Out of the haymaking business

[herofan]

Been doing it for the last 25 years. Since dad passed away two years ago it's no longer fun and lot's more work without him. I am getting rid of all of the hay equipment and will have one meadow custom baled and go buy the rest. I just ordered a Deere 5085M with front end loader.
I also bought a bigger truck to haul my 25' gooseneck. I plan on taking the new lighter 5085M to the hay fields to load the hay and then unload here with the 6105R. I don't like waiting around to be loaded up. I am also looking for more heifers to increase the herd size. I am going to look at some bred Angus heifers tomorrow.

2015 F350 4x4 SCREW, Lariat, B&W hitch, Line X bedliner, Weathertech mats,20" tires, 3.55 rear end

[

Nice looking truck! It appears your bank account is doing well.

 

[Stocker Steve]

So if guys are retiring from hay making, are the local custom rates going up, and how much ?

 

[bigbull338]

the year before we went back to baling our own hay we used a good custom baler.he would not cut hay if they even mentioned rain.i had to go back and forth alot while he was baling bercause he would have alot of breakdowns.but hey he tried.plus custom balers are few and far between and they are hitting $30 a bale.

 

[Stocker Steve]

the year before we went back to baling our own hay we used a good custom baler.he would not cut hay if they even mentioned rain.i had to go back and forth alot while he was baling bercause he would have alot of breakdowns.but hey he tried.plus custom balers are few and far between and they are hitting $30 a bale.

What does a $30 bale weigh?

 

[highgrit]

Lauraleefarms, we bale our hay first that's my first priority. And I've been 2-3 weeks just trying to get ours finished. So how dependable can a person really be?? When we're having a wet year staying busy in the hay business is easy, when it's dry it's harder to stay busy. Everybody knows that hay needs to be cut before 8 weeks, but it's just not possible sometimes. And that's why we bought our hay equipment so I could be first on the list.

 

[dun]

Lauraleefarms, we bale our hay first that's my first priority. And I've been 2-3 weeks just trying to get ours finished. So how dependable can a person really be?? When we're having a wet year staying busy in the hay business is easy, when it's dry it's harder to stay busy. Everybody knows that hay needs to be cut before 8 weeks, but it's just not possible sometimes. And that's why we bought our hay equipment so I could be first on the list.

Same with us. I kind of enjoy it at the start but I'm worn out and ready to quit by the time we're done.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

The followup question for this thread should be " how many times in the last 5 years habe you taken a vacation and went somewhere off the farm?" Its never a holiday when you have liveatock.....

 

[johndeerefarmer]

Been doing it for the last 25 years. Since dad passed away two years ago it's no longer fun and lot's more work without him. I am getting rid of all of the hay equipment and will have one meadow custom baled and go buy the rest. I just ordered a Deere 5085M with front end loader.
I also bought a bigger truck to haul my 25' gooseneck. I plan on taking the new lighter 5085M to the hay fields to load the hay and then unload here with the 6105R. I don't like waiting around to be loaded up. I am also looking for more heifers to increase the herd size. I am going to look at some bred Angus heifers tomorrow.

2015 F350 4x4 SCREW, Lariat, B&W hitch, Line X bedliner, Weathertech mats,20" tires, 3.55 rear end

[

Nice looking truck! It appears your bank account is doing well.

Thanks. Livestock business is doing fine but stock market is doing even better.

I purchased 13 bred Angus heifers this morning. Due to calve in the spring and bred to Gardiner and Express low birth weight bulls. $1900 each.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That's a very good price on those heifers.

I like your truck a lot too btw.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

Woops m vacation comment was supposed to go on the jobs thread.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Woops m vacation comment was supposed to go on the jobs thread.

Kinda fits in here too...

 

[highgrit]

Yes it does. It's been at least 10 years since the wife and I have both been away together for more than 2 nights. I enjoy the peace and solitude of being at home.

 

[Limomike]

Since we own a haybaling business, I guess we are part of those bad folks who show up late and don't get it done right......

That being said, if I controlled the weather, I would not be making a living baling hay. I'd be much more valuable as a weather guru.

