Random question about hay baling

[Dinger]

Not sure where to post this or if anyone on here would even know.. but worth a shot..

I own a piece of land out in east Texas A little further east then Mt. Pleasant..Its roughly 50acres (about 30acres is timber). My dad does own a tractor with a mower but nothing for baling.. I don't mind mowing it but was curious if there were people who would mow and bale the place and just take the hay.. I know you can sell it and maybe some people would do it just so they wouldn't have to buy hay for thier farms.. Not sure if people would do it for free (since they get to keep the bales) or how much it would cost?

[dee]

People do cut and bale for just the hay. The biggest variable you will have though is type and quality of the grass.

[Sleeper]

You need a swather and a baler. Also a buyer, but that usually isnt hard.

The trick is to know when to actually make the bales. To wet and they can mold or even get so hot inside they catch fire. To dry and they just fall apart.

There is normally a narrow window to actually get it done. You can buy a older cheap 530 series john deere baler for a couple grand. Horse people are the pickiest about the hay/grass.

Its worth it if you got the time. Or enter it into crp if you can and take the government payment. They will usually make you mow it and bale it every couple years, or burn it.

[Sleeper]

Or cash lease it to a farmer and get paid and do nothing.

[dcs13]

If its good pasture, find someone to cut it on the "half" you keep half ,they get half for their labor. Thats a typical arrangement around North Texas here. Otherwise, expect to pay around $26 per round bale for cutting,raking.baling services..

[YALE]

Or cash lease it to a farmer and get paid and do nothing.

This.

[dblack1]

I have 8 acres I let someone cut/bale for free. I just don't want to deal with it and it keeps it pretty. I was bush hogging it three times a year.

[TexasT]

Put up a little sign at some convenience stores local to the property. I bet there is some slick individual who will call you up with a plan for riches$.

[Sleeper]

Deff dont expect to get rich off of it. Us farmers dont pay for the 30 acres in wasteland(aka tree's, rivers and so on).

I dont know what they are getting there, but even here good bean ground is 65.00 a acre lease. Pasture land is 14.00 a acre cost or repairs split.

[Dinger]

Thanks for the replies.. Here is a picture of the way it looked back in march (I think) not sure if any of you can tell if that is good grass or not.


Now there are parts over 6ft tall.. and mostly a light green/brown color.. Im just worried If I just go mow it how it will turn oiut just leaving the mowed grass on the ground.. I just figured it would be better to have someone bale it..

Also.. what do you mean cash leasing to a farmer?

also sorry for the big picture..

[dcs13]

If you hire/ask someone to bale it, PLEASE make sure the pasture is clear of an stumps/debris. A good hay cutter can run 30k, and you can tear it up in nothing flat.. Grass looks decent, cow quality at least.

[JP135]

Run an ad on Craigslist in the farm/garden section. Somebody will be glad to bale it as long as its still green. Better hurry though - these 100 degree temps are hard on hay. It'll die and turn brown in a hurry and nobody will want it.

I Agree with dcs13.

[Sleeper]

Yep id bale it for sure. The greener it it the more protein is still inside the plant.

Looks like a deer plot. You will usually get 1-2 cuttings per year depending on rain and temps.

You should have no problems finding someone to cut that for you. They will even pay you. Or if you like to hunt select the farmer who has the most hunt-able land to trade with.

Us farmers appreciate this type of people. We barter as much as we can.

[CJ-95GT]

I would not tackle this on your own if you don't have to. I recall reading about someone dying when a bale rolled over on them while transporting it with a tractor.

[mikec]

Also, if you do mow it with a brush hog you have ruined it, as that chops it up. The swather cuts it close to the base and it lays over at that point.