Hay on a small scale

Out of curiosity, daughter’s partner had contacted a local tractor dealer for a quote on a set of new equipment- a hay cutter (with two rotary cutters), rake/tedder and a mini-baler that would work with the little Kubota. The quote, including shipping from somewhere in the US, was truly eye-watering. Just under $27,000 Canadian.

Needless to say we shall be proceeding with our low-budget alternative plan! We haven’t cut any hay with the used bush hog yet but will report back on progress.

I know this is an older post, but for those without a couple acres to truly hay! I live on a .5 acre suburban lot (though my yard is a beautiful blend of grass, clover, dead nettle, dandelions, and all sorts of stuff!) and make my own hay for my meat rabbits from my lawn using my 22 in walk behind honda lawn mower.  I just throw on my bagger and go! Once its full, I dump the clippings on a tarp on my driveway and give it a flip toward the afternoon. Once the clippings are dry, I cram as much into plastic totes and store them on a custom shelf specifically for holding the 16 totes. Any extra, I throw into trash bags as of right now. Rabbits love it and have done great this year eating only my cuttings and some pellets. Only issue is a lot of the clippings fall through their wire hay holders so I had to make small trays to catch a lot of it!

This winter was my first where I was able to make enough to last through the whole winter, but its my 3rd year doing this.

Caveat, no idea how well this will work for anything beyond rabbits!

Will Whitt wrote:

Caveat, no idea how well this will work for anything beyond rabbits!

I have been experimenting with using my homemade "hay" as mulch for my potatoes and tomatoes. I know weed seeds are always a concern, yet I get tons of windborne weed seed every year, so I am always picking weeds. It is one of my favorite meditations. I have lots of Miscanthus growing along the edge of my property, and it blends into the lawn clippings when I mow the dry stalks in the late winter/early spring. Looks a bit more like real hay then. I will see if the weeds are too abundant with this approach and modify if necessary.  

Occasional scythe user here - I'm by no means "good" at it, but I can scythe our small wildflower meadow pretty quickly. Yes, it's a learning curve, but it is not a very steep one and it is a low cost and time investment. Ensuring you have a scythe that fits your body is a big help. Ours has a handle that can be adjusted for taller people.

It seems like it would be important to understand your overall process though.

How will you cut it? (options already discussed here)
How will you turn it in the field for drying? - Hand tools are definitely an option, but the difference between doing it with the best tool, and something that gets the job done is likely to be significant in terms of strain on the body.
How will you haul it from the field to your rick for drying? - A large flat trailer is adequate, if you can toss the hay from where it lies directly on to it.
How will you store it for the winter? - Traditional hayricks used a very basic wooden platform to lift the hay off the ground, then stacked it aligned to shed water, with thatching on top. You can achieve the same waterproofing with a simple tarp. No need for storage in a shipping container. I'd go so far as to advise against the container - trapped air within, from the decomposing hay, could be harmful for people.