Who’s cutting hay?

[5030]

I wouldn't attach sq baler & start my tractors engine for $0.25 per bale even back when I owned a sq baler. I got $1.00 just to small sq bale only. Baling 5000 small sq bales per day is very impressive if it REALLY happened! That's 400 bales per hr for a solid 12.5 hrs.

It did 5 years ago, combined by a Case rotary with a output concentrator on the back end. Nice straight 1/4 mile long windrows. The 575 was spitting a bale every 10 feet or so. The 575 was NH's high capacity square baler. Sure glad I didn't have to handle them but then straw bales are pretty light to begin with. If I remember correctly, it only missed 6 bales the whole time. I did small squares on a contract job for a local stable on around 30 acres of mixed forage as well (and I didn't touch them either (or at least not all of them). Did that on shares, I got half, they got half and I usually round baled my share. Finally told them I wasn't interested and told them to find someone else. I presume they did. Finding anyone to run small squares around here is difficult. No many operators around here run forage. Mostly row crops and truck farms.

Only thing I never liked about the 575 was the weight and mass of the plunger when making turns on the headlands. It would throw the tractor around a bit.

Right now, I'm running everything I want to run and don't want any more. Was offered 2 more fields last fall from the farmer that rents the land for row cropping adjacent to the 4 fields I do in the adjoining county that are owned by our veterinarian. He owns 450 acres most of which are row cropped by a land renter. He owns no equipment at all except a smaller IH gas tractor and a shredder.

Gonna stand them up today and bale them tomorrow. No rain and hot here with a nice dry down breeze. Need to get the rotary rake on the back of one of the tractors and go to work. Perfect hay weather. Been patiently waiting for weeks for a good slot.

 

[5030]

I wouldn't attach sq baler & start my tractors engine for $0.25 per bale even back when I owned a sq baler. I got $1.00 just to small sq bale only. Baling 5000 small sq bales per day is very impressive if it REALLY happened! That's 400 bales per hr for a solid 12.5 hrs.

I had no issue with it considering the total acreage and the fact that it was no touch. All I did was bale and keep the 6 ball twine box full of twine and ocasionally take my battery powered leaf blower and blow the chaff off the knotters. Back then, fuel was cheap compared to today. So was twine for that matter. I see net, like everything else went way up. I have 6 rolls of Bridon 52 over the edge net in the shop anyway. Actually, when I sold the baler on Tractor House, I gave the new owner 10 balls of twine I had sitting in the shop. I kept one ball to lay my garden rows out with.

Again, I never take pictures when I run hay, in fact, I never take pictures anyway. I take pictures of hunting trips I go on but that is it.

 

[5030]

Different strokes for different folks. I would never bale grass hay to be used for mushroom bedding either... , but then I guess if it's a bit wet, don't matter, mushroom spawn don't care, equines and cattle do. FYI, most of the hay on All Hay is last years hay, not current hay

 

[cat fever]

It's been cold here all spring. Finally getting some 80 degree days. I think I'll be cutting within 2-3 weeks, maybe next week if the weather holds out. We've had some rain but not a lot, I'll get better volume than last year. Right now I'm hoping for 100-3x4x8 bales. We'll see, 2 years ago I got 150 bales last year it was only 45.
Not sure where pricing will be either? Maybe around 100 bucks a bale.
Enough for now, I'm going out to lube and adjust the haybine so it'll be ready.

 

[Tx Jim]

FYI, most of the hay on All Hay is last years hay, not current hay

Last yrs hay is much better than no hay!

 

[Hay Dude]

Different strokes for different folks. I would never bale grass hay to be used for mushroom bedding either... , but then I guess if it's a bit wet, don't matter, mushroom spawn don't care, equines and cattle do. FYI, most of the hay on All Hay is last years hay, not current hay

Thats because you don’t live in the mushroom capital of the world, where millions of tons of it is used to grow mushrooms. Since I also make more feed hay than you, I also need to be a big producer in that market, too.
You see 5030/sidecarflip, your world isn’t exactly like everyone elses. Demand for different types of hay can be very large, like in my area, or very small, like in your area.

Made some large beef bales Saturday. Probably about 40 tons. Just got a text this morning from beef customer and they want all of them. $250/ton. You’d be in awe of making hay on this scale, but it would be a lot for you to handle.

 

[Hay Dude]

I had no issue with it considering the total acreage and the fact that it was no touch. All I did was bale and keep the 6 ball twine box full of twine and ocasionally take my battery powered leaf blower and blow the chaff off the knotters. Back then, fuel was cheap compared to today. So was twine for that matter. I see net, like everything else went way up. I have 6 rolls of Bridon 52 over the edge net in the shop anyway. Actually, when I sold the baler on Tractor House, I gave the new owner 10 balls of twine I had sitting in the shop. I kept one ball to lay my garden rows out with.

Again, I never take pictures when I run hay, in fact, I never take pictures anyway. I take pictures of hunting trips I go on but that is it.

Must be like the no payment books fable….

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm surprised horses in photo waste that much hay due to expensive hay feeder being used! My daughters horses don't seem to waste more than that & she has no rd bale feeder rings. I wonder if this hay was a little too mature?View attachment 750392

It’s possible. I think they are just being naughty. The stud on the left runs out to the bale and tears it up. She’s been a customer for 6 years, so I must be doing something right!
My customer refuses to clean up under the feeder even after years. Then she asks me to do it every few years. YUCK!

 

[Quickster2]

Finished the 2nd field yesterday. 273 total for my approx. 5 acres of hay. Horses will not go hungry now. Beautiful hay weather here this year. Glad it is done. Newly rebuilt wagon worked out great.

 

[sea2summit]

I'm surprised horses in photo waste that much hay due to expensive hay feeder being used! My daughters horses don't seem to waste more than that & she has no rd bale feeder rings. I wonder if this hay was a little too mature?View attachment 750392

Spread it on the ground or turn it into manure is all 90% of the horses in the US do. But it it pays some of my tractor bills so I won’t judge the crazy ladies…too much