It is better to buy hay?

[denvermartinfarms]

I can't afford to not bale my own. I have land that i get the hay off of for about 2$ a bale. And having that equipment and putting up a couple thousand custom bales at 18$ a bale helps too.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen. I'll be up at the farm this weekend and I plan to put a pencil to how much we're paying folks to come in and cut, rake, and bale our hay now vs what we can buy if for off the farm.

We have a good tractor, a brand new mower, an oldie but goodie rake and tedder but no roller at this time. MIL wants to buy a roller and I'm thinking whoa now, not so fast, a hay barn might be a better investment.

Sure is fun being in the grass business.

 

[dun]

There's nothing like haying to teach you patience and perseverence.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would go baler then barn next. If you have your own fields.

 

[blacklabel]

Buy it.

Equipment cost

Man hours cost

Repairs cost

Tylenol costs

 

[shaz]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen. I'll be up at the farm this weekend and I plan to put a pencil to how much we're paying folks to come in and cut, rake, and bale our hay now vs what we can buy if for off the farm.

We have a good tractor, a brand new mower, an oldie but goodie rake and tedder but no roller at this time. MIL wants to buy a roller and I'm thinking whoa now, not so fast, a hay barn might be a better investment.

Sure is fun being in the grass business.

Tn,
My reason for having a hayfield and equipment was just to get the job done period. My problem is time. As I move forward with intensive grazing I should be in a position where my hay quality and quanity is not a big deal but I'll STILL make hay.

As far as your situation goes I would by the best used roller I could afford if you think you have enough responsible people and the time it takes. If you don't have 2 tractors then I would build the hay barn instead.

 

[bigbull338]

the minum price for hay is $40 in no drought.an we feed about 250 bales a yr that would be $10,000 a yr plus hauling.an it would break a person to pull out that kind of money at once.heck our baling bill last yr was half that.thats why we bought a like new 567 baler with 2600 bales on it.that really hasnt baled any hay hay in 3yrs.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen. I'll be up at the farm this weekend and I plan to put a pencil to how much we're paying folks to come in and cut, rake, and bale our hay now vs what we can buy if for off the farm.

We have a good tractor, a brand new mower, an oldie but goodie rake and tedder but no roller at this time. MIL wants to buy a roller and I'm thinking whoa now, not so fast, a hay barn might be a better investment.

Sure is fun being in the grass business.

Tn,
My reason for having a hayfield and equipment was just to get the job done period. My problem is time. As I move forward with intensive grazing I should be in a position where my hay quality and quanity is not a big deal but I'll STILL make hay.

As far as your situation goes I would by the best used roller I could afford if you think you have enough responsible people and the time it takes. If you don't have 2 tractors then I would build the hay barn instead.

Manpower is the biggest issue we face.

 

[fitz]

With the age of the Landowners where I cut now, it's not an if, but a when, I lose the land I will most likely sell the equipment and start buying.

fitz

 

[denvermartinfarms]

the minum price for hay is $40 in no drought.an we feed about 250 bales a yr that would be $10,000 a yr plus hauling.an it would break a person to pull out that kind of money at once.heck our baling bill last yr was half that.thats why we bought a like new 567 baler with 2600 bales on it.that really hasnt baled any hay hay in 3yrs.

That's kinda the way I look at it too. I feed about 1500 bales a year and last year about 60$ a bale was the going price here. I know what I bale myself isn't free, but writing a hay check for nearly 100k isn't anything I want to do.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

the minum price for hay is $40 in no drought.an we feed about 250 bales a yr that would be $10,000 a yr plus hauling.an it would break a person to pull out that kind of money at once.heck our baling bill last yr was half that.thats why we bought a like new 567 baler with 2600 bales on it.that really hasnt baled any hay hay in 3yrs.

That's kinda the way I look at it too. I feed about 1500 bales a year and last year about 60$ a bale was the going price here. I know what I bale myself isn't free, but writing a hay check for nearly 100k isn't anything I want to do.

So you're feeding around 450-500 head Denver? Big operation.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I run about 90 pair and that takes about 3 to 4 bales a day for 4 to 5 months in the winter. And I feed about 6 bales a day for that same time to around 300 to 400 calves most of the time. And I like having some hay for the pens when I'm weaning calves and I like to have a little if possible in the summer in case I need to feed some.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

I guess I don't like the insecurity of not having control over the winter food supply. I'd rather we bale our own and know that we have winter covered, than to be held hostage to whatever hay prices happen to be this year, and hunt around for hay. If we had not baled our own hay in 2011, we'd have had to sell them all. We started baling the first time I had to pay $30 for 2 year old hay and they ate it in about 5 days. Now we bale our own, and bale for other people to offset the cost of the equipment.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I guess I don't like the insecurity of not having control over the winter food supply. I'd rather we bale our own and know that we have winter covered, than to be held hostage to whatever hay prices happen to be this year, and hunt around for hay. If we had not baled our own hay in 2011, we'd have had to sell them all. We started baling the first time I had to pay $30 for 2 year old hay and they ate it in about 5 days. Now we bale our own, and bale for other people to offset the cost of the equipment.

Doesn't do you a dam bit of good in a drought. I couldn't bale enough for me in 2010 and had to buy to put up what I wanted. Do the math on that hay. If I hadn't had two year's put up I would have went completely under.
The guy that bought my equipment ageed to bale my field when he was over this way because it was small.
This field is in the fork's of a creek nornal cutting was 18 to 20 bales a cutting with 3 to four cutting's.
I got 7 roll's off that field in 2011.

 

[tripleBfarms]

One thing to consider, is how much could you be making off of that hay field if you weren't cutting the hay. Dont forget to factor in the lost revenue into the cost of the hay.

 

[Caustic Burno]

One thing to consider, is how much could you be making off of that hay field if you weren't cutting the hay. Dont forget to factor in the lost revenue into the cost of the hay.

Amen you just increased your stocking rate.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

I guess I don't like the insecurity of not having control over the winter food supply. I'd rather we bale our own and know that we have winter covered, than to be held hostage to whatever hay prices happen to be this year, and hunt around for hay. If we had not baled our own hay in 2011, we'd have had to sell them all. We started baling the first time I had to pay $30 for 2 year old hay and they ate it in about 5 days. Now we bale our own, and bale for other people to offset the cost of the equipment.

Doesn't do you a dam bit of good in a drought. I couldn't bale enough for me in 2010 and had to buy to put up what I wanted. Do the math on that hay. If I hadn't had two year's put up I would have went completely under.
The guy that bought my equipment ageed to bale my field when he was over this way because it was small.
This field is in the fork's of a creek nornal cutting was 18 to 20 bales a cutting with 3 to four cutting's.
I got 7 roll's off that field in 2011.

Because we have a large clientele from baling, we have ample opportunities to cut and bale for free hay. That year we had already put up 115 rolls from free bale jobs. Ended up with around 35 more after that. We were all set before July. My cows had more than enough. We already have plenty again this year, but from our own meadows. And will have quite a bit to sell.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have never been able to bale for free.
Cost a 100 dollar's to fill up my tractor alone.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

One thing to consider, is how much could you be making off of that hay field if you weren't cutting the hay. Dont forget to factor in the lost revenue into the cost of the hay.

I was just thinking about that today, and I can see it for some people, but for me I don't have the option of putting anything on most of the ground my hay comes from. But if you could it puts a different look on this subject.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

I use the term "free" loosely, but I think you know what I meant. :roll:

Either way, I did not have to purchase one single roll of hay in 2011....unlike many folks in my multi-state region. And I was quite thankful for access to the "free" hay we were graciously provided. The Lord provides. :tiphat: