# Is it cheaper to raise or buy hay?



## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

I have read that it is cheaper to buy hay than raise it on several threads over the years and read it again today. This got me thinking. We have been selling hay since 1989 and have done well with it. I am also assuming that others on here are profitable too. So my thought would be that if. I am making profit, then I can't buy it cheaper. But if somebody is willing to sell at a loss or doesn't know their costs and sells cheap, then maybe I can buy it cheaper than raising it. I don't know, just thought it would make an interesting haytalk conversation.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I would say....talk is cheap, but the reality is......I'm not too sure  I suppose it could be made cheaper than buying it (at least I hope so  )but the value in producing your own hay or hay for sale is the knowledge of your product. If I were making hay for livestock (mine) I would rather have the peace of mind in knowing I'm actually getting what I'm paying for....the inability to control quality when buying is a deal killer for me....now if I hooked up with a producer (hay) and we could come to terms on tonnage and price, I would feel comfortable with that....albeit I can't make it as cheap, but considering the expenses of making hay, and the length of my stay in the cattle business....it would perhaps be more feasible to work a deal than produce my own. 
Valid points in your OP about folks selling for less than they have in it.....happens all the time, sometimes to me


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> I would say....talk is cheap, but the reality is......I'm not too sure  I suppose it could be made cheaper than buying it (at least I hope so  )but the value in producing your own hay or hay for sale is the knowledge of your product. If I were making hay for livestock (mine) I would rather have the peace of mind in knowing I'm actually getting what I'm paying for....the inability to control quality when buying is a deal killer for me....now if I hooked up with a producer (hay) and we could come to terms on tonnage and price, I would feel comfortable with that....albeit I can't make it as cheap, but considering the expenses of making hay, and the length of my stay in the cattle business....it would perhaps be more feasible to work a deal than produce my own.
> Valid points in your OP about folks selling for less than they have in it.....happens all the time, sometimes to me


I am selling hay this week for less then I have in it. Thanks a lot Mother Nature!


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

To be successful in the hay business you have to produce a superior product and then sell it for what it is worth. When we had cows they were an outlet for my poorer quality hay in round bales. we have bought and resold hay for profit sometimes and exercise more often. If you don't factor in the cost of equipment you can raise hay cheaply. You have to stay in it for the long haul to raise it cheaply the hard part is surviving the first few years building a client base and paying off the equipment. The biggest advantage to raising your hay is quality control for feeding your own livestock. Buying hay can be a crap shoot.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I have a friend who buys almost all his hay. He has bought some very nice 4x5 rolls for $25. He has bought some not as nice but better than average for $25. He buys it in the field. If I knew I could buy 500 rolls a year for $25 I would sell my hay equipment.

I have another friend who has who has built a profitable hay business. He sells squares and rounds. Sells both horse and cow hay. He gets $40 - $45 for his lesser rolls. Gets $50 - $60 for his better Bahia and Bermuda rolls. Sells 3,000 squares and 4,500 rolls per year. He also feeds 150 momma cows.

I can not buy the quality of hay I make and feed it to cows. I do not sell any hay. I can not afford to spend what I do in fertilizer cost and sell for $25.

I do not want to spend the time trying to build a customer base or compete with the $25 per roll guys. Back when Dad ran the show (and I did the work) we had a nice square bale hay business. Those days are gone.

I do not want to depend on anyone else. I am independent by nature.

The people I know with more than 50 cows who have remained in the cow business make their own hay.

Plus, this just floats my boat.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Most hay producers have their costs spread over more acres than their customer. 100k over 50 acres or 200acres


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I produce hay for my cattle and sell surplus. I'm strictly a grass producer, haven't dabbled in alfalfa or small grain for hay. My sale point is $35-40 per 4x5 bale. When the guy down the road sells for $15-20 a bale.... I honestly should just sell my equipment and go buy his hay and resell it. There are variables such as fuel, equipment depreciation, fertilizer followed but the actual quality.

