Buying Hay

[Caustic Burno]

Well I just got through do all my figureing from last year and it cost me 34 dollars a roll to bale my hay.
I just got off the phone from purchasing this years hay for 40 dollars a roll. I told the wife I have spent my last hour in the hayfield by myself. With a bad back and a diabetic I have no business off in a hayfield by myself and for six bucks more a roll to heck with it. She ask if I was selling my hay equipment, I said no way it's paid for. never know what is down the road.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Well I just got through do all my figureing from last year and it cost me 34 dollars a roll to bale my hay.
I just got off the phone from purchasing this years hay for 40 dollars a roll. I told the wife I have spent my last hour in the hayfield by myself. With a bad back and a diabetic I have no business off in a hayfield by myself and for six bucks more a roll to heck with it. She ask if I was selling my hay equipment, I said no way it's paid for. never know what is down the road.

how many acres of hay ground can you now turn into full time pasture???
I have always said a operator that only bales a few hundred bales a yr can buy hay cheaper than he can bale it or have it baled
because you can buy your hay and use your ground for more cows to offset hay cost or run the same amount of cows and have to feed less hay by stockpiling your grass with less fertilizer cost and you can usually buy as good or better hay than you put up no matter what you think
buying hay is like buying bred hfrs you need to go to a good reputable source who will stand behind it and you need to form a good relationship with them

 

[tripleBfarms]

what costs did you figure in to get that price per bale?

 

[Caustic Burno]

About fifteen acres here at the house, I have a leased field that will be baled for twenty bucks a roll.
After I lost by biggest leased field of about twenty acres, I was already thinking about purchasing my hay.

 

[Caustic Burno]

what costs did you figure in to get that price per bale?

That was fuel,fertilizer, mantainence, baling string, lease everything.

 

[Angus Cowman]

what costs did you figure in to get that price per bale?

That was fuel,fertilizer, mantainence, baling string, lease everything.

I would say your figure are pretty close
CB if I recall correctly we had a little under $20 pr bale in fert cost alone
and baling cost will run between $12 to $14 pr bale
and we have guys around here that do it as a side job and cut rake and bale for $14 and they think they are making a lot of money but then they don't figure what it cost them and they don't make a living doing it as they have a day job
I am at $18 per bale to cut rake and bale a 4x5 bale and believe me I don't make alot doing it

 

[fargus]

what costs did you figure in to get that price per bale?

That was fuel,fertilizer, mantainence, baling string, lease everything.

I would say your figure are pretty close
CB if I recall correctly we had a little under $20 pr bale in fert cost alone
and baling cost will run between $12 to $14 pr bale
and we have guys around here that do it as a side job and cut rake and bale for $14 and they think they are making a lot of money but then they don't figure what it cost them and they don't make a living doing it as they have a day job
I am at $18 per bale to cut rake and bale a 4x5 bale and believe me I don't make alot doing it

Wow. We have a hard time getting $7/bale for just the custom baling. We can get a local fella to cut 1st cut for about $12/acre, so that's only ~ $1.67/bale and raking doesn't cost too much. I don't blame ya for buying hay in CB.... I spent more time cussing broken equipment this past year then I spent running it, and unless you're putting a pile of hay up it's pretty tough to justify upgrading equipment.

 

[cowboy43]

Central Tx. custom baler charges $28 a roll to cut and bale.

 

[kickinbull]

CB, I'm with you. We still have the equip. But have found a supply close to home of good hay. We usually end up buying hay anyway, why not let some else do it all.

 

[upfrombottom]

I wish everybody would get out, then maybe I could make some money on something.

 

[SRBeef]

Congratulations - I feel that buying hay is like buying fertilizer and feed together. And as mentioned in another reply above, buying your hay frees up that land for more grazing. Rotational grazing and buying hay can really increase your carrying capacity. Best of luck with the new plan.

Jim

 

[upfrombottom]

I wish everybody would get out, then maybe I could make some money on something.

I kinda meant that as a joke. Last year I was at a meeting and had an extended talk with a Dr. from the University of Arkansas, in which the bulk of the conversation was him telling me to sell my hay equipment and purchase any hay that I needed from a custom baler. He kept telling me that there was no way that baling hay was cost effective. I never told the guy that I custom bale and sell alot of hay to several of the people at the meeting. I did have a couple of guys come up to me afterwards and ask if he talked me into quiting.

He wasn't telling me anything that I didn't already know. If your primary business isn't hay production, it is very hard economically, to justify the time and expense it takes to do it right. If you just took the time itself and used it on other things around the farm that needed attention, you will be way ahead of any cost savings you would have gotten baling your own.

 

[dun]

Our problem around here is there is only one guy anymore that does any custom baling. The hay he sells runs from ok to PeePoor. I know it isn;t worth the dollars but at least I know what quality hay I'm feeding when I do it myself.

 

[tripleBfarms]

And around here, they won't get around to cutting your hay until its way past due. Thats why we do our own.

 

[plumber_greg]

We pay about $25 a bale, maybe $28 this year with fuel. How many cows do I need to own before buying my own hay equipment? gs

 

[Angus Cowman]

We pay about $25 a bale, maybe $28 this year with fuel. How many cows do I need to own before buying my own hay equipment? gs

in reality Greg to make break even you need to bale a minimium of 1000 bales

 

[Angus Cowman]

Our problem around here is there is only one guy anymore that does any custom baling. The hay he sells runs from ok to PeePoor. I know it isn;t worth the dollars but at least I know what quality hay I'm feeding when I do it myself.

how many 100 bales do ya want anything from grass hay to alflalfa/grass mix delivered to your door even have test on it
running from $35 to $50 pr bale :lol:

 

[dun]

Our problem around here is there is only one guy anymore that does any custom baling. The hay he sells runs from ok to PeePoor. I know it isn;t worth the dollars but at least I know what quality hay I'm feeding when I do it myself.

how many 100 bales do ya want anything from grass hay to alflalfa/grass mix delivered to your door even have test on it
running from $35 to $50 pr bale :lol:

Where were you 10 years ago when I bought my haying equipment?

 

[Angus Cowman]

Where were you 10 years ago when I bought my haying equipment?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

WOW - am I glad my custom bale guy/neighbor/friend doesn't have a computer. :shock: You guys got me thinking, so I pulled all the figures.
We don't own any hay equipment except the spears on my tractor.
I figured the rent on the hay ground, hay crew & equipment charges & fertilizer = $19.53/bale + fuel
(hard to figure the fuel, because they just arrive full & we keep them full and don't keep tract of gallons.) This is baleage. So, that's cut, raked (some), hauled, & wrapped. (I'm free!!! - I load & wrap the bales).
We have always believed a beef operation can't afford to own & maintain hay equipment - especially when hubby works off farm. And, I'm fortunate, my guy comes when hay is ready. He just does a few neighbors.