7 Pieces of Equipment for Haying Season on a Small Acreage

The sun is high, the grass is long, and the weather forecast finally shows a solid four-day window of dry heat. For a small-acreage farmer, this is the signal: it’s time to make hay. Success isn’t just about hard work; it’s about having the right-sized, reliable equipment to cut, cure, and store your winter feed before the next rainstorm rolls in.

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Making Hay on a Small Scale: The Right Tools

Making your own hay on a few acres is a completely different game than commercial farming. You aren’t trying to fill thousands of square bales or giant round bales for market. The goal is self-sufficiency: producing high-quality forage for a small herd of goats, a few sheep, or a pair of horses, with equipment that you can operate, maintain, and store without a massive barn or a fleet mechanic.

The challenge is finding machinery that hits the sweet spot between flimsy consumer-grade tools and oversized, expensive commercial gear. The right equipment is reliable, simple to repair, and scaled appropriately for your tractor and your land. It turns a back-breaking, stressful job into a manageable, rewarding part of the farming calendar. This list focuses on a proven set of tools that work together to create a complete, efficient haying system for the homesteader or hobby farmer.

Sickle Bar Mower – BCS Model 620 with Sickle Bar

Before you can rake or bale, you have to cut the hay. A sickle bar mower is the ideal tool for this on a small scale, especially on uneven terrain. Unlike a rotary mower that shreds stems, a sickle bar uses a scissor-like action to slice the grass cleanly at the base, leaving the full stalk intact for better drying and preserving nutritional value.

The BCS Model 620 with a sickle bar attachment is a walk-behind powerhouse perfectly suited for this task. Its engine provides ample power to slice through thick stands of grass and its simple, rugged design is easy to maintain. The real advantage is its maneuverability; you can get into tight corners and work on slopes where a larger tractor-pulled mower would be impractical or unsafe. The cutting action lays the hay down gently in an even layer, which is the first critical step to uniform drying.

This machine has a learning curve. You need to learn how to adjust the bar, keep the blades sharp, and navigate without clogging the cutter. It’s not as fast as a big disc mower, but for someone managing 1 to 5 acres, its precision and the quality of the cut are unmatched. It’s for the operator who values forage quality and needs to work on varied ground, not the one trying to clear 20 acres in an afternoon.

Wheel Rake – Worksaver HLRG-2 Compact Wheel Rake

After the hay is cut and has had a day or two to cure in the sun, you need to gather it into "windrows" for the baler. A wheel rake accomplishes this efficiently. Its ground-driven wheels turn as you pull it, spinning tines that gently sweep the hay into a fluffy row, allowing air to circulate for final drying.

The Worksaver HLRG-2 Compact Wheel Rake is an excellent choice for subcompact and compact tractors. Its key feature is its simplicity: there’s no PTO shaft required, as the wheels themselves power the raking action. This makes it compatible with nearly any small tractor that has a Category 1 three-point hitch. The two wheels are angled to form a "V," gathering a swath of hay about six feet wide into a single windrow, a perfect size for a mini baler to pick up.

Because it’s lightweight and simple, this rake is best for dry, relatively light hay. It can struggle in very heavy, wet, or ropy forage. However, for the small-scale operator who is careful about curing hay properly, its low maintenance and ease of use are huge advantages. It’s the right tool for someone with a 15-30 HP tractor who needs a reliable, no-fuss way to prepare for baling.

Mini Round Baler – Abbriata M60 Mini Round Baler

The baler is the heart of the haying operation, compressing the dried hay into dense, storable packages. For small acreages, mini round balers are a game-changer. They create small, lightweight bales (typically 40-60 lbs) that can be moved and stacked by hand, eliminating the need for heavy front-end loaders.

The Abbriata M60 Mini Round Baler is a legend in the small-farm world for good reason. It’s a simple, mechanical machine with a reputation for reliability. It requires very low horsepower (18 HP minimum), making it a perfect match for the compact tractors common on homesteads. The M60 produces a 23" x 24" bale that is tightly packed and easy to handle, ideal for feeding small livestock groups without waste. It offers both net wrap and twine tying systems.

