Cost to mow hay field

[tude]

I have a 20 acre hay field that a neighbor takes the hay off for his dairy cows. With all the rain here in North Central Pennsylvania this summer he finally mowed this week. I don't think he is going to be able to use any of the hay as rain is forecast for the rest of the week. I will make an offer to pay his expenses for knocking down the hay and would like an estimate on how much it would cost me to have someone to cut the field.

 

[art]

Old hay can still be used for bedding! Don't offer unless it does go sour!

 

[Thomas]

Could base it on brush hogging rates in your area???

 

[Duffster]

I have a 20 acre hay field that a neighbor takes the hay off for his dairy cows. With all the rain here in North Central Pennsylvania this summer he finally mowed this week. I don't think he is going to be able to use any of the hay as rain is forecast for the rest of the week. I will make an offer to pay his expenses for knocking down the hay and would like an estimate on how much it would cost me to have someone to cut the field.

Does he normlly pay you for the hay?

Why would you pay him for cutting it?

 

[Builder]

I have a 20 acre hay field that a neighbor takes the hay off for his dairy cows. With all the rain here in North Central Pennsylvania this summer he finally mowed this week. I don't think he is going to be able to use any of the hay as rain is forecast for the rest of the week. I will make an offer to pay his expenses for knocking down the hay and would like an estimate on how much it would cost me to have someone to cut the field.

It has been a terrible summer for hay in PA. We just got a 3 day window of dry weather to cut last week.

 

[Negligence]

Not sure why you want to pay him for mowing, but that's probably three to four hours of mowing plus fuel. Figure out what his hourly is and that would be a fair price.

But I'm sure he will take the hay off eventually, otherwise it will prevent growth for next year if it's left there.

 

[tude]

I'm just looking for a ball park figure as if I had someone come in and bush hog it. I don't charge anything for the field since he has a use for it and I don't have to pay someone to mow it each year. I just thought I would pay for his mowing expenses (fuel) if the hay is unusable. Its cheaper than hiring someone else to come in and mow. His discbine does the job a lot quicker than rotary mower. I'll make an offer but I don't think he would accept.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I'm just looking for a ball park figure as if I had someone come in and bush hog it. I don't charge anything for the field since he has a use for it and I don't have to pay someone to mow it each year. I just thought I would pay for his mowing expenses (fuel) if the hay is unusable. Its cheaper than hiring someone else to come in and mow. His discbine does the job a lot quicker than rotary mower. I'll make an offer but I don't think he would accept.

The going rate for custom mowing is approx. $20 an acre for a piece of ground that size (at least in this area) A disc mower is capable of mowing at speeds unheard of for a rotary mower.

 

[mattman]

I would probaly not bring up the idea of me paying him to cut, when he usually does it for his benefit. I can see him cutting the grass for you, but he is not having to buy hay or pay rent on a field to make hay on. The weather is out of your control. I don't see how this is your problem.

My 2 cents

 

[Duffster]

I just thought I would pay for his mowing expenses (fuel) if the hay is unusable.

He only used about $10-$15 worth of fuel to cut that.

 

[Carykong]

really no need for you to pay or offer payment. I rent out 30 acres of pasture for $900/year to a fella that raises longhorn cattle. all he does is take the hay off the field. the renter assumes all the risk for harvesting the hay. i am just glad he keeps the pasture from growing up into weeds and trees.

 

[tude]

I talked with him yesterday and he intends to bale and wrap all the hay. He cut 40 acres on the weather report of 4 clear sunny days but the weather report changed to showers for the weekend. This has been a very cool and wet summer for north central Pennsylvania.

 

[SideHillBill]

Glad it's resolved.

If you need to know custom rates in the future, here's a website that does a great job of tracking them in the Northeast:

http://magissues.farmprogress.com/AMA/AM05May08/ama014.pdf

Not that it matters now - they list bush hogging at $21.40 per acre and mowing at $13.40 per acre.

The numbers are updated every year. These are 2008 figures in Penn.

 

[dex3361]

Have you ever considered how much the fertility of the ground is being depleted? If its done in PA like WV they cut the hay and never fertilize it or lime it. The land is being depleted of it nutrients.

 

[tude]

He spread manure over the entire field last winter. The hay was thicker but the weather prevented him from harvesting at the opportune time.

 

[pitt_md]

Does he normlly pay you for the hay?

Why would you pay him for cutting it?

My thoughts exactly. There is always the risk of not getting the hay up before rains set in. It just part of the process. If you are just giving him the hay then there is no need to make an offer in MHO.

 

[SideHillBill]

Tude - I say it was very decent of you to be willing to help out your Dairy farmer neighbor. Milk prices for the farmer are now about half of what they were a year ago. (About $11/cwt - I earned that much in 1979!). I'm sure he's against the wall like all other dairymen.

The conventional deal for land rentals usually is the tenant uses and pays for fertilizer at his discretion. The landlord pays for lime since it is considered a long term investment. Naturally it's up to the two parties to decide what the actual deal will be.

Again, my hat off to you for being willing to show some generosity and I'm sure it'll be repaid.

- Side Hill Bill

 

[LBrown59]

1*I would probaly not bring up the idea of me paying him to cut, when he usually does it for his benefit. I can see him cutting the grass for you, but he is not having to buy hay or pay rent on a field to make hay on. 2*The weather is out of your control. I don't see how this is your problem.My 2 cents

1 & 2* I second both.

 

[jas67]

It has been a terrible summer for hay in PA. We just got a 3 day window of dry weather to cut last week.

It has been a terrible summer for just about anything that requires dry ground. I have been trying to finish a little landscaping around my barn, and the ground has been too wet to do anything with for the last couple weekends. Of course, it dried out enough during the week, while I was at work, and I couldn't get home from work in time to work on it

 

[Builder]

Yep, the fields look like a wet mop most of the time.