Hay Farming Southeast Oklahoma

[CarlaA]

We have 40 mostly open acres and we brush hog regularly. It's tough getting someone to cut/bale. I've been looking for additional land with retirement in mind. Thinking of picking up some vintage 60's 70's equipment...New Holland Hayliner 68, New Idea 402 rake. I have a 1978 JD 4030 75 HP tractor. Woman in my 50's, work in a mechanical industry, I have that mechanical aptitude, but no experience farming. Are those good equipment choices? What cutter would you recommend? Am I crazy? My goal year 1 is simply to learn what I should do different and grow from there.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

I have newly acquired a 50 ac hay field producing about 200 bales a year of native hay. There's also another 100 acres of cow pasture. I would like to plant the 100 ac cow pasture come spring. It's mostly weeds, scattered field rocks about the size of a round loaf of bread, very few trees, flat with some rolling hills. See pic. I think I can use a rock rake to clear rocks. We get about 45" of rain per year, it's hot, humid, and windy spring to fall. Typically 2 cuttings, but if cutting myself maybe 3. I have never farmed. It's tough getting someone to cut/bale. Thinking of picking up some vintage 60's 70's equipment...New Holland Hayliner 68, New Idea 402 rake. I have a 1978 JD 4030 75 HP tractor. I am in equipment sales, utility equipment. Some technical savvy. Are those good equipment choices? What cutter would you recommend? Am I crazy?

First, are you sure you want to mess with small squares? Second, if you are sure you want to mess with small squares, you will want a much newer baler than that 68. A New Holland 316 would be better. 40 years old now, but a 68 is probably 25 years older. Third, how are you going to handle the bales? Use a pop-up bale loader hooked to a truck? Have someone stacking on a flat wagon behind the baler? Use a bale basket? Use a New Holland stack wagon to avoid labor issues?

 

[mudcreek183]

A disc mower would be a good choice as a cutter as for a baler something newer would be better I myself have a 570 NH they can be picked up pretty reasonable now.

 

[Tx Jim]

Ditto on disc mower for cutting. Due to being formally being owning several different JD small sq balers I prefer the 336/346 & later model sq balers. The JD balers are easier to set timing due to only having 2 roller chains to contend with.

 

[Destroked 450]

I’ll question the small squares also but that depends on personal use or market demand
If you have 30 bale able acres making decent hay your looking at minimum 1000 - 1500 squares on first cutting, half that again for second cutting, do you have need or martlet for that many bales, and storage space if you don’t market them right away
But you can always start small with a few acres and work your way up

I recommend a disc mower as well but would look at a trailed unit or a 3 point mounted on a mower caddy, 3 point hitch disc mowers can be a challenge to hook up and disconnect, with only one tractor this can challenge one’s sanity
For a rake a New Holland 256 is probably the best for small squares, for round bales a modern style v-rake cuts raking time in half

IMO there is no such thing as a good cheap baler, they’re either good or cheap
For squares I have a NH 273 that’s been well cared for and stored inside, I also only make 100-200 squares per year. A Newer NH 310-311 or equal JD model would be on my list if I needed another square baler
I use round bales and have a market for them, for your acreage a Vermeer Rebel or NH 450 Utility would be on my want list as you’ll only be making 90-150 rolls first cutting, I don’t think either of those balers have net capabilities but I only twine warp mine.

One good thing is you have a good tractor to start with, many come this this forum asking about making hay with a 30-40 hp tractor that’s to small for any decent size disc mower or round baler

 

[E.B. Haymakin']

We have 40 mostly open acres and we brush hog regularly. It's tough getting someone to cut/bale. I've been looking for additional land with retirement in mind. Thinking of picking up some vintage 60's 70's equipment...New Holland Hayliner 68, New Idea 402 rake. I have a 1978 JD 4030 75 HP tractor. Woman in my 50's, work in a mechanical industry, I have that mechanical aptitude, but no experience farming. Are those good equipment choices? What cutter would you recommend? Am I crazy? My goal year 1 is simply to learn what I should do different and grow from there.

