# Paying Grandkids To Bale Hay- How Much?



## skeet (Jun 10, 2013)

(square bales) How much should kids get paid to bale hay? My kids asked grandpa if he would pay them to bale hay. The past 26 years my husband and I helped and never took money. My kids are now 12 and 14 and want money for helping. Grandpa has a hard time getting/keeping teenagers to help and relies on us. It's a 2 hour trip to the farm so I want it to be worthwile. How much per bale or how much per hour is a fare wage? Here in town, kids are getting $20 for a lawn and $10 per hour to baby sit. The fields yield between 600 and 1200 bales each year.

Your thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks

Skeet


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Wow skeet, what a loaded ? ....I have my kids to help me and I pay them $10 an hour, but they're hardly worth it. At 12 and 14 it's going to be a coin flip as to whether they will be much help anyway...what exactly will they be doing? My son at 17 is allowed to operate equipment, modestly...that can help having another pair of pants in the seat, not sure they are old enough that they could be that type help, are they going to be loading squares in the field.....then you probably ought to be charged with child cruelty......just kiddin...but as you know from helping in the past, it's hard work and while I'm sure the kids will be of help, they may not be the type help granddad needs....if it were me I think I would go with them a couple of harvests and see how it's gonna go then see how grandad pays them....he may not pay them what they need, but he'll probably pay them what they're worth....as you probably know, the margins in hay are slim at best, if he pays too much he's not gonna be able to make a dollar, if he pays too little he probably will think he'll risk hurting feelings with the grandkids, no need to worry about hurt feelings with a non-kin worker....are they going to stay over for a few days during harvest? If so he will probably have them doing other chores as well.....at the end of a few days work and a few days of being fed and gaining valuable experience from their grandad and spending oh so precious time with grandad, if they left after a harvest and had a $100 bill in their pocket I would think that would be great, for the kids and him....my o2

Btw, enter your location in your profile, not that it matters with this question, loading squares is hard work no matter where you live....good luck and welcome to HayTalk


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

My boys are 12 and 15. 15 year old is about ready to drive anything and the 12 year old thinks he can. Mine get the same thing my dad paid me at that age, 21.50 per week. That's 21 meals and $0.50 spending money. Of course I did accumulate a little sweat equity and dad gave me the 250 acres he owned.


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## skeet (Jun 10, 2013)

somedevildawg and haybaler101 thanks for the reply. The kids and I did 400 bales last year in 3 short afternoons in 103 temps. Grandpa drove and fixed the tractor and we stacked the hay on wagons then restacked into the barn. Yes it is child cruelty!!! but the kids are capable and willing (for pay). I'm 51 and grandpa is 82 so no one is in the way or slowing the process. After the first 400 everything can stay on trailers to be sold or fed off of. As said before, grandpa has a hard time getting/keeping help. Could be what he is paying or simply that it is HARD work. The 2 kids and I can keep up with the tractor..... They are just wanting to count their chicks ($) before they hatch and dream about what they can buy

Thanks

Skeet


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I'm paying my guys 10 bucks an hour. Which going rate on the big farms around here are minimum wage like $7.85/hr. I know how hard it is stacking and handling bales, what i have done is weeded out the bad ones. The guys that want to work and appreciate the money are the ones that say, call me anytime you need help. If it's a long 7 or 8 hr day baling i give um a little extra, i grew up as a young kid getting paid to work hard. The money just made me want to work more and harder. I believe it's really just all in the person and there will. I'm only 27 yrs old but i have worked my butt off since i was 12 years old, had my first payment at 12 on a new polaris 500 sportsman atv. Kids now a days don't know what work are and most turn there knows up after working one day throwing bales around for 10 bucks an hour, there not worth my time if they can't handle it, they just want to flip burgers or sit at home and play video games. The amount of pay doesn't really matter i feel. If they want to work then they'll do it for free for the family. Then if they take interest and bust there butts then give um a little something. Just my .02cents


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Was that 3 on a wagon keeping up with grandpa? $10 sounds way high to me. Especially for a 12yo unless he has been in the gym for a couple years. My $0.02. Probably worth less.


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## hayward (Jan 26, 2012)

Man, I musta been on wrong farm growing up? All I got was food n cloths! Never knew ther was anything other than working! No harm meant, I know things are a lot diff nowadays. I'm raising two grandchildren(11n9), I don't pay them by hr, nor do I use them as free help. If they put effort into doing a good job then award they have earned. I want them to know that work is a basic of a good life. Ok, yes I do give in an buy them pretty much want they want, lol. (4whlr, fishing poles,tak em hunting,ice cream after church, etc etc etc) I know, r r red red red *******! I do not buy them video games!!! I want them to know how to work n enjoy working, because when they grow up they better. Again no harm meant n nothing wrong with paying em, I (try) not to work for free when I can lol! If their hard workers pay em like they are! My 1/2 cent , ( P.S. farm boys can do about anything, working on farm is very good experience)


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

skeet said:


> (square bales) How much should kids get paid to bale hay? My kids asked grandpa if he would pay them to bale hay. My kids are now 12 and 14 and want money for helping. Grandpa has a hard time getting/keeping teenagers to help and relies on us.





skeet said:


> The kids and I did 400 bales last year in 3 short afternoons in 103 temps. I'm 51 and grandpa is 82 so no one is in the way or slowing the process.


