Haying On Shares...What's Customary

[5030]

As the landowner, IF you can get someone to do it for 50/50, good for you.

Before I bought my own equipment, I was doing a 60/40 split with my cousin. (he got the 60) I supplied the grass, fertilize, lime, plus I did the cutting and raking with my tractor. (his mower and rake)

Now, I have well over $100K invested in tractors and equipment, and it's hard for me to turn a profit. I don't cut and bale for anyone else, nor would I even consider haying on shares.

100K is small potatoes.

 

[RickB]

we wont do 50/50 splitt around here at all.now days its 70/30 splitt if you can find a baler to take that deal.you would be better off to hire a custom baler and keep all the hay.

70/30 which way, please?

 

[Bigfoot62]

100K is small potatoes.

You're absolutely correct. Never claimed to be "big time."

Approximately $110 for the 2 tractors that I use to hay for hay production, two mowers, a rake and a baler. (doesn't include the cost of my third tractor, bush hogs, etc.)

My point was that anyone with a significant investment in their equipment will not likely be interested in wearing it out on someone else's crop. (at least not me)

 

[freewookie]

70/30 which way, please?

My 70/30 split is 30 to the landowner. But then again I don't have to brush hog it. I'm looking at eventually accumulating the equipment to do it myself.

 

[holeycow]

it was 1/3 for the owner and 2/3 for the worker around here for years. I would consider 50/50 in these parts fair now, although I haven't done shares in many years.

I just wish I wouldn't have had drought this year. Then I wouldn't have to buy hay.....1/3 of a crop doesn't make enough for the cows

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

We've had some pretty lively discussion on shares and hay production in different states. So let me get back to the original post, "What is customary in your area?" In my area of KY grass/legume hay is very plentiful in most years so likewise it is cheap. Most any kind of percentage split is unusual. We have next to no dairy farms and though we do have a good number of horse farms alfalfa is the hay of choice. Now before I mentioned "grass/legume hay" in my area that will mean most times 75% grass,(fescue, orchadgrass, timothy, or ryegrass) and 25% legume (red clover, ladino, or in a fall cutting lespedesa). In a previous post I mentioned a fertilizer blend I commonly use for this type of hay which included urea or nitrogen. Legumes do produce, or more correctly with the help of some microbes "fix" much of their needed nitrogen. Much but not all, and difinately not enough to suppy the needs of the surrounding grass. Because of clay type soils clover doesn't persist very long in hay or pasture ground so annual overseeding is common. I mentioned a fertilizer ingredient called DAP (18-46-0), it's commonly applied to alfalfa and bean fields. There is a ingredient called MAP(0-46-0) that was used years ago but it's not even stocked at fertilizer plants now. Ky is not Mn and is not Ny, things are different in different in places. It is what it is.

 

[farmer2009]

Soggy bottom outdoors is pretty close for what he has described here also. But then again it's not far to him. If we share it's 50/50 and landowner fertilizes. If we fertilize it's 100% ours. The land owner gets clean fields twice a year.

 

[bigbull338]

70/30 which way, please?

70% for the custom baler 30% for the owner of the hay meadows.

 

[arlen4720]

Soggy bottom outdoors is pretty close for what he has described here also. But then again it's not far to him. If we share it's 50/50 and landowner fertilizes. If we fertilize it's 100% ours. The land owner gets clean fields twice a year.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps saying the owner "gets clean fields". I'm not talking about ditch hay, I'm talking about tillable acres, put into hay / alfalfa for a crop. Of course the deal would have to exceed the 300 dollars per acre rent that we get for doing nothing.

 

[southerndeere]

We bale 86 acres on halves every year. We do half in round bales an half in square. We have never felt cheated an the land owner is very happy to have hay for this cattle.