# How much hay are you growing this year?



## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

I will get the ball rolling...how much hay are you growing this year?
What types...alfalfa, orchard grass, timothy, teff, etc...?
Do you bale big squares, small squares, or round bales?


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## Alfalfa Farmer (Apr 16, 2008)

About 24 acres that will be alfalfa. All small square bales.


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## JoshA (Apr 16, 2008)

Hard to say exactly, all depends on how much I can get my hands on. We don't sell any, just bale enough for our own needs.

Last year I baled up about 300 acres, which accounted for about half of our winter feed requirement. I also did another 110acres of cereal feed. The rest had to be purchased in big rounds.

This year, I hope to be able to make 100% of our feed, so I require about 500 acres of hay, and some more of cultivated ground.

I have square balers, a Hesston 4790 3'x4' baler, and a John Deere 336 small square baler.

We only bale up several hundred idiot bricks to keep in the barn.

In case you're interested, I'm kind of addicted to picture taking....








http://andrusiwfarm.8m.com/photos_hay2007.html
http://andrusiwfarm.8m.com/photos_smallsquares.html


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

I have seen your pics on farmphoto as well. You have a nice outfit. Like those big Hesstons. What do you think about my little old hesston 4500 I found. It is in the gallery. Also wish we aere up to that much hay. My brother and I will bale about 50 acres this year between ours and some custom work. All small bales with a NH 315 or the Hesston 4500. Mostly alfalfa on own ground and mostly orchard grass and timothy on the custom work.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2008)

How is the hay prices in your area doing?


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2008)

Hi JoshA. Nice pics. You have some nice equipment. How do you like the Bi-directional NH? Nice Deere also.


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## JD4755 (Apr 17, 2008)

Growing about 30 acres of our own, 17 acres of corn and going to bale the cornstalks off of it.. but since we do mainly custom im hoping we're up around the 4-5000 acres of alfalfa, and hopefully 3000 tons of cornstalks.


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## JoshA (Apr 16, 2008)

downtownjr - Yes, I remember you from FarmPhoto, you're also on AgTalk, correct?

Thank you, I think you did a great job fixing up your Hesston, it'll be interesting to hear how you like it compared to your NH.









How are you collecting the bales?


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## JoshA (Apr 16, 2008)

H.H.M. - Thanks.

The bidirectional is an excellent loader tractor, but after that it starts to lack appeal. (When comparing to other new tractors now), slow transport speed(19mph), relatively rough riding(can mostly be blamed on bad tires--our fault), not enough hydraulic capacity... It's one of those things where you try it and think "everyone should have one of these! but, probably not more than one...."

I don't think the TV145 will ever leave the farm, too useful. I really like it for haying, though at 105 PTO-Hp it doesn't have enough ponies to run a discbine. Sickle machines, rakes, small balers, bale handling --- true jewel.
I've always wanted to run a mounted cutter off the front of it, but can't justify the cost of it.

For loader work, other tractors couldn't dream of being this good, but for a lot of roading, or tillage work, look elsewhere.

That Deere is one of my favorite tractors out there, put 800 hours on it in its first 12 months, no problems. Like it so much, we're looking at getting another.

Your JD50 & NH68 sure is a beautiful combination, do you actually use it, or just a "show piece?" 
You did a fantastic job, perhaps when you're done you can come do that to my JD baler?









-Josh


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## JoshA (Apr 16, 2008)

Aww Devin, ya got us all beat! When you get tired of baling at night, just let me know, you can bring them fancy balers up here for a lil pro-bono custom work.









H.H.M. - Hay prices are currently average for this area, which is extremely low compared to the U.S. from what I hear. The problem I'm seeing here though, is with grain prices where they are, everyone's plowing down hay land to plant crops, and with cattle prices where they are, everyone's selling their cattle for slaughter. Within the next couple years, there will be no supply, and no demand for hay in Western Canada.


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## Christianh (Apr 26, 2008)

We're gonna be doing about 350 acres of alfalfa, brome, alfalfa/timothy, timothy, and native hay. Plus, another 50 acres of clover/barley silage.

Nice to see you here Josh! excellent pics









-Christian


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## Riverside Cattle (Jun 4, 2008)

More than last year but not enough with hay prices as high as they look to be.


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## mmaddox (Jun 3, 2008)

Where did you get the idea you were limited to 105 PTO hp? The engine needs to tweaked a little to push a 15' and pull another one and run at speed. The 9030's suffered from hp shortage, but when they went to the Basilton engine that solved that. Of course fuel economy suffered. Drawbar pull is limited, but that's not what the tractor was designed for.


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## mmaddox (Jun 3, 2008)

We like lots of people had stand reductions form last year. 40 acres of newly seeded alfalfa this year, at least that much next year. Yields this year of over 3 1/2 tons on first cutting.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Looks like 120 acres of alfalfa, 150 orchardgrass, 150 timothy, 22 in teff, and 50 of rye straw..... For sure less than last year, and next year will be less again.

