# Cost Of Baling Hay



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Illinois.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/cost-of-baling-hay-naa-university-news-release/


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Good article Vol thanks. It will be an eye opener when you look at 3 bales and realize its a hundred bucks in cost.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

With the drought here last year. I took one of my poor fields and worked out the cost per bale. Figured seed, fertilizer, running equipment, fuel,land payment and taxes. When I did the math it worked out to $180/ bale. A 4x5 round bale at 900 pounds. My average over all last year was about $80/ bale. It really hurts when you have a bunch of fixed costs and only 1/3 of the bales to divide the costs over.


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## chazhk (Apr 17, 2016)

Ok...I've already declared my ignorance when it comes to the hay business; I found this site reading a tractor review and became fascinated by what you guys do. However; reading comments you guys have posted I was of the understanding there are different types of "hay". Alfalfa, Coastal, wheat, oat, and maybe a few others or are they not considered "hay"? My father in law had 14acs that he let a guy cut for the "hay" but it wasn't a special type of grass that I know of.

If in fact there are different types, I'm assuming some would be more expensive than others. This article just refers to hay as though there is one type and one price, one cost. So if anyone has the time, and doesn't mind, please explain to this non-farmer. I appreciate your patience.

Also, the author states a cost of a bale sitting in the field to be $33.11. What would the average price be for a bale? I think he's referring to a 1200lb bale. Like I said...non farmer here, just a fan...


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Great article!

Check out the related articles as well:

http://www.agweb.com/article/hay-bale-size-really-does-matter-NAA-university-news-release/

http://www.agweb.com/article/hay-bales-are-an-investment-worth-protecting-NAA-university-news-release/

Ralph


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## gosh (Sep 28, 2014)

chazhk said:


> I was of the understanding there are different types of "hay". Alfalfa, Coastal, wheat, oat, and maybe a few others or are they not considered "hay"? My father in law had 14acs that he let a guy cut for the "hay" but it wasn't a special type of grass that I know of.


I'll start and others can chip in as time allows.

My definition of "hay" is a forage crop that you have to harvest, preserve and package up for an animal to eat at a later date. Until you do that, it's not technically hay.

I have no idea how many species of grass there are, but not all grasses will thrive in all growing conditions. Some grasses need cooler climates, some need warmer climates. Some tolerate drought better than others, blah blah blah and so on.

If your father in law would have allowed the neighbor to put a couple of cows on that place, it would be referred to as a pasture. As you described it, it was a hay field.

At least, that's the terms we use....


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

The only money I can make with round bales here is to feed them myself.

Not certain there is a profit at that with the current cattle prices.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

You can use math to prove any position you want to take. It's all in the prevailing assumptions you make to prove your point.

I can't count how many times I've read this article or that article or heard it said by so-called "experts" that there's "no way" you can "afford" to bale hay unless you have "xxx number" of acres, or head, or whatever. It's all in how you look at it and the assumptions you make about costs, inputs, productions, etc. versus prices of "bought forage/hay".

It all boils down to whatever works for an individual producer, whether he's a farmer, rancher, stockman, etc. If you have animals, you're going to need some sort of feed, period. Whether and how much you get of that from grazing, hay, or other feed/ forage types or feedstuffs, and the costs of it, depend greatly on your area and methods of procurement or production. If your producing it yourself, the numbers are going to be different, costs of inputs and machinery, land, labor, etc. are all going to be different. If you're renting land or own land, the costs will be different. The choices one makes as to inputs, forage types, harvest methods (which dictate machinery and storage needs, and then multitude of choices involved in that) all play into the equation.

The simple fact of the matter is, THERE IS NO *ONE* "RIGHT" ANSWER. The answer depends as much on who you're asking as what you're asking.

Later! OL J R


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Math looks pretty bang on from here as it states for a 1200 lb bale. When a 1200 lb bale sell for about 40$ here its hard to justify selling any.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

chazhk said:


> Ok...I've already declared my ignorance when it comes to the hay business; I found this site reading a tractor review and became fascinated by what you guys do. However; reading comments you guys have posted I was of the understanding there are different types of "hay". Alfalfa, Coastal, wheat, oat, and maybe a few others or are they not considered "hay"? My father in law had 14acs that he let a guy cut for the "hay" but it wasn't a special type of grass that I know of.
> 
> If in fact there are different types, I'm assuming some would be more expensive than others. This article just refers to hay as though there is one type and one price, one cost. So if anyone has the time, and doesn't mind, please explain to this non-farmer. I appreciate your patience.
> 
> Also, the author states a cost of a bale sitting in the field to be $33.11. What would the average price be for a bale? I think he's referring to a 1200lb bale. Like I said...non farmer here, just a fan...


