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Grasses, Pastures & Hay
It is better to buy hay?
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<blockquote data-quote="fargus" data-source="post: 1025221" data-attributes="member: 13480"><p>I didn't even touch that. Equipment and labour costs can be highly variable from operation to operation. We only put up 3-400 rolls a year, so we run old equipment that has long been paid for, and I would suggest my maintenance costs aren't tremendously higher than guys running newer equipment with lots of electronics. I also don't bale quite as fast, so my fuel and labour bill will be higher. It's pretty tough to nail those numbers down, it's more of a best guess. Going forward from here I expect us to continue to make some of our own hay as a hedge, and purchase the most economical feed source(s) to supplement that for over-wintering cows. We'll never hit a home run, but then we'll likely never get hosed completely either. </p><p></p><p>For us to cut, rake, bale and haul home from close by costs us $12-$15/bale. With the going price of standing hay around here, that puts us in the $45/bale range for cash costs. Still looking at a lot of hay that's going to cost $60-$80 to purchase, FOB the seller's yard. I'm sure when the corn price tanks and everybody and their dog seeds the marginal ground back to hay this will all change again. It's a good exercise to run through periodically just to make sure we're not doing things a certain way out of habit, instead of because it's the best way to do it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="fargus, post: 1025221, member: 13480"] I didn't even touch that. Equipment and labour costs can be highly variable from operation to operation. We only put up 3-400 rolls a year, so we run old equipment that has long been paid for, and I would suggest my maintenance costs aren't tremendously higher than guys running newer equipment with lots of electronics. I also don't bale quite as fast, so my fuel and labour bill will be higher. It's pretty tough to nail those numbers down, it's more of a best guess. Going forward from here I expect us to continue to make some of our own hay as a hedge, and purchase the most economical feed source(s) to supplement that for over-wintering cows. We'll never hit a home run, but then we'll likely never get hosed completely either. For us to cut, rake, bale and haul home from close by costs us $12-$15/bale. With the going price of standing hay around here, that puts us in the $45/bale range for cash costs. Still looking at a lot of hay that's going to cost $60-$80 to purchase, FOB the seller's yard. I'm sure when the corn price tanks and everybody and their dog seeds the marginal ground back to hay this will all change again. It's a good exercise to run through periodically just to make sure we're not doing things a certain way out of habit, instead of because it's the best way to do it. [/QUOTE]
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It is better to buy hay?
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