Doesn't Look Good

[dun]

I wouldn't think it would cost $5 more for fuel to roll a bale of hay.

Neighbor just cooked the numbers for haying this year. He came up with 22 bucks a bale cut, raked and baled.

dun

 

[KenB]

quote It costs me more than $12 to put up a 4 X 5 round Bale on my own land. I would charge $20 to put it up on your land this year. Use to be $15. But fuel cost kills that

It was this statement why I questioned the $5 fuel surcharge.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I wish the cows were a hobby for me. Then I wouldn't be as concerned about the financial end of things so much.

By some folks definition, they'd say it was my 'hobby'. I consider it a business. No, I don't rely on it for a total living, but as a small 'side business' in addition to my off-farm job, and it/they are run as a business.

After a rough year last year with mild drought (it was mild compared to other parts of the country) and hay prices were so high, having to haul water for a short time,and losing 2 calves that really cut into the bottom line for 2006. I ended up having to put the girls on the stock-piled grass 2 months early in an effort to keep the cost of using hay down.

Unfortunately, we will be losing that grazing land.

Have found a strong possibility for a new place to graze.

Will be setting up for a rotational grazing program, it has worked very well for one of my neighbors, and I believe I can make it work here.

Will be culling out a couple that aren't as easy-keeping as the rest. At this point the cost of keeping them will not pay.

Will be selling a couple of the replacements out of necessity.

Just a few of the changes I know I will be making this year.

Katherine

 

[Rookie]

Rookie to go without fertilizer other management practices have to change also.

I would like ta know more. I burned and spread manure that year, but be it a month out from 1st cut I was regrettin my choice. We had a dry year and that be not good, but I'd be of a fear ta ever try goin without fertilizer again lest I be somewhat sure of the results, and that be a tough state of mind ta come by. Could ya give a research source for the subject, so what it could be studied on?

 

[dbc]

What really is the difference in quality in the liquid and reg. fert?

 

[Gate Opener]

If I was cutting hay I would have to fertilize. Our cattle numbers are low enough that we shouldn't need to fertilize. If we did I would look at going the organic way.

The thing about regular fertilize is that if everyone keeps paying these high prices it is not going to go down. Why should they reduce if they can get these exorbitant prices? JMO

 

[IL Rancher]

We run our cows on an annual field while feeding them during the winter. They spread their fertilzer for the following hay/summer slump field very well, enough that we don't need any commercial fertilzer except for lime every so many years (Don't know how many yet, haven't gotten there yet)... Couple that with bringing in byproducts as cheap as we can and using crop residue for the dry cows, either baled or grazed, and our Hay costs are not so bad right now... The onlo thing that would make it better is if we could get the resources together to fence off some more crop fields next to the highway and graze them for most of the winter instead of having to shred and bale.. The liability of a not so good fence next to a road with lots of traffic is not something I am willing to mess with right now...

Trying something a bit different this year with the annual field. Used to put a summer annual in after we took of hay barley.. this year trying some berseem mixed in with the barley.. seed sales men are telling me it will grow all summer, I will believe it when I see it but if it does the seed costs break even and I only have one drlling pass instead of two.. Not to mention the nitro benifit.

 

[Susie David]

The first cutting of alflafa is still over a month out and don't know what it wil be selling for...been dry this spring and if it continues the second cutting will suffer and prices will skyrocket again. We're a small operation, and buy all our hay.
We moved up next years calving a month, don't like Feb calving but we have been having mild winters lately so we figured we'd chance it, at least we'll have fat calves while the market hopefully holds in early fall. Have the bull in with the cows now and will move him to the heifer pasture on the 15th.
DMc

 

[Rookie]

What really is the difference in quality in the liquid and reg. fert?

The differences I see is (1)- the liquid be in a more accessable state for what ya be applyin it to. Granules be higher nitrogen (46%) but liquid(26%) be way more accessable ta ya grasses. No need ta be worryin about it rainin after ya spray.(2)- Another be ya can put Torodon pre emergent right in with it. (3)-Last, I own a sprayer as opposed to a spreader.

 

[MY]

There are sewage processing plants all over and the solids get separated from the fluids and they are let to dry in a field. He says this stuff can be picked up by the truckload and makes some decent fertilizer. Sounds disgusting but it might be something to consider.

That is all the Milorganite brand of fertilizer is, Milwaukee-Organic-Nitrogen, straight out of the sewer processing plant. No reason not to use dried sewer sludge if you can get your hands on it.

http://milorganite.com/home/

 

[preston39]

I wouldn't think it would cost $5 more for fuel to roll a bale of hay.

Neighbor just cooked the numbers for haying this year. He came up with 22 bucks a bale cut, raked and baled.

dun

==============
dun,

Do you know if he included the land value(minus appreciation of land value)... in is numbers?

We come up with $26.00 per bale without the land. We used costs of preparing land for seedbed; assume 3 years of production with annual maintenance costs per acre....and $3.00 for diesel/oil for this year...for cut/rake and bale....based on 6.... 12-1400# bales per acre.

 

[dun]

I wouldn't think it would cost $5 more for fuel to roll a bale of hay.

Neighbor just cooked the numbers for haying this year. He came up with 22 bucks a bale cut, raked and baled.

dun

==============
dun,

Do you know if he included the land value(minus appreciation of land value)... in is numbers?

We come up with $26.00 per bale without the land. We used costs of preparing land for seedbed; assume 3 years of production with annual maintenance costs per acre....and $3.00 for diesel/oil for this year...for cut/rake and bale....based on 6.... 12-1400# bales per acre.

Just fuel, equipment and materials

dun

 

[TheBullLady]

I hate to mention this.. but I'm beginning to think people who "niche" market may have something on the rest of us that are trying to sell beef.