# Help with starting to grow hay.



## CanAm (Jun 7, 2010)

I live in eastern PA and i want to start farming hay, I am 16 and my dad owns fields that he lets others farm and he said if I am interested he will buy me the equipment to farm it myself, I have a ford tractor what else would I need and I also would like to know what kind of hay to grow and tips will be helpful, I might have posted this in the wrong section, sorry!


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## Waldershrek (Nov 23, 2009)

Well you'll need a mower, a tedder, a rake and a baler at minimum. You can get a baler that just drops the bales on the ground or one with a thrower/kicker but then you'll have to get some bale wagons. How many acres are we talking about? What are you gonna do with this hay, personal use or sell it?


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

CanAm said:


> I live in eastern PA and i want to start farming hay, I am 16 and my dad owns fields that he lets others farm and he said if I am interested he will buy me the equipment to farm it myself, I have a ford tractor what else would I need and I also would like to know what kind of hay to grow and tips will be helpful, I might have posted this in the wrong section, sorry!


Hey Canam! Welcome to the forum. Is your dad accepting other sons?:lmao: I want in on that deal!


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## Waldershrek (Nov 23, 2009)

Ha no kidding


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

CanAm said:


> I live in eastern PA and i want to start farming hay, I am 16 and my dad owns fields that he lets others farm and he said if I am interested he will buy me the equipment to farm it myself, I have a ford tractor what else would I need and I also would like to know what kind of hay to grow and tips will be helpful, I might have posted this in the wrong section, sorry!


As had been said, mower, rake and baler at a min. Locale and weather will dictate if a tedder is needed. As for baler, is sq or round baler the norm. If you plan on selling small scale, a couple tons at a time or smaller, would customers prefer sq over round. As for a mower, you could possible get by with a sickle bar but my advise would be to get a mower conditioner. There are numerous designs to choose from. And for all this, you'll likely need a nearby dealer for parts when needed.

As for tractor I's think one with at least 40HP would be needed and of sufficient physical size so the equipment doesn't push the tractor around.


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## Waldershrek (Nov 23, 2009)

I would say if he's in PA the weather is similar to NY and a tedder will definitely be needed.


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

Being 3k miles away I'm not familiar with weather pattern. When I was in the haying business back many yrs ago, I was one of the few in the area that had a tedder. Spring could be wet and with 4T/A yields, I felt a tedder was a necessity especially with Alfalfa and clover being of the crops being hayed.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Your either gpoing to have to have a fertilizer spreader or have somone else fertilize it for y ou. I do not know about there, and what is the best grass as all locations are different due to what grows and what grows and has a demand for, but in my area its hard to give hay away and make a buck if its not been fertilized. Unfertilized hay that folks cut and put up just seems to be there season after season unused, unless a drought just happens to come to the rescue.,


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