I prefer to have control over my feed quality, even if it's grass. I see guys placing ads locally of hay that has been mowed in last couple of weeks. Don't know how becauae it's rained every other day.

Best I can offer is my situation. I cut surplus pastures in the spring then combine stockpiling and rotational grazing the rest of the year. Typically I strive by the end of first cutting I've filled my barns and start selling the surplus. Second cutting usually ends up being icing on the cake. Pays the baler payment and covers fertilizer that I benefit from among a few things.

This is not to discount somebody else's quality. More often than not, local hay producers are their own worst enemy. They price it $2.50 a square because that was their grandpa's price. Or mark it $5 less per round than a neighbor because he doesn't think $5 is really that much. Sell it at break even is pretty pointless unless you like the aggravation.

You can make money in hay, it's just not the rounds. Local buyers think rounds should be treated with a bulk discount over small squares.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I've bought up hay that was for sale cheap either to resell or feed.90% of this cheap hay is no where near as good as its described.

I quit doing it because my reputation of delivering good hay is worth more then making a few bucks jockeying some hay.I always told them if I jockeyed it that it wasn't my hay.

People selling cheap hay come and go,they do it a few yrs until they finally figure out they are loosing money.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

If you raise hay then you know what fert & herb has been applied and maturity of crop. When you buy hay one has to depend on what seller states unless there's a hay analysis test. I have bought fertilized 4X5+ bales for $25 per bale delivered to my stack lot but there's been a lot hay raised in my area thelast few yrs I sure can't produce it for $25


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

I have a friend that buys all his hay.
He says he can keep twice as many cows and dosent have to keep hay equipment.
He buys drone the same people ever year they cut roll and deliver it to home 
He says he came clam the cost off of his taxes.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Location location location.

Most of the people that buy hay here have full time jobs and not enough land to try to raise their own, a few have bought worn out junk and tried, then went back to buying, the smart ones never attempted to make their own as it's outside their skill sets.

With seed corn, peas, green beans, and tomatoes in the area, cheap ground to rent for alfalfa production usually isn't fit for alfalfa. A lot of my hay fields are tied into much larger parcels of land that have row crops on it.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Swv.farmer said:


> I have a friend that buys all his hay.
> He says he can keep twice as many cows and dosent have to keep hay equipment.
> He buys drone the same people ever year they cut roll and deliver it to home
> He says he came clam the cost off of his taxes.


I have a friend that does the organic rotational grazing thing for his dairy, he might bale a paddock here and there but says he's batter off buying the rest of his hay as the time to make enough to feed his herd thru the winter is better spent on taking care of fences and cows.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Tim/South said:


> Plus, this just floats my boat.


The wife and I have been talking about this a bit, we don't have any kids to pass the farm on to, talking about when I hit 65 rent the farm out along with the grain set up and keep making hay a few years and keep the cows as well. We both want to travel more, but not gonna wait till like the rest of my ancestors did and farm till they die, it's a big world out there with a ton of stuff to see.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

mlappin said:


> The wife and I have been talking about this a bit, we don't have any kids to pass the farm on to, talking about when I hit 65 rent the farm out along with the grain set up and keep making hay a few years and keep the cows as well. We both want to travel more, but not gonna wait till like the rest of my ancestors did and farm till they die, it's a big world out there with a ton of stuff to see.


Yep, ton of stuff to see and you can work it around hay. Although the July Alaska Salmon fishing trip is hard. Sockeye are running just before I can get away. Bummer!


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I set my price and still run out of hay. I'm not trying to gouge anyone, but I sell it a little above the theoretical cost of production (which included EVERYTHING that I can think of that is associated with production, storage, sales, etc&#8230; with new tractors/equipment). I am producing well below the theoretical cost of production (in part because of my equipment costs and the grease stains on my pants) and the difference makes a nice little profit.