Grandpa is 82 and is still active and healthy enough to work hay fields? Count your blessings.

At 12 & 14, the kids don't realize the treasure they have in their Grandpa. My opinion would be to get the kids over to Grandpa's as much as possible. If he wants to pay them, great. If not, still get them over there. Grandpa is not going to be around forever and the memories made in that hay field will stay with them for their rest of their lives. Some things you just cannot put a price on.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

RockmartGA said:


> Grandpa is 82 and is still active and healthy enough to work hay fields? Count your blessings.
> 
> At 12 & 14, the kids don't realize the treasure they have in their Grandpa. My opinion would be to get the kids over to Grandpa's as much as possible. If he wants to pay them, great. If not, still get them over there. Grandpa is not going to be around forever and the memories made in that hay field will stay with them for their rest of their lives. Some things you just cannot put a price on.


 Could not have been better said. I still help my grandpa do whatever whenever he asks and I don't ever ask to be paid because he is family and I should be helping him and know I can count on him to help me out too. When I was younger and I would help him he would give me a little money for doing a good job as an incentive but not because he owed me for doing a certain amount of work. Besides he bought anything I needed and most of what I wanted, what more could I ask for. Of course back then I did not think like that but now I see. Even though at times they make us want to pull our hair out we need to cherish the time we have with them as they will not always be here.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

If it is about helping grandpa go help. Ask him what is fair and if you think it is low chip in. If it is about the money keep them home mowing grass and babysitting. Those wages sound good for the kids.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Really mixed reactions to a complex question. I have spoiled one of my grandsons and my son jumped me about it. He said I wasn't doing the boy any favors in the long run.

I thought about it and he was right. What are you teaching the child?

I started out with him paying him $10 for every A on his report card and nothing for anything else. Reasoning was to encourage effort and the importance of a good education.

As he grew older, he wanted to buy things, like I did when young and had no way to obtain the money. I felt that if he had some money in his pocket, that he earned (no handouts per se) it would help to give him some net worth, improve his opinion of himself and help him along in growing up.

So, I'd have a little something to do around the place and have him help me do it and in doing so would teach him how to do things around the farm, trades he could use later in life....he was an urbanite.

--------------------

So you ask yourself if you did him any favors?

If I paid him too much for doing too little, I would give him a false sense of real life. He would scoff at what jobs would offer and may not enter the job force at all......this one didn't. I found out that he never worked a day in his life other than for me and was just a lush....living off grandpa. I quit paying his college and he dropped out. Son was right!

From the hard times standpoint, helping grandpa and developing that bond with quality time is all well and good, but a pocket full of change that you earned has it's ear marks too.

Guess it's a personal decision. What you think is right. You will have to live with your decisions later in the child's life. Course the flip side is what are you working with in the child? That is out of your control. Hope you make the right call.

Mark


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Well, I agree with the others, not an easy question.

When I was 14-16 in the mid '90's I worked for a farm stacking barns (no wagon loading) for $5/hr. It was mostly straw with a little bit of hay. Stacked 1-3k bales a day, some days 14+ hour days. It was money in my pocket that I didn't have before so I was happy.

From 16-18 I worked for a dairy farmer helping to put up his hay, loading wagons & stacking in the barn. He started me & a buddy out @ $10/hr. After seeing us work he upped it to $20/hr. He knew he could call us & we would be there in 30 minutes & we didn't stop until it was all in the barn. He paid us well, & we made sure we were worth every penny.

Now, I have a 14 year old step son & we are making hay & raising livestock. We have told him that if we are doing something that we will make money on we will pay him. If we are making hay for our animals, & raising livestock that we eat, then what he eats is his payment. I'm sure he would offer to do more if we paid him $10/hr for everything, but he usually works so slow if wouldn't be worth it.

I have also stressed to him that we do thing for family & friends with out getting paid. If my dad calls up & asked for help me & my boy would be there to help out. I would tell him on the way that Grampa has done a lot for me & us through the years & we are just returning the favor. I would also tell him that he is not to ask Grandpa for any payment, but if he offers a reasonable amount he would be allowed to accept it. If he offers more then $xxx amount he should refuse to take it.

In my opinion though our youth are getting greedy & selfish. It is more about what others are going to do for them instead of what they can do for others.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Fowllife said:


> In my opinion though our youth are getting greedy & selfish. It is more about what others are going to do for them instead of what they can do for others.


