Custom Hay Rates

[Son of Butch]

Received this info today on 2015 custom rates across USA. Thought I'd post it as a public service.

Hay mowed and conditioned low $12 acre - high $18 acre
Raking Hay low $5 acre - high $9 acre
Baling large round bales with net wrap, low $12 bale - high $16 bale
large round bales without wrap $9 - $12 bale

 

[bigbull338]

heres what we charge in texas its by the bale not the ac.if we did raking and and cutting by the ac it wouldnt even pay the fuel bill.we charge $8 a bale to cut. $5 a bale to rake. $12 to $15 to bale a 5 by 6 bale.

 

[Toad]

For some reason I have way more breakdowns cutting hay than anything else. I also burn more fuel cutting than anything else. If I could pay someone to come cut my fields for $12 per acre I think I would jump all over that. The rest of it I can do myself at a much lower cost.

 

[Son of Butch]

Is an acre bigger in Texas? or Is the fuel that much higher in Texas than the rest of the nation?
I can cut thin stands much faster and with less fuel than a heavy stand.
Charging by the bale on thin stands may actually be cheaper than pricing by the acre; depending on the yield.

 

[Alan]

heres what we charge in texas its by the bale not the ac.if we did raking and and cutting by the ac it wouldnt even pay the fuel bill.we charge $8 a bale to cut. $5 a bale to rake. $12 to $15 to bale a 5 by 6 bale.

Are you saying if you have someone mow, rake and bale a 5x6 it would cost $25 to $28 per bale? If so that seems pretty high, how much would it cost someone to buy out of a farmers field (per bale)?

I would think hay yield off a acre in Minnesota is different then Texas and Western Oregon or Florida etc.

 

[Son of Butch]

I would think hay yield off an acre in Minnesota is different than Texas and Western Oregon or Florida etc.

100% accurate.

 

[J&D Cattle]

$18/bale for cutter, tedder, rake, and 4X5 net wrap. Guy that does my hay will only run over fertilized hay.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

We pay $18 a bale to mow,rake and bale 4x5 bales.

 

[bigbull338]

heres what we charge in texas its by the bale not the ac.if we did raking and and cutting by the ac it wouldnt even pay the fuel bill.we charge $8 a bale to cut. $5 a bale to rake. $12 to $15 to bale a 5 by 6 bale.

Are you saying if you have someone mow, rake and bale a 5x6 it would cost $25 to $28 per bale? If so that seems pretty high, how much would it cost someone to buy out of a farmers field (per bale)?

I would think hay yield off a acre in Minnesota is different then Texas and Western Oregon or Florida etc.

yes alan thats what it cost in texas to bale or hay.thats also why in the last 3yrs we bought all of our hay equipment.last year we payed $8 a bale to cut our hay.thats why we bought a new cutter this year.the $25 a bale is for 4 by 5s 4 by 6s and 5 by 6 bales.plus most here charge a bale minum for small fields.

 

[TexasBred]

Are you saying if you have someone mow, rake and bale a 5x6 it would cost $25 to $28 per bale? If so that seems pretty high, how much would it cost someone to buy out of a farmers field (per bale)?

I would think hay yield off a acre in Minnesota is different then Texas and Western Oregon or Florida etc.

Historically down here if you could get 3 5x6 rolls per acre off a fertilized coastal bermuda field cut "on time" you had a good field of hay. Even that will seldom test over 9% crude protein but will be very digestible.

 

[bigbull338]

you also have to remember 3 5 by 6 bales are equal to 4.8 4 by 6 bales.

 

[TexasBred]

you also have to remember 3 5 by 6 bales are equal to 4.8 4 by 6 bales.

I used 5x6 as an example.....number of bales really is irrelevant as pounds of hay is the same regardless of bale size.

 

[John SD]

you also have to remember 3 5 by 6 bales are equal to 4.8 4 by 6 bales.

I used 5x6 as an example.....number of bales really is irrelevant as pounds of hay is the same regardless of bale size.

:nod: :nod: :nod: Bale size for the most part is pretty meaningless as a way to determine weight. Older balers simply do not put as much hay into a given size bale like newer balers do.

Bale density is what counts. For that reason, IMO hay should always be sold on a per ton basis. Seller needs to know how much hay he is selling, and the buyer needs to know how much hay he is purchasing. The size of the package the hay is in is mostly irrelevant, as long as your equipment is suitable to handle it :idea:

 

[Angus Cowman]

heres what we charge in texas its by the bale not the ac.if we did raking and and cutting by the ac it wouldnt even pay the fuel bill.we charge $8 a bale to cut. $5 a bale to rake. $12 to $15 to bale a 5 by 6 bale.

