# Mini square bales



## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Anyone here tried making and selling the mini squares? I am wondering how the Messick mini balers perform. Also is there a good market for the mini's .


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Maybe a dumb question on my part, what size mini's?

I see some straw "bales" being sold in the fall about 7" x 8" x 15", made with a modified old NH baler of some sort. See them at 'craft' stores (Joan's Fabric, Holly Hobby, Michael's, etc.).

Did a little 'research' (that's how I know they modify an older model NH baler), but couldn't find an accumulator/grapple system, so that I could mechanically handle. 

Larry


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Messicks makes a table model 4.5" X 6" . That is the one I would prefer I think. They also do the NH 273 conversion that makes a 8" X 11".


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

r82230 said:


> Maybe a dumb question on my part, what size mini's?
> 
> I see some straw "bales" being sold in the fall about 7" x 8" x 15", made with a modified old NH baler of some sort. See them at 'craft' stores (Joan's Fabric, Holly Hobby, Michael's, etc.).
> 
> ...


 Grapple!?!? I believe you just carry two under each arm and put them in the trunk of a sedan


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Was someone doing them about hr away from me few yrs ago.Had the bales in farm supply stores.Advertised on CL etc.Must of not worked out haven't seen the bales or adds around for awhile.

Need to sell in more of a metro area I would think.need more suburban housewives to sell any quantity Can't imagine a farm wife picking up some mini bales for ridiculous price in. The middle of farm country.Her husband wouldn't be happy!


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Yeah don’t see much info on the internet about them. Looks as though a few have tried them. One guy was talking about how great it was and then I see where his operation was for sale. Makes one wonder.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Not making or selling them, but have seen the price of them and wondered if I should .

A neighbor switched from fall decorations to Christmas decorations a few weeks ago and decided her mini bales and pumpkins should just be recycled in my newly seeded wheat field. Not sure what goes through the minds of mini bale buyers at times!


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## reede (May 17, 2010)

I would almost think you would need to be supplying feed stores or some such. I surely wouldn't want to be loading those in small numbers. And it looks like it would be mostly individual, by hand handling. But, there probably is a market for rabbits, guinea pigs, etc., and you could probably sell one of those little ones for almost as much as a regular square.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Hayjosh said:


> Grapple!?!? I believe you just carry two under each arm and put them in the trunk of a sedan


No, I wanted away to move something like 100,000 of them a year, to the wholesaler at maybe $5 a bale. Figured it would only take maybe 8-10 acres of straw. With a couple of years of doing that, I could retire (after completing my tractor collection). :lol:

I didn't want to be in the market of selling individual bales at $15 and have to feel obligated to carry one under each arm to the lady's oversized 4 wheel drive grocery getter.    With my luck, she'd complain about the chaff on her floor even. 

Larry


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I used to sell to a guy who bought one of the two seventy threes from Messick's, he would buy 3 * 3 straw bales hand feed it into the 273 And rebail it into Minis. We had an IH 1660 combine with an AFX rotor and he said that got the straw by Perfect he did not want it too fine or two course either.. he preferred straw that was combined before it got too mature and then field dryed. Worked out well for a couple years until he went to all organic and that put me out of the picture


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Might be some demand for the small mini squares out in the pot growing states in the NorthWest section of the country. Then you could sell "bricks". 

Regards, Mike


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Vol said:


> Might be some demand for the small squares out in the pot growing states in the NorthWest section of the country. Then you could sell "bricks".
> 
> Regards, Mike


Count MI in there now too. Looks like a new market for Larry and me.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

Ive done it . I made a home made one with a steel chamber and a block of wood on a leverage stick bolted to a table . Had plans of working up to a electric motor and everything ,,, but . I thought the small animal , rabbits and stuff , pets , would like the small alfalfa ,,,, NOT . Straw in the fall for decoration does well but its only a 100 bales . about 20 actual bales of straw . no market for it atleast around here .make sure you have a market ,,signed sealed and delivered .


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

siscofarms said:


> Ive done it . I made a home made one with a steel chamber and a block of wood on a leverage stick bolted to a table . Had plans of working up to a electric motor and everything ,,, but . I thought the small animal , rabbits and stuff , pets , would like the small alfalfa ,,,, NOT . Straw in the fall for decoration does well but its only a 100 bales . about 20 actual bales of straw . no market for it atleast around here .make sure you have a market ,,signed sealed and delivered .


 I think it may be something that fizzled ,you don't hear much about it anymore


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

What would be the target market? There was a guy within striking distance of us that got into the mini-square bale market. Google Bunnybales. He baled up Timothy for rabbits - as the name would indicate. You can google rabbits and bunnybales for forum results. I think he got out due to health reasons I read on one forum?

FWIW - we cut our bale length a few years ago from 36 to 30 inches - give or take an inch or two depending on the last charge of hay before the knotter cycles. These bales are solid, they are bricks as you may have saw from our video. However, they are lighter - the reason we shortened the bales. Majority of our hay customers can't wrestle a heavy bale, neither can my Wife and daughter. I ain't getting any younger either, so my back appreciates the lighter bales too. These short, tight bales are recommended by Deere for the kicker and hold their shape extremely well.

The reception of these smaller/lighter bales has been mostly positive - with the obligatory customer that's wants something for nothing - not worth that much, not standard size, etc. I lowered the price by the ratio of 30/36 inch, so making the same money as the longer bales, so I feel my pricing is fair.

I have picked up a goodly number of customers that have been buying these compressed bales at Tractor Supply for $20ish each. With my smaller bales, they get hay at a lower price, in a package they can handle.

Before I bought my kicker, I looked hard at the Steffens accumulators. They have a model, if I recall correctly, that will accumulate 15 of these shorter bales. When I retire, I may go that route.

Good luck & Merry Christmas!

Bill


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Understand leeave96. My Accumalator and Grapple work the best at 36” so that is that. Yeah the market for the minis probably is not out there. It was something to talk about anyway.


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