I guess my prices are too high...

[Spiveyman]

The problem in dealing with the public is the public. Walmart doesn't mow fields, but everyone seems to want Walmart prices for everything these days. Slacker, stick to your guns. Besides your fuel bill and the cost of your machines, your time is worth what you put on it. If you'd rather not mow the guy's field for less than what you quoted then just tell the guy that he can't afford you and move on. Give him the flyer from the 10 year old kid down the street with a push mower! Then the NEXT time he wants it mowed he'll call you and be willing to pay.

Just curious, but is there an option to put up the hay? I figure you've got a business model that works well for you, and I'm not saying you need to alter that, but if it's a decent stand of grass, and you can get 2 - 3 bales/acre or more, hay is insane expensive these days. 20 acres X 3 bales @ $30/bale = $1800, and hay around here is more like $60+. Granted it's more time, and more equipment that you may not have, but if you only charged $30/hr for the cutting (half price to that guy) is seems like you could still come out ahead. Maybe not, like I said it's your business, I won't presume to tell you how to run it, but it KILLS me to think of 20 acres of knee high grass gettin' bush hog'd. My cows are licking their lips as they read over my shoulder.

 

[daTeacha]

Spiveyman -- interesting comments about hay. Many of the dairy operators around here are getting away from making their own hay. They analyze the cost of maintaining equipement that may be aging, fuel, time, etc. and compare it with the cost of buying it, and end up raising crops like corn, wheat, and beans and buying the hay. One guy milks 700 head and doesn't own enough land to even begin making his own hay. A guy who rents about 80 acres from us and milks 200 is getting out of hay making while still wanting to rent more ground for other things.

Pinemountain -- just noticed your donkey. We have a couple miniatures to protect the sheep from dogs and coyotes and such. What size is yours? The adults cost about $100 to $150, but the foals can bring as much as $750 at the right sale or the fair since they're so "cute" -- go figure that one out. It makes my wife give serious thought to getting out of the sheep business and into the donkey business.

 

[Kendall69]

You also have to figure the phone call was from your competition, or from a guy trying to get into the business, and just bustin your chops.

 

[Spiveyman]

Spiveyman -- interesting comments about hay. Many of the dairy operators around here are getting away from making their own hay. They analyze the cost of maintaining equipement that may be aging, fuel, time, etc. and compare it with the cost of buying it, and end up raising crops like corn, wheat, and beans and buying the hay. One guy milks 700 head and doesn't own enough land to even begin making his own hay. A guy who rents about 80 acres from us and milks 200 is getting out of hay making while still wanting to rent more ground for other things.

Yeah, I'm not proposing anyone raise hay as a cash crop, but if you are already mowing tall grass as a business, there might, and I emphasize might, be a way to optimize profits by making hay. You can't plan your business for years of extreems, but around here I'd imagine you'd have a hard time if your plan was to raise wheat or beans and buy hay for cattle. Besides the fact that your cash crop did not likely yield much if anything, the cost of hay is rediculous, and that's only when you can actually find anyone willing to sell it. But certainly there are more economical ways to use land than for hay. We try to practice sustainable aggriculture, which means we want to be able to provide for all of our animals with the yeilds from our own land. That's not a "business" decision. We could optimize profits by stacking more cattle on the land and buying feed. That's more of a principle decision of the way we want to do things. I have no problems going the feed lot rout, there's money in it, this is just how we want to do it with our own lands. We'll lease more land when we need it.

 

[pinemountainman]

daTeacha;
She is a lg standard and her girl-friend is a small standard.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Ther'es less money in hay than in shredding (which isn't much)

hmmm, so I need to come 2 or 3 times to do hay
I need 3 different pieces of equipment and of course your land actually needs to be clear
we could still zero if it rains (or doesn't) and the equipment is more than just a shredder.
TERRIBLE business.
Oh, plus the one year you finally get a lot of hay, it means everyone got hay so the price is way low.
I can see people's face's now when I tell them what it would cost to hay 5 acres.

 

[lawn_king]

Good for you slacker, you get your price or let someone else go out and work for peanuts! Here (boston) we have highest cost of living in the USA, even higher than hawaii. I like to get $100. per acre, however, on a 20 acre feild with no hazzards, i would do it for $1500. People will be jumping ugly on me any second now, if they lived here, they would charge the same. Example, a client hires me to spray a field, i show up on time with the product, well maintained equipment, wearing a uniform, driving a well maintained, lettered truck, massachusetts pesticide licence and health card in my wallet and a 1 million dollar liability/pollution liability insurence policy backing me up! That is why i have to get $100. - $150. per acre. The guy down the street is fine and dandy until disaster strikes!

 

[Oleozz]

My neighbor just had his fields custom mowed, the rate was $50 per hour or $12 an acre. This was done with a 15 ft batwing.

 

[GaryCrowell]

My neighbor just had his fields custom mowed, the rate was $50 per hour or $12 an acre. This was done with a 15 ft batwing.

That sounds about right. I'd be downright ashamed to ask someone $60 an acre for bush hogging open fields. Of course, if someone is dumb enough to pay that price then they deserve what they get.

 

[Rara Avis]

Yeah, I'm not proposing anyone raise hay as a cash crop, but if you are already mowing tall grass as a business, there might, and I emphasize might, be a way to optimize profits by making hay. You can't plan your business for years of extreems, but around here I'd imagine you'd have a hard time if your plan was to raise wheat or beans and buy hay for cattle. Besides the fact that your cash crop did not likely yield much if anything, the cost of hay is rediculous, and that's only when you can actually find anyone willing to sell it. But certainly there are more economical ways to use land than for hay. We try to practice sustainable aggriculture, which means we want to be able to provide for all of our animals with the yeilds from our own land. That's not a "business" decision. We could optimize profits by stacking more cattle on the land and buying feed. That's more of a principle decision of the way we want to do things. I have no problems going the feed lot rout, there's money in it, this is just how we want to do it with our own lands. We'll lease more land when we need it.

Why haying is dying...
Used JD 328 Baler with 42 Kicker about $10000
Used JD 1219 Haybine about $1700
Used NH Rake about $900
Used Tedder about $1200
Used Bale Wagons about $1000 per...need about 3 wagons per 5 acres with minimal barn loading crew