How many square bails can you get out of an acre of hay?

Answer 1

The amount of Hay Bales that you yield from one acre is dependant on many variables. This includes the rate per acre it was seeded at, the ratio of grass to alfalfa used, and the size of the bale. It is also dependant on how many cuttings are available in one year.

Usually land seeded for hay is planted at 20-30lbs per acre. 3 cuttings per year is often the norm, however, depending on the weather it is possible to obtain a fourth cutting (a fith cutting is rare). Hay usually takes the first year to establish itself. Therefor it is likely to only harvest 20-30 bales in the first cutting of the first year. The following cuttings decrease in production.

In the 2-4 years, after the hay has been established, the first cutting is the largest and can produce anywhere from 75-100 bales of hay per acre. The second cutting usually yields 50-75 bales, and it continues to decrease from there. Most farmers anticipate a rough yield of about 200-250 bales per year, after the first year, and provided the weather is good.

Hay is a five year crop that is harvested anywhere from 3-5 times during the summer months. Pricing is dependant on the quality of hay; pure alfalfa sells the highest, and typically the price decreases from there depending on the ratio of alfalfa in the bale, and the "leafiness of the bale"