Out of the haymaking business

[bigbull338]

the custom baler we used in 2012 was going to move our meadows up tobe cut 2nd because they made 2 to 4 4 by 6 bales in 1 cutting.so that wouldve been 330 bales this yr on the 1st cutting.but we ended up buying a 5 by 6 baler that had not been out of barn in 3 or 4yrs.and started baling our own hay.sadly he got kicked very bad by his brood mares.this tearing his back and hipps up to the point he can barely run a tractor now.

 

[dun]

The ones I know who make the most money in cattle are the ones who are self sufficient and do not depend on anyone from the outside. Thay are also the ones who work from can till can't.

For someone who makes money strictly on cattle, not selling hay or harvesting crops...
At what point does tractor payments, repairs, etc end up costing more than hiring out the work?

I know very successful cow men on both sides of the spectrum, however I know more successful ranchers who are strictly cow men and rely on everything else from other people. When hard times come, they don't have the payments and repairs that the other guys have and in this business, no matter how hard you work, hard times will come.

Lets say I want to plant 100 acres of wheat and graze it out (because I only want to run cattle, not harvest wheat or hay). I can run cattle on that wheat for at least six months (probably longer). Lets say it costs $150/acre to have someone till, plant, and fertilize which comes to $1500 for the year. The wheat cuts almost all hay costs out of the equation (if not all) and summer grass is really coming on by the time the cattle are off the wheat. What are the typical payments for a tractor and implements/ year?

I understand that this is a relatively small example, but y'all get the idea. I think without the cost of the equipment and repairs, someone could afford to run more cattle/land, and in return make more money.

My calculaotr must be broke, that 100 X 150 comes to 15,000 on mine not 1,500

 

[TColt]

my fault… missed a zero typing.

still the same question

 

[TColt]

I don't know what tractors and implements cost, or how they do payments on them, so I am curious as to where the cost of equipment out weighs the cost of hiring outside help.

 

[dun]

The hwole hay maiking vs buying that in a way boils down to the individual. 2 freinds of mine are excellent dairyman, and very succesfull at it. One dairys so he can farm the other farms so he can dairy.

 

[Bigfoot]

To a much lesser extent, you gotta figure some nutrients come in when you buy hay that weren't there before. I guess you also gotta say some weed seeds do to.

 

[inyati13]

Very interesting read. I just bought most of my hay for this winter. The problem is getting quality. As small as I am, I would have to live to be 277 years old to ever get back what it would cost to purchase haying equipment. As long as I got the neighbor I have now, I will be fine. I pay him well to roll my hay. I use his disc mower on my tractor to mow, then he comes in and rakes and rolls. Some years that gives me all my hay like last year. This year the yeild due to cold temperatures was terrible. I bought 60 rolls and 330 square bales of grass/alfalfa. I don't think there is an economical solution to putting hay to your cows.

 

[TColt]

^ thats what I am getting at. I would rather buy hay and spend a little extra for a hay spike bed than to buy a tractor and all the haying equipment. Maybe invest in a trailer to be independent hauling hay, because that cost gets high as well. The chances of things going wrong with a hay spike bed and a flat deck trailer vs. a tractor and implements are way different as well.

Im just playing devils advocate here. I don't know the cost of tractors and implements, nor do I winter cows. I run summer grass yearlings, but plan to start building a cow calf operation very soon so I am trying to get a feel for what is most economical. Either way, it will be a long long time before I could afford a tractor if I decided to get one.

 

[bigbull338]

Tcolt if i was you id keep running summer grass calves.because as high as bred cows and pairs are.itll be hard to make them pay off in 3 calf crops.im keeping 2 heifer calves this year.the value i place on them is $2500ea.

 

[TColt]

Im looking at buying a place that will be too far away to run yearlings (future home site). I won't be able to get out to this place every day at this point in my life and would like to get something started. I know cows are high, but its a long term investment. Not sure if I will end up getting the place, but if I do, I am going to play it by ear.

I would like to get a cow calf deal going, then take my own calves to 750 or better after weaning… instead of buying yearlings every year that I don't know the background on. Cut down on the risk a little bit.

Dang high cow prices are why I can buy a tractor

 

[Tim/South]

The ones I know who make the most money in cattle are the ones who are self sufficient and do not depend on anyone from the outside. Thay are also the ones who work from can till can't.

For someone who makes money strictly on cattle, not selling hay or harvesting crops...
At what point does tractor payments, repairs, etc end up costing more than hiring out the work?

.

The most successful example that comes to mind is a local friend. He does sell hay. He also supplies his own hay. He only runs 150 momma cows and does well. He sells cow hay and horse hay. That is his life, hay and cattle farming. He just bought a 6115M Deere to keep from giving it to the government.
If a person owns property then they need a tractor or two anyway. I do not have many repairs on my hay equipment. We need to make hay and not mechanic. I will not own a necessary piece of equipment if I am constantly turning wrenches on it.
We only run 100 or so momma cows. They more than make enough to afford a tractor payment if I had to make one. I spend every weather window making hay. It is a good life and I know what our cows are eating.

 

[GMN]

Oh, us young guys are in it.. i'm 37yo, but land, equipment, infrastructure costs are so high. I rented my last farm/house of 105 acres only to have it abruptly sold by the owner at lease renewal time and had to relocate to a neighboring state (MD, ugh). Now back to managing someone else's farm and hating a lot of it. Saving up to buy my own place, min 100 acres in the northeast USA or possibly northern around wisconsin, minnesota etc.

If you are thinking about buying land in WI know this taxes are outrageous on farmland there-Plus land is high there, because its so much better soil than the southern states