I am in a similar boat here in south Louisiana. We have heat waves that stunt grass growth and 'mud months' where the grass is growing or during winter when the grass isn't either way you face the killing of grass caused by heavy hooved animals trampling around in a month long of rain. I have found that my small group of sheep (2) do well on silage. My chicken coops, hog pens and things like that I use mostly trash hay. The horses are the main expense I haven't gotten away from but I am lucky and it really is only a big issue for about 3 months a year.
I have found it amazing how much trash hay is saved but putting tarps under my bale area. I use old metal fire wood stands to put the hay on and put tarps under with the front rolled out to catch what is spilled while handling the hay as it is put out for the horses only a quarter square bale at a time. Any hay with dirt or whatever goes in the trash hay pile.
I am experimenting with silage using my mower and so far is working pretty good, though I am slowly introducing it to my sheep, pigs and chickens. I am not giving it to the horses because there I is a lot of research showing links to colic.
I follow a method detailed in an article I found in Small Farm- a Canadian magazine. The article is very interesting and outlines this mower technique.
http://smallfarmcanada.ca/2014/making-forage-on-a-very-small-scale/
hope this link works. If not look up the magazine and search Making forage on a (very) small-scale
hope this helps you out
