Planting a new hay field cost

I have an opportunity to get 8 acres free of charge from a neighbor. It used to be hayed a few years ago but now it is weeds a few small trees. I know because I hogged it for them this summer. I was wondering what the approximate cost would be to plant the field. I have beef cows so it does not have to be the highest quality. I was thinking of plating oats in the spring get one cutting of oats then under seed with something. I have excess to all of the needed equipment. Give me some input guys. I'm in southeast wisconsin.

Joe

how much lime does it need? fertilizer?Get a soil test first.I had to lime some field this year at 4 tons/acre some at 1.5 tons /acre at 32 dollars a ton. Some needed 250# of potash some needed 100# to the acre.If it needs lime and you plant with out putting some on you are just putting alot of money in the field for nothing

I'd assume the biggest cost is getting the soil fertility right to make the new hay grow?

Does your soil need lime, ph is the big thing, neglected hay fields go bad in a hurry and need a couple years to get them back ito a good ph, you'd want to start this fall already on that.

P & K would need to be addressed, and best to put 3 years worth of those worked into the ground this spring is the most efficient. That is the big, big $$$. Again, a big long term cost for hay, and an old abandoned field will likely be quite low in at least one of these. $$$$

Then, by 'hay' are you talking all grass, all alfalfa, or a mix?

Here in MN, it is a poor plan to try to plant a grass or alfalfa crop in the warmer months of summer, they need to be planted in the wetter cooler months of April or early early May, or again in late September. Donno what timeframe you were looking at with the 'one cutting' of oats but if you grow oats, no need to hurry up and plant hay, wait until your cool and rainy fall timeframe.

It takes a year to make a good growing hay crop, so if you are putting in all the expenses, be sure that 'free' rent is covered for several years, not just one.... Would be difficult to pour the time and money into totally renovating a hay field and recouping the costs in one year.

If all you want is a grass crop and ph isn't an issue in your area, often one can just manage what is growing with good fertility and properly timed mowing to rebuld the grass already there and proper mowing will bash down a lot of weeds - another option to look into. Can work better in a dry year, which has been an issue for many of us, fall has been too dry to establish an alfalfa crop here 2 years in a row. Fertilize well, light tillage to scratch the fert in but only killing 1/4 the sod or so in early spring - maybe throw a little good seed on and drag lightly to get the seed to catch in the 1/4 killed areas, and hope for rain, mow properly to let the grass grow but not the weeds going to seed, and you got a good field by fall with a couple cuttings off. This would be the easiest cheapest if you want a mostly grass end result, and your poil ph isn't much low.

I didn't help you much with actual costs, which is what you asked, sorry, hope it's some things to think on and refine the question?

--->Paul

I can't tell if you want to establish a hay field or plant a cash crop. I think I would plow it this fall and fertilize and plant corn in there next year. Take the extreme profit from corn and go buy what ever kind of hay you want. Put the rest of the money in the bank. Getting the ground rent free means you are $300/acre ahead of the rest of us right out of the chute.

You have a great place to buy seed in your neck of the woods. The Elk Mound seed company .. right there in Wisconsin

www.elkmoundseed.com/

You can check what you are interested in and they have the seeding rates and prices on-line. I wouldn't be too hasty with the "inputs" and would stay away from chemicals and soil amendments until you do a soil test. As a long time organic/grass-fed-finished beef producer I would want to know if you plan to pasture the land or use it for hay/forage, before I would make any firm suggestions. Some hay ground that hasn't been abused with chemicals can be brought back quite easily with clipping and no-till seeding of legumes and deep rooted grasses. In dry years it's best to keep the sod intact. There are many books available for beginning grass land farmers. Check out "The Stockman Grass Farmer Journal".and Acres magazine. Good Luck.

If you're going to plant oats then plant the hay at the same time using the oats as a cover crop. Oats come off early so you may get a light hay crop late in the fall.A cover crop is the way to go anyway. Kill two birds with one stone. A cash crop and establish the hay , in the same season.

I get alot of free grasshay ground. If it has grass already growing I would just cut it the way it is. The more you cut the more grass will grow. My beef cows and steers eat it up even with the weeds that are in it. And if the ground is free you never know how long you will have it so I would not put alot in it. Jim

You got cattle already? And the guy just said, yeah you can use it etc etc. OK, no long term agreement, so you might need to 'pull up stakes' at any time right? Maybe? So why don't you make it so you can 'pull up stake electric fencing'? Keep the cows on there from now till spring, see how the wind blows, as they leave manure, trample it, graze it flat, then something is gained till April. On my old place, if the gang was grazing on a spot all winter, weeds weren't a problem in spring, and no $ spent. And since I didn't start baling till mid June, all the bales looked just fine.
There's already been a few posts on here about putting all sorts of fuel and seed on rented land and the deal goes bad etc. In a matter of hours, your fencing can be back on your property.