# figuring up how much it would cost to run hay farm? net income ?



## tw30

trying to calculator how much it will cost to operate a alfaalfa farm per 100 acres a months and a year .

fuel cost-diesel-
seed cost-100-400$ per 50 lbs how many pounds per 100 acre ?
land cost-150-250$ per month for 100-200 acres of land 
equipment cost-tractors-balers-rakes-disc mowers-tedders-wagon-netwrap or twine-
fertilizer cost

all expensives etc to operate a hay farm , looks tough to get one started.

trying to figure how much hay i would hay to make not to go bankrupt

if i was left with 30-50k net id be happy

if i baled small 60-75 lb squares , its 5 tons per acre -10000lbs

5$ per bale -76,000$ gross
3$ per bal - 45,000$ gross

or 1000 lb rounds is 5 bales per acre 5x100-500=x50$-25000$ gross... i think i figured something wrong in that one









anyways how much volume do you need to make a living . i know starting out for awhile it will take a another job to pay for it

10000/65=153 bales per x100 acres =15,300 balesx3-5$ peice is


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## swmnhay

Just start with a million dollars and farm until it's gone

Here is some ballpark numbers for here.On a acre basis per yr.

Seed $20 ($80 over 4 yrs)
Fertilizer $100
Machinery $100
Fuel $30
Net,Insurance,supplies,etc $20

Total $270

Land costs $200

$470 acre total costs per acre per yr.

Your land costs are way more than you are figuring.


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## tw30

475 per acre -102,000$ a yaer for 215 acre . if anything sounds like loosing money

land is about 100-300$ month unless farmers get a specialty discount ?

10-1000lb bales per acre is x215 is 2150 bales at 504 per bale 50x2150 is 107,000
-102,000
=5,500$ net


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## tw30

i figured this

Hay farm expense

based on per 100 acre

land cost -200$-1 month - 2400$ 1 year 
equipment cost -300-1month-3600$ 1 year
seed-2000$-100 acre
fertilizer-5000$-100 acre
Fuel-3000$-100 acre
misc, netwrap,twine,insurance, etc 2000$-100 acre

18,000$ -100 acre ,360004 - 200 acre

gross was 107,000$-36000$=71000$ net


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## swmnhay

Land costs per $1000 acre

INTREST @ 6% =$60
PRINCIPAL $50
TAXES ?? $10

$120 acre X 215 ac =$25,800 per yr

Tillable acres?? 160??

$25,800 divided by 160 tillable = $161.25 acre costs per tillable acre.

Just taking a stab at it.I don't know how much tillable acres.Property taxes there,or how much you would want to pay on principal per yr.









Your 100-300 a month for land is not even close.


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## tw30

this land is not owned by the bank all owner finnicaing they want 500 down and 300 per month. another peirce of land is 109 acres and they wanted 300 down with 180 a month


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## swmnhay

So how much are the property taxes THERE?

What are the terms of the contract?

Interest?

Years on contract?

Is there a baloon payment?


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## tw30

i sent a couple emails, ill let you know .though our taxes( my dads) are pretty cheap.also if you live farther in the woods awya other houses it's even cheaper .depends alot on your surrondings here on what your taxes are , if you have a 50,000$ home and your neighbors are 90,000 your taxes will be more or the same, if you live by a road paved high, dirt road cheap , etc


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## tw30

anywhere that sells seeds under or around 1$ a pound? because 4-54 per pound is just to much to pay that equals out to 25k in seeds

oh do you figure 20$ per acre for seeds i figured 150$ per acre seeds ive seen are 3-5$ per lb 30 lb per acre is 150lbx200 acre is 6k lbs 
25k$


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## Lazy J

tw30 said:


> anywhere that sells seeds under or around 1$ a pound? because 4-54 per pound is just to much to pay that equals out to 25k in seeds
> 
> oh do you figure 20$ per acre for seeds i figured 150$ per acre seeds ive seen are 3-5$ per lb 30 lb per acre is 150lbx200 acre is 6k lbs
> 25k$


Dude, that is ammortized over four years!

$80 divided by 4 equals $20

Now, how in the world can you have land costs of $36 per acre on ground that will yield 5 tons of alfalfa hay?


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## mlappin

Look at it this way, I pay 80-150 bucks an acre for rent.

Decent seed is around 180-220 dollars a 50 lb bag. Plant 18-22 lbs per acre. Figure 20 for the average. So you're looking at $3.60 to $4.40 a lb. So 72-88 dollars an acre for seed.

Now for the fun part, what's your soil tests like? It's easy to say I'm going to spend x amount on fertilizer, that usually doesn't last long once you get your soil tests back. Does it need lime as well? Limes cheap, the hauling and spreading of it isn't.

Once you own this equipment, better get your self some insurance as well.

If your gonna sale to the horse crowd, might wanna make sure that insurance covers you if somebody gets a bad bale of hay from yah and ends up with a sick horsie.


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## downtownjr

Here are some spreadsheets that are helpful...now you have to set the numbers for you operation, but many of the numbers are correct for this year or in the ballpark. Lots of variables depending on where you are located.

AEDE


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## mlappin

Oh, one last thing and this one is truly a variable expense. Sooner or later no matter how well you manage things, your gonna get some insect or another that's gonna need sprayed. You'll either need to buy a sprayer then get a pesticide applicators license, or pay a crop duster or the local co-op to do the spraying.

I say it's truly variable as for about for years in a row, we had a crop duster come in about the 1st or 2nd week of May and had em spray for alfalfa weevil. Then after paying for it done for years in a row, the last two years we had no bug problems that required spraying.


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## jpruett

swmnhay said:


> Just start with a million dollars and farm until it's gone


AMEN... at the rate I am going it should not take too long.


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