Custom Haying - Dealing With Large Orders?

[Rara Avis]

2,000 small squares is a pretty good chunk, most people using that much hay want big bales. Is this someone you know or a hay speculator? Starting to see more hay speculators around here, they want to buy the hay and leave it stacked on your place until they sell it in late winter. (anyone see what's wrong with that picture?)

Not in the East...Expensive horses and rich owners use small squares...

On the issue of the speculator...if he has BOUGHT the hay WITH HARD CURRENCY...I don't care if he wants to leave it on my property...If it turns to garbage and he doesn't want it anymore...I'd just mulch it for nothing and sell the compost...

 

[charlz]

Not in the East...Expensive horses and rich owners use small squares...

Yeah but that is about 70 tons on the conservative side (70lb bales)... that is a lot of hay to handle in small bales which is why most people dealing with those numbers go large squares or rounds.

On the issue of the speculator...if he has BOUGHT the hay WITH HARD CURRENCY...I don't care if he wants to leave it on my property...If it turns to garbage and he doesn't want it anymore...I'd just mulch it for nothing and sell the compost...

I guess it depends on the price... most try to chisel you down and then want 'rent free' space for 6-8 months. If your of mind you can do your own speculating.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Yeah but that is about 70 tons on the conservative side (70lb bales)... that is a lot of hay to handle in small bales which is why most people dealing with those numbers go large squares or rounds.

Most of my customers are women. They want small square bales and they want them light (40 lbs). They like to be able to feed their horses by the flake where as large square bales and round bales are designed for mass feeding. The horse owners here feed individually.

It is a lot of work putting the hay up but once it is there it is a lot easier for them to feed out.

 

[chh]

I looked at picking up a square baler over the winter to go with my round baler because I had several people with horses who were buying round bales ask if I could/would make and sell squares. I have space to store it but the barn is too low for a stackwagon and help is too hard to find, the customers only have space available for small amounts, so that cut into any plans for selling it direct from the field(which would be the way I would prefer). I decided to pass on the squares and instead will turn some of the best hay in smaller 5x4 rounds for horse owners and store it inside. The lighter rounds will be easier for them to roll out of the back of a pickup or off of a small trailer and I am set up to handle and store them already.
Robert has a lot of experience with the square and offers good advice. I'd sure recommend starting off with smaller quantities and working up until you are comfortable and confident in your equipment and techniques.

 

[charlz]

Most of my customers are women. They want small square bales and they want them light (40 lbs). They like to be able to feed their horses by the flake where as large square bales and round bales are designed for mass feeding. The horse owners here feed individually.

It is a lot of work putting the hay up but once it is there it is a lot easier for them to feed out.

Yep, my hay goes to horse owners as well. As a kid all you saw (and I saw way too many of them) were small square bales. I've seen the 40lb bales in the Farm and Garden stores.... $7 a pop! they are banded with strapping versus twine or wire. Can't imagine keeping a hay burner or three stoked at those hay prices.

 

[Rara Avis]

Yep, my hay goes to horse owners as well. As a kid all you saw (and I saw way too many of them) were small square bales. I've seen the 40lb bales in the Farm and Garden stores.... $7 a pop! they are banded with strapping versus twine or wire. Can't imagine keeping a hay burner or three stoked at those hay prices.

Then you can't imagine that they spend 75K+ for horses either...

When Devon occurs in September...there are millions of dollars worth of horse flesh and this is NOT horse racing...

Heck, the Adult Amateur Riders have Grooms...that they pay out of their pocket...

There is a definite difference in horse ownership on the East Coast compared to Idaho...

 

[slowzuki]

Neighbour sells 40,000$ colts to the midwest for training. Can't even ride the darn things yet.

 

[flusher]

Yep, my hay goes to horse owners as well. As a kid all you saw (and I saw way too many of them) were small square bales. I've seen the 40lb bales in the Farm and Garden stores.... $7 a pop! they are banded with strapping versus twine or wire. Can't imagine keeping a hay burner or three stoked at those hay prices.

Strapped bales--interesting. I assume this is standard strap banding used for shipping.

Is there a tow-type baler on the market does this type of strapping?

Or is this strapping done with some type of stationary baler?

 

[charlz]

Strapped bales--interesting. I assume this is standard strap banding used for shipping.

Is there a tow-type baler on the market does this type of strapping?

Or is this strapping done with some type of stationary baler?

I don't know..... it is the only place I have seen them. I assume it is done with a stationary baler. Good-looking hay, doesn't look weather exposed at all and it comes neatly stacked/wrapped on pallets. Somewhere there must be a 'hay factory' where they process big bales into itty-bitty bales and sell them for a premium.

 

[WTA]

I wish I could find someone to order this many bales from us.
I am just starting to do all of my own cutting and baling here in about a week when my alfalfa is ready. My Giant Bermuda field will be ready in about 2 weeks. This will be an interesting move for our little farm business. Good luck handling your buyers. Horse people down here are what made me get out of the boarding business. We just had too many unstable customers if you know what I mean. Horse quality hay is what I do now. Instead of offering grazing here, I'll just sell the hay instead. Hopefully the people will be easier to deal with now.