wildly successful crummy hay marketing

[Niji]

Just had to share this, as it really surprised me and thought some of you guys might also benefit.

Here in Va., the rain is killing us. I'm still trying to get down 1st cutting on 30 acres, and it's very mature. So, I've been pushing the envelope on the rain, and several acres got two afternoons of storms, but then I caught a break and got the hay tedded for a couple of days and up dry and no mold--although bleached and poor quality.

My clients (and myself) are horse folks, so nobody wants this, and it is $4-$5 hay usually.

I don't have a round baler, but a neighbor usually comes over and rolls up rained hay like this for me in 5x5's with netwrap for cattle. It costs me both in terms of less price for the hay being poor quality, and paying him for baling it.

So, this go around, he was tied up with his own mess, and I had just installed two new bill hooks in my square baler after a huge battle with the knotters, and had just before that completely rebuild the plunger, and wanted to see how it performed anyway. So I successfully rolled the baler and put up 150+ bales of the crummy hay, which I had to get up off the field and put in the barn for lack of any better options at the moment. With all the rain, I know I'll have decent 2nd cutting eventually and need that barn space so I decided to put that poor hay on Craig's list.

I listed as "Goat and livestock folks, this hay may be for you $2." I have been run over with goat people calling for the hay.

Apparently, when we farmers get crummy hay these days, we roll it to get it off the field. As a result, goat folks never have a chance to purchase cheap square bales, which I guess fits their handling needs better. I could sell 4 times what I have, easy.

So, I figured I'd pass this along since it might work for others as well to recoup some $ on the rain hay.

 

[riptides]

I feel your pain!

I have not gotten to my first cut yet. A probable total loss. Forty-plus acres.

Even the turkeys are moving out.

I'll probably mow it down and hope for the best on the second and third cuts. With all the rain I am sure the third cut will be of good quality.

I guess I can write it off.

 

[zzvyb6]

Have you marketted hay before using Craigslist? There seems to be 2 distinct kinds of buyers: The cost-is-no-object type and the scrounges. I still charge the same for rained and teddered hay as for perfect. When I deliver, I mix it up and give them an averaged price. The horses appreciate the "organic" marketting tactic, and the owners like that its made using "vintage" equipment.

Your bale sale should have paid for the billhooks, plunger bearings and welding stuff, though... Sounds like the 532 is climbing up the reliability stairs. There's another fellow posted recently on this topic that needs 532 advice. Pass it on !!!

 

[Niji]

I can say at this point, I'm exceedingly happy with the 532. (I'll go search out that other post you mention.) I'm going to switch back over to some 9,000 foot sisal twine for the next batch and see how that goes. I'm tired of the plastic everywhere, although it is working great. But having now been through the entire baler pretty much, I'm about ready to paint racing stripes and flames down the side.

I was mostly trying to clear that crummy hay out of the barn with the goat hay tactic, but your right...it will pay for the bill hooks and welding both! I'm hooked up and ready to start laying down some more hay this afternoon and see how it goes. The next 6 days are the best looking we've had for a month.

I've got one tedder arm that refuses to stay tight, so I've been considering a little JB weld on it--lock nuts, new bolts, various washers, lock tight, and long wrenches haven't worked. Other than that, I'm ready to get this cutting over!

 

[jimg]

The situation is the same here in TN. Its been so rainy that you need several days before you can run equipment on the field. By that time its rained again.
After a certain point its not good for anything other than a ruminant. I round baled by gamey stuff and will feed it to my cattle and sell it as cattle feed (less $$$ of course). I still have some horse quality hay standing and will mow that tonight...its already sold. I also had some really nice horse quality stuff rained on...and surprisingly have it sold w/o any advertisement as mulch. Go figure....

 

[farmerjim]

same thing around here in ct, all we get is about 3-4 days a week of showers and rain w/ only about 2 sunny days a week. its a no go on my hay as well. most is still very green but its laid down and getting a abit stemmy and headed out, ought to be fun cutting that w/ the old #8 sickle, at least i'll get lots of seat time. we've sold to some goat people as well some of the not so great 1st cut stuff. i've also sold some not so great stuff to a local pheasant/gamebird farm, i guess they use it when they de-beak all the birds. also alot of construction companies will buy the not so great quality hay or "mulch" hay, so that may be another market to tap into. good luck and hoping for better weather.

 

[pengs68]

Same up here outside of Albany NY. Haven't made one bale yet. Its turning out to be a year like last year, making 1st cut at the end of August.

 

[jimg]

The rain stopped long enough for the field to dry out and give a couple days to cure hay. I cut Fri. evening and baled mid-noon yesterday. My neighbor round baled part and I sq baled the remainder for my other neighbor. I sure am glad thats done!! We had nice wether for curing hay....hot w/ a breeze. Its amazing how fast the sun can suck the moisture out of grass! The rain starts again today.