Hay equipment

[denvermartinfarms]

I often give other people opinions on this, and I genrally go against my latest idea, but it's been on my mind alot the last few days.

I have a complete set of hay equipment and a extra tractor I wouldn't need if I wasn't in the hay business, it's all paid for. I only bale enough hay for me and I really can't make money custom haying anymore. So I could sell about 35k worth of equipment and put that into cows, I could buy about 35 or 40 more cows if I did this.

I have 2 different people who have garunteed me they would be here within 1 week or less of when I need them and they will make me 4x6 net wrapped new holland or John Deere bales for 15 to 18$ a bale.

What I'm starting to think I could make more money every year with another herd of cows than what I save by baling my hay myself. If I really figure what it cost me to make a bale or if I pay 15$ a bale there isn't a big difference.

I may be wrong about this and it could just be that it's been to long since I had to rely on someone else to show up. I don't figure my time as being worth anything because it's not, but it seems like I might be better off with my hay equipment money in cattle. What do y'all think?

 

[Bigfoot]

Definatly the way to go.

 

[MudHog]

My grandfather always told me that he bought his first baler because he got tired of waiting for people to bale for him. The equipment is paid for, I say keep it and bale when you want to. Say their equipment breaks, how can they be there within 1 week? What next for you that has grass in the field, but no equipment? Say that week a rain comes and pushes you back another week or two. Yes that may be worst case, but I've seen it happen many a times. I didn't bale last year until mid-October because the hay field was to wet and we couldn't bale in early September like we wanted to.

Only depend on yourself and never depend on others.


Another scenario, how does adding to the herd impact you on the amount of hay that is made. Will you have enough hay to feed the increased herd?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

My grandfather always told me that he bought his first baler because he got tired of waiting for people to bale for him. The equipment is paid for, I say keep it and bale when you want to. Say their equipment breaks, how can they be there within 1 week? What next for you that has grass in the field, but no equipment? Say that week a rain comes and pushes you back another week or two. Yes that may be worst case, but I've seen it happen many a times. I didn't bale last year until mid-October because the hay field was to wet and we couldn't bale in early September like we wanted to.

Only depend on yourself and never depend on others.


Another scenario, how does adding to the herd impact you on the amount of hay that is made. Will you have enough hay to feed the increased herd?

I actually have more than 2 people so I don't think I would get stuck without anyone, and from when hay can first be cut here there is more than a 1 week window anyway, so I don't really think I would get in a bind. but still that is my biggest fear of the deal.

 

[kenny thomas]

Have you thought about adding more cattle to use the hay land and just buying the hay. I am really considering it. I never hooked up the baler this year just let someone do it on the shares. I can lease extra hay land here that I cant run cattle on and use my hay fields for small calves or something.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Have you thought about adding more cattle to use the hay land and just buying the hay. I am really considering it. I never hooked up the baler this year just let someone do it on the shares. I can lease extra hay land here that I cant run cattle on and use my hay fields for small calves or something.

Yes I have, but only on less than half of my hay ground do I have the option of running cattle, some of it is leased from a city and I can't put cows on it and some of it the owners don't want cattle on. So that won't make a big difference. And another reason I don't want to be completely dependent on buying hay is the volatility in the market, last year people here were paying 60 to 80$ a bale for what can be bought for 15 to 25$ this year. If we have another cheap hay year I wouldn't do any second cuttings though, I would buy some in that case.

 

[kenny thomas]

I understand that for sure. I have one lease that I can only keep cows there from April till December.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I understand that for sure. I have one lease that I can only keep cows there from April till December.

That would work here, if you run a average place here at full capicity April through November, you will be feeding hay the rest of the time anyway, so most people bring them to fewer smaller places for winter to feed them.

 

[kenny thomas]

I understand that for sure. I have one lease that I can only keep cows there from April till December.

That would work here, if you run a average place here at full capicity April through November, you will be feeding hay the rest of the time anyway, so most people bring them to fewer smaller places for winter to feed them.

Exactually what I do. I stockpile and graze some corn stalks in the winter and everything comes home for the winter. Much easier on me also. And since I pay per head per month it saves me money also.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I understand that for sure. I have one lease that I can only keep cows there from April till December.

That would work here, if you run a average place here at full capicity April through November, you will be feeding hay the rest of the time anyway, so most people bring them to fewer smaller places for winter to feed them.

Exactually what I do. I stockpile and graze some corn stalks in the winter and everything comes home for the winter. Much easier on me also. And since I pay per head per month it saves me money also.

Ain't much corn or corn quality ground right here local. But if you had that as a option it would be good.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I often give other people opinions on this, and I genrally go against my latest idea, but it's been on my mind alot the last few days.

I have a complete set of hay equipment and a extra tractor I wouldn't need if I wasn't in the hay business, it's all paid for. I only bale enough hay for me and I really can't make money custom haying anymore. So I could sell about 35k worth of equipment and put that into cows, I could buy about 35 or 40 more cows if I did this.

I have 2 different people who have garunteed me they would be here within 1 week or less of when I need them and they will make me 4x6 net wrapped new holland or John Deere bales for 15 to 18$ a bale.

What I'm starting to think I could make more money every year with another herd of cows than what I save by baling my hay myself. If I really figure what it cost me to make a bale or if I pay 15$ a bale there isn't a big difference.

I may be wrong about this and it could just be that it's been to long since I had to rely on someone else to show up. I don't figure my time as being worth anything because it's not, but it seems like I might be better off with my hay equipment money in cattle. What do y'all think?

