|
|
| I am curious how many tons per acre you expect on average for alfalfa on your acres and how you get them. How many cuttings do you usually get? Do you fertilize yearly? Do you cut pre bloom if possible or let some bloom before cutting?
I appreciate any info. I am trying to decide whether to plant more hay next year or just row crop. So far, I am unimpressed with the local hay market and cannot match row crop profit with alfalfa. The per hour profit looks even worse. The only problem is, I love to make hay. I am wondering if I am getting all I should be out of my acres. |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | I guess that if You have no good market. It does not matter how much you Produce hillrunner.
If you would have a very strong, High $ market. sure pay. then you may want to consider the Alfalfa Market.
You also need to be an aggressive net-worker, and marketer to move the hay for your self. |
|
| |
|
Saronville NE | On newer fields of dryland we have been getting 7ton, but on older fields may be down to 4-5 ton, maybe less depending on how dry it is. I put 100lbs of
11-52-0 on every yr, we take 4 cuttings off, unless really dry, I try to cut in early bloom like maybe 10% blooms, but depends on weather, if has just rained and field is wet or if heavy chance of rain like in 2 days I will wait, this year has been little fuller bloom then normal to cut. I have torn up all my alfalfa except for one 31 a field, this is enuff for my cattle, and still able to sell a few bales, it just cant compete with corn price. Now we have guys coming up from TX and OK right now buying hay and it could compete with corn, but this is my quess a 1 yr thing, if wasnt for them, our hay price wouldnt be much higher then normal. |
|
| |
|
western wi | i cut 3 cuttings a year. first 2 before bloom and the third i will be starting in about a half hour. i like to let one cutting go to full bloom. it seems to help the longevetiy of the stand. depending on rainfall, we will get between 4-7 t\a\year. the last 2 years i havn't put on any potash( $600+ potash and $15 milk doesn't really come out right) but i do manage my manure very well and every acre is coverd at least once if not twice a year. as far as markets, if you do not need the feed, try find somebody who does. a feed lot or a dairy in your area, or possibly a hay jockey. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for the info. We have 3 weekly hay auctions in my immediate area. The high end of it has been around 150 a ton this summer. I was really hoping for better with all the hay acres that have been taken out recently. I suspect things will improve by winter but we will see. That price just doesn't compare to corn right now. At 5 ton an acre, putting up 4 cuttings I just cannot justify it. If you throw in a cheap cutting or two from getting rained on, it really doesn't figure. We do have several dairies in the area but most grow there own hay.
Do many of you still raise hay to sell on ground that could grow corn or soybeans? In my area the hay fields are few and far between with most belonging to dairies. |
|
| |
|
| 10 tons and 7 cuttings. About 10% bloom is normal for cutting. This is irrigated alfalfa in California's Southern San Joaquin Valley and it takes about 6-8 inches of water per cutting. That is about $40/ton of alfalfa just for water. I use this for a removal rate on fertilizer. http://back-to-basics.net/cnu/index.htm Even though I believe that it is a mistake, I can not choke down the cost of 600 lbs/acre of potash. That gets about 1/2 of the removal rate. P and K are put on after the 6th cutting. We also try to put on 3 ton/acre of composted steer manure in early winter. The composting process helps kill most of the the weed seeds that are in raw manure. Clean alfalfa is usually important, this year seems to be an exception. |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | hillrunner - 8/22/2011 09:47 Thanks for the info. We have 3 weekly hay auctions in my immediate area. The high end of it has been around 150 a ton this summer. I was really hoping for better with all the hay acres that have been taken out recently. I suspect things will improve by winter but we will see. That price just doesn't compare to corn right now. At 5 ton an acre, putting up 4 cuttings I just cannot justify it. If you throw in a cheap cutting or two from getting rained on, it really doesn't figure. We do have several dairies in the area but most grow there own hay. Do many of you still raise hay to sell on ground that could grow corn or soybeans? In my area the hay fields are few and far between with most belonging to dairies. I would agree. grow more Corn |
|
| |
|
| I average around 5 tons per acre. Usually have a dry period sometime in the summer which gives a thin cutting or two. Never got the 8 tons that the university folks say is possible. Four cuttings, possibly 5 with a good fall. Start thinking about making hay at bud stage which could be full bloom by the time the weather cooperates. Horse people want green, don't care about maturity. Not enough cow people around and they won't pay the price anyway. I've been fertilizing with poultry litter although I did splurge on some potash this summer when K prices were lower. Without too much number crunching I figure a bale of hay should be the same price as a bushel of corn but right now hay market is around $5 while corn is over $7. I'll always grow some hay for my livestock but will be cutting back next year as hay just doesn't pencil out with corn prices where they are. |
|
| |
|
Central NE | In 2007 I grew about 900 acres of alfalfa and only one 58 acre field of corn. This year I only have the 58 acre field in alfalfa and the rest in corn. This 58 acre field had 30t/a of feedlot manure applied before the corn in '07, and planted back to alfalfa in 2008. This is it's 4th year in production and has never had any commercial fertilizer spread.
1st cutting made 4.08 tons/acre
2nd cutting made 2.92 tons/acre
3rd cutting is makeing 1.86 tons**/acre so far I've only baled the endrows and some small squares, and will finish baling in big squares if the humidity ever goes down.
4th cutting ??? I'll cut in mid-September but my best guess would be 1.25 t/a
So about 10 ton of dry hay for the year. Last year was closer to 9, but test was better.
