MAKING HAY .

[sue]

This year I decided not to have custom hay work done, but read on because I am not sure I really saved?? Here is a break down of expenses:

Not sure what the parts were but we replaced about $400 in rack and combine almost immediatelly.

Tractor Fuel $180 give or take.
Baler Twine $80.
Ibuprofen $6
Gallons of Gatorade $49. Other refreshments under misc.
Wore out a pair of Levis $ 35
Helped the neighbor load square bales and dropped my hay hook - popped the tire on the wagon ( $15). He rolled 4x4s  for me during one of my break downs- I loaded about 1200 bales for them and screwed up on the last load :

Fell threw a old hay wagon, rotted boards - 4 rolls of vet wrap 1.26/each.  For my ankle. That stuff works.

Dad ( 81) drove over a water hydrant with the baler. Replaced the baler head and parts $730. I am not sure what a new water hydrant costs, we had one from a purchase back yrs ago. I found a new driver and broke my dad's  heart ... that has no price.

Labor/misc $320.
We made 1270 square bales and rolled 92  4x4s.  If 2nd cutting goes well I might be ahead of the game... what do you think???

 

[nkotb]

I think if most people stopped to figure up what it costs them they would lose it.  To me it's much cheaper to have it custom done by someone with bigger/better equipment and not have to deal with the headache.

 

[jd720]

I just cut and rake mine and get it round baled.He charges me $ 9.00 a bale and it`s a new John Deere baler there is no way I will ever own and maintain a baler when I can get it done for that.

 

[linnettejane]

ive used vet wrap for personal injuries too, lol...i love that stuff! 

we buy our hay...its just so much simplier that way...

 

[LostFarmer]

I figure with water, fertilizer, seed, fuel, machinery costs, and twine I am into hay about 65 $/ton.  I put up really good alfalfa so it usually pays to hay the ground.    Right  now hay is cheap in these parts so I am about even buying or haying and I have given myself a job.  LF

 

[steerjock48]

i do my own and it works much better for me

 

[Reinken Cattle Co.]

I hire round baling done and square my own and for some other people. Contimplating tilling up hay ground to turn to pasture and buying all hay so i can stock more cows. seems like i spend countless hours fixing stuff! like this evening hook up came loose on bale speer and bent so bad i can get 3 point loose from it.. fought it for hour or so and decided to call it an evening! i do enjoy mowing and baling for others thow although i get some pretty uptight customers it still is worth it gives me something to do after working 65 hours a week building grain bins!  (clapping)

 

[mooch]

It is that $600-$1000 breakdown bill every time we started something up that caused to go to having it custom done and buying hay.

 

[justintime]

Haying is taking eternity here. We have probably one of the best hay crops we have had in decades, if not ever. It is a thick tangled mess, so much that my haybine would not cut it without plugging several times a day. I ended up have to buy another haybine for $24,000 difference, using my previous haybine on the trade. That alone would have purchased a decent amount of hay. I was assured that the new haybine could handle most any crop of hay. On my first day of cutting( and at just a creeping speed) I plugged this new machine 4 times as well.

Right now, I have only started as it won't stop dumping showers on us, which stops the haying for a day or so each time. I have got 530 big round bales done so far, and I have only started. If I ever get this hay crop through the baler, I should have at least 3-4 year supply. My concern right now is getting it done, as there is 400 acres of straight alfalfa left to do, and it gets pretty woody if it gets too old. From what I have done so far, I am guesstimating it is doing close to 6 bales/ acre. All of my hay is within a mile of home, which is a good thing as I get it custom hauled. Even at that, it will cost me over $7000 just to get it off the fields. Making hay is the biggest expense I have each year, as I also have to buy a considerable amount of this hay from some of my grain farming neighbors who have seeded some of their land to forages.

Over 30 years ago, the late Ken Fraser, founder of Six Mile Red Angus, told me to fence all my hay fields, and sell my haying equipment. He said that 9 years out of every 10, I could buy my hay requirements for less than it cost me to make it, when the income from the additional cows I could run was considered. Every year, I think of this, and I am certain he was right. In years of surplus hay crops, you can buy hay in April ( from the previous year) for very low prices. Why haven't I followed his advice? I guess I am just a slow learner!

