IS HAY REALLY TOO HIGH?

[Suzie Q]

ARGH jedstivers, don't get me started.

Electrician came out to fix several times before one of the guys said that the flags had gone off, so it had been hit by lightning. That is when the insurance came into it.

But basically electrician would come and fix it and it would work once and then when you go down at 9 o'clock at night it would not work and that went on for months. It turned out that it was the remote control receiver that was faulty, so when we used it, it would work and then it would do its own diagnostic and find itself broken and then wouldn't work the next time we used it. Them coming and fixing it during the day cost us, plus turning on the electricity during the day cost us more.

They deemed it obsolete and to expensive to fix, so the whole meter box, etc, etc had to be replaced. Insurance are not fast. We did not have the money to fix it first and be repaid later. So we had to wait for insurance. Believe me they are not fast.

Then waiting for Electrician who told me he was going to fix it on Monday. I didn't notice that he didn't come. Then flooded so forgot about it.

Then electrician forgot about us and when I finally blew up in the Insurance Office they rang the electrician while I was there and he was away and wife told them it was fixed.

ARGH.

Which is when we found out that one of the submersible pumps wasn't working. Dovers then became involved and they brought it up for us and $15,000.00 for a new pump which insurance paid some of it, but we paid the rest. A bit of a smaller pump than the one that went as hopefully less HP, so less $$$'s to run it.

The day after we paid that $15,000.00 was when the rain started. So you can blame me. Rain every day for 3 months and ended up with the City of Brisbane being flooded, so you probably saw it on the News even over there. If we had of known that was going to happen we would have been better off with the money in the bank than the pump not being used.

I cut yesterday for the first time in I can't remember. The air conditioner was blowing to start with and then stopped, so I was hoping it was just a fuse, but hubby came in before he went to work and said that the wiring is burnt. Probably due to a mouse or something. So I will be without an air conditioner for awhile. Luckily it is the start of Spring and still a cool breeze to open the windows for, which does make it noisy, but I wear ear muffs. In summer I will have to use another tractor if we hadn't had it fixed, but again that will probably cost money and we don't have much of that at the moment.

 

[jedstivers]

Dang Suzie that's rough.

 

[Ouachita]

I reckon things are much different down under. I can have a hole punched in the ground, and cased for less than 2k. I buy and install my own pump system for less than 1k. We go anywhere from 40 to 400 feet for water. My wells are between 130-180 ft. I know I'm living just this side of heaven, but I never knew how fortunate I am.
It's been 15 years since we've had a well drilled, so the cost may have gone up a bit

 

[IL cow man]

We need to have a plan in place for drought. I don't think anyone could have planned for the length of the drought this year in the south. I believe most times it is economically unfeasible to feed thru a drought( or a long drought). Plan to sell cattle, hire a custom grazer out of the drought area, etc.needs to be written in a plan. Here we have been without rain for two month's and just got 9 tenths. I Have grass left but no water in the creeks moving cattle to cornstalks where they have access to automatic waters. The last cutting of hay was very minimal. Probably bale cornstalks off some fields for some feed and graze pastures thru winter if we get rain and regrowth. In the long run It may be more beneficial to build a stock pile of silage as it will stay good for years if done right on an abundant year. I think there was a test done where silage was tested 10 years after it was put up and showed very little nutrient loss after the initial spoilage. Just thinking out loud>

 

[Suzie Q]

For us we bought a wrapper, so we can make silage out of the round bales rather than losing a crop. We have used it, but find that the cattle do prefer hay to the silage and we now figure it is better to wait until the flood is over and the grass grows silly and we get way more round bales with grass than lucerne (alfalfa), so we haven't used the wrapper in quite a few years now.

 

[Angus Cowman]

For us we bought a wrapper, so we can make silage out of the round bales rather than losing a crop. We have used it, but find that the cattle do prefer hay to the silage and we now figure it is better to wait until the flood is over and the grass grows silly and we get way more round bales with grass than lucerne (alfalfa), so we haven't used the wrapper in quite a few years now.

That is exactly the opposite from what I have found on the baleage
after the first day of feeding it my cows will try to tear the truck apart getting to the baleage before you can get out to cut the net off

 

[Suzie Q]

Mine aren't allowed to do that. One stamp and they have to stop. A small jump and they have to go back at least 6 steps. Very handy for going through a gate with a vehicle or taking net off a bale.

What I meant was that if we feed out hay bales and silage bales, they will eat the hay bales first and the silage bales second. I didn't mean they wouldn't eat them.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I haven't figured out why everybody has got their panties in a knot over hay prices. At 75 to 80 dollars it is still the cheapest feed to carry a cow. When it gets to a 100 a roll it starts being break even with bulk feed. A ton of feed is a ton of feed. The issue is not the price of hay, but supplementing cattle through a drought, this is a business decision.
It comes down to when do you start losing money and how much are you willing to lose. You have to know what it truely cost to keep ole Belle standing in the pasture. Right now my figure's are 1.40 a day, so if you have a 100% calf crop you have to sell every calf for 511 dollars to break even, on a 90% calf crop that moves 567 bucks.
Nothing has changed since I had cranial rectal inversion and started messing with these beast.
The only control you have is input cost thats it. If you want to remain in the cattle business you have two options get lean and mean, ruthless culling of the herd, or have welfare cattle.

