Want to get started on small-scale hay production? Learn how to tell when a hay field is ready to cut with expert advice for beginners.
Looking for a way to feed your animals quality feed or jump-start a small baling enterprise? If you’ve got 2 to 30 acres of land, investing in small-scale equipment and starting your own hay production is possible! By growing and processing your own hay, you can control the timing, quality, and pricing.
How to Tell When a Hay Field is Ready to Cut
Larry Seymour, a recently retired product specialist at BCS America, recalls getting started with hay production shortly after moving to the country: “We felt, as newcomers, we’d pretty much have to make our own.”
Knowing your weather is one of the first steps when considering hay production. “To make good hay, you need a weather forecast with three rain-free days,” Seymour says. You don’t cut hay when it’s wet, and it certainly won’t grow easily in a drought. In wet conditions, you’ll have to wait longer to use your equipment (you don’t want to compact all that mud and harm the fields!), and your hay will have a harder time drying.
“We mow in the mornings, and then it lies that day, and gets raked the second day, and then baled on the third day,” Seymour explains. “We have to do that to get it dry, and if our ground is wet, we set the mower so we’re mowing 3 inches high, so when the hay falls, it’s off the ground.”
Working in 5-acre (or less) increments will protect the hay from the elements and make efficient use of your time. If using a two-wheeled tractor, mowing 5 acres can take approximately 8 hours, so don’t overextend yourself.
Don’t cut your hay too early. Grass should be between 12 and 16 inches long from the point you’ll be cutting. (So, if you’re cutting 3 inches from the ground, you’ll want your grass 15 to 19 inches tall.)
The first cutting will most likely be in May, depending on where you live. After the first cut, you’ll want to cut every few weeks (about every 3 to 5) up through autumn.

Considerations
The number of hayfields in your area and the price of protein-rich, quality hay can also affect your decision about whether to make your own. If hay is being trucked in from another area, it may be worth it to grow your own and save yourself (and possibly your community) some money. If you’re surrounded by cropland, it may be better to buy locally and help support small-scale hay businesses.
Getting the right size of equipment is necessary. Phil Livengood of Small Farm Innovations in Caldwell, Texas, says horsepower and lifting requirements, storage, and ease of maintenance are what to look for in your equipment choices. “The tractor has to lift 850 pounds. [Lifting] isn’t really horsepower; it’s lift capacity. Small equipment doesn’t require a lot of power to operate,” Livengood says.
Basic Equipment
So, you’ve considered all the facts and determined that growing your own hay is what’s for you. Here’s what you’re going to need to be successful. Remember, the smaller the equipment, the less time you’ll need to wait after a rain, but it could take longer to finish your hay project.

- Tractor. You’ll want a two-wheel or compact tractor. A larger tractor will impede your ability to move around on smaller acreages.
- Mower. Regular field mowers shred plant material, so look for a compact tractor with a double reciprocating sickle bar or a haybine or discbine attachment. With a two-wheeled tractor, you could mow an acre in about 90 minutes.
- Rake or tedder. After mowing, the hay needs to dry and be moved into windrows (necessary for baler pickup). Livengood says that on a small-acreage property, you could hand-rake the hay, but a rake attachment makes the baler much more efficient, and all the tonnage in the field goes into the baler. A tedder can help with drying before baling. “If [you] hand-rake or try to pick [the hay] up off the ground, [you’ll] have an opportunity to damage the baler pickup system and lose a lot of hay by leaving it in the field,” Livengood says.
- Baler. Balers may be a bit pricey, but they’re worth the investment, unless you prefer to pile hay loosely in a building. A small-scale round or square baler attachment is a viable option as a pull-behind on your tractor.
Kenny Coogan lives on a permaculture landscape with a flock of Pekin ducks and runs a carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa, Florida. Listen to him co-host the “Mother Earth News and Friends.”