Timothy

[Klause]

Not saying everyone should do this... but we are putting 1 quarter into timothy this year...


There are a lot of horse types around and they gobble up the squares like nothing.


If you figure it out... 80 bales an acre (average yield) times 7 a bale is 560 per acre.


4 years to a stand... seed costs is 15 an ac. Herbicide is maybe mcpa the first year.


Fertilizer is 150 lbs of 40-10-20.


Doesn't mind the wet. Doesn't have diseases... gets cut in July to even out the workload.

Just throwing it out there for discussion

[parsley]

And Sainfoin is also a good choice, a non-bloat forage which livestock simply love to eat. The roots go deep as well: loosens up the soil, and fertilizes.. Doesn't like wet feet. Pars

[Mufferaw]

Crops like alfalfa should be incorporated into rotations for agronomic reasons. Take into account a strong beef sector, lots of previous range/hayland put into crop production the past couple of years leads to a demand for the product. Producer used to be littered with hay listings the number today pails in comparison. I think you are rich at $7/bale. Take a look at kijiji lots of competition at 4-5. Upper end horse market may pay that but you are too far from the market.

[AllisWD45]

An interesting crop to grow for seed. did it in the late 80's.one of those crops you market with a lock on the bin door!!
I used to grow some for feed and it makes excellent hay. The only thing i found there is a tight window for cutting because the feed value and palatibility go down hill quickly after it starts to head out.
Also tried sainfoin for seed in those days.Fairly easy to grow but a very very small market at that time mostly because there was basically only one variety that was half decent. No experience with making feed.
Tried to establish sainfoin with intensive grazing a few years ago with hoof impact. Poor results but got excellent results with alfalfa and cicer milk vetch
If you do get into timothy production keep us up to date on how it works out.
Klause you are an interesting guy. A lot of us on here can see ourselves in you 20-30 years ago. Very intrigued with your mention of processing oats for horses.

[ajl]

Biggest issue with hay is will it get dry enough to bale? There was a hay farm in S AB that expanded to outlook SK a decade ago and found the answer to that question was NO. You will prove them right again. Commercial hay production belongs in irrigated desert areas. Best option in western Canada is some type of green manure and reduced inputs canola production. Year 1 fababeans, terminated with roundup in July. A light vertical tillage operation to partially incorporate. Year 2 seed conventional canola with lower N rates. Partial year 1 chemfallow to reduce weed pressure. Some beans are kept for seed reducing the seed cost of the system.

[Klause]

We are 1hr from saskatoon. My wife is heavily involved in the equine industry... 7 bucks is what we were offered by two large boarding facilities.



I have no worries about dry down.... we grew lots of top quality timothy in Manitoba and friends of mine grow and export it to Japan to this day in Dauphin

[Klause]

Allis what variety did you grow?

Seed was really good till 08 and then became worthless

Back up to 86 cents wholesale now

[cottonpicken]

Damn germans always trying to conquer the world,just kidding,don't burn your candle at both ends.

[AllisWD45]

That was a long time ago. It was i think Champ and Climax if i remember right.There must be better varieties now. It was around 50-60 cents wholesale. Might have been more at end of 80's because of USA set aside programs

[Braveheart]

We have a paddock down to Timothy/alfalfa. It's a wet area Tim does well and regrows for fall grazing.

If it happens to get too wet for hay consider takIng the seed non contract. It wouldnt be pedigreed but I think it would find buyers. Then, bale the straw which is still decent feed.

[rook]

Good quality hay in small square bales can be a very profitable venture. Make sure you also have a second-tier market for the lower quality hay, whether it's rained on hay, bottom bales, culls or what have you. Although square bale production can be fully mechanized it is still slow and there still seems to be lots of labour. While it's true that it spreads out the workload this is a euphemism meaning you'll be busy all summer long. But yes, if you're close to horse people there is money in it.

[Klause]

We made bales for a long time... still have the MF 124 baler, and 1033 stackliner bale wagon...


Kinda wondering what a guy would charge for the undersirable bales? I have an elk farmer, and a couple cattle guys that would be more than happy to take anything they can get... what's fair though? 50%? 30% of retail?



We started with Climax... then went to Promeese which keeps more leaf matter. :P

[rook]

I'm not in the market anymore, but generally around here horse people were fine buying by the bale, but the livestock guys were buying by the tonne, and then it gets tough to compete with round bales.

[Oliver88]

How is the Timothy market in 2020?

[countryguy]

How is the Timothy market in 2020?

Its alright. Should be higher to compete with even wheat. But the last two years have been horrendous on the production side. Trying to establish has been impossible and established crops despise the cold dry springs. Barely made 100 pds/ac last year. Not much more the year before.