I sell hay because I produce more than I can use&#8230;most years; I produce more hay than I can use because I do more acres than it SHOULD take to grow what I need. I've been bitten by weather conditions (drought this year) that makes hay scarce. I usually get 3-4 cuttings per year; I have enough acreage that the first cutting and a little of second cutting will fill my needs. That leaves the remainder to sell.

I'm making money on the hay that I sell because it doesn't scare me to have a barn full of hay in February/March.

Bottom line, (here) you CAN buy hay cheaper than you can grow it&#8230;just not from ME.

&#8230;and I've got standing-requests for more hay than this drought will provide this year.

Mark


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Our cousins in England constantly pester us to come visit in the summer, kinda hard to do that with just hay. Figure in row crops and forget it. They think it's horrible in the winter when we normally visit, I kinda enjoy our Christmas/New years trip actually, everybody comes to the aunts we stay with so no running around to half a dozen places over a week. One of the times there I could wear short sleeves in December while here it was cold, snowy and windy, practically a blizzard.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I buy almost all of the hay that I feed. It's just not difficult around here to go to the auction and grab the load that seemingly nobody wants that day and it's usually for no good reason. Brood cows aren't that picky, especially when you aren't calving in February. So, essentially, I'm making money both selling the hay I make and feeding the hay I buy.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> I buy almost all of the hay that I feed. It's just not difficult around here to go to the auction and grab the load that seemingly nobody wants that day and it's usually for no good reason. Brood cows aren't that picky, especially when you aren't calving in February. So, essentially, I'm making money both selling the hay I make and feeding the hay I buy.


A few times when hay was short I'd haul what I thought was crap so was feeding it to the herd, hauled it into the aution, sold it, then turned around and bought a lot of cheap silage bales instead, then would pay the guy that owns the place ten bucks to load the silage bales on my truck since he lives right next door. So basically sold junk, turned around and bought better hay for less, even when short silage bales just aren't in demand here.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

mlappin said:


> The wife and I have been talking about this a bit, we don't have any kids to pass the farm on to, talking about when I hit 65 rent the farm out along with the grain set up and keep making hay a few years and keep the cows as well. We both want to travel more, but not gonna wait till like the rest of my ancestors did and farm till they die, it's a big world out there with a ton of stuff to see.


interesting take. I think the cows and hay would leave and row crops might be therapeutic between my winter and summer travels.

I really don't care for my cattle. I have been threatening to sell 'em all for years. Then calving comes around and I soften up.

How can ya travel extensively with livestock at home?


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## Bigfoot62 (Jul 26, 2017)

I have 110 acres, and nearly half of that is hay pasture. 40 acres of the hay pasture has been reclaimed from woodlands about 25 years years ago (it was row-crop land that had grown up) I don't want it to grow back in trees, and I'm not about to plant it in trees. So, if it's going to be grass, then I have to do something with the grass. I don't want to bush-hog it 2 or 3 times per year. That means grazing it or making hay. I don't have enough animals to graze it, so that leaves hay. In years past, I've had someone else cut and bale. A few years back, I decided that was no longer a good option for me. (hard to raise hay on somebody else's schedule) As some have already said, I enjoy making hay, so I bought my own equipment. Currently, I have approximately $175k invested in my 3 big tractors and hay equipment. I sell an average of about $10-12k worth of hay per season. (that's gross) Chances are, I won't live long enough to make much money on this venture.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

SVFHAY said:


> interesting take. I think the cows and hay would leave and row crops might be therapeutic between my winter and summer travels.
> 
> I really don't care for my cattle. I have been threatening to sell 'em all for years. Then calving comes around and I soften up.
> 
> How can ya travel extensively with livestock at home?


Agree....I sold all my cows and calves several years ago and I don't miss them at all. Just too confining. I also agree with Marty wholeheartedly about a lot of things to see in this world....I enjoy going to places I have not been.....and re-visiting places that are dear to my heart.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Bigfoot62 said:


> Currently, I have approximately $175k invested in my 3 big tractors and hay equipment. I sell an average of about $10-12k worth of hay per season. (that's gross) Chances are, I won't live long enough to make much money on this venture.


