# Bale Size vs Sales



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I've been making my big round bales bigger 66-68"x5 over the last few years to save on handling, net wrap, time, etc.

AND THEN....(drum role please), I saw that some of the local producers were selling more hay at higher prices for smaller bales! So, this got me thinking--If I baled 700# bales instead of 1300# and sold at a price/bale of $25 (hypothetical) vs $35/bale, would I actually be making more/ton in spite of the extra expenses? What is the cross-over point of bale size vs weight vs sales?

Most local customers in these parts seem more content to buy by the bale instead of by the ton, even though ton-to-ton comparison is a better measure. I've tried to educate people that by-the-ton is a better way, but....

I'd like to hear other people's thoughts and experiences of selling smaller big bales vs larger.

Thanks

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here the larger customers(feedlots) will only buy by the ton.So bigger the better.Less bales to handle.

And then there are a few people that just can't figure out why a bigger bale should cost more.Typically horse people.It has been a ongoing schooling process to educate them on how to use a calculator to figure actual cost per bale comparing a 800 lb bale to a 1600 lb bale.Finally after they compared how many days of feed they got from larger bale it has finaly sank in to most of them.

This yr I am going to make some 1000 lb bales for some that strugle handleing the larger bales.And think a 1600 lb bale costs to much.Sell it by the bale.I have a scale on baler so it shouldn't be a problem getting the the correct wt.


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## dixietank (Jan 26, 2011)

Down here I can sell about as many 4x5 bales in the 800# range as I can roll. Nobody wants the 5x5 or 5x6 bales because of transportation and handling problems. Our local DOT just looks for an excuse to pop somebody with an overwidth load.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I only make rounds when I clean up a field, but the bigger ones are harder to sell. It's usually sold by the bale around here. The typical buyers are goat and horse people (yes, for some it's "horse quality" hay) and once in a while, someone with a few cows. They don't have the equipment to carry a 1600# bale or to unload it when they get home. Then they have a lot of waste. I'm considering buying a round baler this year, but the biggest I'd be interested in would be a 4X5.


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## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

Around here in middle TN most of the round bales are sold by the bale and not by the ton. While I do think most people understand that a 5x6 has more hay in it most people want a 4x5. This is due to the fact that many people now own smaller tractors and just can't handle a large 5x6. I actually saw a woman the other day that had to keep a bale on her rear spear at all times just so she could move hay with her front end loader to counter balance the weight. I had really good luck selling dry (hay stored inside) 4x5 bales this past winter. I was getting 45.00 a roll delivered within 30 minutes of my farm. I also like having 4x5 rolls as they do not stick out over the edges of my trailer thus making transportation much easier.

Kyle


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

four foot wide bales are king in my area for rounds, and 3 X 3 square bales. The reasons for this are the same as mentioned above, from ease of transportation, to the end customer only owning a compact tractor with a loader.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

People in my area cannot grasp buying a round bale any other way "than by the bale". A 4X4 puff ball of dead ripe fescue should be the same price as a 6X5 rock solid bale of pure alfalfa, $30 per bale in a normal year. That's why all my hay goes out the door in 3x3 square bales priced by the ton. No one ever set a "per bale" price here on 3x3's and they are a relatively new concept in the area so people were trained with them to buy by the ton. Can't make the correlation to round bales. If I was selling hay in rounds here, I would make 4x4's not more than 800 lbs. I have a 6X5 baler, but it was bought to do custom baling not sell hay out of. I personally despise the site of round bale now, especially a 6x5. Too wide to haul safely, too ineffecient in storage and do not have the feeding options of a 3x3 square bale. I even have entire Amish community switched to 3x3's. Who wants to handle idiot bricks when we can use the skid loader to unload the semi!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Same here, 4x5 for ease of hauling. For some reason a 800lb bale sales better than a 1000 or 1100. It's not that people can't handle the heavier bales, I'm thinking most folks are used to the older balers that couldn't make a 1000lb plus bale unless the hay was wet.


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Most of what we put up are 4.5X4. Most horse owners want a roll that can easily be put in the back of a small pick up and then rolled out into a paddock. I haven't weighed any but I would guess they are in the 650lb. range.


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## eight (Feb 2, 2011)

In south central Texas, most are 5' wide. Some are called 5x6' but are more of a 5x5.5'. Rare to actually see a 6' bale. New JD baler will have that about 1800 lbs in coastal. Seems the most money can be made with 5x5', what we call "sale bales". People know there is more hay in a 5x5.5 but seem to underestimate the difference. Texas lets you go wide with farm plates, no problems with the width. We even have dump hay trailers that haul the bales side by side, so you're 11-12' wide.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

It seems that you all have pretty much confirmed what I was seeing--smaller brings more $$$$'s than bigger. I'm guessing all those customers failed basic arithmetic in grade school. So I think I'll bale 66" for myself and 48" for sale. (Hmmmm, I might even go 36" for sale.)

Ralph


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> --smaller brings more $$$$'s than bigger.


