Step right up, Ma'am! You're the exact person for whom we created:
Lazy Hay™
What's Lazy Hay™, you say? Why, Lazy Hay™ is the perfect solution to all* your animal husbandry problems, so you can get going with your vegetable or boyfriend husbandry, assuming you can spot any differences between the two.
Sounds too good to be true? Well, you may be ri-- No! No, it's really easy:
0. Don't buy the Gold Clock. I just saved you 10M gold, you can thank me now.
What? You want more? Fine...
1. Leave half your farmland empty (ahh, the Lazy™ secret)
2. Start with 1 Silo, but upgrade to 2 and then 3 as they fill (to cover 1 full Barn and 1 full Coop)
3. Buy or make grass starter on Spring 1 or as early as possible. I use 20 or so, you could use 50 on the original farm if you want Quick Results.
4. On or soon after Spring 1, plant those starters spaced out nicely wherever there isn't volunteer grass (see Step 0).
5. Fence your animals away from the grass for a while until it grows mostly confluent, use last year's Hay to feed them or visit Marnie for various reasons as well as Hay. It works for Lewis.
6. After a few days as the grass gets to its densest, start scything away just to thin it out, not clear it. You'll get used to the arc of thinning/clearance and only need to do it on occasion (Lazy™). I usually do it on the way back from Fishing or Mining or Leah.
6a. You can let your animals out now, they'll put a dent in it but less than Sam's head does to a Joja Cola can.
7. Be Lazy™ about it, if you're focusing too much on it you'll find that you end up with too much Hay and not enough Haley. It's a great time filler when you have an hour or 2 to kill waiting for your sweet, sweet Iridium bars or sweet, sweet Emily to visit.
8. Clear your land of Hay on Fall 28 if you're still a little short. This is the day to get all sweaty and anyway you had your fun with Penny and Abigail in the Maze last night and it's payback time.
* Lazy Hay™ will not pet, milk, or collect truffles, eggs, feathers or wool from your spouse. Or animals.