The gross won't hardly cover depreciation let alone fuel,twine,and repairs.I guess it was your choice but 175K for 40 acres is overkill.I guess I like making hay aslong as I am making money.I like to at least gross what my total investment is in eq.And preferably double.

Going fishing would pay better with alot less stress.


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## 2ndWindfarm (Nov 11, 2014)

We bought hay for the first 5 years or so that we had livestock. After getting hay calls from growers to pick up bales in the field and cueing up in line and waiting several hours only to find out the count was short and we'd drive home 35 miles with an empty trailer.

Or we'd find ourselves with a grower and 25% moisture squares and have them say "stack 'em on edge and salt 'em down with rock salt"!

I grew up working in hay fields... I told my wife we could do better on our own.

We do and have done better ourselves. We sell at a profit - above our costs - and still have to turn people away.

But... The only way we're ever gonna recoup the cost of clearing the land and buying the equipment is hope my son decides to keep working the fields for the next 20 years!


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> I like to at least gross what my total investment is in eq.And preferably double.
> 
> Going fishing would pay better with alot less stress.


Your not counting tractor investment in this strategy are you?

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vol said:


> Your not counting tractor investment in this strategy are you?
> 
> Regards, Mike


Yes but part of it is for row crops so I figure on percentage of acres.

I'm about 70% corn and beans right now and 30% hay

It worked alot better when I was at 66% hay and 33% row crops on machinery expenses per ton,and eq prices were alot cheaper then.


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## Bigfoot62 (Jul 26, 2017)

swmnhay said:


> The gross won't hardly cover depreciation let alone fuel,twine,and repairs.I guess it was your choice but 175K for 40 acres is overkill.I guess I like making hay aslong as I am making money.I like to at least gross what my total investment is in eq.And preferably double.
> 
> Going fishing would pay better with alot less stress.


Agreed. That's my point. It's not so much about the money, but everything else. I enjoy producing the crop. Much more satisfying to produce and sell hay, than to just bush-hog it down.

Honestly, I would probably still have a couple of the tractors even without doing my own hay. They would be necessary to maintain my farmland. So, if you just count the cost of the hay equipment, it would likely pay for itself in a few years. (as long as I don't count my time, lol)

As a serious bass fisherman, I think I could argue that point.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

SVFHAY said:


> interesting take. I think the cows and hay would leave and row crops might be therapeutic between my winter and summer travels.
> 
> I really don't care for my cattle. I have been threatening to sell 'em all for years. Then calving comes around and I soften up.
> 
> How can ya travel extensively with livestock at home?


Same way my buddy does with his dairy cows in the winter when they are all dry, I take care of em for him, bout time he returns the favor.


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## Taylor.Jackson (Sep 30, 2016)

I've spent a large sum of money on hunting in my life and haven't made a dime on that, so I guess its all in perspective


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Taylor.Jackson said:


> I've spent a large sum of money on hunting in my life


Let's not talk about that.... .

Regards, Mike


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Taylor.Jackson said:


> I've spent a large sum of money on hunting in my life and haven't made a dime on that, so I guess its all in perspective





Vol said:


> Let's not talk about that.... .
> 
> Regards, Mike


I can't claim I hunt to save money, it's cheaper to raise cattle lmao


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

We calved out the cows and sold them all in 2012, that hurt to see them go.Then sold all the cattle equipment, worth almost twice what the cows were worth. that was step #1 in simplifying my life, step #2 cut out row crops and switch to hay only 2014.2015 switch from rack surfing to accumulator and grapple system life is good. Work full time and we still have time for vacation. Should be out of the hole in 3 years all new equipment paid in full if all goes normally what ever that is. 5 to 6 years sell out pay the taxes golf fish and travel with the wife who put up with this way of life for too long and to put up with me. I married out my league. I owe her a trip to Maine, Niagra Falls and others so we will get this party started in 2022