Hard to argue with that. While certainly it's not hard to find exceptions to that, the wife has a nephew in his late 20's the above statement describes perfectly and a niece that for the most part fits.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

I would think that $7/hr would be more than enough for either of them, actually too high for the young one. When I wasn't haying for my Dad and uncle, me and a buddy hired out to the area. We got top dollar for back then $6-$7/hr., but we also averaged putting up 1200 bales/day (just the two of us doing all the loading and unloading) if the fields weren't far from the barn. Actually, we worked for whatever the farmer could pay us. Some paid well, some couldn't afford to, but we kept coming back anyway because we liked the work.

Haying for my dad and uncle, got $4/hr. All this was in the late '80's.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I have an uncle that's ran cattle as far back as I can remember. He helped raise me, far back as I can remember I'd ride with him to open gates, help feed, what ever I could do to help. Sometimes he pay me to work, driving a tractor, build fence, what ever. I think about 86 now, still runs his own ranch, and I still help him whenever I can. If he pays me OK, but like I told my wife I could never pay what I feel I "owe" him for all the things he has done for me.

And yes there are others of his (grand- or great-grand--nephews) that when he would ask to help him a little that would ask "what you gonna pay me?"


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## T&LSkaarfarms (Dec 11, 2011)

I think I am with the majority when I say the experience they get is worth more than the amount of money in thier pockets. If anything, they will learn how to work hard in different enviornments, hone problem solving skills not only by learning the process but by paying attention to gramps' routine and fixing things. That list goes on and on. Probably the most important thing I think is when they look back years down the road they will likely say "Yeah, I use to do that when I was a kid" and be proud of it. I can't even begin to tell you all of the life lessons I learned from sitting on the fender of a tractor, stacking hay in the barn or cleaning calf hutches. I was about thier age in the early 90s and I think I did get paid, $3/hour if I can remember right. But I would have done it for free. While I do think it is important for kids to make money and there is a certain feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes with that, I think that many more lessons will come from helping grandpa. As far as money goes, I would say in that $5-7 range is plenty to expect. I mean really, where else are they going to make money like that... The other problem I have with my summer help is once people know what you pay everyone seems to want a piece of it. If I hired everyone that wants to work I would be paying $40-50 per man hour of labor to unload hay. I think we can all agree that that does not pencil out...Most adults I pay about $10/hour. Most of the time it is more than they are worth, but it keeps most coming back because around here that is a pretty good wage. My point is, you pay the kids to much and you may as well hire one adult for less. I doubt that throughout the day 2,3 or maybe 4 kids have the stamina to do what one good adult can. Hope this makes sense. At any rate, I am glad to hear they even want to help in the first place! You have one up on a lot of parents right there

Tom


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## SixesnSevens (Jun 19, 2011)

For unproven youngsters, I guess I would figure how long it would take two hard workers to put up 400 bales -- say two guys could do it in 4 hours and you (Grandpa) would be happy to pay them $20/hour. They would be working at the rate of $0.20/bale each, so that is what the grandkids should expect. That way, Grandpa doesn't have to worry that it is actually going to take them two days at some hourly rate of pay.


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## skeet (Jun 10, 2013)

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on the issue and stories. At 12 years old I wanted money too. I got a few bucks mowing lawns and babysittig but was delighted when a nearby farmer called up and asked if I was available to move irrigation pipe. My brother, age 14, had a full time summer job with that farmer. Min wage was about $3.35 and we were done in about 2 hours. The farmer paid me $10, the most money I ever made at one time. A week or so later he called and asked if I was available to help get hay unloaded before the storm hit. I was there as fast as I could ride my bike. The farmer paid me more than min wage and boy did that make my brother CROSS!!! This went on several times before my brother and the other boy talked to the farmer. He said I got a few extra bucks because I came over while he was in a pinch. He also winked and said the boys work much harder/faster when there is a girl trying to keep up with them. Mom found a Bible story that also gave some perspective. .....Ah, but back to the point. The kids want to EARN their own money, just as I did, And grandpa needs help. Win win right? At 82, grandpa can only work 2-3 hours. So today is an example: 103 was the temp. We baled 66 bales in 2 1/2 hours due to tractor/baler issues. It's almost a 4 hour round trip and we will try again tomorrow if grandpa feels up to it. The 12 year old is 5'8, 132 lbs. Both kids are hard workers and will give 100% of their capabilities. Spending time with grandpa is priceless, but hard work should come with reward too!

The farmer who who gave me 110% inspired me to always give 110%. By 13 I had a full time summer job and at 22, as a single girl, I bought my first home. I retired at 45.

Again, thank you everyone for your .02 cents !!!


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Excellent.....I think the members have given you some good, varied dollar figures. At the end of the day I'm sure grandad will pay them what they are worth, although old folk hav a way of living in the past when it comes to wages, pricing, etc. it's easy to do nowadays....seems the dollar has minimal value across the board, what was a dollar 10 years ago is $2.50 today....good luck this year helping grandad, sounds like the both of you are very fortunate.....


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