How many acres?

Hi Lizzy,

Yeah, there are a lot of variables.

Back when we were actively managing our 16 acres of open land ( adding lime, fertilizer, manure and frost seeding) we could figure on enough hay and pasture for seven horses.

Now with no management for years other than clipping, the 16 acres yield no hay and barely enough pasture for two drafts.

As one place to start when looking at a property, the NRCS Soil Survey can be helpful. In the book for this area, there is a chart of Land Capability and Yields per Acre of Crops and Pasture. For Grass-Clover, the range they give for different soils in this neck of the woods is 2.5-7.8 AUM, which is a pretty significant variation.
AUM stands for Animal Unit Months, with an Animal Unit being one cow, horse, mule, or five sheep or goats. Elsewhere often defined as 1000lbs live weight. Not a very scientific or accurate unit of measurement, but there are too many variables to get too accurate.
So, 7.5 AUM/Acre (which is what most of my fields are) would mean that you would need 1.6 acres per 1000 lbs of horse. If your soils will only produce 2.5 AUM/Acre, you would need 4.8 acres.
The NRCS AUM estimate is based on a “high level of management” – I think the best intensive grazing could yield quite a bit more than that, but even the best soil will become unproductive if not managed well.
You should be able to get a copy of the NRCS Soil Survey for your area from your local field office, though it might be available online now.

I would second that neighbors are important. Self-sufficiency is well and good, but good neighbors are even better. In hay making weather neighbors who also make hay are invaluable during the inevitable equipment failure with rain coming. And when starting out, it is great to have neighbors who will hay your fields for you and/or sell you hay.
-Tevis

I would gladly hay on shares with a responsible farmer. would not want my hay/ground put on back burner till they got ‘around’ to it. Made a list of all expenses one time involved with making my own, and buying won out hands down every time. My biggest down fall was help when weather was right. Seemed the haying help was working somewhere else when mine was ready. Is a shame to spend all the time and money just to bale poor hay. Figured when buying, only had to buy the good hay. But when baling your own, you got to take it as it is, good or bad, and make use of it.