The article was written about somewhere other than the arid west.
Haying practices differ from East to West greatly. In the West, tedders are rarely ever used. I have never seen one. Typically the guys back East have a shorter weather window and make more passes over a field trying to get it dry. Their costs can be substantially higher than in the West. 
There are almost as many different varieties of alfalfa as there are grass. Now we have round up ready, and a bunch of different varieties of that as well. Some varieties have traits suitable to different climates etc.
Input costs vary from region to region depending on land costs, taxes, soil fertility, and how modern the equipment used on an operation is. 
Selling hay is a crap shoot, and so is pricing it.
The problem most of us have is that the average consumer cannot tell the difference between Timothy and brome grass, or alfalfa and clover. Of course they all tell you what they want but can't identify it.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

Yes, here in the west we put up our hay with only the gentlest of persuasion!

On the wet side of WA they are more like the folks in the east.

A summer like this one in the Pacific NW has everyone scratching their heads ........ we have warm day and then a couple of cloudy ones with scattered showers .........

But unless you are in a great dew forming area little if anything is done between the windrower and the baler particularly with alfalfa ......... there would not be a leaf make to the old cow's belly otherwise!

I was tired of not being able to "follow" the swather about 20 years ago ..... the grain of the windrow makes a big difference in leaf shatter on dry hay so I added a curve to my bale chutes to shift the bales farther towards the windrow it had just come from and I then could get my larger tractors down the row and bale in any direction I wanted to ........ that is after I narrowed up the wheel tread as much as was safe.

I also changed sprockets to gear down my header pick ups so the teeth would not shock the windrow as much. I lost some ultimate ground speed potential on the balers but those conditions rarely occured and the shatter reduction was worth the small loss in high speed once in a while.

Now it's not that we don't or won't bale at "dark thirty" ...... it's that on a lot of our grounds, dew just does not form in a fashion that many of the members of the forum would recognize!

When the wind blows all night ...... it's hard to get even a thimble full of dew to stick anywhere!

So we purposely cut on wet ground so humidity transfers up into the windrow during the night ........ if we are lucky ......... and run the sprinkler lines up wind of our area to bale at hand. We get a drift of higher humidity all night long.

But on an exceptionally warm and windy night ...... it still is not sufficient ..........

Ain't hayin' fun?

Three 44s


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## gosh (Sep 28, 2014)

Lostin55 said:


> The article was written about somewhere other than the arid west.
> Haying practices differ from East to West greatly. In the West, tedders are rarely ever used. I have never seen one. Typically the guys back East have a shorter weather window and make more passes over a field trying to get it dry. Their costs can be substantially higher than in the West.
> There are almost as many different varieties of alfalfa as there are grass. Now we have round up ready, and a bunch of different varieties of that as well. Some varieties have traits suitable to different climates etc.
> Input costs vary from region to region depending on land costs, taxes, soil fertility, and how modern the equipment used on an operation is.
> ...


You put up small bales to sell to horse owners? If so, what are you getting per ton this year? What I'm curious to know is how the Game & Fish offer of $100 per ton has impacted your price.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Hasn't affected my price at all. I am getting 125/ton in the stack.
16 x 18 small squares.
That is us in the buyers guide with custom work also.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Price per bale varies by time of year as well, first cutting was easy to dry here this year, mow ted rake bale, the 25 acres I'm working on now has been tedded 3 times so far, got just about dry enough to bale and got rained on, mostly junk now by the looks of the 3-5 day forecast, so the cost of whats gonna be junk is very high. Can ted hay every day for 4 or 5 days here in September to get it dry, but generally last cutting sells for the most.


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## chazhk (Apr 17, 2016)

Wow...not quite as simple to figure as the article suggests. When you have to depend on the weather I guess the only guarantee is "there's no guarantee". Amazed at what you guys do and what you have to deal with but yet you prevail. God bless you!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all you guys posts and I certainly appreciate your help early on. I've learned a lot and can see you guys are like one big family. Like all families, not everyone agrees on everything all the time but you're still family. Being a non farmer I really have nothing to contribute nor can I offer much advise as your vocation is foreign to me. I feel like a taker rather than a giver (I think they call that Wellfare don't they). <_< Having said that I'm going to stick with my Oil and Gas forum; talk about no guarantee!! :huh: It's been very enlightening and a joy to "meet" you folks.

Take care and I wish God's best for you all.