 

[expensive hobby]

Here in Pennsylvania, small squares seem to make money. More small time farmers and horse people than "ranchers". For my area, $4.00 TO $5.00 is the going rate for "good" hay. No body wants to touch the darn things but if you put up small bales they sell like mad. Throw in the fact that all of the natural gas drillers in this area are buying up every square bale that they can find and using them for mulch. Simple example of supply and demand. People need hay regardless of the size of the bale. And there will always be someone who will pay top dollar for the stuff. You either buy it of you don't. But some hay farmers try to take advantage and hike their prices. Like a guy that I saw advertising on craigs list the other day. He was selling "timmothy, orchard grass mix" baled in small squares for $7.00 a bale. I had to email him and ask him if he was rolling gold in with his hay. What he is trying to pass off as quality hay is probably weed and mold. Out of necessity some ignorant SOB will buy the stuff. There are crooks out there and this guy is one of them.........but then again, there are those that pay the $7.00 and think they are making out. I'll make my own hay and not deal with any of that BS. To answer the question "Is hay really too high" I think that I would have to say....depends on who you ask.

 

[Caustic Burno]

When you really feel like hay is to high just drop 150,000 in equipment and do yourself.
Don't forget a good hayfield is just like a woman it has to have lot's of love and attention or it will up and leave you.
Secondly after you spend another small fortune on fertilizers and chemicals to keep your hayfield weed free and producing, of course your labor is free. Remember that when sweat is running down the crack of your butt and some one drives up telling your hay is sorry or to much.

 

[bigbull338]

CB you need to have some of the stress an strain ive had doing it what you say is the easy way.the last 10yrs weve been hiring people to bale our hay.an not once did it get put up in a timely mannor.youd love the excusses ive heard over the years,from its not ready yet an ill bale it when i think its ready.to when im coming your way ill bale it.an my fav of all im just gonna cut an bale what i want to not what you tell me to.if i could bale for a guy that had 150acs to bale id do my dogest to keep him happy.also add to it the equipment break downs.the last sraw was 60acs of meadow burning off due to falty equipment an guy not having the guts to come say im sorry your hay meadow just burned off.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB you need to have some of the stress an strain ive had doing it what you say is the easy way.the last 10yrs weve been hiring people to bale our hay.an not once did it get put up in a timely mannor.youd love the excusses ive heard over the years,from its not ready yet an ill bale it when i think its ready.to when im coming your way ill bale it.an my fav of all im just gonna cut an bale what i want to not what you tell me to.if i could bale for a guy that had 150acs to bale id do my dogest to keep him happy.also add to it the equipment break downs.the last sraw was 60acs of meadow burning off due to falty equipment an guy not having the guts to come say im sorry your hay meadow just burned off.

That's an easy problem to solve pull into the closet New Holland, Vermeer, Krone or Hesston dealer.

 

[bigbull338]

thats getting tobe high up on the list of things todo.mainly because the custom balers are dropping like flies round here.really considering a cutter an rake as soon as we can.

 

[thommoos]

and to think I was trying sell 1/2 of my hay @ 35.00 for 4x5 1000 pound rolls. Only 1 call, no bites. :???: Note I am in central ALabama

 

[bigbull338]

and to think I was trying sell 1/2 of my hay @ 35.00 for 4x5 1000 pound rolls. Only 1 call, no bites. :???: Note I am in central ALabama

your not to high,hay down here is gold.i was talking to a guy i deal with on equipment an he said most all the hay you can find here is junk hay.

 

[Caustic Burno]

and to think I was trying sell 1/2 of my hay @ 35.00 for 4x5 1000 pound rolls. Only 1 call, no bites. :???: Note I am in central ALabama

Before I quit bailing hay two years ago it cost me more than that to produce. I had 36 dollars a roll in fertilizer and fuel.

 

[Suzie Q]

CB you need to have some of the stress an strain ive had doing it what you say is the easy way.the last 10yrs weve been hiring people to bale our hay.an not once did it get put up in a timely mannor.youd love the excusses ive heard over the years,from its not ready yet an ill bale it when i think its ready.to when im coming your way ill bale it.an my fav of all im just gonna cut an bale what i want to not what you tell me to.if i could bale for a guy that had 150acs to bale id do my dogest to keep him happy.also add to it the equipment break downs.the last sraw was 60acs of meadow burning off due to falty equipment an guy not having the guts to come say im sorry your hay meadow just burned off.

People around here have the same problem.

Then a knock on my door at 10pm at night because the baler that is being paid has broken down and can they borrow ours.

Nope, hubby wasn't home, so I said I would go over and bale as I would rather drive and bale than lend our tractor and baler to someone else.

 

[bigbull338]

glad to see some1 else has thought an felt like i do.

 

[fitz]

and to think I was trying sell 1/2 of my hay @ 35.00 for 4x5 1000 pound rolls. Only 1 call, no bites. :???: Note I am in central ALabama

Before I quit bailing hay two years ago it cost me more than that to produce. I had 36 dollars a roll in fertilizer and fuel.

I roll small bales (4x4) but if it gets anywhere near that to make it I'll sell my equip. and buy hay also.

fitz

 

[Caustic Burno]

and to think I was trying sell 1/2 of my hay @ 35.00 for 4x5 1000 pound rolls. Only 1 call, no bites. :???: Note I am in central ALabama

Before I quit bailing hay two years ago it cost me more than that to produce. I had 36 dollars a roll in fertilizer and fuel.

I roll small bales (4x4) but if it gets anywhere near that to make it I'll sell my equip. and buy hay also.

fitz

I don't know how you can make it cheaper here lime is 80 bucks a ton fertilizer was running 500 a ton plus adding diesel. Before the drought hay was fifty bucks a roll. It cost 20 dollars a roll for a custom baler here and you still have the lime fertilizer and chemicals cost in the hay.