This is a significant investment, and like any baler, it takes practice to use effectively. You need to learn to drive at the right speed to create evenly shaped bales and how to properly feed the windrow into the pickup. Maintenance is straightforward, but you must keep it greased and the chains tensioned. The Abbriata is for the serious homesteader who is committed to producing their own hay for the long term and values equipment that is built to last.

Why Hay Moisture Content Is Critically Important

You can have the best equipment in the world, but if you bale your hay at the wrong time, the entire crop can be ruined. Hay is a preserved crop, and the preservation method is dehydration. The goal is to dry the cut grass down to a stable moisture level where mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot grow.

If hay is baled too wet (generally above 20% moisture), it will continue to respire inside the bale. This biological activity generates heat. In a best-case scenario, this heat leads to mold, creating dusty, unpalatable, and potentially harmful feed. In a worst-case scenario, the heat can build to the point of spontaneous combustion, leading to a barn fire days or even weeks after stacking.

Conversely, if hay becomes too dry (below 12-14% moisture), the most nutritious parts of the plant—the leaves—become brittle. The mechanical action of raking and baling will cause these leaves to shatter and fall off, a process called "leaf shatter." What you’re left with is a bale of low-quality, stemmy hay. Nailing the moisture window, typically between 14% and 18%, is the single most important factor for making high-quality, safe hay.

Hay Moisture Meter – Agratronix HT-PRO Hay Tester

Guessing at moisture content by twisting a handful of hay is an old-timer’s trick, but it’s a risky gamble. A hay moisture meter is a small investment that protects your entire harvest, your animals’ health, and your barn. This tool gives you a precise, quantitative measurement, removing all doubt about when it’s time to bale.

The Agratronix HT-PRO Hay Tester is a durable and reliable probe-style meter. You simply push its 20-inch steel probe into the windrow or a finished bale and get an instant digital readout. Its key features are its built-in calibration clip for verifying accuracy and its ability to display an average of multiple readings. This is crucial, as moisture can vary throughout a windrow or field.

Using this tool is simple. Before baling, walk the field and take readings from several windrows, probing deep into the pile. If the average is consistently within the 14-18% range, you’re good to go. It’s also invaluable for checking bales before you stack them in the barn. For the cost of a few bags of feed, this meter provides the data you need to make the most critical decision in the haying process.

Bale Spear – Titan Attachments Pallet Fork Spear

Even mini round bales get heavy and awkward after the 20th one. If you have a tractor with a front-end loader, a bale spear is an essential tool for moving bales efficiently and safely. It allows you to lift, transport, and stack bales without manual labor, saving your back and speeding up the process of clearing the field.

The Titan Attachments Pallet Fork Spear is a clever and cost-effective solution. Instead of requiring a dedicated, single-purpose implement, this spear is designed to slide onto one of your existing pallet forks. You secure it with a locking pin, and in seconds your loader is ready to move bales. This versatility is perfect for a small farm where every tool needs to serve multiple purposes. The spear is forged, tapered for easy penetration, and rated for far more weight than a mini round bale, ensuring a huge margin of safety.

Before buying, confirm the spear is compatible with the dimensions of your pallet forks. Safe operation is paramount: always keep the bale low to the ground when moving and ensure your tractor has adequate rear counterweight to prevent tipping. This attachment is for anyone with a loader-equipped tractor who wants to streamline the process of moving bales from the field to the barn.

Moving and Stacking Bales Safely and Efficiently

Bringing the hay in is the final push. Doing it correctly ensures the hay stays in good condition and that you stay in one piece. For mini round or small square bales, proper lifting technique is crucial if moving them by hand: lift with your legs, not your back, and keep the bale close to your body. A hay hook can be a great hand-saving tool for grabbing and dragging bales into position.

When using a tractor with a bale spear, the principles are the same as with any loader work. Keep the load low and centered, and avoid fast turns, especially on uneven ground. When stacking in a barn, arrange the bales with small air gaps between them to allow for continued curing and to dissipate any residual moisture and heat. A common method is to stack the first layer on its flat side and the second layer on its side, alternating each layer to create a stable, interlocking pile.

