Hay 2021

[Magyars]

Question for those with the knowledge....

I've got approximately three acres that I had cut & baled this year. It's grass hay and the horses seem ok with it for the most part but I know it doesn't offer the level of nutrition we need to carry our small herd of four in the winter months. I would like to plant something that will offer a higher quality product and my neighbor has offered to allow me to plant a couple acres of his as well. I've got a lot of milkweed that I need to kill off but I think I'm going to kill it all off before tilling it up.

My big question is, what should I plant? There are a couple of large alfalfa fields close by which seem to do extremely well but my daughter (the family horse expert) doesn't want straight alfalfa. I've got a 5' tiller for my tractor, a 6' wide 1400# (full) roller and a bush hog so I won't be able to cut, rake & bale it myself and will have to depend on a local guy to do it for me unfortunately.

My secondary question is, with the cost of the equipment, how much hay must someone plant to make buying the equipment worth it? Even looking at used equip that my little 26hp tractor could pull it seems like the equipment would be long since worn out before I even came close to the ground paying for it.

Did you get seed? What kind?

 

[phylodog]

Did you get seed? What kind?

I haven’t yet. I’m leaning pretty heavily toward an orchard grass & alfalfa mix. A neighbor uses it and it seems to do really well so I’m hoping it will for us as well.

 

[Leadeye]

I haven’t yet. I’m leaning pretty heavily toward an orchard grass & alfalfa mix. A neighbor uses it and it seems to do really well so I’m hoping it will for us as well.

Cut early if you have alfalfa in your mix, weevils will eat it up if left too long. This applies to first cutting.

 

[tmschuller]

I just turned the horses (8) out on our hay field... couldn’t get anyone here to bale or the weather would not cooperate. Pretty bummed but it is what it is. Have to buy some more now but at least it’s a good year for hay.

 

[tmschuller]

I just turned the horses (8) out on our hay field... couldn’t get anyone here to bale or the weather would not cooperate. Pretty bummed but it is what it is. Have to buy some more now but at least it’s a good year for hay.

 

[cmann250]

I’m done for the year. I’ll wash, grease, and put away equipment this weekend. Start all over again in May for my 16th season.


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[BigRed]

View attachment 158007

Good looking horses!

 

[tmschuller]

Good looking horses!

Thanks. We’re a 501c3 horse rescue and have been rehoming horses for awhile. Keep the ones that fit our needs.. working with special needs kids. Just had a young man here from Fishers that has a counselor that uses us. Took an hour to get him on the horse but worth every minute!