# What's you're time worth?



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

So depending on what the corn, bean, hay and fertilizer prices do, I'm still trying to develop a real ideal of the profitability of making hay.

What do _you_ figure your time is worth? 10,20, 30 bucks/hour?

I was raking hay the other day and got to thinking about everything I wanted to do this summer yet and how it was obvious it wasn't going to get done before harvest as I just finished one cutting and am going to start another. Grain bins and barn roofs won't get painted this year, was going to remodel the bathroom this summer too, getting to close to harvest to mess with that. Also wanted to pull the sides on the grain truck I just put together last year, sandblast the sides down and repaint, not getting done either this year, was way too busy with hay. Only time I wasn't making hay was when it was in the upper 90's with real feels in the 107-110 degree range. Not sandblasting when it's 110 thank you.

What got me to really thinking about this was even if I only get 3 cuttings off all my acres, it still took most of the summer to cover roughly 660 total acres of hay over three cuttings. We planted over 700 acres of corn in a little over ten days. Planted 900 acres of beans in less than two weeks. Run a 60' boom at 10-11 mph, cover 65' with the fertilizer spreader at 10 mph so spraying and fertilizing doesn't take long. If the weather is decent harvest doesn't take long either.

How do you figure in the enjoyment factor? I like making hay, but at what point does the enjoyment you get from doing something doesn't make up enough difference? Unless hay prices improve drastically in our area and possibly sets new highs, just from rough figuring while raking hay the profitability per hour just isn't there for hay compared to row crops. I have a feeling if a person is wise in their marketing of row crops, you can sell in the present range for the next several years as well.

A real close family friend passed away a few weeks ago as well, 10 years younger than the wife and I, really got me to thinking how I spend my time. I have hay that will bale today, almost made it last night, but some friends that play in a band will be playing in Wabash Indiana today and opening for Quiet Riot, the wife wants to go and since her birthday is coming up shortly, the hay can wait till tomorrow.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Same thoughts here.There is a lot of benifits to growing hay and I enjoy it BUT.Its gonna be hard to compete with $7.00+ corn.

I used to make alot more $ raising hay but prices of hay have not caught up with corn/beans HERE.

Had more bad accounts in last yr then my entire life.Don't have to worry about that with grain,hopefully.

Wheather for making hay has sucked last few yrs.

She is pointing out we never do anything all summer.LOL

Yep we are getting older and seems like friends are passing on or dealing with health issues,so maybe time to enjoy life a little more?

I've always said work keeps me out of trouble tho.LOL


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Hay hasn't even kept up with fuel prices to be honest let alone fertilizer prices. Rents keep going up in our area all the time as well, seed corn, cucumber, mint and green bean guys are constantly trying to rent more and seem willing to pay anything to get it. I remember years ago Dad threw a hissy fit when even buying a years worth of potash and having it delivered by the semi load (25 tons) it broke $200/ton. Already had a guy stop in that I don't do business with asking if I needed to fall fertilize the hay crop and shot me a price of $800/ton. No thanks, bought and paid for this years last year.

When beans were consistently around $6/bushel and corn was in the $2.50 range, hay made a lot of sense, not so much with $13 beans and $7 corn.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Here in Tennessee, I am currently selling Orchard Grass/Timothy square bales for $6.00 at the barn for first cutting. Second cutting of the same is $7.50. I can see that if the economy continues to flounder that the demand for premium hay here will eventually disappear. Folks will ditch their beloved steeds at some point. I also think that corn and beans could even get higher if this economic downturn continues. Of course that means the price of fertilizer will rise also. I think what you fellas are experiencing with the price of hay in the upper midwest will eventually work its way South. Until then, I will continue to hay with an eye on row cropping.

Regards, Mike


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

Here in Eastern Ontario, south of Ottawa, hay is not abundant by any means. But hay is not selling for anywhere near the money of straw of any kind. This IMO is due to recent years very wet, damp and cool summers that left us with nearly all wheat being severly dicounted due to fusarium. Other small grains simply had diminished yeild. If you couple that with the market price of corn and beans you end up with very low small grains acres, which will absolutely result in low straw supply. And like anything else supply vs. demand = very high price for straw. This relates to increased cost of production for livestock producers (but makes more money for the row croppers). So for livestock producers, especially beef (not due to the price of straw) it makes for alot of questions to run through your head... High feed costs due to increasing corn prices causes the feedlots and backgrounders to become very tight with their dollars because they can see the increased cost and do not see the market making up the difference for them to also be profitable. So, they buy lesser numbers of stockers, this leads to a flooded stocker calf market and supply vs. demand = low prices for calves... again. It sure does make you wonder about hay, and livestock for that matter, when land in my area can fetch as much as 10K per acre???
But if its in your blood, it is like an addiction, and as long as you can afford to play for one more year, you grease up the machinery and go at it one more time.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I do not miss growing corn at all !! Here we must irrigate to grow much of anything, at HQ we have had 3.10 inches for the year, dry bitch to say the least . Our haying season starts first or middle of may and runs up to mid november, so everybody knows there will be no time off during that time unless we happen to be caught up with most all field work and haying. When you do multiple hay crops alfalfa, wheat , triticalie, and sudan haygrazer feed, oh yeah dont forget the straw , there is not much free time . I dont care really with the prices at all time highs in this area ,I can take off during winter ? Got to get it while it is good. grinding hay is 210 to 215 per ton and straw is 60 to 75 ton in the field, horse hay is up to 250.00 . If you could see the irrigated to corn around this area you would never grow it again. Lots of circles shut off due to bad pollination ? it has been like a oven here for months now I am sick of it ,sure am glad it bought a commercial ice machine lol . All though I sure could use a few days up in the mountains west of here doing some trout fishing or a blackjack table in NM. Wish it was where we could take off during the warmer season but most years it never happens. That is nature of the beast, God bless those who help feed so many ............................


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Vol said:


> Here in Tennessee, I am currently selling Orchard Grass/Timothy square bales for $6.00 at the barn for first cutting. Second cutting of the same is $7.50. I can see that if the economy continues to flounder that the demand for premium hay here will eventually disappear. Folks will ditch their beloved steeds at some point.
> 
> Regards, Mike


That's exactly what happened around here, all those RV/trailer factory's laid a bunch of folks off and cut back production. When that happened a lot of little shops around that made custom cabinets and what not closed down. Even the amish got rid of some of their hayburners and keep a minimum around now. So that leaves it up tot eh dairys to buy more and most dairies started making more of their own hay so as not ot have to buy as much high dollar stuff. End results...a disappearing hay market.

Lets not even get into the less than desirable weather for making hay the last couple of years.


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