# Hay on shares



## KSTim08 (Jan 22, 2012)

How do you guys do hay fields on shares? I'm talking mainly grass hay. Does the landowner typically pay for some of the fertilizer? I've never rented hay ground on shares before, but I'm going to talk to some land owners so I want to be prepared in case they mention shares.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I would imagine that anything the landowner would be expected to contribute would be based on what share he was getting back.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

KSTim08 said:


> How do you guys do hay fields on shares? I'm talking mainly grass hay. Does the landowner typically pay for some of the fertilizer? I've never rented hay ground on shares before, but I'm going to talk to some land owners so I want to be prepared in case they mention shares.


I have no idea what the going rate for share rent is in Kansas.I'd check around localy maybe the extention service has a guide or your Ag collage may have some literature with some averages.Or perhaps a local farm store.

It varies a lot threw the country and has been discussed on here before.Some areas the landlord will pay for more then others.In reality if you are making it on shares you will both be benifiting from the fertilizer in increased tonnage.So you should probably split the fertilizer costs the same as the % share.

Here if it is a nice field 50-50.Hay and fert.


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Here its owner pays the fertilize, we bale, and split 50/50.With fertilize being so expensive most of those deals are gone and those customers are now paying by the roll.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Around *HERE* I don't personally know of anybody that rents land for hay, but do know a few people that custom bale for landowners. Last I heard the share was 50/50 to 60/40 (60% to the man with the machine) and all the hay man did was cut rake and bale, then truck his portion out of the field.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

We used to do a shared hay with a guy. We would grow the hay (irrigate, fertilize, and such) He would cut, bale, stack, and market and the proceeds would be split 50/50. It worked out well for quite a few years until the guy started baling the alfalfa in the afternoon and the quality was bad thus lower sold price. Many of you don't irrigate though so I think you could get more then 50%.

If I was to do more custom work then I do I would almost consider asking for my custom rate in hay rather then actual money. In some cases you might get your money faster that way. So that's a form of shared hay.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Teslan said:


> If I was to do more custom work then I do I would almost consider asking for my custom rate in hay rather then actual money. In some cases you might get your money faster that way. So that's a form of shared hay.


That's exactly why I was doing one guys on shares.It would take a yr or 2 to get pd for custom work so I went to shares on it.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Around here we do it all for 2/3


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## kidbalehook (Mar 19, 2013)

I baled a lot of hay on half. One time this old lady and her sister offered for us to keep our half in her barn as they had plenty of room, etc. We pulled first load out (500 bales / 3 loads was our half). We kept all the records, she helped count bales, etc. We arrived to pull 2nd load out later that winter and she had doors locked...said that one load should have been plenty of payment for all the work we did that ONE day. (baling) Apparently she didn't appreciate the 15 mile drive, cutting, raking, wagons, elevator and all labor that put her half up too. Judge agreed with us... from then on we always too our half home with us.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

:lol:yeesh! Been there done that! Thought I was all done and over it and then here you go and start up my PTSD! LMAO


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Doing hay on shares here is a big PITA. Everybody wants to whine and complain that we dont deserve half. I did it with one lady. I baled 200 bales and we were supposed to get 100. I picked up the first 28 and was ready to go home when she ran across the field to tell me I could only have those 28 because she was getting more horses. I haul them home and told dad. He said to hell with her take them back. So I go back down mad because I wasted my time and pushed them all off the wagon in a heap. They sat there for months. We ended up giving her a bill for cutting raking and baling. We added about $10 to the normal rate. Fixed that problem. Now we just buy the hay no spliting and screwing around.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Yep we usually don't do shares. If we do when Im out on the tractor mowing im constantly asking myself is this really worth it to give half away?

If the landlord isnt putting in any inputs i think a 1/3 to the landlord 2/3 the operator is more fair


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

I just avoid shares like the plague. Just never worked out for me. I'd much rather pay cash rent and be done with it.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Around here it's 50-50, but I only know a few that do it. I've got a neighbor that decided to "go into the hay business" after he perfected loosing money on easier agribusiness ventures. First, he bought a large older tractor (against my advice), then he bought a large fuel tank (at my suggestion).....then he sold the tractor a month later when he figured out how much fuel it used and what a disc mower, rake, and baler would cost. I sold him my old sickle mower so he could use his little, bitty tractor. After he broke it for the third time, I told him he was on his own. A friend was raking/baling for him on shares, but the guy doesn't fertilize and wanted it cut every 3 weeks so his place would look pretty. Now no one will mess with him and he ended up shredding a field in December....so it would look pretty. Now he has the place for sale. I sincerely hope he gets the price he's asking.......It'll raise the average property values in at least two counties.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I bale one field 50/50. The land owner pays for all the lime and fertilizer. It is hard to find someone to bale on shares around here. One friend will bale for 3/4 if it is a good field.

A guy up the road called and asked me if I wanted to take over his Tifton 85 Bermuda field. He had let someone have it for years and the guy would not fertilize. The current bale guy does not pay any type rent.

The owner asked my how much I could pay?

I told him I could not afford to pay anything because lime and fertilizer getting the field back in shape would be expensive.

He said he wanted me to spray, lime, fertilize and pay $5 per roll. I explained that the more I fertilized, the more hay I made, which made him more $5 rolls.

I know I could have afforded to pay him something for the field. I just have too many free leases and do not want to have to educate a new one.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Many years ago, when I first bought my property, I had a guy bale it on shares. I bought the inputs (fertilizer / lime, etc) and he cut/raked/baled and took his half. Did that for a couple of years until I found a package deal on some equipment from an estate sale.

If there is one thing I can say about baling on shares, it is that no one is really happy.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

RockmartGA said:


> If there is one thing I can say about baling on shares, it is that no one is really happy.


Very true.

One side believes the other side is getting the better deal.


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## weatherman (Dec 5, 2008)

From reading previous posts, there are many ways to slice the pie. The best deal when both parties walk away feeling that they got a fair deal. I haven't done shares for quite some time, prefer to custom bale. I present the owner with a quote of what the estimated cost would be for custom baling, which he signs off on. Last time I did shares is when I did not own any equipment and went with 50/50 split. The following year I started buying equipment and baled my own hay. Good friend down the road that has acreage but no equipment asked me what type of deal we can make. I ran through the options:

1. 50/50 split, he pays the inputs, I supply the equipment

2. 60/40 split, halves on fertilizer

3. 75/25 split, I pay for fertilizer

BTW, he currently has his acreage in row crops so he would absorb the costs of establishing the field.


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