Square bale pricing

[MurraysMutts]

Got some folks wanting square bales made.

What is normal pricing for baling only?
It's already cut and raked.

All I will be doing is baling.

Any ideas? I've never hired out for just this type of thing. Usually make rounds.

 

[Travlr]

Got some folks wanting square bales made.

What is normal pricing for baling only?
It's already cut and raked.

All I will be doing is baling.

Any ideas? I've never hired out for just this type of thing. Usually make rounds.

Depends on what size bale they want. 60 pound bales are more money per ton than 90 pound bales.

 

[callmefence]

My nieghbor called last year wanted me to square bale some hybrid Sudan he had cut and raked up. He offered me 3.00. I laughed and told him that's to much. Probably be about right for cut,rake, bale. I did it for a dollar and a dollar was enough. ....

 

[SBMF 2015]

Wire or twine? Rack or bale on the ground? Going to be a lot of bales or just a pain in the neck?
$0.25 - $0.50 / bale.

 

[Silver]

Stooking would definitely change the price.

 

[MurraysMutts]

My baler is wire tied. Usually makes a 60 to 70 lb bale. Depends on forage condition/type

I do not know yet how many acres. Probly just a couple hundred bales.
I don't know what racked or stooking is!

I have heard up to 3 bucks a bale. Like I said, I havnt a clue what to charge. I like baling on shares usually.

 

[Silver]

By my math $3 / bale at 60 lbs per bale is about $100 per ton just for baling. Seems scary high to me. Up here you can generally buy squares in the field for about $4 CAD. So about $3 US.

 

[MurraysMutts]

These bales will sell for 6 bucks a bale easily. There a guy selling lastvyears squares of prairie grass for 7 a bale near here.
I expect small squares of grass hay to be 8 bucks a bale this year.

Alfalfa squares were 12 a bale last year

 

[farmerjan]

We got 1.50 last year to just sq bale...I think he said 3.00 to do it all and usually we prefer to get hay in exchange... 2/3 or 3/4 for our part... one place only wants 200 sq bales 2nd cutting, we get the all 1st cutting and whatever is left for 2nd cutting... Son does a place custom, but I don't know what it costs... they fertilize and we cut, rake, and bale; they keep the hay. I think it averaged out to about $10-12 roll last year... he charges by the acre for the cutting and raking... then by the bale to roll it. He wants 4x5 bales because he has a smaller tractor and cannot handle our bigger 5x6 ones. His hay is net wrapped as that is what the baler is set up for. That is the way the last guy did it and that's what they wanted to stay with. It was the friend that passed away, and we "inherited" the job... That was about the going rate. With twine and net wrap more I imagine we would not sq bale for less than 2.00 and just round bale for probably 8.50 or more. We also had to travel a few miles to do the sq baling.... we have a kicker and they had borrowed 2 wagons, we took a third so they could unload and we could keep on baling with no down time.

 

[Beefeater]

I wouldn't do it for less than $1/bale, just to bale and drop. That's assuming I didn't have to go very far, and there was at least a few hundred bales. If I really took a pencil to it I'd probably need even more. Not sure how anyone could justify their time, tractor wear, baler wear, fuel, time, and twine for less.

 

[pleasantpasturesbeef]

These bales will sell for 6 bucks a bale easily. There a guy selling lastvyears squares of prairie grass for 7 a bale near here.
I expect small squares of grass hay to be 8 bucks a bale this year.

Alfalfa squares were 12 a bale last year

This past winter I paid $6/bale for Timothy square bales up here in NY. But again, I live in Communist NY, so.....lol

 

[Allenw]

1.00 to 1.50 a bale of the top of my head, with today's costs 2.00 might not be unreasonable. I bale a trailer load for myself once in awhile, I haven't bought a roll of wire in years but am going to have to if I bale any this summer.

The 7.00 grass squares have been advertised since last fall if they are the one's on Craigslist.

 

[Red Boots Farm]

We pay a neighbor $1/bale for cutting, tedding, raking, and baling our grass/alfalfa (40-50-lb bales), plus we stack onto the wagon during baling time. Beats buying $5-$7 bales here. I also feel there's less waste than a round bale since we just have the 4 cows

 

[Beefeater]

We pay a neighbor $1/bale for cutting, tedding, raking, and baling our grass/alfalfa (40-50-lb bales), plus we stack onto the wagon during baling time. Beats buying $5-$7 bales here. I also feel there's less waste than a round bale since we just have the 4 cows

Hope you give them a real nice Christmas present every year, because he's not making a dime off that deal!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Yeah at $1 a bale mowing, tedding, raking, and baling that guy is losing his shorts. He isn't even covering the fuel let alone any other expense.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Found this!

Oklahoma Farm and Ranch Custom Rates, 2021‑2022 - Oklahoma State University

The fall 2021-2022 custom rates data collection and considerations from Oklahoma farmers, ranchers and custom operators.

extension.okstate.edu

Very kool. Looks like oklahoma average this year to square bale only is $2.05

Somewhere in there I saw another .55 to stack.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I haven't bought a roll of wire in years

Be prepared, lol! At TSC last yr Red Brand baling wire was $89.00/box. I need four boxes for the year. Happened to be at TSC last night. Walked past the baling wire . . . $114.00/box!

 

[Allenw]

Be prepared, lol! At TSC last yr Red Brand baling wire was $89.00/box. I need four boxes for the year. Happened to be at TSC last night. Walked past the baling wire . . . $114.00/box!

About what I expected I remember paying $35.00 a box for it. Used to buy it by the pallet.