# Newbie - Property owner, hay grower, forum



## JP_Texas (Sep 27, 2011)

Hi,

Just bought some property in central Texas and plan on growing hay. The place seems to have coastal and native grasses in 5 different pastures. Total pasture acreage adds up to about 91 acres. I'm new to all this and will only be able to manage things on weekends and time off from the Houston job. I've been collecting and reading everything I can from the Ag Extension and Texas A&M web sites and bookstores and was very happy to see this group.

Current activity, thoughts and questions:
1. Sampling soil and forage for analysis at A&M lab. Need to bring the pastures up to production as they have lain fallow for several years. We do not want to use any pesticies or herbicides and hope that liming and fertilizing will do the trick.
2. Looking for a tractor - recommendations on reliable brands, size, appliances will be most welcome. Need tio start small and build up with time. Thinking about 55hp Deere with shredder, front-end loader, and wood chipper.
2. Pole barn for Hay storage. Size? Height?, concrete or gravel floor?

Any thought, commenets and advice will be very welcome. Thanks in advance.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

Congrats!!! If your taking the time to learn from your local university and extension service, you'll do well. They'll steer you in the right direction as you learn. You don't state how much of your venture will be for hay and how much will be simply pasture, or even a combination. If your grazing most of it, your equipment needs will be different than if your taking hay off of most of it. I'll just say that I do about 50 acres of hay, and wish I had larger stuff than a 50hp and 64 hp. As far as barns, see above remarks regarding what your doing. If mostly livestock, then one set of needs, if making and storing hay, then there's another set of needs. Kinda depends on what your doing. I don't keep livestock, and I sell all of my hay. I can repeat what my old uncle used to say though about hay barns,,,," Hay in the barn, is like money in the bank. Come winter, you'll never lose money on it." Build enough hay barn. Lots of folks recommend estimating the size, then double it,,








Best of luck in your new venture!!!!
Steve


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## JP_Texas (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for your comments, Steve. We are planning on all 91 acres for Hay. We're 2 hours away from the property so we may not work it every weekend and can't justify leaving cattle alone for that long. So hay and more hay for us - at least for now. Yes I've heard the double your first estimate iedea also from a firend who wished his was twice as big. So I started with 30 x 40 (1200 sq ft) and now I'm planning 50 x 75 ft (2750 sq ft) - more than double the area. I'm thinking 12' entry. I was thinking walls on 3 sides and lots of top vents for windstorms.

The extension office and university are great. So are all the neighbors and now this forum will be a good way to bounce ideas off people.

As far as the tractor, I'm thinking 55 hp. For the first few years I'll contract the bailing and may do some square bales for horse owners. I may be able to do that with 55 hp. Certainly not the round bales! Second tractor in my future? Who knows.

This summer has also shown that saving hay for a drought is also a great idea. My friend just got two trailer loads from your neck of the woods to last him through winter. Ouch! Now we just have to keep the fires away. I was lookin at a storm approaching before the sun went down. Rain!!!!!!!!!

Jim


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

"As far as the tractor, I'm thinking 55 hp. For the first few years I'll contract the bailing and may do some square bales for horse owners. I may be able to do that with 55 hp. Certainly not the round bales" 
Actually my dad's ford 5000 around 50-60 hp had no problem with the round baler. The main problem I find with them that small is loader work very hard on front ends. I personaly like my ford and jd have had ih and allis charmer they were okay as well mostly depends on how they were treated. If you are buying used take someone with experience with you, i prefer having my machanic with me. You can't build a barn too big...unless its overlapping your neighbors land as for the floor for hay I don't have a barn for hay but would use large rock and be carefull with your drainage cause sooner or latter its gonna rain down there! good luck and congradulations!!


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

If you are going to build any kind of shed site preparation is well worth the investment. Buil it high and dry, bring in as much fill as needed to bring up grade. I also would not build anything with eves or opening less than 14', trucks are 13'6" and loaders reach higher and higher all of the time. Just because you can't get up that high now does not mean that in 5 years you won't want to. The cost to build taller is much less than wider or longer, so consider it.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

JP_Texas said:


> As far as the tractor, I'm thinking 55 hp. For the first few years I'll contract the bailing and may do some square bales for horse owners. I may be able to do that with 55 hp. Certainly not the round bales! Second tractor in my future? Who knows.
> 
> This summer has also shown that saving hay for a drought is also a great idea. My friend just got two trailer loads from your neck of the woods to last him through winter. Ouch! Now we just have to keep the fires away. I was lookin at a storm approaching before the sun went down. Rain!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Jim


Jim,
You actually can do some round bales with that size trctor, but your options for balers in that HP range are very limited. I do about 200-300 rounds a year with mine on fairly level, smooth land with no problems. Just need to get a baler of appropriate size. One thing you will definitely appreciate if your round baling, is a cab. I don't have one, but wish I did. Next one will definitely have one if for no other reason but for that. Also, since your apparently doing a lot of the work yourself, get the loader. It's like having another person. It's amazing what can be done with one, and I wonder how I ever got by without one now.
I sure hope you guys get some rain soon. I really feel for y'all. The wife and I get almost as excited when we look at the radar for TX, as we do when we see rain approaching on our end!


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