How many bales of hay can you get out of an 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 acres do you need to bale hay?

Horse farmers are looking for good hay, and they're willing to pay for it. Here was the thought, on 50 acres you would get 100 square bales per acre, which is a conservative number. If we do the math, that works out to be. 100 bales x 50 acres = 5000 bales of hay for 50 acres of land.

What is the average yield of hay per acre?

In 2020, production for all types of hay was 126.812 million tons with an average yield of 2.43 tons per acre and harvested area of 52.238 million acres.

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

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. Multiply this by the total number of weaned cattle in your herd. For example, 45 cows multiplied by 8.5 bales per cow results in a total need of 383 bales.

How much do hay bales cost?

On average, a bale of hay costs around $15. For example, two wired Alfalfa Hay bales typically run high, costing $19.95 apiece, whereas bermudagrass is only $8.75. Timothy Hay is the most expensive, typically costing at least $20 a bale.

How many bales an acre

How many straw bales cover an acre?

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 many bales of hay does a cow need a day?

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.

Is making hay profitable?

He says it costs about $297 per acre to seed and prepare hay ground. “You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that's about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “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.

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.

What type of hay is best for beef cattle?

Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay—of any type—but if lactating they will need adequate protein. Good palatable grass hay, cut while still green and growing, can be very adequate, but if grass hay is coarse and dry (with little vitamin A or protein), you'll need to add some legume hay to their diet.

Is it worth it to grow your own hay?

Points in favor of growing hay

You can ensure that it has high-quality nutrition and is free of mold and pests. You don't have to haul it from another farm or pay for delivery. You can save a lot of money compared to buying hay, assuming you already own the necessary equipment and storage space.

Can you make hay out of any grass?

Just about any grass left to grow long can make hay. However, certain varieties of grasses like timothy and orchard grass are usually used for hay because you get much more growth so more hay per acre than shorter more lawn type grasses.

What do farmers do with their hay?

Feeding hay to livestock is the number one use for hay. Almost any animal on the farm – horses, cattle, sheep, goats, etc. - will eat hay. Hay is usually fed to livestock when they cannot graze or be in a pasture, either because it is winter or because of drought.

What is the value of straw?

How much is that straw worth from a nutrient perspective? Well, it obviously depends upon the current market value of nutrients. Using today's prices, a pound of N, P₂O₅, and K₂O costs $0.42, $0.50, and $0.34, respectively. Thus a ton of straw will contain $14.93 worth of nutrients.

How much does a bale of straw weigh?

Density. The weight of an average bale should be 7 lbs. per cubic ft.

How much hay do you put on grass seed?

How Much Hay Should You Use? Generally, a bale of hay is enough to cover 1,000 square feet of your lawn. Spread the hay so that it is thick enough to keep grass seeds safe from the elements and birds. At the same time, the layer should be thin enough to allow air and sunlight to pass through.

How many days does hay need to dry?

It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay. This can be a challenge in late May or early June. A good strategy is to mow just before or right after a rain, because of the likelihood of good weather for the next few days.

Is hay just overgrown grass?

Hay is a grass or can be a form of grass. When referring to it as a form of grass, it is a cut grass that has been cut then dried for the purpose of becoming an animal feed or food. If it's still not to be used as food, then it can readily be stored some place else.

Is hay easy to grow?

Hay – grasses and legumes that can be dried for stock feed – is simple to grow either as part of a crop rotation or a permanent meadow, and grows naturally in many areas. Better knowledge of the best types of hay and what is needed for a healthy crop, however, will increase the field's yield and nutrition.

How long is hay good for?

If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.

What is the best seed for hay?

Alfalfa- It is probably the best high quality feed for livestock and as a cash crop but it requires deep, well drained soils and high fertility for high yields. While it can be used for grazing, it is best adapted for hay or silage.

Can cows live on hay alone?

Many people still think that dairy cows consume grass and grass alone. They have that idyllic image of black and white cows out in a green pasture next to a red barn. While some cows can sustain many of their needs on grass alone, they are usually the non-lactating cows (i.e., cows that aren't producing milk).

Why can't cattle eat alfalfa?

Why does alfalfa cause bloat in the first place? Soluble proteins in forages and other small particles within the cells of the plant are rapidly released once they reach the rumen. These proteins and particles are attacked by slime producing rumen microbes, which cause a buildup of stable foam.