Custom Farming Prices

[Herefords.US]

I have an opportunity to lease another place. The lease is higher than I've been paying for similar grass, but there is a 50 acre field in this lease. That's a little too big for me to handle with my 40 HP tractor, considering the distance as well, so I was wondering if anyone would know what the going rate for plowing and then sowing oats might be?

George

 

[WichitaLineMan]

Never had it done but have heard talk at the coffee shop. Ten dollars an acre for every pass over the land.

 

[JH_cattle_co]

If you decide not to lease it feel free to pass the info on to me :mrgreen:

 

[Herefords.US]

If you decide not to lease it feel free to pass the info on to me :mrgreen:

I may indeed pass on it! There is ~575 acres total (two adjacent tracts, two owners) and one tract (300+ acres of it) is grazed down pretty short. It's definitely not a good deal for the first year, as it is probably already too late to get the field prepared and planted for winter grazing this year and a lot of the good has pretty well been gotten out of 300+ acres of it until spring. What I've got to determine is if it would be worth it to eat the cost this year for the opportunity of having it in future years.

Some more questions - What's a good variety of "grazing" oats and approximately what are seed oats and a good balanced fertilizer selling for right now? Also, what is a good sowing rate for oats? It's been so long since I've sowed any(even wild ones! :lol2, I've forgotten!

I'm seeing a lot of ungrazed pasture around, but it seems most of it is either too small for my use or it just isn't being leased for grazing. I keep hoping to find that "perfect" place with 2000+ acres and good fences/facilities - but I sure haven't found it yet!

George

 

[bigbull338]

the seeding rate for oats is 3 bu to an ac.thats 96lb to the ac.have you considered hiring a notill drill insted of plowing the fields.you can hire a notill drill for $15 an ac.an that would save you $60 an ac land prep.

 

[Herefords.US]

the seeding rate for oats is 3 bu to an ac.thats 96lb to the ac.have you considered hiring a notill drill insted of plowing the fields.you can hire a notill drill for $15 an ac.an that would save you $60 an ac land prep.

Thanks, bigbull! I was recalling 2 1/2 bu/acre was what we always planted, but it's been 20 years since I planted any oats. I knew I could go look inside our old grain drill and the rate and settings would still be inscribed there from when my Dad put it there 25+ years ago. I'm just trying to get a rough cost of what this lease might cost me total per year, including planting the field.

The no-till drill idea is a very good one, since all I'm wanting the oats for is grazing and not combining. I'll give that strong consideration.

I'm still wondering what are good varieties of oats for grazing purposes? I know we always planted Ora back then. I thought there might have been some newer and better varieties developed now.

George

 

[JH_cattle_co]

I think we use the Walken variety. On our fields that we use only for grazing, we just let ours head out and leave it standing until the middle of september and then disk it in and let it come up volenteer. This saves a lot of money on seed. Sometimes the stand will be too thick and we have to come back and disk it again lightly.

 

[1982vett]

We usually plant Bob oats. Planted a little Big Mac this year just to compare.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

You might consider Marshall ryegrass. Have heard it makes good fall growth on tilled ground and lasts longer in the summer. Saw an ad for Marshall that that featured some really good farmers I knew who switched to Marshall from years of grazing wheat/oats and now preferred Marshall. To me that says it all as these guys are excellent operators. Seed $/acre should be less and and after planting for a couple of years would probably volunteer from then on. After you build a seedbank it should only need plowing in late summer to get a volunteer stand. Overseed with red river crabgrass in feb/march and get some good summer grazing also with a single late summer plowing.

I have never planted it in clean till but have overseeded coastal with it and it is really good in the spring but the coastal keeps it down in the fall. If I had any tilled ground the marshall/red river combo is what I would use.

Just another 2 cents worth.

 

[bannedagain]

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Public ... FM1698.pdf

 

[terra8186]

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/FM1698.pdf

Great information. Thanks :banana: :banana: :banana:

 

[Herefords.US]

Checked prices at the local feed/seed store this morning. Bob Seed Oats $16.00 a 50# bag. Balanced Fertilizer $400 - $450 a ton.

Even with no till sowing - $15.00 an acre for sowing, $32.00 an acre for seed, ~$50 an acre for fertilizer.

About $100 an acre total cost.

That probably makes this pasture lease unfeasable for me.

Thanks to all that replied. Some good info!

George

 

[WichitaLineMan]

Probably too late since you've run numbers, but Bob oats seem to work best for grazing for folks up here.

 

[1982vett]

Checked prices at the local feed/seed store this morning. Bob Seed Oats $16.00 a 50# bag. Balanced Fertilizer $400 - $450 a ton.

Even with no till sowing - $15.00 an acre for sowing, $32.00 an acre for seed, ~$50 an acre for fertilizer.

About $100 an acre total cost.

That probably makes this pasture lease unfeasable for me.

Thanks to all that replied. Some good info!

George

And it hasn't rained yet...