Hay Production on Wilson County Land: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Wilson County is some of the most productive Coastal Bermuda hay country in South Texas, and hay production is one of the most consistent and financially meaningful agricultural uses on Wilson County land.

Active listings reflect it. Properties described as offering "hay-producing Coastal Bermuda pasture," "productive hay fields," and "established hay production operation" are a consistent presence in the Wilson County rural land market. The Peanut Capital of Texas is also, quietly, one of the most productive small-acreage hay counties in the region.

For buyers evaluating Wilson County land for agricultural income potential, hay production is a central topic. For sellers marketing Wilson County land, hay production documentation is one of the most persuasive supporting data points for a premium price. And for both, understanding what makes a quality hay property and what hay production actually yields financially is essential.

James Peterson ALC is the broker-owner of United Country Real Estate | Texas Ranch and Home in Floresville, Texas. He evaluates Wilson County hay land regularly. He lives here. He works here. This guide gives buyers and sellers the complete picture.

Several characteristics make Wilson County specifically productive for Coastal Bermuda hay:

• Climate. Wilson County's climate, hot summers, mild winters, and average annual rainfall of 28–32 inches, supports multiple Coastal Bermuda cuttings per year during the active growing season (May through October). Three to five cuttings per year is achievable in a normal rainfall year with fertilization.
• Soils. Wilson County's sandy loam soils in many areas of the county drain well and warm quickly in spring, allowing early season growth and reducing the standing water problems that delay hay production on heavier clay soils.
• Proximity to livestock markets. Wilson County hay production serves local cattle operations throughout the county and reaches buyers in neighboring Karnes, Atascosa, Gonzales, and Bexar counties. The proximity to San Antonio's urban fringe means demand for horse hay, which commands premium prices over cattle hay, is also accessible.
• Agricultural community infrastructure. Wilson County's established agricultural community includes hay equipment dealers, custom hay operators, and the agricultural expertise network that supports hay production operations.

Not every pasture described as "Coastal Bermuda" in a Wilson County listing is equally productive. James evaluates hay production potential specifically:

Grass Stand Quality

• Ground cover percentage. A productive Coastal Bermuda stand has 75–95%+ ground cover, the soil surface is almost entirely covered by living grass. Stands with significant bare ground, heavy weed presence, or thinning have reduced production capacity.
• Grass species purity. Pure or near-pure Coastal Bermuda stands produce more uniform, higher-quality hay than stands invaded by native grasses, bahiagrass, or weedy species. Visual assessment during the growing season reveals stand quality.
• Root depth and thatch condition. Heavy thatch, accumulated dead material at the soil surface, can impede water penetration and new growth. Properly managed stands have minimal thatch through appropriate management practices.

Fertilization History

This is the most commonly overlooked factor in hay production evaluation, and one of the most important.

Coastal Bermuda is a heavy nitrogen feeder. Unfertilized or under-fertilized Coastal Bermuda produces a fraction of the hay that a properly fertilized stand produces. A pasture fertilized with 200–250 lbs/acre of nitrogen annually in divided applications produces 4–6 tons/acre/year. An unfertilized or under-fertilized stand produces 1–2 tons/acre/year.

What to ask sellers: When was the pasture last fertilized? What product? What rate? What was the most recent soil test result? Sellers with active hay operations will have this information. Sellers who don't have it may have been running the pasture without adequate fertilization.

Drainage and Topography

Hay production requires pasture that drains adequately, standing water after rain events delays access with heavy hay equipment, compacts soils during wet conditions, and reduces production in low-lying areas that hold water.

Slight topographic relief that allows water to drain, or deliberate land leveling and water diversion, contributes to productive hay land character.

Equipment Access

Every portion of the hay field needs to be accessible by large hay equipment, cutting, raking, and baling equipment that is 8–12+ feet wide and requires turning radius at field ends. Irregular field boundaries, steep terrain, trees within the field, and poor equipment access from adjacent roads all reduce effective production acreage.

Typical Wilson County Coastal Bermuda hay yields:

Properly fertilized, well-managed Coastal Bermuda in a normal rainfall year:

• 3–5 cuttings per year
• 1.5–2.5 tons/acre/cutting in good conditions
• Total annual yield: 4–8 tons/acre

• In drought years: Yields drop significantly, 1–3 tons/acre in a meaningful drought year.
• Round bale weights: Standard Wilson County round bales weigh 800–1,200 lbs depending on moisture content and baling conditions.
• Hay prices (as of 2025–2026 market): Wilson County cattle hay ranges from $50–$100/round bale depending on quality, time of year, and market conditions. Horse hay (higher quality, specific cutting timing) commands $80–$150+/round bale.
• The financial math on a hay lease:

A landowner who leases hay cutting rights to a custom hay operator typically receives a share of the hay produced, commonly 1/4 to 1/3 of the bales produced, or a per-acre cash payment.

Cash hay lease rates in Wilson County typically run $30–$80/acre/year for cutting rights depending on pasture quality and rainfall patterns.

On 50 acres of quality Coastal Bermuda at $60/acre: $3,000/year in hay lease income.

Or, for landowners who operate their own hay production:

Gross revenue on 50 acres at 5 tons/acre = 250 tons = approximately 500 round bales (at 1,000 lbs/bale). At $75/bale average selling price = $37,500 gross revenue. After fertilizer ($3,500), equipment costs or custom operator fees ($5,000–$10,000), and other production costs, net income of $20,000–$25,000 is achievable on well-managed hay production operations at current prices.

Hay production from Coastal Bermuda pasture is one of the most straightforward paths to agricultural valuation in Wilson County. Wilson CAD consistently recognizes hay production as a qualifying agricultural use when the acreage and production intensity meet the district's standards.

For buyers evaluating Wilson County properties with established Coastal Bermuda hay production and existing agricultural valuation, confirming that the valuation is based on hay production (rather than cattle) is straightforward: the Wilson CAD record shows the qualifying use, and the seller's hay production history documents it.

For buyers converting from a different agricultural use to hay production: consult Wilson CAD on the intensity standards and expected review timeline for the transition.

Sellers of Wilson County hay production properties who want to maximize their selling price should have this documentation organized before listing:

• Hay production records: How many bales were produced in each of the past 3–5 years? What was the total income? This documents the actual financial performance of the hay operation.
• Fertilization history: What inputs have been applied, when, and at what rates? This is the single most influential variable in buyer assessment of future production capacity.
• Soil test results: Current soil analysis showing pH, phosphorus, potassium, and other key parameters, and confirmation that soil nutrition is adequate for continued production.
• Equipment inventory: If hay production equipment (tractors, cutters, rakes, balers) is included in or available with the sale, document it specifically.

James helps sellers of Wilson County hay production properties assemble this documentation before listing, because documented production history justifies the per-acre premium that quality hay land commands in the current Wilson County market.

📞 James: 210-740-1295 🌐 www.txranchandhome.com 📅 Schedule a Free Agricultural Land Consultation

We live here. We work here. Hay production land in Wilson County is one of our specialties, and James knows exactly what to evaluate.

James Peterson ALC is broker-owner of United Country Real Estate | Texas Ranch and Home in Floresville, Texas. He specializes in land, ranch, and agricultural real estate across Wilson County and South Texas. Hay prices and yields in this guide are approximate, actual results vary by year, management, and market conditions.

Questions about this on a property in Wilson County? Texas Ranch & Home works rural homes and land across Wilson, Atascosa, Gonzales, Guadalupe and Karnes Counties. Call James Peterson ALC at (210) 740-1295 or Barbara Peterson at (210) 540-6487, or send us a message.

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