I do not irrigate it, or spray it.
This is why it produces:
1. It has good soil with adequate nutrients.
2. The ground has had manure in the past (just the once)
3. It has good drainage, but slopes little enough that rain has a chance to soak in.
4. It has sub-irrigation groundwater it can tap into 10 feet deep or so.
5. It is planted to Dairyland Hybriforce 400
6. It was planted thick with 24lbs of seed/acre. (plant thick to make plants compete against each other)
7. I limit compaction and traffic. This is a nearly free way to increase yield. I use a bale accumulator and only drop bales on the 2 field ends (ecept the few small squares I made this weekend) I would guess that 80% of the field has never been driven on since it was planted. I allways start cutting at the same side and tracks usually follow the same lines. Wheel tracks go the same way the water runs so they don't puddle up with rain.
8. It has been one of the first fields cut each cutting and it has better odds of getting put up without rain, less chance of trampling regrowth.
9. Bales are picked up right away so re-growth is not damaged by equipment clearing hay, and even if there is some regrowth when clearing bales, only the endrows see any traffic from the clearing operation. Rained on hay also kills yield
10. It wasn't cut until 10% bloom this year on 1st,2nd,and 3rd cuttings because of weather and markets. And alfalfa cut with a little bloom yields the most (as long as you aren't clipping off the new shoots) and in a year with a severe drought it can be the most profitable. If dairy hay/milk prices are high, dry cow hay is abundant or low priced, and weather permits, I cut at pre-bloom for dairy hay and can usually get 5 cuts, but 20% less tonnage over the course season. It will be the most profitable field on my farm this year even with $7 corn. But it is also the most brute work and worst schedule and I just don't like putting up hay anymore- haying is a young man's game so have at 'em! (some might say I'm young but I feel old :>)
Here's a picture of raking the last pass 1st cut this year.
Edited by Hayinhere 8/22/2011 11:08
 (Springthroughjuly252011 440.jpg)
 (Springthroughjuly252011 432.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 Springthroughjuly252011 440.jpg (37KB - 1077 downloads)
Springthroughjuly252011 432.jpg (49KB - 1112 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Little River, TX | You have one answer over on Hay Talk, but I will add a little extra.
In 1953 we determined we were making more net income with alfalfa than with cotton. Then cotton was $0.42/lb and alfalfa was going for $22.50?ton.
On average this has remained true.
One advantage with alfalfa HERE is it is all sold retail not shipped of at wholesale prices.
There is a danger getting out of hay and later coming back in. Your customers base will have change supplier.
A bonus for me is loading 40 bales on some dude's PU and his sweat thing asking just how old am I. I like their reaction when I tell them I already celibrated my 87th birthday.
Probably will retire when I am 95. Possibly go back to college for one or more Graduate Degrees.
55 lb bales at $10/bale is $350/Ton retail. |
|
| |
|
Corydon, IA | Another thing to consider is that alfalfa may increase the organic matter in your soil and improve the soils permeability if you wanted to no till corn and beans later on in the same place. That may be something thats hard to put a pencil to though. I have a field or two that Im considering doing that with just to try and gain something for later on. I may do something other than alfalfa though. I have some fields right now that were mostly grass hay before I rented them and I have been continuosly no tilling corn and beans since I broke them out. I can see a yield advantage over similarly sloped fields I farm and also very minimal erosion compared to similar fields that havent had any hay history. |
|
| |
|
ANDALE KANSAS | In my area of south central kansas alfalfa is by far is the best cash crop i can produce
We usually get enough rain for 4-6 tons an acre..Usually get a big enough window of dry weather to get it put up without rain so it is ideal alfalfa country....lots of feedlots and dairies west of us that pay per RFV point on the larger sized bales... I produce small square for hobby farms and horse people... It is mostly wheat country where i am at with milo, beans and ( highly insured corn.....ugh ) thrown in the mix for rotational purposes....lots of alfalfa grown here.... we are increasing acres next year....A huge differance in my situation and most is i have a son in college who doesnt mind the work and a ten year old comming up thru the ranks....We run old equipment that is very low overhead....We are optomistic it will remain a viable part of our farm...especially if everyone is tearing up their alfalfa........
|
|
| |
|
Pine City, MN | I'll start out with saying we raise alfalfa for our dairy herd and if I if we didn't do that, and lived in NW Iowa i'd raise corn.. With current prices.. Number one thing to sell alfalfa you better bring high quality 150 RFV+.. There is a ton of junk alfalfa to buy cheap.. We would never cut 1st or 2nd crop with blooms it getting to old then.. 2nd crop with the heat and water we had 26 days in between cuttings.. As far as tonage it depends on your soils in NW Iowa i would guess you'd get pretty darn good tonage.. |
|
| |
|
NE Iowa | NE Iowa. Cut 3 times. Use 80% of the hay for my own beef cows so looking for tonnage with least amount of work. Try to cut ~June 5th, ~July 15th, and ~1 September. Keep stand 3 years not counting seeding year. Fertilize after 1st and 3rd cutting. Average 6.5 - 7 ton per acre year in and year out. Lots of guys in my area don't fertilize but then tonnage drop to 4 or under. May not pencil much better but like more tons from less acres so I fertilze based on removal rates. Would not grow any alfalfa if didn't have my own cows but like you do enjoy making good hay. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for the replies, lots of good info here. |
|
| |
How many tons per acre on alfalfa?