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

This is an interesting thread. I have also heard it said many times that you can buy hay cheaper than you can grow it.....mostly from the beef cattle guys. Since most people around here sell a roll of hay for $25 that is a true statement.....that's not saying the $25 rolls are quality hay but even if you have good hay they are not willing to pay much more than that for it. These weekend warrior hay producers that sell the hay for break even of less just because they enjoy making hay is what kills the market for round bakes and makes it hard for hay producers like myself that are trying to make a living and have to turn a profit.

The only way to hope to make any money in the hay business here is small squares. If everything works out and the hay gets cut in a timely fashion and doesn't get rained on I can make some pretty good money. The hard part is if the weather doesn't cooperate it can go from making pretty good money to losing a lot of money.....sometimes in just a matter of minutes. I just have to hope that the profit from the good hay is enough to outweigh the loss from the bad hay......in most years it is but this year I'm not so sure it is going to be.

I do enjoy making hay and farming in general.....but one thing is for sure and that is that I'm not going to lose money and continue doing it. If I'm going to lose money I can do a whole lot of other things that are way less stress.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> I have a friend who buys almost all his hay. He has bought some very nice 4x5 rolls for $25. He has bought some not as nice but better than average for $25. He buys it in the field. If I knew I could buy 500 rolls a year for $25 I would sell my hay equipment.
> 
> I have another friend who has who has built a profitable hay business. He sells squares and rounds. Sells both horse and cow hay. He gets $40 - $45 for his lesser rolls. Gets $50 - $60 for his better Bahia and Bermuda rolls. Sells 3,000 squares and 4,500 rolls per year. He also feeds 150 momma cows.
> 
> ...


Yeah, you hit the nail on the head...

I know how the BTO custom guys around here operate... It's all "call me when you want it cut" and when you do, it's, "I'll see ya when I have time/feel like it/whatever". Meanwhile your good grass turns to woody crap waiting on them... or else if they DO show up a week or so later, they cut the stuff and then run off for a week and leave it laying in the sun roasting to a crisp, and then come back and run the rake right ahead of the baler and roll up something between the nutrition and palatability of wheat straw and cardboard... IOW, "junk hay".

That's why we do our own. IMHO if you have more than a "hobby" number of cattle or livestock, you SHOULD bale your own, if you want it done right. Some guys have the luck and connections to get decent $25 a roll hay year in and year out, but then there's the rest of us... LOL

I know when I used to do custom baling, I'd get calls from guys who were ticked that their usual BTO custom guy had been putting them off for a couple weeks to a month and their hay was already turning to crap in the field because they wouldn't cut it in a timely manner, or rake or bale it in a timely manner, either. I always did the best job I could at the proper time, and if I was busy picking cotton or combining sorghum or something, I made that known up front... course having 30 year old equipment set some guys off-- yeah, it's not as tight or 'pretty' of a bale as the BTO's, but the cow's haven't complained, and I'm baling cheaper to offset instead of gouging you to pay for new paint and a shiny new diesel pickup while letting your stuff get old in the field or fry on the ground... Oh well, can't please everybody!

Course now we just do our own... used to sell some hay and do some custom work, but we don't bother anymore. Just seems most people are such A-holes anymore... you go work for them, cheaper than the BTO's, do a better job and put up a better product in the bale and all they want to do is gripe that you're STILL "too high" or that the bale "isn't as pretty as the BTO" and all this load of CRAP... and when we sold hay, no matter HOW CHEAP you sell, you STILL get A-holes that want it both ways and want new hay dirt cheap or think you're charging too much for older hay... you can't win...

