custom hay cutter and baler

[Central Fl Cracker]

Me and ny brother recently have 200 ac. of a real decent hay field. The guy that was recently leasing it did about 2 cuttings per year. We do not want to buy the machinery to cut and bale hay. What should we estimate our cost to be if we hired someone to cut and bale per ac. if we do our own fertilizing?

 

[jcarkie]

around here it is $12 -$15 per big bale or on the halves.

 

[dcara]

If its at least a 2 roll/ac and 200 ac hay field then around here its $16/bale or 1/3 to the owner and 2/3rds to the hayer.

 

[BC]

With the cost of diesel and the poor yields that custom balers had, several have told me that they are going to charge $20 per roll to cut and bale or a minimum of $50 per acre. This is in the Van Zandt and Henderson.

 

[Aaron]

Find someone that wants to go on shares with it, and you cover fertilizing.

 

[KS Cattle]

Here it is 10-13 dollars a bale. That is just the baling expense. Don't know about cutting it and wind rowing it.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

In my part of the country the custom balers charge $10.00/acre for cutting and about $15.00/bale to rake and bale. They produce a 5X6 heavy bale.

 

[Cabo]

Depending on the amount of hay per acre, but sometimes there is more expense involved in cutting than baling. If it is good hay, I wish I was close enough to bale it on the halves. Looks like a dry year here so far.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Here it is 20 dollars a bale for me to pull my equipment in the field with a 20 roll minimum.

 

[Iowa237]

I charge $14/acre for mowing. $7/acre for raking. $13.50/bale for baling large round net wrapped. $12/twine. I wouldn't want to pay that much if I was on the other side of it. But you have to look at the price of this equipment and cost of fuel. We can't afford to wear out equip without making it pay for itself! I usually don't put hay up on shares but I do have one neighbor that has 300 acres that I put up 50/50. Only because he fertilizes it faithfully and it's good quick SMOOTH running! And that's alfalfa... I'd take 2/3rds if it had grass! If you are paying for baling... Size and quality of baler MATTERS! Just so you know... my bales of alfalfa weigh 1800 to 1900lbs... adjust accordingly.

 

[Double A Ranch]

I charge $14/acre for mowing. $7/acre for raking. $13.50/bale for baling large round net wrapped. $12/twine. I wouldn't want to pay that much if I was on the other side of it. But you have to look at the price of this equipment and cost of fuel. We can't afford to wear out equip without making it pay for itself! I usually don't put hay up on shares but I do have one neighbor that has 300 acres that I put up 50/50. Only because he fertilizes it faithfully and it's good quick SMOOTH running! And that's alfalfa... I'd take 2/3rds if it had grass! If you are paying for baling... Size and quality of baler MATTERS! Just so you know... my bales of alfalfa weigh 1800 to 1900lbs... adjust accordingly.

It was so dry last year that we just got 1 bale to the acre in some fields. You wouldn't ever have to worry about wearing out your equipment down here if you tried to charge peopel $34.50 to cut rake and netwrap a bale of hay.

 

[IL Rancher]

That is not too much different than what people ask for around here.. 12-14 for mocoing, 5-7 for raking and than anywhere between10-13 for baling, depending on the baler and net vs twine...

First cutting we usually can get 2.5-3 tons an acre so it isn't so bad. 3 is pretty typical actually. That would end up at 16-19 bucks a bale for that first cutting..But if you don't fetilize and you only get .5 bales an acre than yeah, you get raked over the coals... NOt enough compitition around to bring the price down on custom rates.. Another way around the high price, at least around here, of the 3rd and 4th cutting is to grow annual hays instead.. Only two crops and the spring one will usually get you 4 bales an acre while the summer one will usually get you another 2 or 3... Generally lighter weight than alfalfa but at least it keeps your cutting and raking costs down a touch.

 

[Wewild]

$15 cut raked and baled on our land for a 4X5 or 5X4 , which ever you want to call it.

We pay $3 to move some of it 8 miles per bale. He uses his tractors at both end and I don't pay for what I haul.

We came out good this year through the winter at less than 2.5 bales per cow.