hay yield question

I grew up on a dairy farm and we sold the cows and rented out the land about ten years ago as I was away at college. We have beef cows and my dad is a livestock dealer so we have a few sheep and goats on the farm pretty much all the time. We started to buy our hay as it was more time efficient. Our hay supply lost some of their ground to development and no longer can supply us with the hay we need. We need approx. 125 big square bales per year. It has been very difficult to find hay so I have been toying with the idea of possibly seeding down some hay ground for next year. I wouldn't seed all of our 100 acres because I like the idea of having taxes and a few other expenses paid by rent we get from the crop land. I would have somebody come in and bale it for me as I don't have a baler but the guy I help out in the summer has a baler. My question is approx. hay many acres would I have to seed down to get 125 big square bales of hay. Also what type of hay would I seed down. I would love to have something that would yield me a crop next year. I need to make some decisions vefore fall so I can give the renter notice. I'm located in Southern Wi.

Don't know how much big squares weigh, but you should be able to get 2 tons per acre for first cutting, a lesser amount on later cuttings. Lots of variables- soil quality, fertilization, weather.

Last year our irrigated Alfalfa averaged 10 ton ber acre on five cutting. A big square will weigh up to 2000 lbs. so do the math. I doubt if you an get a yield like that.
gitrib

GOOD AFTERNOON:

ON my short 6 acres here at home I will get 6 big
round bails at 2000 lbs the first cutting and all most 5 the 2nd cuuting
it depends on how much rain i get after the 1st cutting if i get more hay.
jr.frye

What size big square? Our 3x3 bales average around 900 lbs

You should plant alfalfa with either timothy or orchard grass in it. Figure to average 4 tons per acre for the season. Don't know the weight of those 125 you are using. so do your own math for bales per acre. The net wrapped big rounds here average about 1450 lbs each.
I'd say you are feeding about 90 tons of hay. So about 25 acres would be a good number.
Figure the stand will nlast at least 5 years.
Plant it this fall!

Gordo

I'm in southwest WI and to get dry enough weather to get dry hay is hard to do. An idea is to wrap tough bales, individual or inline wrap. It is great feed. Plant multi leaf alfalfa, you will get better yields, and quicker recovery, if you plant grass with, raise your cutter head to around 3 to 4 inches.