# Twine cost



## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

I understand a lot of folks use net or plastic wrap. I use sisal twine for my small operation. Last year I was paying $46/bale of round baler twine. This year it is $60/bale. What is up with the price jump? Fuel costs are down so they can't use that excuse anymore. has it jumped like this in your area also?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

There's been a major drought in South America. Buy plastic.


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## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> There's been a major drought in South America. Buy plastic.


Will do if needed. I should have plenty for my first cut. The second cut may be in question.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

46.00 a bale to 60.00 a bale , You dont have to use that much when you tie a bale , a couple wraps or 3 is plenty, it will save you a bunch . btw how long does it take you to wrap them at that price ? The big baler twine I use only went up 2.00 per ball .


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

My favorite equipment dealer told me the drought in SA has driven sisal prices up a LOT. It will be hard to get this year, and expensive. I might have to switch to plastic this year, although I prefer sisal because it's edible and biodegradable.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

I normally buy my twine as needed but this year with the drought in SA I bough all mine at once. I paid $68 per bale this year through my John Deere dealer for 9000 ft sisal for small squares. The salesman told me they had 3 pallets of 9000 and that was all they were going to be able to get so if I wanted any I'd better buy it now cause it won't last long! Here people won't buy small squares with poly twine but I'm going to assume they may not have much of a choice for some of the later cuttings of hay from guys that didn't buy sisal ahead of time.

EDIT: whoops it was $58 a bale for the twine, just got the bill, either way it ain't cheap!


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

I saw 9000 sisal for $54/bale. Guess I'd better go buy some!


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I read the cost increase was due to manpower shortages. Either way I have switched to plastic. My knotters needed rebuilding so it was a good time to make the switch. The reason people don't want the plastic is they are to sorry to remove the twine . Sorry but plastic is what they are going to get.


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## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

Well, it sounds like it is not just my supplier then. I think I have plenty for one cutting. I have several bales of plastic I can use for my second cutting if needed. I will just tell the buyers to cut the strings off when they feed or risk a choked cow/horse.

I was doing some reading and I saw where they said the sisal from Mexico is actually better. I have yet to see any twine from Mexico though.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Plastic twine is cheaper, rot and rodent proof. Sisal is biodegradable and digestible. I still pull up poly twine out of the dirt from the previous owner of my farm that's been in the ground for ten years and it's still strong. If a piece of poly twine gets accidentally put out with the hay and a horse or cow eats it it can be bad news for the animal. Then there all the little tails of twine from the knotter - as far as I'm concerned every little piece of plastic I put on my field is litter. I would have to rig up a shop vac and a generator to suck the tails off the knotters if I switched to plastic. I'll stick with sisal if I can.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

SwingOak said:


> Plastic twine is cheaper, rot and rodent proof. Sisal is biodegradable and digestible. I still pull up poly twine out of the dirt from the previous owner of my farm that's been in the ground for ten years and it's still strong. If a piece of poly twine gets accidentally put out with the hay and a horse or cow eats it it can be bad news for the animal. Then there all the little tails of twine from the knotter - as far as I'm concerned every little piece of plastic I put on my field is litter. I would have to rig up a shop vac and a generator to suck the tails off the knotters if I switched to plastic. I'll stick with sisal if I can.


My cows have been eating plastic mesh wrap and plastic twine for years, and have never had an issue with it. It just passes through. Horses may be a different story, I don't know.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

Maybe not stack..

http://m.beefmagazine.com/beef-cattle-feed/why-you-must-remove-net-wrap-round-bales-feeding-cattle

Trey


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

stack em up said:


> My cows have been eating plastic mesh wrap and plastic twine for years, and have never had an issue with it. It just passes through. Horses may be a different story, I don't know.


Your very lucky. I have had 3 head of cattle that I know of that died from eating twine. A couple of them were ones I bought. Small lenghts of twine may pass through but longer lenghts dont. Plug the animal up and kills them.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

All of our hay runs through the tub grinder. The longest bit of length is 1".

I'm not saying make a diet of pure Bridon Cordage, but dont lose sleep over a few bits here and there. Cows won't eat what doesn't taste good. Believe me, the j-bunks are proof of that...

