Very First Cutting

After 3 years of clearing trees, cutting vines/briars, disking burned ground, and mowing goat weeds,
we finally got our first cutting off what we call the ‘corner’.

This is the first time hay has ever been cut and baled on this pasture.

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It is about 95% Bahia grass with very little goat weed and black-eyed susan; no grass burs.

Used ‘Big John’ the 55 70 diesel and the JD 350 mower to cut the Bahia grass.

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Came back with ‘Vernon’ the 56 70 gas and JD 640 hay rake to put up in wind rows.

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It was the first time we used ‘Vernon’ to power the Krone 125 baler.

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It was also the first time we used the Krone 125 to make 4x4 bales.

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Both the tractor and baler did really good; only one bale ‘clogged’ and had to be unrolled and baled again.

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This is the first bale. We ended up with 26 bales.

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Somewhere up there my granddaddy Howell is smiling.

Very nice place! Congrats on the first crop!

Great pics, nice hay.

It"s neat to see how you and your wife take so much pride in hay farming.. You seem to be a well matched pair who have learned to appreciate the finer things in life

Very nice pics. Thank you for sharing. I have to say, you look like a very relaxed person. Good for you. I love the sound of a 730 diesel working, is that 70 diesel the same engine?

Good work. My experience with volunteer Bahia grass here is that it is tough to cut, makes good hay and very good summer grazing, but does not yield as much as Coastal Bermuda. It also chokes out everything but Johnson Grass so I'm not surprised that you didn't have any weeds. Looks like your yield is much better than here (Western SC). May be difference in climates.

KEH

Nice looking field.Well done with the first crop.
.

Randy In Iowa

You are exactly right about tough to cut.

That is why I used the 70 diesel and 350 mower instead of the 46A and #5 mower.

My dad and granddaddy both 'ran' cattle on this farm for over 70 years.

Neither of them ever baled hay on this part of the farm; only used it for grazing pasture.

We definitely got more 'yield' from our Coastal/Cheyenne Bermuda hay meadow. See Second Cutting link below.

Just could not shred the good Bahia and waste the grass; someone will be able to use it to feed.
Second Cutting

I will admit that 'Big John' the 70 diesel is one of my favorites.

I like the sound of the woof, woof, woof of the diesel engine.

Since the 730 'evolved' from the 70, I would guess the engines are probably very similar.

Either way, both are 'stout' tractors.

Working on the farm every weekend is very good therapy after a week of living in the city.

I tell folks that I make my 'living' in Dallas, but the farm is my home.

Working on the farm is and always has been 'work', but thankfully it is by choice and something that both Nancy and I enjoy.

We decided to bale this pasture this time instead of shredding it with the bush hog.

Grass was just too good to waste. Somebody can use it.

Gave us an opportunity to 'check out' the KRONE 125, our backup baler, for the first time.

Probably will use it again on another pasture this weekend.

Also gave us an opportunity to 'check out' the 70 gas tractor that we just bought 3 weeks ago.

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Over the last 3 weeks 'Vernon' has paid for himself.

Thanks for the compliment.

We both enjoy coming home to the farm every weekend.

We decided about 3 years ago to 'rework' the existing hay meadow and grow hay for her horses.

In the process of 'reclaiming' other areas of the farm, we have ended up with several good pastures of Bahia grass.

Nancy and I do 'get along' pretty good.

Life is good when you like your partner.

Thanks for the compliment.

I can't begin to describe how 'bad' this particular pasture had over-grown.

It makes me tired just thinking about all the work that Nancy and I did on this pasture over the last 3 years.

Thankfully we are on the 'downhill' side of clearing.

We do our best to 'maintain' the open/grazing/hay producing areas.

I am impressed all over again with how absolutely idyllic and beautiful is your property!
May I ask how much acreage is there?

Thank you for the compliment on our farm.

There are 3 different tracts of land that total 180+/- acres.

The local USDA office 'shows' 50+ acres for hay production and the rest in timber production.

We do not cut timber anymore on this farm; long, unpleasant story.

Not a large farm by most standards, but more than enough to keep Nancy and I busy for a while.

Although the photos are out-of-season, take a look at the slide show below of the pond over by the old barn.
The Pond Fall 2007

Question ?

How much [$] for round bails , second cutting second year very clean.

A freind of mine plants hay and lets farmers come in and cut it . They are giving him $12.00 for a round bail , that seems cheap.

Is it ? In Michigan.

Pretty place, and glad to see you and Nancy are enjoying yourselves in your labors. Wish I could "adjust" my own attitude- used to enjoy farming, but lately, just a lot of frustration when things break, weather's too hot, etc. Guess its "overload"- at 60, always too much work and not enough time or energy to do it. Didn't realize how much the kids used to help, now that they're married and gone. Hoping to "semi-retire" in a couple years, do my "city work" out of my home and have more time for farming. Might just give up on the junk and get some good equipment, if only to make it enjoyable.

That is a very good question that needs to be posted independently on this forum.

If your neighbor is 'knowledgable' about the local hay market and is satisfied with $12 per bale, then I would be happy for him.

Last year I let my neighbor cut hay on several of my pastures at no charge.

He got hay for his cattle and I did not have to mow the pastures - Win/Win for both of us.