 

[LostFarmer]

JIT, I think you are correct most years.  A friend bought hay at 50 a ton from under a shed this spring.  I like putting up hay so I guess that is why I do it.  I love to bale in the late evening and early morning.  I love to hit hay that makes the swather groan.  That to me is the same as weaning when the calves are looking great.  I don't farm for the money I do it for the lifestyle.  LF

 

[HAB]

I love making hay when things work.  This year I obviously peed in someones cornflakes.  I have made 125 bales of the roughly 1000 we put up.  It has rained on everything, and I have spent $5,000 total on haybine, tractor and baler.  We sure do love our cows though. O0

 

[Show Heifer]

I like knowing what I have for hay... when you buy it, unless it is RECENTLY tested for quality, you just never know what it is...
When I put it up myself, I KNOW what it is, if it was dry, and the quality.
I do buy my small squares, as I can not find anyone to help, even paying $15 an hour kids are just too lazy. And those that are not lazy, already have full time jobs!

 

[husker1]

We have to do our own around here...the custom guys are too busy and you are at their mercy...and the weather's. 

With our own equipment, I would venture to guess that we are maybe part of the 5% group that hasn't had down hay rained on this year....!

But it isn't cheap to do it yourself either, I agree!

 

[Blake]

I like knowing what I have for hay... when you buy it, unless it is RECENTLY tested for quality, you just never know what it is...
When I put it up myself, I KNOW what it is, if it was dry, and the quality.
I do buy my small squares, as I can not find anyone to help, even paying $15 an hour kids are just too lazy. And those that are not lazy, already have full time jobs!

ill throw hay for $15 an hour!!!

 

[LostFarmer]

I put up 4500 to 6000 ton in small bales every year.  I guess if you call 90-100 lb bales small they are small bales.  We use an old New Holland Stackliner to pick the bales.  My brothers and I back in the early 90's would custom stack for others to make the payments on the machine.  With 2 of us we could put up 300-350 bales an hour if we were stacking at the edge of the field.  The haul is what eats up the time.  One time on a bet we hand stacked 250 bales an hour gathering them from the field and stacking at the edge of the field.  There were 4 of us and in haying shape.  We used a slip built out of (4) 2x12's that we pulled with a little Ford tractor.  We had a yoke built to make the slip track to one side where a rider could tip the bales onto the slip without much lifting.  We would stack 2-3 high and 10 bales long.  Then pull into the stack drop the slip and leave it for the stackers pair.  It was work but the 4 of us put up 2000 bales that day.  Not to be done again.  Looking back we should have bet for more than bragging rights.  LF

 

[sue]

Custom work for me started out at $14/Roll . At the time Hay was under $80 a ton so this was a no brainer. Last year he wanted $26/Roll and this year up toward $40. He owns alot of Green and Yellow equipment

We have not had this much hay in over 10 years.  If I can hold out... Square bales will be the best way to store.

  I am learning a few things about equipment. The new Pickup is a "super sweeper" and is doing a better job then the one wrapped around the hydrant. So we improved our baler. Mom is my new driver and she probably thinks with all of this hay we can get another Halflinger and have a "team" <cowboy> .


Ibuprfen is cheaper at Walmart. Order vet wrap from PBS animal health.  I am still getting "carded" so this extra work is good for a 39 yr old 

 

[Hilltop]

Over 30 years ago, the late Ken Fraser, founder of Six Mile Red Angus, told me to fence all my hay fields, and sell my haying equipment. He said that 9 years out of every 10, I could buy my hay requirements for less than it cost me to make it, when the income from the additional cows I could run was considered. Every year, I think of this, and I am certain he was right. In years of surplus hay crops, you can buy hay in April ( from the previous year) for very low prices. Why haven't I followed his advice? I guess I am just a slow learner!

If Momma reads this we will be selling our haying equipment. It almost always seems like a struggle to put up feed with work. She does not mind cutting and baling so I am VEEEEERY lucky! Not sure what she will think of cutting in first in second gear though for a few days. :-\