tell me about growing hay - 05/18/21
I'm babysitting about 6 acres of hay field. In the past it was used to produce grass hay but the guy who was doing the cutting / baling has disappeared. The small-scale hay cutters in my area have all switched to growing hemp. The cow/horse folks want the hay, the landowners want to make hay, but there's nobody left interested in doing the work except on very large properties. I was thinking about trying to get a little bit of equipment together to try to do some myself .. without breaking the bank. I'm thinkin' the property will produce 2-3 tons a year, no more than that, so I need to work with what I've got.
For a tractor, I've got a Kioti CS2210, basically a 20HP diesel riding lawnmower. It's a beast in that role but it's not a major farm implement. PTOs middle and rear, 3 point hitch (category 1 at least, maybe 2, I forget). Only 1400 pounds.
So any thoughts on implements for that scale? Cutter? What is rake vs tedder? Do I need both? Baler?
I'm out of my depth here.
For a tractor, I've got a Kioti CS2210, basically a 20HP diesel riding lawnmower. It's a beast in that role but it's not a major farm implement. PTOs middle and rear, 3 point hitch (category 1 at least, maybe 2, I forget). Only 1400 pounds.
So any thoughts on implements for that scale? Cutter? What is rake vs tedder? Do I need both? Baler?
I'm out of my depth here.