Round Bale Yard for Spring Feeding?

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Stocker Steve

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Just got a complaint from land lord who did not like the look of a row of bales stored on the edge of a field... Due to this, more cattle, improved pastures, and a couple wet winters - - I am expanding my sacrifice areas and not planning to bale graze during the wettest periods. I am looking at putting in a gravel pad for bale storage next to the main sacrifice area, opening up the gates to get semis in, and then trying to move bales there right after baling. If it works really well I may add a shed later.

What are your thoughts? Any layout, bale yard gate design, or labor saving tips?
 
Any chance of replacing the landlord with yourself? If not, you best bale graze your own land. I would never bale graze rented land. Start making it look too good and someone will take it from under you.
 
Stocker Steve":an9ncvdk said:
Just got a complaint from land lord who did not like the look of a row of bales stored on the edge of a field... Due to this, more cattle, improved pastures, and a couple wet winters - - I am expanding my sacrifice areas and not planning to bale graze during the wettest periods. I am looking at putting in a gravel pad for bale storage next to the main sacrifice area, opening up the gates to get semis in, and then trying to move bales there right after baling. If it works really well I may add a shed later.

What are your thoughts? Any layout, bale yard gate design, or labor saving tips?

How long is your lease ? Personally, If I am leasing property and long as im not trashing it with crap and only products needed for the agricultural aspect for what im renting. I would tell them kick rocks. I have more land rented than I need so I wouldn't be but so nice about it. It helps having an iron clad contract when renting as well spelling things out.
 
GAonmymind":2sdteyzk said:
Any chance of getting a new landlord? I mean it is a hay field right?

Owned by a widow. OK as long as you are a good listener. I explain to her each year what improvements I am making, but she is only interested in her neighborhood news.

Now one of her sons now decided to "help her" and made up a list of changes. Not storing bales next to hay fields was one. He wanted a face to face meeting to review them all in detail, :nod: but I told him I was busy.
 
Stocker Steve":2ykcb3wd said:
He wanted a face to face meeting to review them all in detail, :nod: but I told him I was busy.

That's an odd way to do business. They're doing you a favour, not the other way around. You wanna call the shots, you gotta own the land.
 
Supa Dexta":k3npeeg8 said:
Stocker Steve":k3npeeg8 said:
He wanted a face to face meeting to review them all in detail, :nod: but I told him I was busy.

That's an odd way to do business. They're doing you a favour, not the other way around.

I turned the land around and more than doubled their deer kill.

Caring landlords beg for good renters in this area.
 
Stocker Steve":2uba050v said:
Supa Dexta":2uba050v said:
Stocker Steve":2uba050v said:
He wanted a face to face meeting to review them all in detail, :nod: but I told him I was busy.

That's an odd way to do business. They're doing you a favour, not the other way around.

Wrong.

I turned the land around and more than doubled their deer kill.

Caring landlords beg for good renters in this area.

You're fortunate because that's not the case in most places.
 
Marginal land. Can not make a profit with average row crops currently. Need a top operator, cattle, or both, to make it sustainable.

There are plenty of soil miners around here. They will rent anything, suck on the fertility for a couple years, collect crop insurance when they can, and then walk... This is so sad, but it can only happens when landowners don't care. CRP was an out for mined land owners till the acre cap was reduced.
 
Before I put down any gravel, barns, etc or made any changes that cost $$ I would look at the sons list. The list might be so onerous that you decide to walk.
We also own our land but rent out adjacent properties. On one of them the son is also a pain. I put up a new fence last year on our shared property line, bush hog, just finished putting grazon over one of the fields. All at my expense. However, when I had husband tell the adult son nicely that he, his kids, and his four dogs did not need to be on OUR land son got an attitude. Even had husband tell them it wasn't SAFE for them. Yeah, I agree with the comment that was made about not doing too much work to rented land or people want to take it out from under you. By the way our land is posted.
 

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