Then to top it off, when you have a good year and plenty of rain and sun and good waist-high grass, SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE and hay is dirt cheap-- no matter how cheap you go, there's always SOME nutjob selling hay for half what you're selling it for, and you have every cheapskate in the country calling you and trying to jew you down on the price to make the sale... I just said, "sounds like a h3ll of a deal-- better jump on it!" and hung up... quit wasting my time! And, of course, the converse is also true... when it's dry and droughty and hay is in short supply, you don't have any extra either-- heck may be scrambling to get enough for your own cows... none to sell no matter HOW HIGH the price gets...

Yeah, I'm like you-- I don't like relying on ANYBODY to get the hay I need... I don't like dealing with cheapskates or chiselers and I don't like spinning the roulette wheel wondering about the weather and how much hay will be for sale or wondering how much the citiots are willing to pay for and driving the prices up... or dealing with guys who'd rather ride around in their shiny diesel pickups than get out there and get the hay cut on time...

Course the BTO's get PO'd by "the little guys" baling their own hay-- they scream about how they can make it "so much cheaper!" than the average farmer, and that you SHOULD be BUYING ALL YOUR HAY from THEM-- but then, they gotta make payments on all that shiny new equipment and that big new diesel dually; they wouldn't be caught dead running a 30 year old baler... LOL

They can make their money, more power to them... but they can make it off someone else...

Later! OL J R


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I don't quite understand where the argument comes from that growing your own let's one control quality compared to buying. The problem is you can't control the weather. No matter how much you think you can control, it's always going to be slightly questionable. On the other hand, if buying, one should be able to shop around until finding the exact quality they desire. The downside there is clearly the inability to control the price. The whole debate probably comes down to which of those uncontrollable factors one thinks they can more easily control.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

The biggest part of controlling the quality to me is the quality of the field being made into hay. Many just cut what nature provides and call it hay. No lime, no fertilizer nor spraying.

Another thing is some do fertilize with chicken litter. We can not compare cost input, maybe even quality, when comparing that with chemical fertilizer.

As one fellow told me, "Weeds have nutritional value too".


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Growing one's own hay lets grower cut for hay ""weather permitting"" when crop isn't overly mature plus know amount of fert applied & if any weeds or grass burrs are present. Hay in rd bales camouflages weeds & grass burrs. Also grower will know if hay got rained on or not.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

8350HiTech said:


> I don't quite understand where the argument comes from that growing your own let's one control quality compared to buying. The problem is you can't control the weather. No matter how much you think you can control, it's always going to be slightly questionable. On the other hand, if buying, one should be able to shop around until finding the exact quality they desire. The downside there is clearly the inability to control the price. The whole debate probably comes down to which of those uncontrollable factors one thinks they can more easily control.


Mostly, it's differences in location. It amazes me the way y'all talk about hay auctions like they are everywhere and every week? Ain't that way around here and supply is mostly via Craigslist or Facebook. Also, the feed stores don't carry hay like I hear about in a lot of places. You can drive 1-1/2 hours to an auction...but most people won't drive that far on the interstate to buy a 100 bales. I won't take mine that far to sell it, either.

Around here, you might find 20 ads for "hay" within a week's time selling small squares from "$2.50 per bale and will give discount if you take all 37 of 'em" to decent appearing hay in decent quantities at a quality-hay's price.

HiTech, I think that it's mostly a location thing being able to get a quantity of quality hay consistently without driving all over hell and half of Georgia going to look at "Hay" and finding crap. Here 'bouts, you 'bout gotta hook up with someone local that sells for profit; it will cost over the cost of production.

Mark


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

There are trucks on the road and dealers waiting for your call. If someone wants quality control, buying from a reputable dealer is going to be the most direct route to have 100% success with every bale fed. No farmer is going to make 100% perfect hay no matter how much they think they're in control. That's why I said you sacrifice price control in buying. You can get the hay you want. Somewhere. It may mean buying from a western dealer and paying a zillion dollars per ton, but that's exactly what I was getting at. You either sacrifice price control or weather control.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

An example of some things that make no sense.

https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/d/hay-for-sale/6272752704.html


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> An example of some things that make no sense.
> 
> https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/d/hay-for-sale/6272752704.html
> 
> ...