Get one of these Ralph: Agriquip.com: Star: Mini Roll Baler

Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Few yrs back a guy was baling some 2.5 x 3' soft center bales and had them at salebarn every week.Auctioneer would always say they are about 500lbs.They sold them by the bale.Someone finaly wieghed a load 300 lbs.They were paying alot more for these bales then sm sq bales were bringing per ton.

I think he had a New Idea baler that had a knife that you you could slice the bale as you baled cuttting a 5' wide bale in 1/2.You could make a 5' wide bale or 2-2.5' wide bales.


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

I have looked at the mini rollers at the farm machinery show and I think you could use a riding mower on them. It would be a good way to get your bale count up in a hayfield. LOL I sure would hate to get them out of a field. I guess there is a market somewhere for the mini rolls though. Back to the original topic around here in northern KY the 5X4 rolls are used more than the 5ft wide. They are easy to haul set two side by side and not be overwith and the hay rings most everyone here use will not hold a 6ft diameter roll. People here will buy a smaller roll first because less money per roll not figuring more hay for bigger roll and not much more money.


Mike120 said:


> Get one of these Ralph: Agriquip.com: Star: Mini Roll Baler
> 
> Mike


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

Ralph, Be careful with going smaller on the diameter as the bales look small to people. I guess that is why the 4' wide by 5' dia works well. It looks more like a big bale to people where the 5' wide by 4' dia just looks small. Just my opinion.

It's different with small squares, you can get by with a tight 34" bale weighing 50# but don't make a 42" loose bale that weighs 50#. It seems like they think they are being cheated when the bale is loose, no matter how long it is. People are funny a out some things.
Sam


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

We have a 5' wide baler. The bales we sell the baler usually stops on 63"-64". Bales that we keep are around the 70" mark. I have been seriously been thinking about going to a 4' baler because I truly believe that most people only care about the price you give them. The only thing keeping me from having a 4' is the fact that its nice to have the big roles to feed to our own cows. I do think i could probly make more money selling the smaller bale tho. The trade off is probly worth it, just havent made that switch yet.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Could always keep your 5' wide baler jdhayboy and goto 4'. I've thought about buying a old 5x6 baler jsut for making my own cow hay, but winter storage space for machinery is at a premium around here. I just crank the pressure all the way down when making my own hay.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for everybody's thoughts.

I'm getting the sense that the No Child Left Behind BS left them all behind. People just can't do basic math. I'm seeing were a 4x4 or 5x4 baler could have definite sales advantages in spite of the extra labor and expenses.

I'm going to rethink my sales strategy. But I will bale 66-68" x 5 for myself. I don't go 72" because I've had the bale get too big, too fast on me a couple of times and had a problem getting the bale out.

BTW: I like those little Agriquip bales -- CUTE! Those might work real good on my yard.

Ralph


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Yeah have thought about that mlappin... and still might go to that one day. We run a rakehand (the baler pulled behind the rake) and it would be a pain to have to unhook and rehook all the time just to bale different size bales. Its been about 5yrs since I have baled round bales with a different tractor pulling the rake. It would kinda funny ha ha. I guess in the end the decision comes down to how much labor you have... and its not to easy to come by these days. Especially if your trying to all these things in one day.


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## Production Acres (Jul 29, 2008)

Sell everything by the ton, get scales and be honest about it. You will sell more hay in the long run. 4x4 rd bales will sell a few bales but if you want to sell hay, sell hay, not bales. I know several guys around here that use a 4x6 baler and brag that they have a 4x6 baler, but they have backed the bale back to 4.5' in diameter. One day they will answer for that!


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## tbconnors (Jan 5, 2011)

Interesting discussion. I do hay in Grimes County, TX, just 25 miles East of Bryan. I have a Vermeer 5410 Rebel and make 4'x5' bales net wrapped. I do sell hay, but not a primary business. I have had my whole field rejected by prospective buyers when they find I don't make 5'x6' bales. When I do sell some, the buyers complain long and hard about wishing I had made larger bales because they have so much more handling. I finally had one of my customers weigh one of mine and one of a 5x6 bale that he got done on his field by a custom baler. My bale only weighed 46 pounds less than the larger one. I guess he was wrapping em loose for a higher count as he was being paid by the number of bales.

I frankly don't understand why people around here are so adamant that they need the larger bales. More spoilage, harder to handle etc. but I guess old habits die hard.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

tbconnors said:


> I frankly don't understand why people around here are so adamant that they need the larger bales. More spoilage, harder to handle etc. but I guess old habits die hard.


Yepp! I don't understand either---but about price. A larger bale has more hay equaling less wastage and less handling PER TON. But people around here think a bale is a bale is a bale. I had a guy yesterday turn down my 66"x5, second cutting, 11% CP orchardgrass at $35/bale because he could get fescue bales at $25 down the road (I don't know the size). Maybe I should run down the road and buy up my neighbors hay?

Ralph


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## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

It seems like no matter how good the product is or how fair the price is there is always "a guy down the road" who is selling it cheaper. I try to be as informative as I can with my customers in regrds to how much it actually costs to put up a high quality hay. I also stress that demand is SO much higher in the winter months that its much cheaper to buy in the summer as opposed to having a "Oh SHIT" moment in the dead of winter when you are out of hay and need to feed your livestock!

Kyle


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