Homegrown hay?

[Carissa]

Has anyone tried growing and harvesting their own hay? I live on a 3.5 acre yard and I have a huge garden. I'm planning to plant a ton of stuff for the pigs next summer and was just wondering if I could also grow Timothy Grass for hay. Has anyone has gone though all the drying and harvesting? I imagine fresh hay would be pretty yummy for pigs.

[Percy's Mom]

I haven't dried any, but I'm planting a patch of orchard grass for my boys to graze in. I figure that way, I'll know for certain the dog hasn't fertilized there.

[Hansel]

Making hay requires a lot of machinary. Unless you know someone with the equipment to cut and bale it, you are prob better off just buying a couple fresh bales from someone else. Thats what I do in the summer time and my pigs LOVE it!

[Carissa]

I live on the prairies, believe me I know a lot of people who have swathers and balers but I'm not talking about growing acres of hay which would require a lot of machinery. I just want to grow a small patch which I could easily cut and bale by hand. I was just wondering if anyone has tried it before and how their pigs liked it.

[Emmett]

It's a great idea. Timothy seed is cheap and even if you only plant enough to get a couple bales of hay it would be worth it. Plus nothing smells better than freshly cut hay. I've cut tall grass and dried it for my gpigs and they loved it.
Good luck

[Carissa]

Its good to know that its worth it before I invest the time and energy. Thanks!