There is an older gent a few miles from here who does that. He sells 5x4 rolls and advertises them as 4x5's. He will argue that they are the same.


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

[quote name="BWfarms" post="764138" timestamp="1503274980"]

An example of some things that make no sense

I have some customers that would jump all over that hay...they see $35 a bale and are blind to everything else. I had some hay that got flooded last year. Options were to burn it or give it away. Guess what? I got rid of all the free hay...all they heard was free and asked where the end of the line is.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

All I could come up with are the bales are 4 feet wide and 5 feet in circumference. The squares may be a better deal or is there enough slack in the strings to fit a Volkswagen?


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Tim/South said:


> There is an older gent a few miles from here who does that. He sells 5x4 rolls and advertises them as 4x5's. He will argue that they are the same.


But it does 4x5 is 20 and 5x4 is 20  So he jips you 15 cu feet. I've seen that.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

https://www.horsetraildirectory.com/Hay%20Calculation/Round%20Bale.pdf

http://www.online-calculators.co.uk/volumetric/cylindervolume.php Use this calculator by entering the bale size in feet.....example; radius as 2.0 and height as 5.0...be sure and clear each calculator box before entering input.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

BWfarms said:


> I can't claim I hunt to save money, it's cheaper to raise cattle lmao


Well I don't make money fishing either and you can't buy fish that come close to tasting the same as fresh fish.But I raise hay to make money so I can go fishing.Or corn,beans,cattle etc.Hopefully being diversified insures I make money anyway.

Why is it the best fishing and hunting seasons are the busiest times farming?Well except ice fishing!


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

8350HiTech said:


> I don't quite understand where the argument comes from that growing your own let's one control quality compared to buying. The problem is you can't control the weather. No matter how much you think you can control, it's always going to be slightly questionable. On the other hand, if buying, one should be able to shop around until finding the exact quality they desire. The downside there is clearly the inability to control the price. The whole debate probably comes down to which of those uncontrollable factors one thinks they can more easily control.


When you get a call from a guy who's been waiting for nearly a MONTH for the BTO custom hay king to show up and cut his hay, while it's gone to seed and is turning to stemmy woody crap, even though he's been calling the guy over and over again, it would sure make ME think twice about hiring it done rather than baling my own...

Yeah, you can't control the weather, that's a given. The BTO can't either. Neither can the guy who IS trying to make the best hay he can. The BTO trying to bale a bazillion acres SURE can't control the weather, and he's gonna get caught more simply because he's got to get SO much more done in the SAME time frame as everybody else, so OF COURSE he's gonna have some cut or down or needing to be cut when the foul weather hits, and from what I've seen, a lot of those guys are NOT too "truthful" about the condition of their hay, or what it went through before it was baled.

Baling my own, *I* decide when to cut... if it's 70% chance of rain for the next week and the bermuda's at 28 days NOW, then YEAH I'm gonna wait, and take the quality hit-- better slightly older hay that hopefully is baled RIGHT than hay at *just* the right stage cut and rained on several times... Decisions like that are ones that *you* get to make baling your own, that you *DON'T* get to make when someone else is doing it for you, either buying the hay or having a BTO custom guy doing it for you... usually it's all on THEIR schedule, which again, from what I've seen myself, virtually all of them could care less about... they'll be cutting theirs, or hay they plan to sell, or their drinking buddy or fishing buddy's place, or going on a fishing trip with said buddy, while you're still waiting, til they FINALLY decide to get around to yours... Unless your custom guy is a little guy that really wants to do the best job he can (like I did) and busts butt to get over there and get it done WHEN *YOU* WANT IT DONE... and yeah, sometimes I had discussions with guys about just this sort of thing-- "you seen the forecast for the next few days?? Me personally, I'd wait til this settles down a bit first..." But I left it up to them-- it was THEIR decision...