Never stack bales right up against a wall or ceiling; always leave room for air to circulate all around the stack. A well-stacked hay mow is stable, safe, and promotes the long-term quality of your feed. Rushing this final step can compromise a season’s worth of hard work.

Pitchfork – Truper Pro 4-Tine Forged Pitchfork

No matter how modern your other equipment is, you will always need a good pitchfork. It’s the essential tool for cleanup and manual tasks. You’ll use it to clear up the inevitable loose hay that misses the baler pickup, to tidy the barn after stacking, and, of course, for doling out feed to your animals all winter long.

The Truper Pro 4-Tine Forged Pitchfork is a step above the cheap, stamped-metal forks found at big box stores. The key difference is that its tines are forged from a single piece of steel, making them incredibly strong and resistant to bending or breaking. The tines are sharp and well-spaced for easily lifting loose hay without it falling through. A handle made from North American ash provides the right combination of strength and flex.

This isn’t a high-tech tool, but quality matters immensely. A cheap pitchfork with tines that bend under a load is frustrating and useless. The Truper Pro is a buy-it-for-life tool that performs a simple but critical job reliably. It’s an indispensable part of any haying operation, regardless of scale.

Hay Tarp – Farm Tuff 18oz Heavy-Duty Vinyl Tarp

Not everyone has enough dedicated, covered barn space to store an entire season’s worth of hay. A high-quality tarp is the next best thing, protecting your hard-won bales from rain and sun. A standard blue poly tarp is not a solution; UV rays will degrade it in a single season, and it will tear in the first serious windstorm.

For serious outdoor storage, you need a heavy-duty vinyl tarp like the Farm Tuff 18oz Heavy-Duty Vinyl Tarp. This material is what’s used on commercial flatbed trucks. It’s 100% waterproof, UV-resistant, and highly tear-resistant. The 18oz weight means it won’t flap itself to shreds in the wind, and it features reinforced hems and brass grommets for secure tie-downs.

When covering a stack, always prepare the base first by placing bales on pallets to keep them off the wet ground. Drape the tarp so it overhangs on all sides and secure it tightly with ropes or ratchet straps. The goal is to shed water like a roof while preventing wind from getting underneath and lifting it. A good tarp is an insurance policy for your feed, ensuring the bales you open in February are just as good as the day you made them.

Planning Your Haying Around the Weather Forecast

The most critical component of making hay isn’t made of steel—it’s the weather forecast. Haying is entirely dependent on a "weather window," a period of consecutive dry, sunny, and ideally breezy days that allow the cut grass to cure properly. Rushing the process or getting caught by an unexpected rain shower can ruin the crop.

A typical haying window for a small acreage looks like this:

• Day 1: Cut the hay in the morning after the dew has burned off.
• Day 2-3: Let the hay cure. Depending on the thickness of the crop and the intensity of the sun, you may need to ted (fluff it up) or rake it once to expose the wetter bottom layers to the sun and air.
• Day 4: Once the moisture meter confirms it’s ready, rake it into final windrows and bale it.

Become a student of your local weather. Use multiple forecasting apps and learn to read the radar. A good plan involves watching the 10-day forecast and identifying a potential 4- to 5-day window, then making a final go/no-go decision based on the 3-day forecast. Being patient and waiting for the right window is far better than rushing and putting up wet, moldy hay.

Putting It All Together for a Successful Hay Season

Making your own hay is one of the most satisfying jobs on a small farm. It’s a direct connection to the land and to the well-being of your animals. The process is a sequence of dependent steps: a clean cut from the sickle bar, even drying in the sun, a fluffy windrow from the rake, and a dense, well-formed bale from the baler. Each step relies on the one before it.

Success comes from combining the right tools with good timing and technique. A moisture meter removes the guesswork, a bale spear saves your back, and a quality tarp protects your investment. By carefully selecting equipment that is scaled to your operation, you empower yourself to take control of your feed supply, ensuring you have high-quality, nutritious forage to carry your livestock through the winter.

With the last bale stacked and the equipment cleaned and put away, you can stand back with the deep satisfaction of a job well done. The scent of cured hay in the barn is the smell of self-sufficiency. You’ve captured the summer’s sun, and you’re ready for the winter to come.