With one tractor to power your operation it's going to require swapping implements under the stress of baling. It may not always happen, but one tractor can only do one thing at a time. Depending on dry times and goal of hay quality no two hayings will be the same. Even during the year 1st crop will be different from any of the rest much less year to year. What about break downs? As far as tractors go I would stay 70s, 80's, &90's.

 

[Northvale PA]

We did 25 acres and small square bale. It was all we could handle. Our place came with a barn so storage was no issue. But if I was starting out again it would be as follows: a big tractor to mow and bale. Discbine mower, round baler, net wrap. A 60 hp tractor to tedd and rake. 4 star tedder. Probably a V shape wheel rake, but I use rollabars. A loader to move the bales and flat wagons. You need storage? We started out doing grass which is easier to learn on. Later on alfalfa. Now for the big question: who is the end consumer? You? Customers? 40 acres doesn’t sound like much but hay is a high labor crop. It is a huge time commitment.

 

[tom upton]

We have 40 mostly open acres and we brush hog regularly. It's tough getting someone to cut/bale. I've been looking for additional land with retirement in mind. Thinking of picking up some vintage 60's 70's equipment...New Holland Hayliner 68, New Idea 402 rake. I have a 1978 JD 4030 75 HP tractor. Woman in my 50's, work in a mechanical industry, I have that mechanical aptitude, but no experience farming. Are those good equipment choices? What cutter would you recommend? Am I crazy? My goal year 1 is simply to learn what I should do different and grow from there.

Guess I am different than what others on here are saying, but will say it anyway. First I dont believe you need a disc bine or disc mower unless you are getting into cutting hay in a big way. A good 488 or 479 NH haybine or something similiar is all you need . Cutting the hay is about the best job there is about haying so why does everyone want to get it done so darn fast? Speed is about the only real advantage I see with a disc mower? If you are square baling you are not going to want to cut more than you can bale in one day anyway which depending on hay is probably no more than 10 or 12 acres at a time. You can cut that comfortably with a good haybine in 2 or 3 hours, and it wont cost you nearly as much money to initially purchase or repair when it breaks. Second there is absolutley nothing wrong with a NH 68 baler AS LONG as it is in good condition. If you dont know much about balers/knotters etc. I would get someone to check it out for you, unless you really trust the current owner? We use a 65 for several thousand bales a year and I think it is even older than a 68! I think you would like the 65 if you can find one in good shape. They make a smaller bale but much easier to stack and handle. No offense intended or implied, but I call them old man,and woman bales,which suits us just fine as its mostly the wife and I handling them! I dont know much about the NI 402, but probably same deal as the baler. ( make sure its in good shape) Also make sure you can get wear parts for it. I am not familiar with what drydown is like in your area, but I am guessing its pretty dry there? Here if we get decent weather ( hasnt happened much this year) I try not to rake hay at all. If your 4030 is in good shape you have a great tractor. It is nice to have more than the one tractor, but not a huge deal if you are just hooking and unhooking draw bar equipment. As far as your question about your sanity yes you probably are crazy for thinking square bales if you dont have help? To get enough equipment to effiecently handle square baling even 40 acres by yourself is probably going to cost you some serious $. On the other hand if you have a good helper that likes exercise you would most likely be fine baling onto wagons?
Obviosly A fair bit more physical work involved for small squares v/s rounds that some have suggested, but for us at least the demand is way higher for small squares than rounds. It works out for us doing mostly small squares and some rounds. We try to bale all the good hay that didnt get rain into squares, and the rest into rounds.
That being said sadly we dont really make any real money making hay. I guess we do it for the exercise/fun!! Sounds like you have a good job off the farm? I wouldnt quit your day job thinking you are going to strike it rich farming! Good luck with your endeavors either way.

 

[Leroy]

We have 40 mostly open acres and we brush hog regularly. It's tough getting someone to cut/bale. I've been looking for additional land with retirement in mind. Thinking of picking up some vintage 60's 70's equipment...New Holland Hayliner 68, New Idea 402 rake. I have a 1978 JD 4030 75 HP tractor. Woman in my 50's, work in a mechanical industry, I have that mechanical aptitude, but no experience farming. Are those good equipment choices? What cutter would you recommend? Am I crazy? My goal year 1 is simply to learn what I should do different and grow from there.