Chaz


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## gosh (Sep 28, 2014)

chazhk said:


> Wow...not quite as simple to figure as the article suggests. When you have to depend on the weather I guess the only guarantee is "there's no guarantee". Amazed at what you guys do and what you have to deal with but yet you prevail. God bless you!
> 
> I have thoroughly enjoyed all you guys posts and I certainly appreciate your help early on. I've learned a lot and can see you guys are like one big family. Like all families, not everyone agrees on everything all the time but you're still family. Being a non farmer I really have nothing to contribute nor can I offer much advise as your vocation is foreign to me. I feel like a taker rather than a giver (I think they call that Wellfare don't they). <_< Having said that I'm going to stick with my Oil and Gas forum; talk about no guarantee!! :huh: It's been very enlightening and a joy to "meet" you folks.
> 
> ...


You sound like a haymaker looking for a place to happen. If this is in your heart, then find somebody and "neighbor up" to them. Help them out when they need a hand. See if you like it. It's not for everybody but maybe it's for you!


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

chazhk said:


> Wow...not quite as simple to figure as the article suggests. When you have to depend on the weather I guess the only guarantee is "there's no guarantee". Amazed at what you guys do and what you have to deal with but yet you prevail. God bless you!
> 
> I have thoroughly enjoyed all you guys posts and I certainly appreciate your help early on. I've learned a lot and can see you guys are like one big family. Like all families, not everyone agrees on everything all the time but you're still family. Being a non farmer I really have nothing to contribute nor can I offer much advise as your vocation is foreign to me. I feel like a taker rather than a giver (I think they call that Wellfare don't they). <_< Having said that I'm going to stick with my Oil and Gas forum; talk about no guarantee!! :huh: It's been very enlightening and a joy to "meet" you folks.
> 
> ...


You shouldn't be bidding farewell....stick around for the fall elections....we can be a very interesting lot. At least check in on occasion and let us take your pulse.

Regards, Mike


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

chazhk,

Don't leave just when things are getting interesting!

The truth of the matter is the saltiest hay maker learns something every time they go out and put up a crop! So don't discount contributions you can make to this forum at some point in the near future.

The first two requirements for someone to advance their chosen endeavor is having an open mind and humility.

If one is not open minded, you are toast before you even get off the ground.

And humility is an essential virtue. People with these traits learn from others and you've exhibited both in your above post!

Now members with more experience in a particular area would not join a forum and give observations, ideas and advice if they did not intend to help someone.

So don't think because you are finding yourself on "receive mode" ......... that you are not appreciated ........ quite the contrary. And if you chose to get your feet wet, you'll find yourself sharing experiences and ideas here sooner than you might believe.

Hang in there and best regards

Three 44s


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

slowzuki said:


> Math looks pretty bang on from here as it states for a 1200 lb bale. When a 1200 lb bale sell for about 40$ here its hard to justify selling any.


If you look at the big grain operators want to rent ground and work on $10 acre profit at 4 bales to the acre that's $28/ acre right in line with farming for exercise not profit.Machinery cost are the biggest variation, there are guys who do just fine with older equipment verses the guys with all new can very from $15000 or less to $200000 or more how can anybody but you figure the cost of your hay


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Beav said:


> If you look at the big grain operators want to rent ground and work on $10 acre profit at 4 bales to the acre that's $28/ acre right in line with farming for exercise not profit.Machinery cost are the biggest variation, there are guys who do just fine with older equipment verses the guys with all new can very from $15000 or less to $200000 or more how can anybody but you figure the cost of your hay


That is per piece of equipment btw, just in case anyone was wondering.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

chazhk

You might as well stay here and contribute your knowledge.

There are some very knowledgeable members that post here as I've learned since I became a member.

Jim


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

chazhk said:


> Wow...not quite as simple to figure as the article suggests. When you have to depend on the weather I guess the only guarantee is "there's no guarantee". Amazed at what you guys do and what you have to deal with but yet you prevail. God bless you!
> 
> I have thoroughly enjoyed all you guys posts and I certainly appreciate your help early on. I've learned a lot and can see you guys are like one big family. Like all families, not everyone agrees on everything all the time but you're still family. Being a non farmer I really have nothing to contribute nor can I offer much advise as your vocation is foreign to me. I feel like a taker rather than a giver (I think they call that Wellfare don't they). <_< Having said that I'm going to stick with my Oil and Gas forum; talk about no guarantee!! :huh: It's been very enlightening and a joy to "meet" you folks.
> 
> ...


Oh no you don't! Can't let you skip out like that. You've become part of the family. I remember one of your first posts that was so much encouragement. Not very often do folks see what you saw and if they do, take the time to say so.

Besides us needing encouragement, there will be topics that you will have knowledge to share. Not every question/problem from hay production is limited to things specific to haying; no telling what someone will need that you can answer. Even if you don't have the answer, asking questions in the conversation sometimes brings about thoughts that help either that specific situation or some where else along the line.

Shelia


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