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I'm new to farming and need some expert advice.

I have a neighbor that bales everything into rounds, about 500 acres. He then spends the winter unrolling, with a three point hitch attachment, and then putting it through a suare baler. Loads them onto trucks and they are ready for export to the US. I believe he is now wrapping some of the small squares in plastic, they move like hotcakes.
 
:?

Thank you "Jersey-Lilly". I appreciate the time you had taken to answer our questions, along with adding the additional information... I can't begin to tell you how much help it is. Thank you.

Interestingly -- You may not be that far from us. We currently live in Magnolia, TX, however, the farm is located North of Houston in a town called Willis.. You probably know of it. We are only a mile west of I-45 just north of the city of Willis.

We hope to move out to the farm sometime next year, and sell our current place in Magnolia.

Thanks again....

Also.... "Murgen" Your post regarding re-baling rounds into squares over the winter months is most interesting.... Thank you for that information.

You have all been so much help, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. If there is something that I can do to repay your kindness, don't hesitate to ask.

Best Regards

Rayko
 
Rayko said:
Thanks again for all of the advice and consideration. It is really appreciated.

Best Regards and Good Luck to you all.

Rayko
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Rayko - You mentioned in your original post - - -"go figure!" Well, I sort of did "go figure" and I can tell you that the urge and dream of 'raising hay" is real and consuming. If you have spent a career lifetime dealing with difficult people and have made a pretty good retirement for yourself and want to 'get away from all the hassel and wrangling of the corporate world - I understand completely. I would have one suggestion for you. Keep the 20 acres and go about getting acquainted with every foot of it!. Touch it - and feel it - appreciate it and improve it if it needs improving. In the meantime find someone who needs help cutting and baling hay this season and is willing to give you some friendly help in learning the business. Sit in the machinery and cut and bale hay yourself. Buck some of the bales and see if that low back pain is what you really enjoy. See if you REALLY like doing that work. Get some good advice from your County Agent about what kind of hay works best in your area. Contact some --horse people if you will - - and sort of contract with them for your hay. Then when you know that you really want to do this work - - GO FOR IT and have a ball, and be proud of your accomplishments.
 
Ryko

Look into a New Holland 1033 or 1037 bale wagons. They pull behind a small 60 - 70 hp tractor and pickup and stack idiot blocks - no touchy. They're really a cool piece of machinery, and most commonly found in western Canada - a very nice tax deductible trip.
 
Look into a New Holland 1033 or 1037 bale wagons. They pull behind a small 60 - 70 hp tractor and pickup and stack idiot blocks - no touchy. They're really a cool piece of machinery, and most commonly found in western Canada - a very nice tax deductible trip.
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BradS, Is that YOU putting all the ads in the farm papers, up here,looking for NH bale wagons??? :D
 
TimH said:
Look into a New Holland 1033 or 1037 bale wagons. They pull behind a small 60 - 70 hp tractor and pickup and stack idiot blocks - no touchy. They're really a cool piece of machinery, and most commonly found in western Canada - a very nice tax deductible trip.
Click to expand...

BradS, Is that YOU putting all the ads in the farm papers, up here,looking for NH bale wagons??? :D
Click to expand...

I see 'em (the ads) down here too! Brad must be a busy boy! :wink:
 
Rayko,
My husband races at Willis at the dirt track on saturday nights. Uhh that is when his car is not wrecked.. been busy round the ranch and he hasn't raced in a few weekends..but hopefully will git it back up and goin in a couple weeks. maybe you and your family could come to the races sometime...
Willis is only about 20 to 25 miles from me
 
One thing to consider,


Most Horse People like small square bales..... And a lot of them like tested hay. A Bale wagone will eork, but another option on small acreages is to run a bale accumulator behind the baler. It will put a number of bales together and drop them. Then attach hay grapples to the tractor loader and go around and pick these grouped bales up and haul them out to the stack on a wagon.

This helps utilize the same tractor. Also, it is nice to have Hay grapples on a loader to load out customers.......Really saves your back,,,,


PPRM
 
Will just add a couple of things. One make sure you buy a tractor that is large enough to run the equipment that you may wish to somday have. A good tractor might last you for years. Another would be to take Doc Harris's advise and really look at your place. Maybe make an inventory of what you have. Plants, trees, wildlife etc. I believe to many of us overlook so much, or take to many things for granted.
Clarence
 
:)

Thanks again for all of your support and help. There is so much good advice I don't know where to begin.

TO: "Jersey-Lilly" Thank you for the invitation. It sounds like a lot of fun, we'd enjoy that very much. It might be nice to keep in touch off the Forum. My E-Mail address is [email protected] -- We'd love to hear from you, and keep in touch.

TO: "Brad S" Thanks for the info about the New Holland Bale Wagon... I did a Google search and found a site by Jim White who Buys and Sells them... They look very interesting, and we'll be looking into a Bale Wagon as a very good option to eleviate the sore back and cut-up forearms.

