How many square bales of hay can you get per acre

With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting.

How many bales are in a acre?

Well-Known Member. I was told approx 100 small bales per acre. I.e. 10 acres would make about 1,000 bales. That would be a maximum unless you left a field empty from Feb until August and made hay before the grass got knocked right down!

How many bales of hay can you get from 15 acres?

Probably average 3000 (+/-) 40 pound bales, so 60 tons more or less!

How many bales of hay do I need for 100 acres?

That seems to be about average in the US. At 65lbs per bale (which can vary significantly, but whatever), that’s about 77 bales. So for 100 acres that’s about 7700 bales or about 250 tons of dry hay.

How many pounds of hay do you get per acre?

120 square feet divided by 43,560 square feet per acre equals 0.0028 acres. If the amount of hay weighed 20 pounds, then 20 pounds divided by 0.0028 acres equals 7,142 pounds, or 3.5 tons per acre. Weigh hay from several different sections in the field in order to get a representative yield.

How many acres do you need to grow hay?

Average yield of hay per acre is 2.44 tons. That means a cow/calf pair needs the production of 2.7 acres planted hay to eat for a year.

How many bales of hay can you get off of 3 acres?

With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting.

How much is a bale of hay worth?

Hay QualityBale TypeMinimum Price Per TonGrade 1Small Square$160Large Square$85Large Round$65Grade 2Large Square$85

Is hay farming worth it?

Brown says using 2019 numbers, it costs about $400 an acre to plant corn on ground that may yield 150 bushels per acre. … “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre. “The potential is there to make some pretty good money on hay.”

How many bales of straw can you get per acre?

It all depends on the land, the seed, the weather, how heavy your equipment is set to make the bales…but go with 100 bales per acre and depending on all the variables consider 30 less or 30 more. You really need to know the history of the field to estimate.

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How many bales of alfalfa can you get per acre?

100 50 lbs bales about @ acre would be a good average on 1st cut, but depending on seeding, soil and fertilization could be up to 150 bales.

How much hay does a cow need?

Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter. Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture. If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis”.

How much hay is cut each year?

In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield. Some animals, like sheep, prefer the tender stems of second or third cutting hay.

How many bales of hay does a cow need for winter?

Calculate Number of Bales Needed Determine the number of bales of hay that each cow needs by dividing the cow’s yearly need by the adjusted weight of each bale. For a cow needing 8,190 pounds of hay per year and a bale weight of 960 pounds, divide 8,190 by 960 for a yearly need of about 8.5 bales per cow.

Is it cheaper to buy hay or make it?

In most environments where forage production is based on natural rainfall, you can almost always buy hay cheaper than you can produce it. Most farmers and ranchers initially don’t believe this. … When full cost of production is accounted for, hay generally costs between $70 and $140/ton to produce.

How much hay does a horse eat?

Measure feed accurately and feed consistently The average thousand-pound horse who relies on hay for all their forage typically eats fifteen to twenty pounds of hay per day. Most hay is dispensed in flakes; however, the amount of hay in a flake can vary greatly, depending on the size of the flake and the kind of hay.

How many times a year can you harvest hay?

In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield.

What do you need to farm hay?

Hay Equipment A compact tractor is the staple of every operation, but mowers, conditioners, hay rakes, balers, and sometimes hay tedders and bale wrappers are also needed. Pay close attention to make sure your tractor has enough engine horsepower to meet the horsepower requirement for each implement.

How do I start a hay field?

For hay, mow the field with a rotary mower to remove problem plants by cutting them before they set viable seed. Till to control tenacious, perennial weeds, such as bedstraw, and then seed. The best time to seed is in May or in the first three weeks of August, when seed will survive and compete with weeds better.

What are current hay prices?

The average price for alfalfa hay (all qualities) essentially hovered in the $170 to $180 per ton range for month after month. That situation rapidly changed during 2021 when average alfalfa hay prices soared from $171 per ton in January to $213 in October.

How much does it cost to plant a hay field?

Costs generally are $200 to $300 per acre.

How many cows can you have per acre?

You should be able to keep between 0.5 and 1.1 cows per acre on average pasture. In general, rotational grazing may increase the cows-per-acre rate up to 30% compared to traditional grazing. However, rotational grazing techniques require at least two paddocks and are usually more expensive.

How hard is it to grow hay?

Commercial farms have little difficulty raising hay or sourcing out their needs, but smaller farmers and urban hobbyists can also grow, harvest and bale hay even on a smaller scale. Haying can be challenging, and some farmers simply enjoy that challenge.

How much is a bale of hay 2020?

Small square bales averaged $4.60 a bale (range of $2.00 to $6.00). Large square bale straw averaged $64.00 per bale (a range of $40.00 to $90.00). Large round bale straw averaged $58.00 per bale (a range of $40.00 – $85.00). In Nebraska, hay sold steady, demand is light in 2020.

What do farmers do with hay bales?

Why do farmers leave hay bales in the field? – Quora. For drying,seasoning,kill weed seeds,storage(you can’t put round bales in a hay mow). If feeding to cattle they still get good use out of it because of their multiple stomachs and cud chewing.

How long can you keep a bale of hay?

Without a net, a bale lasts approximately 5-6 days and half of it is wasted. Once the hay hits the ground, it gets urinated and defecated on or they use it as a bed and refuse to eat it.

How much straw Do I need to cover 2 acres?

The application rate per acre should be about 2 tons (or one 74 pound bale per 800 square feet). Straw should be clean rice, barley, or wheat straw.

How much alfalfa will 10 acres produce?

The average total yield is 20-35 tons per hectare (or 8-14 tons per acre) per year (distributed in 5-6 cuts). Top yields (intensive farming) can exceed 40 tons per hectare or 16 tons per acre per year. You can enrich this article by leaving a comment or photo of your alfalfa harvesting methods and yields.

How much is an acre of alfalfa worth?

In this example, the standing value for the entire alfalfa field could range from $230 to $360/acre for the entire growing season. Keep in mind ownership costs can run $300- 400/acre when the seller considers lost rent, establishment costs and top-dress fertilizer to maintain soil fertility.

How much does it cost to grow an acre of alfalfa?

Cropland with district water suitable for alfalfa production typically ranges in value among counties from $15,000 to $25,000 per acre. The land in this study is owned by the grower and cost $15,000 per acre. Small farms (50 acres and less) tend to have higher land costs than farms over 50 acres.

How many square bales of hay does a cow eat?

A 1200-pound cow, ready for processing, will require 36 pounds of forage per day based on the formula used here. Thirty-six pounds of hay is close to one small square bale of hay per day, taking into consideration some waste.

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