budget would certainly help get more specific answers to those questions. Welcome!


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## Vol

Get in touch with your doctor....you might be in need of immediate care. 

Haying has totally changed from when you remember it. You will be doing most everything yourself....without hired help. It is virtually impossible to hire physical labor help unless you can employ hispanic labor full time.

I suggest you spend some time with a area hay grower next year from early spring until early fall. That will give you a lot of knowledge and insight. It would be a mistake to buy equipment before you acquire first hand knowledge.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin

Vol said:


> Haying has totally changed from when you remember it. You will be doing most everything yourself....without hired help. It is virtually impossible to hire physical labor help unless you can employ hispanic labor full time.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Yep, people who still make small squares around here all use accumulators and grapples of some sort, very few still ride the wagon manually stacking hay.

When I was younger we'd have high school football players practically lined up wanting to bale hay, now even if you could get them to show up, they won't be worth a fart in a windstorm.


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## Buckwild Child

I plan on doing most of it myself. I have 3 boys and for damn sure they will be helping! Lol Hmmm, the football team huh?! Sounds like a good idea!
My plan is to work along a farmer next summer to really get the jist of it and then go about it on my own. I know it's hard work but it's work but well worth it! Thank you for your input so far!


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## ozarkian

Vol said:


> Get in touch with your doctor....you might be in need of immediate care.
> 
> Haying has totally changed from when you remember it. You will be doing most everything yourself....without hired help. It is virtually impossible to hire physical labor help unless you can employ hispanic labor full time.
> 
> I suggest you spend some time with a area hay grower next year from early spring until early fall. That will give you a lot of knowledge and insight. It would be a mistake to buy equipment before you acquire first hand knowledge.
> 
> Regards, Mike


..The best advice I have heard in a long time.


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## skyrydr2

Is this hay for your self or to sell thinking you will make money at?
Right now the hay market is flooded with all kinds of hay and qualities of hay. You will need a market for it and it needs to be quality stuff. 
Buying used equipment... you damned well better be mechanically inclined and able to fix things right now! Causin' that hay aint gonna wait....
HOLY MOLY! Your in for some harrrrrrrd work and learning! 
Ohhh trust me... I just finished my first real year at haying and it was not very good.. made 10k bales... want to buy some??


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## RockmartGA

One big question is how many acres are you planning to put into hay. The answer to that question will be a factor in the many decisions you have to make.

With basic equipment (1 tractor, cutter, baler, rake), you can probably manage up to 20 acres. From there, everything starts to snowball. More acreage equals higher capacity equipment, accumulators, more wagons, more and bigger EVERYTHING.

My suggestion would be to find someone who has the equipment and is willing to cut and bale your land on shares. Basically, you fertilize and spray and the other person will cut, rake and bale. You each take your respective share and sell / feed it.

The advantage of this method is that it allows you to learn from someone with experience, greatly reduces the initial investment in equipment, and allows you to establish your market (if you are going to sell).

The disadvantage is that you are not going to make very much (if any) money on the deal and you are at the mercy of the person with the equipment. His fields come first - your field comes later.

Something to think about....


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## Buckwild Child

The hay will be for both myself and if I have enough, sell the rest. I am not planning on running right out to buy equipment, just looking to hear thoughts. I know that haying is not an easy task whatsoever! I know what hard work is and don't mind getting my hands dirty! I know a few local farmers I am hoping will take me under their wing. I guess that's a perk of living in a small town and my grandparents knowing everyone. Lol 
I have for sure thought about talking to my doctor to make sure I am normal...I got the ok. Haha!
Ideally, when I start my own haying deal I would like to start with around 20 or so acres and go from there. Hmm this is all a trIal and error situation. Grab the bull by the horns right?!


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## Tim/South

How grown up are the fields? Are their just weeds or do you have small sapling trees?

Do you own the land or maybe have a long term agreement? Asking that because you really do not want to be cleaning up the fields, making them productive just to have other relatives enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Do your grandparents have an old tractor or any equipment you could use to help clean up some of the property?