First I am going to ask what part of the country are you in.? Whet area how many months are suatable for making hay? Hills or level land? Then would you have help avaible to handle small squares?. Now would you be using the hay yourself or selling it? These factors will make a big difference in what would work. I am in Ohio and the local free advertising paper has mostly small squares advertised. A 500# round bale would sell for about the same money as 3 50# square bales. Consignment sales Have mostly seen square bales. So what would your market be? Now what type of hay? Grass or legume? How many cuttings a year? Without answers to these questions no one can give you good help. I am now 79 years old and out of farming for several years but I think my answers would still be good. Unless you have steep hills you do not need that oversized tractor. We had gently rolling land and pulled a 9 foot mower-conditioner with a 27 HP Farmall, a Older IHC baler with a thrower-kicker and 16 foot ling kicker bale wagons and old steel wheel hay rake with a tedder with a 28 HP tractor setting. It was just me in my 30.s, Dad, Grandpa and young cousin to make the hay. 3 years before we got the kicker baler we handled all bales by hand. Bales only weighing 40 pounds. 3 of us got overcome with heat that last year. I call the disk or drun mowers shreader mowers, basicly the same as a bush hog for cutting, I would call therotary rakes beaters nocking all leaves off. I may be old fashioned but I believe the older ways are better. Now the small squares people with perhaps only one riding horse could only use the amount of hay in a small square bale every two days and to buy and haul the hay might only have a small suve to haul it by putting a tarp on the floor to keep the vehical clean or a small pickup truck that could not even handle a 400 pound round bale. If you would go with a roud baler then you would nef that big tractor with a heavy loader to handle the bales to get them out of the field so they would not be in the way for the next cutting before they were sold. If going for small squares aim for a dozen cheap flat bed wagons and build yourself racks on them and get large tarps to cover the loads untill you could either get the hay sold or untill you can get help to store them inside if you have the room to do that. Or even to store them outside under tarps. Know your market before you even look for a baler.

 

[farmersamm]

I'm in Central Oklahoma..............

If you hay fields are in good shape, you need simple equipment.

What I use..........

Hesston 1014 Hydro Swing
New Holland 846 baler, recently switched to New Holland 650 baler.
2 90hp tractors. One for field work, one with a loader.
Side dump bale buggy.

I only newly own a disc mower because my fields are in bad disrepair. Total disaster. Equipment problems, weather problems, and wildfire a few years back. I now have a trashy mess full of blackberries, and saplings. A sickle mower won't handle the rehab. Once I clean things up, I'll go back to a sickle mower.

Disc mowers require too much time. First you have to cut, then you have to rake. And the things cut too narrow of a swath. A MOCO does it all in one pass, then you come back and bale in 2 days. End of story.

Square bales are a non starter. Might sell to horse people(and horse people are a solid PITA), but cattle people don't want them. Plus, they're labor intensive, and will not tolerate exposure to weather. You need a dry place to store them, and they have to come off the field before they get rained on.

 

[caterpillar guy]

SE OK is a rather humid climate if I remember right. So drying will be the order of the day. Swath when mowing will dry faster than laying windrows and if the ground is wet underneath you will want to possibly rake it twice once to get the ground dry then again to get the hay dry. I have had that here in MI some years the ground was wet enough the hey dried on top and wet on bottom after being raked. As for equipment you have been given good choices and depending on the market,money and labor you might want to consider an accumulator and grapple for handling small bales it can be done with one person and a wagon or 2. You would need a loader and I would suggest getting a second tractor for use and backup since you are looking at if it rains the hay just dropped in value. Also your helper could move it from place to place during loading to svae running with the loader. The loader would also be able to unl0ad into a pole barn type of building so no hand labor with it. all the side loaders an baskets still require somebody to unload by hand short of tipping the wagon/ truck over sideways. Also somebody to stack in the mow/pile or what have you.