We pull as much wrap off as we can before it goes in the grinder, but when it's -20 and the wrap is frozen on, it goes in.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> All of our hay runs through the tub grinder. The longest bit of length is 1".
> I'm not saying make a diet of pure Bridon Cordage, but dont lose sleep over a few bits here and there. Cows won't eat what doesn't taste good. Believe me, the j-bunks are proof of that...
> We pull as much wrap off as we can before it goes in the grinder, but when it's -20 and the wrap is frozen on, it goes in.


It amazes me how hard it is for some people to get off the tractor and remove the net off a bale before dumping it in a feeder or giveing them a bale of bedding.Is it that they are in a hurry or just lazy?I don't want the cattle eating it or in the spreader or wrapped up in the trash whippersnapper so a little extra work when feeding saves more work later.Either take it off or grind it up in small pieces like stack does.

Nieghbor said he lost a calf from net but he still doesn't take it off the bales.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Regarding cattle not eating what doesn't taste good, well, twine must be crazy delicious. Anytime we tie a gate with twine (of any type) or inadvertent leave some in a pen after (or even during) feeding the cattle seem to gravitate to it. It's either hanging out if their mouth or they're sucking on it as soon as they see it.


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## mjedd12 (Jan 25, 2015)

My twine dealer told me prices are up because of the closing of a few large sisal mills in Brazil. We made the switch to poly this year for the small squares that we sell (about 90% of what we make.) I won't switch to poly for the bales we feed at home. We tie lambing jug panels together with it and utilize spent twine all over the farm. When we clean pens we just throw it in the manure. Im still pulling poly twine from 30 yrs ago out of spots my grandfather fed round bales. My horse hay customers are not fussy about the twine I use, just the quality of the hay. If i can save 30$ a bundle of twine and ship those bales off, Im all in.

Mike


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## atgreene (May 19, 2013)

When its 20 below zero, trying to get twine off a frozen sileage bale is damn near impossible. I try to cut it out as much as possible, but never get it all.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

I may make some bales with poly twine this season, only because I had mice eat the twine off 50ish bales this winter. I didn't mind the mice, it was cow hay, but I did mind having to fork it into garbage cans to haul out to the cows at feeding time. Pain in the ass.


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

I had to give up on sisal twine because quality was so bad. I used to bale with 7200 sisal but bales started breaking if they got over 45-50 lbs @ 36 inches. Not to mention it was $45 a package if you could get it. Switched to poly a couple years ago(I believe I posted on here to find a good dealer). Now I have the neighbors on plastic twine because of the shortage and I buy in bulk to save a couple bucks. I can make 45 lb straw bales at 36 inches with no string issues. FYI I use 8500/170 single spool.


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## jls (Feb 9, 2015)

Has anyone tried photodegradable plastic twine it is supposed to break down after being in the sunlight 90 days


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## jls (Feb 9, 2015)

It seemed reasonable in price


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

For rounds I take it?

I tried the clear field brand a few years ago... Got it at TSC... Wasn't terribly impressed...

Grandpa didn't believe in plastic twine... Scared a cow would choke or plug up on it and die, mess from lost pieces, etc. So we used sisal for a lot of years. Route way too fast on bottom for bales stored on the ground. Got too expensive so that finally convinced them to switch to plastic. We tried the clear field as a "happy medium" between sisal and regular plastic...

For bales stored in the sun, the clear field dries out and gets brittle in about two months. Effectively it "sun rots" or dry rots... Then when you go to pick up a bale the bottom falls off with fully intact, un-dry rotted plastic twine on it because under the hay it's not been exposed to the sun... So it'll still tangle up on stuff until or when it gets two months of hot sun to dry rot it (from UV exposure)...

Course tangled up in lose hay and laying on the ground, mashed into the dirt, or covered with grass or weeds, it's not exposed to much sun UV so it breaks down REALLY slow.... And if it gets mashed down into the dirt, forget it... no UV means you can dig it up a couple years later with a disk or whatever and it'll be just as tough and intact as any ordinary plastic twine...

In short, I personally found it to be "the worst of both worlds"... Once it dried out on top from UV you couldn't move the bale without it falling apart, yet on bottom out of the sun the twine is tough as regular plastic twine and balls up on stuff... Sisal rots on bottom from moisture but will remain fairly intact in the sun... So the bales still fall apart but the opposite way... Lol.

I just switched to regular plastic twine... Cheaper than clear field and the bale hold up better. Really no harder to clean up after than clear field UV twine either... Like I said, clear field UV twine really doesn't disintegrate unless it gets a lot of direct sunlight... In dirt or stays intact for months or years...

