How much would you pay to lease a barn for hay storage?

[farm7743]

We just moved in and are thinking about trying to offset some of our expenses by leasing out our barn for hay storage. We plan on using just a small portion of the lower level for a couple of pigs. But, the barn is 64'x40' with a built-in conveyor and the front two doors slide open so that you can drive (w/ trailer) in with no problem to load up if necessary. Brand new roof, so no trouble w/ leaking.

Just to allow you to get a clearer picture with maybe a more accurate quote, we are in Shelby County, Indiana.

We have no idea what to expect to charge someone for this, or what would be reasonable/unreasonable for someone to offer us. Do people pay $100/mo. for this kind of service? 500/mo? Like I said, we have not had any experience with this kind of thing.

What's a round about estimate of what YOU would charge if you were offering this barn up for lease?

 

[jkwilson]

Back in the 80s, we got a nickel a bale for storage in my grandparents' hay barn. For the whole year.

If you have somebody local who square bales a bunch of hay for horse owners, you might have a customer, but it's unlikely anybody will be storing much hay in square bales anymore.

 

[hayray]

I pay $100 a month for a pole type barn that stores hay and equipment and $800 a year for the hay loft of a gambriele roof barn.

 

[novatech]

but it's unlikely anybody will be storing much hay in square bales anymore.

At $7.00 a bale I will be storing all that will fit into the barn this coming season. Might even have to rent some space if I see where I need more.

 

[jkwilson]

but it's unlikely anybody will be storing much hay in square bales anymore.

At $7.00 a bale I will be storing all that will fit into the barn this coming season. Might even have to rent some space if I see where I need more.

You'd be hard pressed to get that out of the prettiest alfalfa on the planet here. I got some nice orchard grass/fescue/clover last summer for $1.25 picked up in the field. I didn't really need it, but the guy was trying to sell the last of it and kept calling.

 

[dimestorecowboy]

It's amazing what" horse" people will pay for hay. I sold 500 square bales of Alicia Bermuda to a feed store for 6 dollars a bale . He sold out in a week at 8.50 a bale . I just built a new 40 x60 barn for square bales . Planning on putting about 3000 up this year ...

 

[novatech]

It's amazing what" horse" people will pay for hay. I sold 500 square bales of Alicia Bermuda to a feed store for 6 dollars a bale . He sold out in a week at 8.50 a bale . I just built a new 40 x60 barn for square bales . Planning on putting about 3000 up this year ...

What amazes me is how little some people will take for their hay. I have herd all sots of garbage; "Well my equipment is paid for", "You can't count your own labor", "The property has been in the family for ever so you can't count that." "I ain't gonna cheat nobody." "Well that's what the neighbor sold his for." "Gotta clean out the barn for next years cutting."
Me; If I can't make a profit on it then it will sit in the barn until I can or rot and go back in the soil.
It never fails that when buyers are comparing price it is usually what Jon Doe is selling his bale of weeds for as compared to clean fertilized hay. OR " I don't need no horse hay, I'm just feeding cows."
Sorry for the rant.

 

[TexasBred]

It's amazing what" horse" people will pay for hay. I sold 500 square bales of Alicia Bermuda to a feed store for 6 dollars a bale . He sold out in a week at 8.50 a bale . I just built a new 40 x60 barn for square bales . Planning on putting about 3000 up this year ...

Even at that price you probably left some money on the table. Only different in horse hay and cow hay is $3.00 on the same bale of hay.

 

[dimestorecowboy]

I know i left money on the table . I prefer to sell to someone who wants 100 plus bales. At a time . Just don't like the hassle of 3, or 4 bales a person . But you are right . I hear it all . People will try and get. A better price from you if they can I usually tell them to just get in there truck its buy it or leave it .

 

[msscamp]

It's amazing what" horse" people will pay for hay. I sold 500 square bales of Alicia Bermuda to a feed store for 6 dollars a bale . He sold out in a week at 8.50 a bale . I just built a new 40 x60 barn for square bales . Planning on putting about 3000 up this year ...

Only different in horse hay and cow hay is $3.00 on the same bale of hay.

Whatever you think. I am by no means a 'horse' person, but the fact remains that there IS a very big difference between horse hay and cow hay. Feed weedy hay to horses and you're looking at a good case of colic and possibly a dead horse, feed cheat grass infested hay to horses and you're looking at cheeks and gums packed full of the stuff, irritation, off feed, and possibly infection due to the seeds causing sores. Feed sand burr infested hay to horses and you're looking at an even more serious version of cheat grass. Moldy hay can be ground and fed to cattle with no problems because the act of grinding knocks a lot of the mold off, but try doing that with a horse and you're looking at broken wind, chronic coughing, and some pretty serious illnesses.

As to the question of the original poster, I wouldn't pay you for storage of my hay. Why would I pay you for storage when I can accomplish the same thing by simply stacking my hay on pallets and tarping it?

 

[hayray]

I do not know where the original poster is but msscamp, in my state you can't stack and tarp small squares outside very well, just too much moisture. I do it for rounds but there is a certain percentage of the surface area gets tarp burn. It is not a matter of storing someones hay for them as it is alot of customers do not have much storage in their own barn and buy hay from you during the winter as new customers or you may be storing your own hay in a barn, trust me, way different then putting hay up in Wyoming. I have been out there and seen how they have stored hay and bale and you would be in for a big education doing hay in the Eastern U.S.

 

[bigbull338]

let me see if i can remember what my buddy charged to store hay by the month.a guy bought 1000 sq bales of horse hay from him.an he needed it stored till he could finish building his barn.an i think he chared him .50 cents or a $1 a bale a month.

 

[msscamp]

I do not know where the original poster is but msscamp, in my state you can't stack and tarp small squares outside very well, just too much moisture. I do it for rounds but there is a certain percentage of the surface area gets tarp burn. It is not a matter of storing someones hay for them as it is alot of customers do not have much storage in their own barn and buy hay from you during the winter as new customers or you may be storing your own hay in a barn, trust me, way different then putting hay up in Wyoming. I have been out there and seen how they have stored hay and bale and you would be in for a big education doing hay in the Eastern U.S.

Thank you. I don't have any experience with tarping hay in any climate except for Wyoming, and I very much appreciate you taking the time to educate me about other climates and environments.

 

[hayray]

let me see if i can remember what my buddy charged to store hay by the month.a guy bought 1000 sq bales of horse hay from him.an he needed it stored till he could finish building his barn.an i think he chared him .50 cents or a $1 a bale a month.

I have paid up to .50 a bale but that is for the whole year, not per month per bale, that would be a rip off.

 

[Back-Acher Farm]

Recently saw an ad in E WA to lease a hay barn at $250/mo. Big, pole-barn constructed, specifically for hay storage.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Recently saw an ad in E WA to lease a hay barn at $250/mo. Big, pole-barn constructed, specifically for hay storage.

depends on how big and how much hay you could store
if the barn held 500 bales then that would be $.50 pr month pr bale in 6 months you would spend $3.00 pr bale if your bales cost $30 pr bale and if you figured just 10% loss in 6 months then you would a break even deal
in my part of the country the loss would probably be 20% or more over a 6 month period