How many bales of hay do 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. Our farm aside, we can offer some guidelines to consider when trying to predict the productivity of your hay fields.

How much hay does acre produce?

The average U.S. dry hay yield (all types) dropped from 2.52 tons per acre in 2016 to 2.44 tons per acre in 2017. For alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixtures, the average yield declined from 3.45 tons per acre in 2016 to 3.32 tons per acre in 2017.

How many pounds of hay does an acre produce?

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 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 acres do you need to make 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.

How many bales an 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.

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 straw do you get from 1 acre of wheat?

In general, a good wheat crop yields about 2.5 to 2.8 tons of straw per acre on a dry matter basis, Fernandez said. The third step in the calculation is to know the nutrient content of the straw.

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 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 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.

How many bales of hay does a horse need per year?

If you buy your hay by the ton, this would be 3915/2000 = almost 2 tons of hay per horse. If you buy your hay by the bale, you will need to find out the approximate weight of each bale. Assuming a 40 lb bale, 3915/40 = 98 bales per horse.

How much is a square bale of hay?

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.

How long after cutting hay can you bale it?

Subject: RE: How long does your hay lay to bale dry? Cut first thing in the morning, ted about 2-4 hours later, do nothing the next day, rake as soon as dew is off (-48 hours after cutting), let dry about 3 hours, and bale. Sometime takes an extra day to dry or occasionally a day less if perfect weather.

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 many cows can you have per acre?

You may have heard a rule-of-thumb is that it takes 1.5 to 2 acres to feed a cow calf pair for 12 months. That means we should be able to have 10 to 13 cows. Let's see how this rule-of-thumb holds up. It looks like our rule-of-thumb held up pretty good, 11 cows on 20 acres, is 1.8 acres per cow.

Does straw have nitrogen?

Wheat straw contains some of all essential plant nutrients, but nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are the only nutrients in sufficient amounts to be considered.

Is wheat hay good for cows?

Wheat hay, if harvested right, can fit the bill as a palatable beef cattle feed, just like it does for stockers and other cattle in winter grazing programs. With mid-summer dry weather, there's always the possibility of parched pastures.

How much nitrogen is in straw?

The third step in the calculation is to know the nutrient content of the straw. As a guide, a ton of wheat straw normally contains 9 to 12 pounds of nitrogen (N), 3 to 4 pounds of phosphorous (P) in the form of P2O5, and 25 to 45 pounds of potassium (K) in the form of K2O.

What is pea straw worth?

per large round bale, the value of that straw could easily range anywhere from $32- $40/bale delivered in the yard, but, of course, this is dependent on demand.”

What is oat straw worth?

"Straw can also be valued according to its feeding value. Using current values for grass hay of around $85/ton, wheat straw should be worth about $40/ton, barley straw around $44, oat straw approximately $54, and pea straw almost $75/ton."

What is barley straw worth?

The value of wheat or barley straw in today's market is around 2.7 cents a pound ($60 per tonne).

How much hay does a 500 pound calf eat per day?

Unless indicated by the person you purchased the calf from, cattle should be adapted gradually to growing rations rather than abruptly put on high-grain diets. When the calf starts on feed, first provide high-quality grass hay for free choice consumption (3% of body weight; 15 lbs per day for a 500 lb calf).

Can cows live on just hay?

Hay is the most commonly used winter feed for beef cattle, but it's also the most expensive. Each cow requires a daily intake of 40 pounds of round-baled hay, which amounts to $1.61 if pricing hay at $80 per ton.

What is the best hay for cattle?

Timothy hay is recommended by many experts due to its ease on various animal's digestive system as well as promotion of bowel regularity. Additionally, there have been scientific studies done that show Timothy hay is an ideal feed for pregnant or lactating cows.