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## skyrydr2

Buckwild Child said:


> The hay will be for both myself and if I have enough, sell the rest. I am not planning on running right out to buy equipment, just looking to hear thoughts. I know that haying is not an easy task whatsoever! I know what hard work is and don't mind getting my hands dirty! I know a few local farmers I am hoping will take me under their wing. I guess that's a perk of living in a small town and my grandparents knowing everyone. Lol
> I have for sure thought about talking to my doctor to make sure I am normal...I got the ok. Haha!
> Ideally, when I start my own haying deal I would like to start with around 20 or so acres and go from there. Hmm this is all a trIal and error situation. Grab the bull by the horns right?!


 How much hay do you use? 1000 bales or more will be a bit of work but not overwhelming at all.
5000 now your going to be bustin' butt especially here in NewEngland. My biggest field I do is 14 acres and its the furthest one from the barn..This makes it a real choir because of logistics..I need a bunch of labor to move the hay bales from the field to home. 
You sound like you have a plan and the guts to get it done. Go out and find one of the local farmers that isnt overwhelmed and see if he will help you check out your fields and come up with a game plan.
I would suggest you find a good tractor to run a bush hog and disc harrow or tiller so you can play on a tractor and get your fields prepped. The farmer isnt going to want to do this..too much of a time vaccum and it will be good seat time for you.
Where in NH are you located? Are all your fields sides of mountains?LOL this would determine tractor size. Flat lands could get away with 40-60hp (drawbar) hilly terrain 60-80hp.


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## durwinreed

why are you wanting to square bale your hay,if iunderstand what you are talking about,I stopped square baling 10 years ago due to labor cost and my parkingsons disease,I roll and sell 2400 rolls a year mostly bymyself


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## countryguy

Great posting! Are few items from my end.. .I too bought all used equipment. Spent 1 season w/ a local. so hearing that noted above was rock-solid advise there Durwin. also... are you mechanically inclined? I never had to get so involved w/ my "gear" till I too started totally new and bought used as what I could afford. Sweat equity! get ready. Got most all my manuals from Farm Manuals Fast. PDF's then and there! Happy to hear your taking this on! We're here to help, but you get to have all the fun. I remember when it was fun too. LOL. Now it's work but I still love doing my own.

CG.


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## Aaroncboo

Doing it is one thing. Doing it in 90 degrees with little to no shade is the killer. That's the biggest thing that I wish I could change. I've had 2 heat strokes and each time my tolerance for heat has dropped.... This is coming from a 6ft 4 380lb guy. I'm built for the work but just not the heat. It's something most new guys don't think of. Really makes you want cabs with ac.


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## Palmettokat

Buckwood Child, welcome to Haytalk. My first hay is being cut tomorrow, Saturday. I had talked about hay for about 20 years rather than row crops on the about 40 acres we have (wife's family land). Probably would not taken the step but have good friend who has been raising say type of hay for about ten years and knows enough to help me out and has the equipment to cut and bale my hay.

The people here have been great help to me and are great people. One thing do not think has been mentioned is shelter for the hay. Do know what you have and will need. If you will need hay shelter you need to know how you will handle those square bales so you build to suit the equipment.

Would suggest you do searches for the hay in your area what type is being sold and what price. Oh do soil testing to know what your fields need and do test each field by itself. Learn what is available in support in your county to you. Possibly even financial to help raise the hay or such. County Agent, Extension Agent, USDA and such names look for.


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## Palmettokat

Yesterday was a great day to me, first baling of the year on one year old coastal bermuda. We did bale the last cutting last year but this was special. Only 15 acres but had tractor raking, one baling and my getting use to running accumulator which did learn a good bit. Seeing three pickup with loaded trailers parked while two others were being loaded. Wish had been video. Four hours start to pulling out the field with baling tractor having to be swapped out due to cooler hose failure and finishing with the rake tractor doing the baling and stopping for pizza.

Now to the selling! Being in sales funny, that is the part I am most concerned about.

Again thanks to each of you.


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## jettex

I agree with you trying to do it yourself. Doing it on shares is a good way to start, but the baler may over streach himself and your hay will wait. If you can do it yourself you can do it when you want, and how you want. How about a update as to your progress in 2018


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## Vol

jettex said:


> If you can do it yourself you can do it when you want, and how you want.


Not quite.....you will always be directed by the elements.....and this year has been a prime example of this truth.

Regards, Mike


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## r82230

Vol said:


> Not quite.....you will always be directed by the elements.....and this year has been a prime example of this truth.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Amen, to that.

Larry


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