How to make Hay Bales...

[tsafa]

Hi Everyone,

I am planing on doing some high volume grass cutting this summer and I was thinking about the possibility of making Hay Bales for sale.

I was looking for any information on the subject. Particularly on how to use my L3800 to accomplish this. I don't know if there are any attachments that will go on the L3800 to aid me in making hay.

Thanks of any advice.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

First thing first, You can't use a rotary mover, you can't bale it till it dries, you'll have to windrow it and roll/windrow it again to get it to dry completely, you can't bale lawn type grass.
Depending on weather you might have to roll it more than once if it gets rained on.
Some field grasses are good some are bad, weeds in the grass is bad, Real bad, some weeds are toxic.

If you still want to consider it, Your going to need a sickle blade mower or a haybine, a windrower, and a baler and a way to haul the bales and a place dry and preferably covered to store them.

 

[Russell King]

Most people (in my area) have someone else do the hay cutting and baling since the equipment is specialized and costly.

If you don't have the intent to do it yearly (or several times a year) then you will probably not make enough to cover the costs of equipment.

I guess you could become the local cutter/baler!

 

[MagKarl]

It's a big investment and the equipment has a lot of moving parts. You need a sickle or disk mower, a hay rake or tedder, and a baler. You could easily spend several thousand for old used stuff. Check your local craigs list to see what haying equipment is going for.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I don't think you'll find anything sized right for an L3800. I know they make a mini baler that makes a tiny round bale that might be good for feeding goats with. It sounds like you want to take grass clippings from lawns and turn them into hay bales either round or square and it wont work.

As Wolfman said if it has weeds in it, it can be toxic and fatal to live stock.

 

[tsafa]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. It sounds like this is something I DO NOT want to get involved with right now. More trouble then it is worth. Especially since I would be doing it for the purpose of generating profit.

 

[skeets]

One thought you might conceder,, And that is mulching the clippings in to compost. Im cutting almost 5 acres and have done it when we had the green houses but even that is a PIA as the return isn't worth the outlay in fuel and labor. A large area with walls so you can pile it and get it started and when its working get the next pile started. I think you might be better off, plowing it up and planting pumpkins,,

 

[tsafa]

One thought you might conceder,, And that is mulching the clippings in to compost. Im cutting almost 5 acres and have done it when we had the green houses but even that is a PIA as the return isn't worth the outlay in fuel and labor. A large area with walls so you can pile it and get it started and when its working get the next pile started. I think you might be better off, plowing it up and planting pumpkins,,

Yes... I am seriously starting to consider the idea of collecting the cut grass and selling it as mulch. Any ideas and suggestions on mulching would be appreciated. I am working with an L3800 Kabota and an F550 Dump.

Should I use a rake behind the tractor to try to pick up the grass? I imagine that will only work with tall grass that was bush hogged. Anyway to pick up short cut grass?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You could do a bagger, but honestly I never heard of anyone selling grass clippings for mulch, it's not very good.
Storing wet grass can get real dangerous, as it starts to break down it will create enough heat to catch fire.
I'm all about making a buck, but mulching it right into the field where you cut it is the best use for it.
Now one option if you have the room to do it is to compost the grass clippings and make your own top soil, that will sell.

 

[tsafa]

Now one option if you have the room to do it is to compost the grass clippings and make your own top soil, that will sell.

heheehhee..... now you know I was going to come back and ask for more info on what this is all about and how to do it......

 

[Eric McCarthy]

You're not really going to generate much of a profit from grass clippings. Yeah it can be composted but it takes a helluva long time to break down before it becomes useable. Like over a years worth of turning and decomposing before its useable. You're going to spend more time and money on fuel and wont really break even.

 

[skeets]

This works but he is doing it very small scale and,, ya aint gona make no money on it but it works well for use around the house and in the garden,, this is very much like what we did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s405uNCNn98