As you probably know there are several factors that will eventually determine the 'market' price for a round bale in your area.

The 4x4 Bahia grass bales that you see in these photos will be priced at $20 per bale here locally.

The 4x5 bales Bahia will be priced at $25 per bale locally.

If we decide to haul any of them back to Dallas, they will be priced much higher.

The 95% Coastal/Cheyenne Bermuda grass 4x5 bales, third year, second cutting, very clean, horse quality hay will be priced at $50 per bale locally.

Just like Blue Bell Ice Cream, we sell all we can and eat the rest.

Mike what part of WA are you located in? I am over by Coulee Dam now. Lots of wheat fields in eastern WA.

Thank you for the compliment on our farm.

I know what you mean about overload.

There are those 'days' when everything seems to work against you and it is not so much fun.

My frustration(s) usually result from events not even remotely related to the farm.

The farm gives me a lot of quiet time, riding on a tractor, focusing on what really 'counts' right now in my life - good health and a good marriage.

You are very correct about 'adjusting' the attitude.

As granny Clampett of the Beverly HillBillies would say 'Every day is a gamble, I figure if I wake up in the morning I'm a winner.'

I get to yell out loud, cuss equipment, throw 'dammit' tools, etc. without doing any harm to livestock or my favorite wife Nancy.

Most times I laugh about my 'bad' behaivor that unfortunately sometimes Nancy witnesses.

There is no computer, no cell phone, no fax machine, etc. to 'chain' me down. Use the TV mainly for the weather report.

Except for the digital camera, we basically 'retro' back to the 40's, 50's, and 60's every weekend.

Most of the 'junk' equipment that we buy, can be resurrected and put back in service. Some pieces are more challenging than others.

Sounds like you have a good plan for your semi-retirement.

James,
Thanks for sharing the pictures your new hayfield and toys.Yes ,I am a little jealous. It proves the theory,forgotten by many, that hard work and due diligence pay off.
Say hi to your lovely wife from us up in the northeast.
Vito

Thats a nice looking farm. Where is it located? I live in Bryan and my wife and I are just now clearing four acres of our five to plant grass for a horse pasture. I dont plan on trying to bale any of it but I cant believe just how much work it takes just to clear the yaopons out from under the big trees. The soil is very sandy like and seems to be in need of nutrients. Im new at seeding land from woods to a coastal grass meadow. I think Im going to have to get sprigs from someone but Im not real sure. Keep up the good work and enjoy every minute of it. Caleb

Price on acreage varies. There was some for sale close to us that had a lot of timber on it. He was asking $3,500 per acre (I thought that was high). There are places that go for much less. It just depends on the place.

Besides everything that goes along with being husband and wife, James and I are each other's best friend.

I have only one question, why did you let the grass dry so much before baling it. I like mine to look green when baling about 18 to 20% moisture. That stuff must be about 2 to 5%.

Walt

Nancy and I enjoy sharing the photos of our 'work' here on the farm.

We both regret that there are no 'before' pictures of this particalar pasture.

There are a lot of various questions that come up from time to time on these forums.

The old saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words' sometimes proves true when we can help answer a question by posting a picture.

We also apprectiate and thank every one else that share their photos on these forums.

Our farm is located in NE Texas in Morris County.

We are South of I30 about 11 miles from Mt. Pleasant, TX.

Your 'sandy' soil will be great for Coastal Bermuda.

Be sure to take a soil sample.

Your local AG agent needs to become your best friend.

He can help you determine the best plan to improve the soil for your pasture.

Take a look at the slide show below that shows what we did on our Coastal/Cheyenne Bermuda hay meadow during the 2007 season.

Hope this give you an idea of good things to come on your hay pasture.
Hay Cycle 2007

Sometimes the 'day' job in Dallas, Tuesday through Friday, interfers with the farm work.

This field was cut late afternoon on a Monday before we had to return to Dallas.

It was raked Saturday morning and baled later that same afternoon.

Four days on the ground in Texas during July will dry out just about anything.

We have an old saying here that 'the Devil goes on vacation during July in Texas and returns to HeII where it is much cooler.'

This Saturday we will cut another field of Bahia grass and plan to rake and bale on Monday.

Three days of 100+ should 'cure' it pretty good.

I'm in Chehalis, about half way between Portland and Seattle on the west side. Not much wheat around here- some peas and sweet corn, hay for the horses, and silage corn for the few dairies that are left. Professional farming is pretty much "on it ear" around here.

Did you get flooded?

I live at Gold Bar, on HWY 2 going up to Stevens Pass but I am hanging out over at Banks Lake for a while this summer.

Hay in Michigan is thru the roof right now. Decent alfalfa will be $80-125/ton and if you assume a round bale is about 1000 lb, your friend is getting screwed. You can charge more to horse people, less to cattle people, but you"d have to bale it yourself or custom harvest it. Regardless, he should be able to get at least $40/bale.

The other thing your friend could do is to just lease out the land. On the west side of the state, cattle guys are renting hay ground for up to $180 per acre (last year was more like $60).


I suggest contacting someone at Michigan State or someone with a background in livestock. They can give you a better idea as to the quality of hay your friend is dealing with and how much he can get for it.