Baling hay for others

[whitewing]

Risks? Rewards? I've got a lot of offers coming to me to bale bermuda and other pastures for folks in the vicinity. The standard deal here is that I'd supply the equipment and personnel to produce the bales and leave with 50% of the product.

Any experiences you guys would like to comment upon? Thanks in advance.

 

[CrookedTree]

if i could get somebody to bale my grass and leave me half the bales i'd do it all day. Think you are selling yourself short.

 

[slick4591]

Around here it's going for like 75/25 because baling costs are so expensive.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

In my area we do the 50/50 split or if they want it all it's charged by the bale at $2-3/sm square or $20/4x5 round bale.

 

[MosesR]

Around here the contractor gets 5 bales (55%) and the landowner gets 4 only if the hay is good, been fertilized ect. If the hay is poor, the contractor gets 60% to 70% IF he will take the job.

 

[whitewing]

if i could get somebody to bale my grass and leave me half the bales i'd do it all day. Think you are selling yourself short.

You may be correct, though as I said, that seems to be the standard deal around here. Last year, it's the deal I did with a family of Italians......my grass, their tractor, baler, personnel. I felt like I was giving away way too much so I bought my own equipment this year and haven't looked back. Oh, bought their baler too. :lol2:

 

[Ruark]

I've checked around on this, too. I might need somebody to come out and bale my pasture, since it's pretty small (12 acres in the grazing pasture) and I can't justify buying baling equipment. I've been advised by local old timers that finding somebody to do it is virtually impossible, because it's a lot of trouble to tow the baling equipment AND a tractor out here to do it, then tow it all back, just for a few bales of hay. In fact, they might even need to make 4 trips instead of two, because after cutting it, it has to lay there and dry for a week or so, assuming it doesn't rain. If anybody did do it, they would want so much of the hay as payment, there'd be no point in growing it in the first place.

 

[whitewing]

I've checked around on this, too. I might need somebody to come out and bale my pasture, since it's pretty small (12 acres in the grazing pasture) and I can't justify buying baling equipment. I've been advised by local old timers that finding somebody to do it is virtually impossible, because it's a lot of trouble to tow the baling equipment AND a tractor out here to do it, then tow it all back, just for a few bales of hay. In fact, they might even need to make 4 trips instead of two, because after cutting it, it has to lay there and dry for a week or so, assuming it doesn't rain. If anybody did do it, they would want so much of the hay as payment, there'd be no point in growing it in the first place.

Excellent points, and all valid.

With bermuda I'm normally looking at cutting it one day, allowing a day or two for drying, then raking it, and depending on conditions, baling the same day or the next. That's certainly a lot of equipment movement potential.

Obviously, with so much movement of equipment, there are minimums in the amount of bales one would need to produce in order to justify the wear & tear on equipment. The most promising contact I have so far has over 100 acres of bermuda, about 25 near my place and another 80 or so acres farther out. I've looked at both and while his fields need some work to get them cleaned to the point I normally like for commercial bales, it'll be worth the effort. Oh, for the "farther out" bermuda of his, he's offered his tractor so I won't have to have mine tied up and so far away from my place. While I've got a double set of baling equipment, I'm still working with only one tractor.

 

[ohiosteve]

I'm sure your situation isn't the same as mine, but I get all of my hay off other peoples fields on the 50/50 deal. It works great for me and so far all of the land owners have been pleased also. I am lucky because I am only looking for 10 to 15 acre fields and these are usually the size fields that the big time hay guys don't want to mess with. Have you made any progress on your propionic acid applicator yet?

 

[JSCATTLE]

I bale for others . Needs to be at least 20 acres . Even if it's 10 one place and 10 next door for a neighbor . I charge 22 per bale net wrapped . No 50/50 because I don't think I can come out baling and hauling the hay . And what most consider fertilized and what I consider fertilized is usually way different .

 

[Toycowfarm]

Around here I was told by old timers it goes 50/50. If the hay would sell for $3.00 per bale I would ask for 1.50 per bale kicked in a wagon, they unload and stack. That is for cutting, raking and baling.

It would help to know the land was hayed in the past so you don't run over junk or rocks and damage your machinery.

You would need to discuss what happens if the hay gets rained on several times and turns into junk. You both need to agree when to cut.

 

[Jogeephus]

I do the 50/50 and one important thing is to be clear on who moves the hay. I'll take my half but I'm gonna leave yours where it sits. Also, I bale hay the way I bale hay so its my way or you can do it your own self. On the rain thing, I normally call the fella and tell him it looks ready and its up to him to make the final call of course if he wants me to do it and I think its gonna rain the mower always breaks for some reason. If it rains on it then we are both screwed. I don't deliver his half to other people unless he pays me $5/roll and it has to be fairly close and I'm not staking it in their barn or anything like that. Just dump and go.

 

[ohiosteve]

I agree 100% on being clear on who moves the bales. If I am delivering them to their doorstep i need more than 50%. Of course if they supply me with supper and some ice cold beers I am flexible. Also I will make the final call on when to cut but usually listen to the landowners advise.

 

[whitewing]

I'm just getting started but so far think I've covered all the bases.

I first get permission on when I can cut. Once cut, the baling decisions are mine.

My bales are my responsibility and the owner's are his. Once they hit the ground, they're his.

I'll buy his bales if I deem them "commercial" and we can agree upon a price. All bales, commercial and non-commercial are split 50/50.

Wish me luck.

OhioSteve, haven't done anything yet on the propionic acid rig-up. A few pics of your system would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Risks? Rewards? I've got a lot of offers coming to me to bale bermuda and other pastures for folks in the vicinity. The standard deal here is that I'd supply the equipment and personnel to produce the bales and leave with 50% of the product.

Any experiences you guys would like to comment upon? Thanks in advance.

I sold all my equipment got to the point I wouldn't bale for anyone but the neighbors. Just not worth listening to all the crying and whining. The tight SOB's think you should roll up to their place with a 100,000 dollars worth of equipment and sell the hay for less than it takes to bale it. When I quit it was costing me 36 dollars a roll to bale my own.
Found a good supplier qoute's me a fair price and I say thank you and haul it to the house.
A baler can make a preacher cuss. I found out years ago 75% of the people's hay field's were not hay fields or were only in their minds. Cost just as much diesel to cut a field that kicks out 3 rolls to the acre as 8.

 

[B&M Farms]

I have baled for one neighbor on the halves before but he is real close and always fertilized his meadow well. If it is close or you can sale your half without having to haul it you can come out okay here. My neighbor has a few more cows now and needs all his hay so I bale it just to help him out. I just charge him per bale. It comes out about the same and I don't have to worry about getting it sold if I don't need it. The years I didn't need it were the years it was harder to get sold.

 

[whitewing]

I have baled for one neighbor on the halves before but he is real close and always fertilized his meadow well. If it is close or you can sale your half without having to haul it you can come out okay here. My neighbor has a few more cows now and needs all his hay so I bale it just to help him out. I just charge him per bale. It comes out about the same and I don't have to worry about getting it sold if I don't need it. The years I didn't need it were the years it was harder to get sold.

Yup, already got an agreement from him that my clients can show up at his place and load their hay. For me, that makes the deal. Loading it to haul to my place and then maybe unloading before the clients arrive would be a deal-killer for me.

Well, off to bale some hay for the neighbors! I'll post pics when I return!

Thanks guys for the responses.