dieselfume1 - 6/4/2019 07:33

For 30 head I'd never put up my own hay. I can put up hay cheaper than just about everyone out here, and it still costs me about $24/ton to do it on a decent year. You're going to have two problems.

problem 1 is that the ground you hay, you could be and are currently grazing, so you'll have to figure out where the extra grass will come from to feed your cows.... Right now I'm assuming you're grazing all of your place, and buying some one elses hay. So that would change.

2. Equipment startup and upkeep. even if you buy old junk equipment, you still have maintenance, breakdowns, and upkeep. Plus all of that on the tractor as well.... You will also need to factor in the depreciation or replacement cost of the equipment as it does not run forever.. An old boy I used to watch You tube videos on about grazing always said, "You're better off with 4 ex wives than 3 old john deeres" Meaning equipment can suck you dry if you do not have the volume and capacity to run it long enough or put up enough of it to make it actually pay.

I imagine if you just took out the lost grazing to your cows alone, you will be going backwards, not to mention buying the equipment. You need large cow numbers and acres to justify putting up your own hay, unless you're already in the custom hay business.