# Custom baling



## johndeeregreen

Anybody know the going rate for cutting, raking and baling hay with net wrap is this year?? Just want to know if I'm in the same price range.


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## jdhayboy

I'm not really a custom hay baler but i did take on a man's hay patch about a mile from my barn this year. I'm charging $30 for a 5x5.5 round. He moves them off the field.


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## Tim/South

I am also not a custom baler. I do bale some for others though I try not to do so.
It depends on your area and what the market will bear.
Folks around here still want you to be $15 so they can sell it for $30.
If the hay will make 3 rolls per acre then I will do it (4x5) for $25.

I do not fool with other peoples thin hay. No one in my area would consider paying by the hour. I do not run a charity.


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## Nitram

Ball park here is 15 acre / baling 15 bale 5x6. raking is thrown in if doing the other two. Raking only 5 per acre. I cut for my own herd... but could be talked into it. Martin


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## JD3430

Doubt this will be helpfull, but I cut, rake, bale and store 5 acres for a customer for $5.50/small rectangular bale.


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## johndeeregreen

Thanks for everybody's input. Were pretty much on the same page, I'm between $20 and $25 a bale. I mainly cut Alesha and Bermuda grass for my horses, and I also sell it to the public. It's been bad down here in south Ga with a severe drought, only getting 1 or 2 bales an acre! And on top of that fertilizer is outrageous from what it use to be!! But the good Lord has bless us, we had 5 inches of rain scattered over the last past 2 weeks in 1 inch intervals which is good, we don't have no water standing that's for sure, the ground will soak it up as fast as it rains! Once again that's for ya post, hope everybody has a good day and God Bless!!


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## somedevildawg

I don't like to do it either but I will, but only by the hour at a rate 135.00 an hour. I don't have a lot of people takin me up.........if you getting two bales an acre at 25 a bale you are probably losing money


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## johndeeregreen

somedevildawg said:


> I don't like to do it either but I will, but only by the hour at a rate 135.00 an hour. I don't have a lot of people takin me up.........if you getting two bales an acre at 25 a bale you are probably losing money


 I don't do very much of it myself either, unless there close by, that's why i was wondering what everybody else was charging. I mainly cut my own hay and sell it to the public. But like you say if you can get a 135.00 an hour that would be good but I don't think we would have very many takers either!


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## somedevildawg

Nope....but that's the point.....if I can't take my $100,000 worth of equipment, my time, and my out of pocket fuel expenses and get 135......I'd rather not do it, you ain't getting rich at that. Cut a field 2 yrs ago for a guy....50 acres.....got 50 bales....at 20 a bale, took three days and about 300 in fuel....I'd rather be doing just about anything than that! Now if the field was fert. Like it suppose to be and produced 4 bales to acre it might be more than the 135 per hour, but you are at their mercy. I would rather decide my income than someone else decide my income. Be careful, look those fields over real good before committing, and if you've never cut it, careful for those landmines......just saying


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## Colby

5x5= 26.00 a bale. Two bales an acre minimum. 
4x5 23.00 a bale. Two bales an acre minimum.


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## deadmoose

Custom guy near me: 15 to cut 5 to rake per acre. Then 10 per bale for tight 4x5.


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## Hogleg

$13/ac to cut, $6/ac to rake each pass, and $12 each 5x5 round bale or 75 cents per idiot square. My tractor, mower. rake and baler together cost me $18K. I am not a high dollar equipment guy... My tractor is a 65hp 4 cyl diesel that averages around 2 gal/hr.


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