GRASS HAY

Hay Baling

We offer local hay baling in and around the San de Fuca Uplands area of central Whidbey. We can mow, tedder, rake, and bale your hay in small square bales. We do not do round bales. Our baling schedule is tight, and we may not be able to accommodate all customers. Please contact us to see if we can help with your baling needs.

Our Equipment

We mow hay using our Kuhn GMD 700 GII HD. This seven-disc mower has a cutting width of 9'2", allowing us to mow 2-3 acres/hour, depending on field conditions. If needed, we run our Deutz-Fahr KH 40 four-basket tedder to lift the mowed crop up off the ground and spread it around, speeding the dry-down process. We next use our John Deere 660 side delivery hay rake to create windrows, and finally produce small square bales with our New Holland BC5050 square baler. Bale dimensions are generally 14”x18”x36” and weigh 40-60lbs each, depending on the crop. We always use polypropylene baling twine with 170lb knot strength. Bales are left in the field for customer pickup.

Baling Rates and Hay Sales

For field owners wishing to retain their hay crop, our rates are as follows:

First Cutting (includes: mowing, teddering*, raking, baling): $4.00/bale
The first (and usually ONLY) hay cutting of the season here starts by mid-June, sometimes extending into mid-July. Conditions are often too wet to begin earlier. We strategize directly with field owners to target the best baling window, given field conditions, weather forecasts, and schedule.

Second Cutting (includes: mowing, teddering*, raking, baling): $6.00/bale
Second cuttings here are rare, as dry summer conditions usually slow crop growth dramatically. If a first cutting happens early in the summer, a good mid-summer rain may create an opportunity for a second cutting in early August. The quality is this hay is usually quite good, but the yield is markedly lower.
*optional, at our discretion

For field owners simply wishing to have their fields mowed/cleared, we offer our complete baling service at no cost, and we will bring in hay bucking crews to remove the bales from the field. Unless the field owner is willing to invest significant input into their field (fertilizer, weed control, etc) we do not compensate the field owner for this service.

Livestock owners wishing to purchase hay bales from us can do so in two ways. We sell square bales out of our barns throughout the autumn and winter months for $10/bale. There is no minimum purchase. Cash or local checks are accepted. Alternatively, it is possible to arrange bale pickup directly out of the field immediately after baling. The customer must provide their own crew and trailer and be available to pick up their bales within 24 hours. The out of the field rate is $8/bale.

In general, we do not provide hay delivery but may consider it on a case-by-case basis.