# Small Round Bale Prices



## VA Haymaker

Couple of quick questions regarding small round bales of hay. Scanning over our local adds, it looks like in general a 4x4 bale fetches on average about $20ish. However, the smaller 3x4 round bales of hay, those made like with a Hesston 530 or similar MF 1734 seem to bring the same price.

For those of you buying and/or selling, do the smaller 3x4 round bales generally demand a higher price - maybe due to horse owners liking them for their size and ease of moving around/feeding?

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill


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## swmnhay

leeave96 said:


> Couple of quick questions regarding small round bales of hay. Scanning over our local adds, it looks like in general a 4x4 bale fetches on average about $20ish. However, the smaller 3x4 round bales of hay, those made like with a Hesston 530 or similar MF 1734 seem to bring the same price.
> 
> For those of you buying and/or selling, do the smaller 3x4 round bales generally demand a higher price - maybe due to horse owners liking them for their size and ease of moving around/feeding?
> 
> Any info would be much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks!
> Bill


The smaller the bale you will get the more mathematically challenged buyers that can not figure out what the bale is worth by the ton.In some cases it is from lack of brain cells.Yea you will make more $$ per ton,but more bales to handle,etc.


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## slowzuki

They are slower in terms of tons per hour than a good square baler.


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## VA Haymaker

One of the things I was pondering is - around my neck of the woods, farms are pretty small - compared to the south or mid-west. Many 20 acre or less fields and with it small operations. It seems we have a fair amount of folks with "hobby" farms, horses, maybe goats or a few cattle. With that, there is a limit to how much $$$'s folks will spend on equipment or anything at all - as they have day jobs and the farm is more of a cash sink than a profit center. So where in the past, square bales were great, now they aren't so easy to get and wrestling a 4x4 or larger bale is difficult. It makes me think that maybe a small round bale would bring a premium similar to a square bale as they are somewhat easier to handle by hand and haul with 1/2 ton or small trucks and trailers.

Just some thoughts.


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## slowzuki

We did them for a few years. They are still too heavy for women to move without a tractor. Yes smaller trucks will haul them but do you really want to be selling a 20$ bale once a week that you have to load for them?


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## PaMike

I sell 4x5 rounds to a horse customer for $65. The bales are 900-1000 lbs(yes I have weighed them). Customers little tractor cant lift them. He also buys small 3x4 rounds from a guy for $35 each. He can lift 2 at one time with his tractor. He thinks those little rounds are such a good deal...

If he can lift 2 at once then the combined can weigh as much as my one bale, but he is paying $70 for two bales....Go figure.


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## mlappin

There is an incredible difference in amount of hay in a 4x4 compared to 4x5. I'm selling 4x5's right now for $55 a bale and they come and get em. Selling ripe 4x5's out of the field for $47.50, hauling to their place and dumping em.

While yes you might make more with a smaller bale, handling all those extra bales will quickly eat up the extra profit, not to mention all the extra stops to either wrap the bale with twine or net and discharge the bale. If your using an older tractor that still uses a throwout bearing you'll just need clutch work done sooner making smaller bales.


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## PaMike

Thats why I make my silage bales 4 x 4.5 instead of 4x4. Problem is, the dairy guys are used to paying X per bale and cant get it through their head that its worth it to pay more for a larger bale. They dont want to pay more than $50/bale no matter what size it is...


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## shortrow

slowzuki said:


> They are slower in terms of tons per hour than a good square baler.


Indeed they are. I roll my lesser quality hay with my 638 NH, and it sure is nice not having to look for wagon help. I still get decent money for the hay, but with less work and worry.


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## JD3430

PaMike said:


> I sell 4x5 rounds to a horse customer for $65. The bales are 900-1000 lbs(yes I have weighed them). Customers little tractor cant lift them. He also buys small 3x4 rounds from a guy for $35 each. He can lift 2 at one time with his tractor. He thinks those little rounds are such a good deal...
> If he can lift 2 at once then the combined can weigh as much as my one bale, but he is paying $70 for two bales....Go figure.


Little bales = more trips to feeder. 
Round bales are so much cheaper, but (and its a big but) customer must have a skid steer or 40+ HP tractor and loader.

I have a nice little situation where I sell a couple small customers RBs and then I put them out in feeders for the for a small fee. (Like $30 per trip).
Sounds expensive, but if you don't have a tractor, it sure beats buying, storing, insuring, repairing one.


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