Questions for OT hay farmers.

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Im not interested in hay farming, Im just curious. It seems like it would be hard to make a living hay farming.

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I've heard from a handful of people that deal in selling hay from their land that it can be very lucrative.

Depends on rain and if you fertilize

I usually get 3 per acre but with good rain and fertilizer that can get up to 4-5 per acre. Herbicide (2,4d) also helps control the weeds.

We usually get 3 cuttings per summer but sometimes 4.

Net wrapped bales will bring more money than twine. Also depends on hay type. Bermuda for example is usually higher than say Bahia grass. I’d say the average is $50-$60 per bale

Mainly depends on rain. If there’s a year with a lot of rain. Everyone will be making hay and less demand so I usually sell for cheaper than everyone just to get them moved.

As you can tell lots of variables involved

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Most people who sell hay do many other things to make money.

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I've been touring Oregon for the last couple weeks, for work, and have seen a lot of farms that look to be only hay farms.

ETA: I guess they are probably growing something else during different parts of the year?

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Questions for OT hay farmers.

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What does a gay horse eat?














HAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY

My apartment overlooks a hay field, makes for a nice view.

They were only doing one cutting a year but got 2 last year.

It is idle land in north Ft. Worth metro. I get the impression that do hay to get something out of it while waiting to have it built on (hopefully not for another couple of years.

It looks lik ethey will get another cutting this year, just did one 2 or 3 weeks ago, now it is green again. Up until last year it never greened up again after they cut it.

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Been baling hay for 40+ years. Mostly Bermuda grass, fertilized and sprayed regularly, so YMMV.

175 bales/acre/year

Nominal 3 cuttings/year

$6.00 bale

‘Bout tree fiddy after expenses.

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So this is $1050 in revenue per acre.

What is profit, and what else do you do with the land?

Boy you don’t no Nuffin bout no farmin it’s all about the deductions and subsidies not profitability

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Boy you don’t no Nuffin bout no farmin it’s all about the deductions and subsidies not profitability

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I know that is involved, but am looking for some numbers. Is hay farming heavily subsidized?

Don’t quote me to the IRS, but we could probably manage around $500/acre/year after expenses if we had to.

But, those new John Deeres aren’t getting any cheaper, and there’s always some piece of equipment that’ll get any profits spent rather than reported to the tax man.

Our little operation probably has a half million or more in just machinery—the automated bale wagon by itself cost $75k on the secondary market. Add in a dozen various tractors, a full set of equipment along with backups, and it’s a pretty high cost of market entry.

There are lots of variables involved. We lease our hay fields. He bushhoggs in the spring, fertilizes twice a year and we give him the hay for free. If I have to bushhogg and he doesn’t fertilize he pays me $5 a round bale. If he has extra hay he sells it $45 a bale.

Usually gets 3 cuttings and averages 2 bales per acre of the 6x6 bales.