Here is the problem I see with a bigger operation and buying hay, one drought and you are in trouble.
My philosophy is there is no such thing as to much hay. I survived because of having several years on hand during the worst drought in my lifetime.I try to keep three years worth of hay here since I downsized and sold my hay equipment.
Not to hard to hustle up a few bales for 12 cows, lot different than digging up a 150 or 160 bales for 38.
If I had not downsized due to health reasons there is no way I would have let my hay equipment go.
I completely changed operating strategy since I sold my hay equipment. If you drive by here now you will see 12 cows and a bull next spring 30 or more.
Another problem is you say people will bale your hay for 18 bucks you better get that in writing here they wouldn't even show up for that.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Cb, getting it done for 15 to 18$ is all it cost here, that's why I said I can't make money costum haying anymore. The way I see it is in a drought it won't be any different than if I owned my equipment, I'm just paying 18$ to have it done instead of doing it myself. In a real bad drought I wouldn't be buying any more or less, rather I had baled my own or had it done.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Cb, getting it done for 15 to 18$ is all it cost here, that's why I said I can't make money costum haying anymore. The way I see it is in a drought it won't be any different than if I owned my equipment, I'm just paying 18$ to have it done instead of doing it myself. In a real bad drought I wouldn't be buying any more or less, rather I had baled my own or had it done.

Your not staying with me when I had my own equipment I cut at optimum time for yields and protein.
I was like the ant stockpiling but we have been in drought off and on for the last ten years. Hay has been a real commodity here.
I must have a skewed perspective on this. Forget I said anything.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Cb, getting it done for 15 to 18$ is all it cost here, that's why I said I can't make money costum haying anymore. The way I see it is in a drought it won't be any different than if I owned my equipment, I'm just paying 18$ to have it done instead of doing it myself. In a real bad drought I wouldn't be buying any more or less, rather I had baled my own or had it done.

Your not staying with me when I had my own equipment I cut at optimum time for yields and protein.
I was like the ant stockpiling but we have been in drought off and on for the last ten years. Hay has been a real commodity here.
I must have a skewed perspective on this. Forget I said anything.

Ok, I got it. I may be looking at it wrong and to simple. My original thought was that I may make more money with 35 more cows than by owning hay equipment, I may be wrong.

 

[Caustic Burno]

There is a real shortage of custom balers here and that makes a huge difference as well.
We lost a lot of the little guys like me that baled for a few neighbors in the drought.
Some of the bigger guys went under as well as a lot of people here went out of the cattle business.

 

[Kscattle]

If your equipment is in good shape and paid for, I think you'd be foolish to sell it and totally rely on someone else to do the baling. If your equipment was in poor shape and you'd need to upgrade, then that's a different story. If you have enough pasture to feed more cows, then go buy more cows. I don't understand how selling your equipment will gain you more pasture? If you need the money then use your equipment for collateral.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Here's another shot term factor if it makes a difference to anyone's opinion.

At the end of this feeding season I will have about 75% of next years hay left over, and right now I can buy as much good quality hay as I want for 20$ so I could go buy 500 bales of that plus my stockpile and I wouldn't be in need of any hay this next year, I would just be baling for the next year. And another thing I'll mention is even if I do sell my equipment now I plan on getting back in to haying in the next 5 or 6 years, just with newer equipment.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

If your equipment is in good shape and paid for, I think you'd be foolish to sell it and totally rely on someone else to do the baling. If your equipment was in poor shape and you'd need to upgrade, then that's a different story. If you have enough pasture to feed more cows, then go buy more cows. I don't understand how selling your equipment will gain you more pasture? If you need the money then use your equipment for collateral.

It would be so I could have the money to buy another 30 or 40 bred cows, not a pasture issue. I don't want to borrow anymore money than I already owe, I'm not always against borrowing but at this time I'm not going into any more debt.

My equipment is borderline, it works ok, but I'm planning on moving up in the near future either way.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Here's another shot term factor if it makes a difference to anyone's opinion.

At the end of this feeding season I will have about 75% of next years hay left over, and right now I can buy as much good quality hay as I want for 20$ so I could go buy 500 bales of that plus my stockpile and I wouldn't be in need of any hay this next year, I would just be baling for the next year. And another thing I'll mention is even if I do sell my equipment now I plan on getting back in to haying in the next 5 or 6 years, just with newer equipment.

This confuses me as much as M5's termite.
It cost me 36 dollars a bale to bale my own hay in 2010.
You can't buy a bale of hay here for less than 50 dollars that is worth feeding.
Is diesel and fertilizer that much cheaper in Mo.?
How in the world can sell hay for less than cost and stay in business.
There is no way you can fertilize buy fuel to cut rake and bale for 20 bucks here.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Here's another shot term factor if it makes a difference to anyone's opinion.

At the end of this feeding season I will have about 75% of next years hay left over, and right now I can buy as much good quality hay as I want for 20$ so I could go buy 500 bales of that plus my stockpile and I wouldn't be in need of any hay this next year, I would just be baling for the next year. And another thing I'll mention is even if I do sell my equipment now I plan on getting back in to haying in the next 5 or 6 years, just with newer equipment.

This confuses me as much as M5's termite.
It cost me 36 dollars a bale to bale my own hay in 2010.
You can't buy a bale of hay here for less than 50 dollars that is worth feeding.
Is diesel and fertilizer that much cheaper in Mo.?
How in the world can sell hay for less than cost and stay in business.
There is no way you can fertilize buy fuel to cut rake and bale for 20 bucks here.

I know, it's crazy. You can buy alot of decent hay here for 15$ it's not the best, but it's not completely junk. I really can't explain it, but there were alot of people here this year that quit baling hay because they had way more than they needed and it wasn't worth baling anymore to sell.