Hope this helps! Best of luck! OL JR


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Just bought my twine today for small squares, 9000 sisal. Price is up $20. Computer at feed store said they had 64 bales of twine in stock. I paid for 7. Guys in back came out with 2, and said they've been waiting for a couple skids for over a month now and it is on back order not sure when it will come.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

I just bought a pallet mixed of 7200 and 16000 for $50 a bale


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

9000 sisal is $55/bale here. I have more than enough for this season on the shelf, but I may be picking up another hay field down the road which means I'll definitely have to go buy more twine!


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## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

The lady at the store told me I just needed to raise the price of a bale of hay to cover the increase in twine cost. I told her, "no you need to lower your cost. My customers don't like me raising prices for every little thing that comes along".


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

purplewg said:


> The lady at the store told me I just needed to raise the price of a bale of hay to cover the increase in twine cost. I told her, "no you need to lower your cost. My customers don't like me raising prices for every little thing that comes along".


I know it seems like a lot but when you break it down twine costs on 500 square bales is $.11 per bale at $55 and $.07 at $36 a bale. I'm sure you could raise your price $.04 and make up the difference and no one would complain.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Orchard6 said:


> I know it seems like a lot but when you break it down twine costs on 500 square bales is $.11 per bale at $55 and $.07 at $36 a bale. I'm sure you could raise your price $.04 and make up the difference and no one would complain.


Not only that, the "lady at the store" probably is applying a standard retail markup. She shouldn't have to lower the price because of conditions in South America.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Stopped in at one of the local NH dealers today to order some parts for my haybine. 7200 Sisal was $57/bale, 9000 Sisal was out of stock, and no clue when they would be getting more.


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## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

Orchard6 said:


> I know it seems like a lot but when you break it down twine costs on 500 square bales is $.11 per bale at $55 and $.07 at $36 a bale. I'm sure you could raise your price $.04 and make up the difference and no one would complain.


Well I roll rounds and it comes out to almost $1.75 per bale in twine cost. I realize that is only $.42 increase over last year but it is hard to raise the price of a round bale $.50. Such is life I guess. Some of my customers didn't understand the $5/roll increase when my fuel cost went from $1.89 to $4/gallon. I will eat this increase but I don't have to like it. lol


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

purplewg said:


> Well I roll rounds and it comes out to almost $1.75 per bale in twine cost. I realize that is only $.42 increase over last year but it is hard to raise the price of a round bale $.50. Such is life I guess. Some of my customers didn't understand the $5/roll increase when my fuel cost went from $1.89 to $4/gallon. I will eat this increase but I don't have to like it. lol


$1.75 for twine for rd bale sounds way to high.Are you useing sq bale sisal instead of rd bale sisal?i haven't figured it out for awhil but always figured about .35 for plastic twine and 1.35 for netwrap on a 5x6 bale.And that's useing a lot of twine every 2.5".


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## purplewg (Nov 4, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> $1.75 for twine for rd bale sounds way to high.Are you useing sq bale sisal instead of rd bale sisal?i haven't figured it out for awhil but always figured about .35 for plastic twine and 1.35 for netwrap on a 5x6 bale.And that's useing a lot of twine every 2.5".


No I use Sisal 16,000 and get around 35 bales per bale of twine(2 rolls).


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

150 4' rounds here Monday, I think the baler went through 8 balls of twine, 20,000 OrangeLine. $0.67/ roll, twine every 4". $25 per bundle of twine. $100 divided by 150 rolls if my math is correct.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Wow. Never truly did the math on twine. If I rolled 4 foot bales this year I would be right at $0.62 or so a roll. Nh netwrap. 2 wraps.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I despise poly twine.... It gets magnetically attracted to my lawnmower deck spindles and promptly destroys the grease seals and if I don't catch it right away, the bearings too.

I pull the disc turtles yearly and check for wayward poly there as well.

I've found poly out in the feedlot from the previous owner thats still good and strong after a decade in cow manure.

Stuff has amazing longevity.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> I despise poly twine.... It gets magnetically attracted to my lawnmower deck spindles and promptly destroys the grease seals and if I don't catch it right away, the bearings too.
> 
> I pull the disc turtles yearly and check for wayward poly there as well.
> 
> ...


That's definitely the bad part of Poly.


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