You must cut awful slow
I can make good money mowing At $12 to $15 pr acre
The last I mowed was for a friend and I got $15 an acre I can average 10 acres pr hr so thats $150 pr hr
I was getting $18 pr bale to mow rake and bale 4x5s was another $2 if we tedded
Got $12 just to bale I would usually rake it for the 12 becsuse it saved me time because most people don't rake to suit me
And I could have it raked and baled faster than if I had to chase their dam crooked as rows plus mist only had 8 wheel or side delivery rakes and their windrows are to small

 

[John SD]

And I could have it raked and baled faster than if I had to chase their dam crooked as rows plus mist only had 8 wheel or side delivery rakes and their windrows are to small

In my hayfields, I'm pretty sure my R2800 rake could keep ahead of 2 balers :idea:

 

[Angus Cowman]

Yep I had the JD version of that rake and loved it but when custom baling it was too hard to use because of odd shaped fields in my part of the country
IMO for large fields that is the best rake on the market
Do you run yours off of tractor hyds or do you have ut set up with its own pump
I set mine up on pto and had its own pump so I could pull it with smaller tractor and not heat up the hyd system on the tractor

 

[TexasBred]

Bale density is what counts. For that reason, IMO hay should always be sold on a per ton basis. Seller needs to know how much hay he is selling, and the buyer needs to know how much hay he is purchasing. The size of the package the hay is in is mostly irrelevant, as long as your equipment is suitable to handle it :idea:

Absolutely John. Even seen some on here that could miss the weight of a bale 500 lbs. just because it was "BIG". :lol2: I've always bought by the ton and used moisture as a bargaining tool sometimes.

 

[John SD]

Yep I had the JD version of that rake and loved it but when custom baling it was too hard to use because of odd shaped fields in my part of the country
IMO for large fields that is the best rake on the market
Do you run yours off of tractor hyds or do you have ut set up with its own pump
I set mine up on pto and had its own the pump so I could pull it with smaller tractor and not heat up the hyd system on the tractor

Thankfully, my 2 hayfields are actually square A 40 and a 160. I do bale a couple yards up and don't use the rake there :yuck:

I run my rake with the tractor remotes. Tractor is a Ford 9600. IIRC, the tractor holds about 15 gallons of transdraulic fluid. Has a 2 qt spin-on filter I intend to change every year but don't always get it done Seems to handle the rake no problem, with no overheating.

The tractor has a Waldon 9' dozer on it and 2 hydraulic remotes. I put the transport link in to hold the dozer up when raking because that is the remote I use to run the baskets. Anyone familiar with a Waldon dozer would agree it would be a bear to take off the tractor :mrgreen:

The other remote handles folding/unfolding/lifting/lowering functions with the hydraulic splitter control box provided by Vermeer. Tractor loafs along at high idle 12-1400 engine RPM in Hi 5th gear. Governor is a little logy so we give 'er a bit more throttle on steeper hills

For some reason (probably left one of the switches on) the splitter box will run the battery dead in a coupld days. So after we get the rake set up the way we want it in the field we make sure to unplug it :idea:

 

[Angus Cowman]

Yep I had the JD version of that rake and loved it but when custom baling it was too hard to use because of odd shaped fields in my part of the country
IMO for large fields that is the best rake on the market
Do you run yours off of tractor hyds or do you have ut set up with its own pump
I set mine up on pto and had its own the pump so I could pull it with smaller tractor and not heat up the hyd system on the tractor

Thankfully, my 2 hayfields are actually square A 40 and a 160. I do bale a couple yards up and don't use the rake there :yuck:

I run my rake with the tractor remotes. Tractor is a Ford 9600. IIRC, the tractor holds about 15 gallons of transdraulic fluid. Has a 2 qt spin-on filter I intend to change every year but don't always get it done Seems to handle the rake no problem, with no overheating.

The tractor has a Waldon 9' dozer on it and 2 hydraulic remotes. I put the transport link in to hold the dozer up when raking because that is the remote I use to run the baskets. Anyone familiar with a Waldon dozer would agree it would be a bear to take off the tractor :mrgreen:

The other remote handles folding/unfolding/lifting/lowering functions with the hydraulic splitter control box provided by Vermeer. Tractor loafs along at high idle 12-1400 engine RPM in Hi 5th gear. Governor is a little logy so we give 'er a bit more throttle on steeper hills

For some reason (probably left one of the switches on) the splitter box will run the battery dead in a coupld days. So after we get the rake set up the way we want it in the field we make sure to unplug it :idea:

On ground like yours is where them rakes shine
That 9600 will do fine and yes I know what that dozer is they are a bugger to take on and off had one on a big case in Ok
I fixed my rake so I could pull it with a 170 Allis diesel 55hp and was worried hyd would heat up
That tractor could run 2 days on a tank of fuel (12-14gal)

 

[dodger2]

$18/bale for cutter, tedder, rake, and 4X5 net wrap. Guy that does my hay will only run over fertilized hay.

In central Va. It's 17-22/ 4x4 wraped bale . I did some custom bailing when my put a equipment was new to help pay the bill and I put a 3 bale min. / ac. charge on unproductive land to keep cost out of the hole.