Furthermore, one of the biggest factors for showing up on schedule is having good running equipment. Newer stuff just does not break down as much. And when it does, warranty covers most of the cost. Monthly bills for that new stuff approach $1800 a month in this household. And that is during winter time too.

Lastly, most importantly, best way for getting someone to bale your hay is to have a good, clean field that yields well. :tiphat:

Lauralee. I agree with you for the most part. If you were doing JUST my hay fields, you would have made over $20K last year doing it on the shares if you sold it. My neighbor did it and he complained that he had to replace a $1500 part on his tractor. I just basically looked at him and said " and how much did you make on the hay you sold??"

I also agree on the making sure you have clean fields that yield well. When we had the drought a few years back , everyone else was getting pour yields and we got over 580 bales on our 80 acre bottom land.. good hay. and a great yield.
The guy that is doing my fields now, is using a newer JD 5055E tractor to cut and rake with, but using an old International 1086 132hp to bale with. He is doing a good job with it..and I hope to continue to have him do it each year if he wants to. He said the way my fields look, he would put me at the top of his list for his order of fields next year. :banana:

 

[JSCATTLE]

You can't make money on halves .when you make enough bales to take half everyone has hay . I don't bale for other people anymore and I'm thinking hard about getting out completely and joining cb on east bay chasing trout. You can only cut so many places when its dry . I wouldn't bale a field unless it was at least 50 acres and I had a 3 bale to the acre min.

 

[stocky]

We stopped putting up our own hay 30 years ago, when Dad started getting sick and all of our old equipment wore out. We have been buying all our hay ever since. This allows us to run more cows because we pasture everything, we don't need to keep fields back to cut for hay. Also allows us to only feed hay that was put up dry, because when you are baling your own, you will have wet hay, sometimes. We have had several droughts during those years, even seen 100 dollar, per bale a couple of years. However, by buying the hay in June and July, we have always been able to get plenty of hay for a price that works for both buyer and seller. We also buy alot of hay in March and April at a real good price because people do not want to keep it over until the next year. This has kept us from having to invest alot of money in equipment and alot of time putting up the hay. This has worked very well for us. The main disadvantage is that it is very aggravating trying to get someone to put up hay. I do have a couple of places that the owner gives me the hay to keep it cleaned up, and I hire that done. Occasionally, I also get a haycrop as part of a deal when I buy a herd of cows, also I hire someone to cut and bale that. There seem to be several people who cut and bale hay for a price per bale or on the shares in this area. I buy from 1500-2000 of the 4x6 or 5x6 per year, so in our area, someone who only feeds a couple hundred round bales or less should not have trouble finding hay at a decent price.

 

[bigbull338]

stocky theres planty of hay here but it way to costly to buy like you buy hay.because around here 4 by 5 4 by 6 and 5 by 6 can cost you $35 to $50 a bale or more.and thats not counting the $25 a bale hauling.so to get your hay around here your looking at $150,000 or more.i bet your buying hay there for $15 to $25 a bale.now if i need hay i can find it somewhat cheaper because i know people that have extra hay.

 

[Tim/South]

I can buy hay cheaper than I can raise it. The difference is I can not buy the quality of hay I can raise for the same money.
Cattle people are also grass managers. We manage pasture and some manage hay fields as well.
I can buy $25 rolls of hay around here. I will have nearly that much in a roll just to cut, ted, rake and bale. Opinions of what is actually hay vary.
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.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I don't understand baling on halves . I get 25 per roll to bale . If I take half then I have to sell my half out of your field for 50 a roll or 60 a roll at my house after I haul it . It's like those people who sell fertilized hay for 30 a roll . All they see is the lump sum they will make but forget they have 20 buck a roll in fertilizer .

 

[LauraleesFarm]

If we ever bale on shares we get 2 out of 3. But we would have to be desperate for hay. Usually those fields are crappy anyway. Everybody thinks they have a wonderful haymeadow. Very few actually do.
They dont ever understand why their fields are bumped down in priority.....

 

[TColt]

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.