S Bengi wrote:How many hay cutting do you do on the 3acres?
How much hay do you get per cutting and in total per year?
Once we know how much hay you produce we can then figure out how much your pasture will produce.
It probably safe to assume that you get 2.5ton of hay per acre per year aka 100 haybale. Which is about 3ton/6000lbs of pasture
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Crops_County/al-yi.php
In my area during the active growing season you probably need 3acres of pasture per cow-calf animal unit.
You will probable need another 3acres of hay/pasture for the winter season assuming you are in zone 6 vs zone 9 Florida or Zone 3 Wisconsin
There are things that we can do to increase the health and productivity of your pasture/hayfield.
I had a neighbor cut my hay for me the last 2 years, both of which we had partial drought or bad weather during. He did 2 cuttings a year but I think I could get a third cutting out of it.
Both years were very similar for yield. First cutting was about 5 tons (10,000 pounds) and second cutting around 4 tons (8,000 pounds). I would assume a third cutting would be between 3-4 tons. I'm basing this off of the fact that he makes 5x5' round bales which are averaged at 1,000 pounds each.
My pasture borders the hay field and has some hay spreading into it, but otherwise it's whatever the native grass around here is. It seems to get about 3' tall by early to mid-July here.