Rodney


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I have 400 acres,alfalfa,alf/orchard,orchard,annual ryegrass.Trying some meadow brome/alf seeded this yr.All Lg rd bales.Finally having some decent haying weather.hay is 2 weeks behind,only in bud stage.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

G
15 ac. Of alecia hybrid Bermuda. Dry here in south Georgia most hay is a full cutting behind. First cutting was poor, expect demand to be high this winter with a short supply. Cost of production is high, about $100 a 1100lb round roll. Hopefully can bust even with hay at the end of the day. Need rain here.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

If I ever get the other field sprigged this year.....about 35 acres of Tifton-85 and 22 acres of Bermuda/Bahia. First cutting was sprayed weeds and a little growth that was rolled up and sold for cows. Finally got some rain yesterday, if I get some decent growth I'll square bale it. The field I plan to sprig has developed a fine crop of weeds. I may roll them up and see if I can sell them as "goat bales".


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## LeadFarmer (May 10, 2011)

I am farming 550 acres of alfalfa this year, which is down 500 from last year (1050). We are using two New Holland balers, making big squares. i plan on taking some pictures today, as I will be headed out to the swather right now to finish our fourth cutting.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Wow leadfarmer, we just cut 2nd cut last week, bout 4week span now between cuts. That alfalfa must really grow. How many tpa does it produce under good conditions?







mostly hybrid Bermuda down here in tifton ga. Few dare to grow alfalfa and I doubt they get that kind of growth rate here.


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## hayman101 (Jun 11, 2011)

1200 acres of alfalfa and 400 acres of oats and peas. Finishing your forth cutting at the end of june!!! wow that is like a full time job.. We are starting our first cutting today, about one week behind. at our elevation 5,000' we only get three cuttings per year.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Way to much but not nearly enough. Got 180 acres alfalfa and another 120 acres of grass. The weather sucks, can't get a window more than 2 days to make hay. Have the last of the 1st cut grass on the ground now and about the first 25% of the second cut alfalfa. Running about a cutting behind because of the crappy weather for the 4th year in a row. On the flip side, have more orders for hay, than I have potential to bale. Hay is scarce and getting hard to find here.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

You're doing alot better than I am haybaler, I'm only about half done with first. Looks like Wednesday now before I _might_ have another window.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

haybaler101 how about sending some of that rain our way. We've only had 5.5" in 3 months, doesn't sound too bad but it's been way hotter than normal, went straight from winter to summer heat.


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## Hayking (Jan 17, 2010)

We have had a inch of rain since the first of June. Out third cutting Alfalfa is bout ankle high and blooming. Our Bermuda grass is ate in the ground Because we are having to graze everything. The seven day forecast is 100's and no rain by the weekend we could be laying corn down to Bale if the nitrates aren't to high.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Well it sucks guys. We sent from August '10 till April 1 this year with less than 6 inches of rain. Since april 1, probably had about 25 inches of rain. Still have 25 acres of beans to plant, but the Wabash river is has been above flood stage since late march and the water table is too high to get on the ground. It only lays 6 miles from the river.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I hear yah about the water table. We finished row crops about 2 weeks ago and 99% was done a week before that, the last little bit was where the cows over winter but couldn't turn em out in the pastures as they were way too wet as well. I'm only grazing the pastures on hill tops atm, but even those are getting mudded up. We still have guys around here that were planting corn yet just last week and still have a lot of fields around waiting to goto beans. Some guys are just kidding themselves now, I've seen several fields they go into with weeds and grass 18" tall and mud in soybeans. We've found even planting into 4-6" of green stuff will almost always hurt yields even if it's dry, let alone mudding it into that much green stuff. Grounds still just too cold with that much cover.

About the water table, a few years ago the county I live in changed a few rules around, not only do you have to pass a test to get licensed, but you need bonded as well to install new septic systems. It doubled the price when the fly by nites decided not to pursue it, Dad got his license, bought a mini excavator, a tracked skid steer and this year especially the phone is ringing off the hook. Water table is so high good systems are backing up as it has nowhere to go. Most of em require a perimeter drain to be installed and a drywell, a few have done that then buy a large sump pump to keep the drywell pumped out. One of our employees also took and passed the test so Dad will go out and decide what needs done, do the paper work then have the help do these jobs on the slower days.


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## LeadFarmer (May 10, 2011)

During "dairy" season we cut every 28 days, but now during the summer we cut every 31-32 days. I didn't bring my tape measure with me, but when stretched out the alfalfa was almost up to my shirt pocket (i am 5'9"). Under ideal conditions, at this time of year, we would like to be making somewhere near 2 TPA, we are usually slightly under that though. I have some baby hay sitting in a stack right now that we just baled up and it made 2.25 TPA, probably the heaviest hay i have ever been in. It kept plugging the wheels on my DARF rakes, and the hitch on the baler/bottom of tractor were dragging balls of hay up at times. I'd also like to point out that we grow straight alfalfa, we don't mix it with Timothy or Orchard or anything else, that is 2.25 tons of pure alfalfa hay per acre.

The regrowth rate during the summer months is absolutely insane. It's actually a really big pain in the ass. We are unable to run our pickups on the balers down as far as we would like, there is simply too much new growth already!

And yeah, the hay cycle here is definitely like a full time job. Some years when we have 1000 acres of hay and the cutting/raking/baling cycle last for over two weeks it feels like all you are doing is haying, and then it's time to do it again already. On a good year we will have seven real good cuttings and two small clippings.



somedevildawg said:


> Wow leadfarmer, we just cut 2nd cut last week, bout 4week span now between cuts. That alfalfa must really grow. How many tpa does it produce under good conditions?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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