TO: "PPRM" The accumulator and grapples idea is also a very interesting idea, and we'll look into that one too. All of these ideas are just great.... Without your help, we would never have know that this kind of equipment even existed.

TO: "Doc Harris", "Clarence" and others who have shared similar advice and well wishes. Thank you all so very much for sharing your kind concerns. Over the past year, I've been working with Texas A&M Ag Dept. along with two "consultant farmers" who have been helping us with developing the land. The farm had not been taken care of for many years and needed renovation. This summer we just renovated the field and planted Jiggs. (We made the choice of Jiggs following about 3 months of research into various hybrids and their suitability and yields for our area with our type of soil, etc.) Despite my passion for it all, I still have kept my wits about me, both from a practical application point of view, and from a financial and tax planning standpoint. And, I continue to do a lot of homework, and try to get as much advice as I can from experts like yourself. I can never hope to learn and acquire the wisdom that you all have from "actually doing it", and I am so appreciative to you, and all those who have shared that "wisdom" with me. It has been an enormous help that can't be had without your generous input and advice.

Once again, Thank you all.

Best Regards
Rayko

PS: Is it true that you can tell if a watermellon is ripe by using a length of hay balanced across the side of the watermellon???
 
Rayko said:
:)

Thanks again for all of your support and help. There is so much good advice I don't know where to begin.

TO: "Jersey-Lilly" Thank you for the invitation. It sounds like a lot of fun, we'd enjoy that very much. It might be nice to keep in touch off the Forum. My E-Mail address is [email protected] -- We'd love to hear from you, and keep in touch.

TO: "Brad S" Thanks for the info about the New Holland Bale Wagon... I did a Google search and found a site by Jim White who Buys and Sells them... They look very interesting, and we'll be looking into a Bale Wagon as a very good option to eleviate the sore back and cut-up forearms.

TO: "PPRM" The accumulator and grapples idea is also a very interesting idea, and we'll look into that one too. All of these ideas are just great.... Without your help, we would never have know that this kind of equipment even existed.

TO: "Doc Harris", "Clarence" and others who have shared similar advice and well wishes. Thank you all so very much for sharing your kind concerns. Over the past year, I've been working with Texas A&M Ag Dept. along with two "consultant farmers" who have been helping us with developing the land. The farm had not been taken care of for many years and needed renovation. This summer we just renovated the field and planted Jiggs. (We made the choice of Jiggs following about 3 months of research into various hybrids and their suitability and yields for our area with our type of soil, etc.) Despite my passion for it all, I still have kept my wits about me, both from a practical application point of view, and from a financial and tax planning standpoint. And, I continue to do a lot of homework, and try to get as much advice as I can from experts like yourself. I can never hope to learn and acquire the wisdom that you all have from "actually doing it", and I am so appreciative to you, and all those who have shared that "wisdom" with me. It has been an enormous help that can't be had without your generous input and advice.

Once again, Thank you all.

Best Regards
Rayko

PS: Is it true that you can tell if a watermellon is ripe by using a length of hay balanced across the side of the watermellon???
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Rayko - I can only speak for myself in answer to your very appreciative remarks in this post, however I must presume that everyone is of a similar opinion as I. You have indicated how you have done excellent research and preparation prior to your decision to 'follow a dream' and I applaud you for doing it right.

I wish you good wishes and good fortune in your endeavors, and please keep us updated regarding your efforts. With the proper planning and knowledge you have gained, I know you will be successful! You are doing it right!
 
PS: Is it true that you can tell if a watermellon is ripe by using a length of hay balanced across the side of the watermellon???
Click to expand...

That is true, use a straw from a broom and if it moves the riper it is. Ones that are past ripe really move further, so take that in mind too. You can thump on them and get the thud and they are ripe too.
 
Boy, if I had just 20 acres of hayland I'd get me a matched team of Canadians or Belgians and a nice lineup of horse drawn haying and farming equipment. I'm guessing there would never be any end of people lining up to help with that sort of an operation too.
 
Hi Northern Rancher:

I had no idea you could do that! So dealers will actually rent out equipment for us folks to "test drive" before we buy? That's so cool....

Thanks so much for the advice. When the time comes for us to actually cut something up, we'll make sure to look into the "rent before you buy" idea..

Thank you so much.
:)
 
Rayko said:
Hi Northern Rancher:

I had no idea you could do that! So dealers will actually rent out equipment for us folks to "test drive" before we buy? That's so cool....

Thanks so much for the advice. When the time comes for us to actually cut something up, we'll make sure to look into the "rent before you buy" idea..

Thank you so much.
:)
Click to expand...
Rayko - it is sort of a ........."Rent before You .......... ENGAGE! Then you can .."Live Long and Prosper!" Sorry about that! Sort of mixing . .Generations. . here! :shock: :roll:
 

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