Course, when it IS *your* decision, well, you don't have to go too far to find out who's at fault if it goes wrong... LOL

Later! OL J R


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Well, Luke, you make a fine point except the question was buying vs making not hiring vs making.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

glasswrongsize said:


> Mostly, it's differences in location. It amazes me the way y'all talk about hay auctions like they are everywhere and every week? Ain't that way around here and supply is mostly via Craigslist or Facebook. Also, the feed stores don't carry hay like I hear about in a lot of places. You can drive 1-1/2 hours to an auction...but most people won't drive that far on the interstate to buy a 100 bales. I won't take mine that far to sell it, either.
> 
> Around here, you might find 20 ads for "hay" within a week's time selling small squares from "$2.50 per bale and will give discount if you take all 37 of 'em" to decent appearing hay in decent quantities at a quality-hay's price.
> 
> ...


Yep... never even seen a hay auction around these parts...

One things for sure... it takes all kinds... For instance, neighbor across the creek at Shiner... Got netwrapped 5x~5.5 or so for sale... 2 year old hay, $35 a roll, 1 year old hay, $50 a roll. It's basically bluestem and johnsongrass with some other grass mixed in. I don't know what all exactly he's got out there or how he manages it... just saw him lay it down, leave it 3-5 days on the ground in 100+ degree heat, and then rake it right ahead of the baler... (IOW, "cardboard" most likely). Thing is, 2 year old bales are already flat bottomed and saddle-backed and the net is getting loose on them (IOW, they're rotting) and the year old stuff doesn't look a whole lot better... some to be sure, but not pristine by any stretch. He's got hay lined up around three sides of his field, in rows two deep in places... and we're talking about a 40-ish acre field, not some little bitty meadow... Lord only knows what he wants for this year's cut he was just baling the other day!

Now, I ain't no genius, but I know one thing... I'd sell all my cows before I paid $35 bucks a bale for two year old mushy bales... or $50 bucks a bale for even "starting to go mushy" bales... he's got em stacked around the edge of the field, at least half of it under TREES for pity's sake!!! No wonder they're rotting away!

Maybe he'll get it... doesn't look like he's moving any, but hey, you never can tell... Barnum said it right-- "there's one born every minute..." He just won't be getting it from ME... LOL

Later! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

BWfarms said:


> An example of some things that make no sense.
> 
> https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/d/hay-for-sale/6272752704.html
> 
> ...


I agree, saw some sorta like that today, though they were more like 4.5 footers, or maybe just under five... awfully small looking bales though...

Maybe he's had luck with it-- some horsey folks wanting something smaller than modern "big rounds", or "farmette" owners feeding a couple cows or some goats or something that need a bale they can pick up with an 8N Ford or something, or small enough they don't tear it to shreds and lay on it and ruin it before they eat enough of it... I can think of some reasons...

Maybe it's worked for him... maybe it works for the buyers too... Not everybody's feeding a commercial herd... Then again, not everybody even knows what they're doing or what they're buying, or the kind of deal they're getting...

It takes all kinds... LOL

Later! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

8350HiTech said:


> Well, Luke, you make a fine point except the question was buying vs making not hiring vs making.


True, but like you said, you CAN find what you're looking for, but PAYING for it may be another matter... Then of course there's logistics-- transport and quantity... Can you get all you NEED and what's it gonna cost you to get it where it needs to go...

All depends on the situation I guess...

Later! OL J R


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## bulldogger (May 31, 2015)

And then there are these jokers.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

bulldogger said:


> And then there are these jokers.


Looks like the bales are missing a foot.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

BWfarms said:


> Looks like the bales are missing a foot.


And some density.

Folks around here see a roll of hay as a roll of hay. They also expect us to compete with those prices. "If they can make money at $15 then so can you".


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