first time putting up hay all by our selves

[brownmule]

ok gonna give you pros something to laugh at! we have worked in hayfields for ever but last winter we {my friends and I} have been gathering equpt. to put some of our own hay,my hubby has a 46 kabota tractor, i have my "littl punkin" ck20 kioti, jane and terry have 1961 jon deer, he rebuilt we call ol jon LOL im sure we're a sight LOL but we get the job done. LOL got this hay rake at an auction for $40. deal of the day ! this is the first time i have ever raked hay, im sure you can tell but it's all good! i wont tell you how crooked some of the rows were LOL but it got windrowed! Rose

 

[Caustic Burno]

As thin as that grass is your are raking take more diesel than its worth to bale it.
I baled a lot of hay with a Massey 135.

 

[HAY MAKER]

I think you are doing good girl,you gotta start some where,keep us posted,I would like to see the finished product ;-) ...........good luck

 

[Nowland Farms]

Brownmule,

Unlike some post, Congrats to you. I know it makes you feel good to have baled your own hay even if you don't have enough to make a fulltime living off it. Just the fact that you are making an attempt is all the satisfaction you need.

CB, I respect your opionions and agree with a lot of what you say and have learned much from you, BUT the way you say some things comes across a lot of times as hateful even if it is the truth. The truth may need to be said but there are ways of saying things so it dosen't de-grade someone else. Yeah, I know the truth hurts but there are ways to say somethings and ways to not say somethings. I'm sure you don't dis-respect you wife or mother this way.

I know that I am a small time cattle farmer compared to others but I do make an effort to respect others around me. That's the way I was raised.

 

[mnmtranching]

brownmule, Your doing good, have fun. Thats some good feed your putting up 8)

mnmt

 

[MikeC]

With that type of rake it is hard to make straight rows. Any little turn by the tractor gets amplified by the rake.

I am a firm believer in making do with what you have.

You're doing fine!

 

[HAY MAKER]

I dont think Caustic meant to be disrespectful,some folks are just a lil blunter than others..............good luck

 

[endebt]

You ranchers come on here and ask for opions. Then when you are told the truth you get upset. If you do'nt want the truth then why ask for it. I always want the truth. Do'nt put sugar on it , because it will still taste like sh t. Just tell me the truth i ask for it. Hope you can understand this. You are baling you own hay good for you. But i believe you can buy it cheaper than bale it. Unless you have alot of (good) grass you can not graze.

 

[Saltydawg]

Looks good Brownmule.

Those days of piecing together machinery and making due with what I had were not to long ago for me .

 

[Caustic Burno]

Brownmule,

Unlike some post, Congrats to you. I know it makes you feel good to have baled your own hay even if you don't have enough to make a fulltime living off it. Just the fact that you are making an attempt is all the satisfaction you need.

CB, I respect your opionions and agree with a lot of what you say and have learned much from you, BUT the way you say some things comes across a lot of times as hateful even if it is the truth. The truth may need to be said but there are ways of saying things so it dosen't de-grade someone else. Yeah, I know the truth hurts but there are ways to say somethings and ways to not say somethings. I'm sure you don't dis-respect you wife or mother this way.

I know that I am a small time cattle farmer compared to others but I do make an effort to respect others around me. That's the way I was raised.

Has nothing to do with the equipment I have 2 rakes just like it and a V have pulled them with a 25 HP tractor.
She aint got any grass them are p!ss poor wind rows because there is no grass.

 

[rk]

Might be poor grass, but better than most areas around here right now.....I've seen people baling stuff that makes hers look pretty good.

 

[Herefordcross]

Caustic, that's what every hay field for fifty miles looks like around here. gotta take what ya can git

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic, that's what every hay field for fifty miles looks like around here. gotta take what ya can git

I have bailed everthing under the sun this year. Pipeline rightways, pond dams, crowfoot and water grass. You need 27 pounds to fill a bovine up you can satisfy the nutritional needs out of a 3 pound coffee can.

 

[Gale Seddon]

You go, Rose!!!! Your cows and donks won't give a horse's patootie whether their hay rows are straight or crooked. If I wore a hat, it'd be tipped to you for all the things you do, hauling tires, draining fish out of ponds, fencing in rocky soil. I wouldn't tackle half of what you accomplish!

 

[msscamp]

Brownmule, I applaud your effort and determination, but I have to agree with Caustic. You're burning more in diesel than it would cost to buy hay.

 

[dun]

Brownmule, I applaud your effort and determination, but I have to agree with Caustic. You're burning more in diesel than it would cost to buy hay.

That depends on the availability of hay in that area. The last time we bought hay, last summer, the trucking ran twice the cost of the hay. Even at todays fuel prices, it costs a lot less then $25 per bale to put it up.

dun

 

[Caustic Burno]

Brownmule, I applaud your effort and determination, but I have to agree with Caustic. You're burning more in diesel than it would cost to buy hay.

That depends on the availability of hay in that area. The last time we bought hay, last summer, the trucking ran twice the cost of the hay. Even at todays fuel prices, it costs a lot less then $25 per bale to put it up.

dun

I haven't put a pencil to it this year, but I bet its close to 25 bucks, fertilizer at 300 a ton diesel at 2.50 a gallon not counting bailing twine and maintainence. Custom bailers are getting 25 a roll here and they have no fertilizer cost in the operation and that is a 20 roll minimum on a field.

 

[brownmule]

CB i dont take offence to what you say. i know from your post your straight up. and im proubly gonna get smacked down, thats ok too ill get back up! this field was give to us, yes it is poor/thin, but its our practice filed, we have another field close to the farm{ given to us} that is much better quality grass, heavier, but before we got in over our heads, wanted to work the "bugs out of everything"" while we were close to home. we have had lots of problems yesterday with bailer, but we're 79 bails to the good now. { which is a drop in the bucket i know}
thanks to everyone for encourgament. the other field was a little heavier, and the windrows did look a lot better LOL still got a coulpe dog legs in them LOL but i didnt get in the brush so it's all good. Rose ;-)

 

[dun]

I haven't put a pencil to it this year, but I bet its close to 25 bucks, fertilizer at 300 a ton diesel at 2.50 a gallon not counting bailing twine and maintainence. Custom bailers are getting 25 a roll here and they have no fertilizer cost in the operation and that is a 20 roll minimum on a field.

The only field we baled that I can actually figure the cost on produced 44 1000 lb bales and used 47 gallons of diesel for cutting, tedding, raking, not sure about the baling because the neighbor came in and baled while I went and raked his field. The other fields are small odd shaed things that don;t take refueling to do several of them so I can;t figure out what they fuel costs are. I've got to be missing something here, seems like it used to run around 6-7 bucks a bale to bale it. Sure beats the $38 a bale I paid to have stuff shipped in last year, even it they are 1500 lb bales.

dun

 

[rkm]

Rose

Just thinking, why don't you use those mules to put up that hay and save all that fuel cb says your wasting. Then you would make everybody happy. Except maybe the mules.