Hay Farmers getting out of farming

[Fuddy1952]

Young people today have no clue how hard our parents, grandparents worked, and how the women cooked all from scratch.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Seen that video a bunch of times. She’s cute, but I’d rather do that than stack bales in a 105* barn.

I've seen that too...barefoot, cute and strong!

 

[Bearsixty7]

Seen that video a bunch of times. She’s cute, but I’d rather do that than stack bales in a 105* barn.

105*!, you must have had some air conditioned barns!
I remember a few customers barns that had zero air flow up in the loft once we got the first row or two of hay stacked to the roof and it had to be 120* or more. I still remember a few with less than 6' of height except in the very center of the loft and I was over 6' as a teenager as was my younger brother, then there were the roofing nails sticking through as well, those sucked!
Dad used to rinse out clorox gallon jugs and we would fill half way with water and put in the deep freezer, grab them in the morning and top off with drinking water and away we went to the hayfields. They would sit nicely in the corner by the seat on the old IH 464's and 574 in a burlap sack or in the floorboard of the pickup.

 

[ultrarunner]

Maybe each generation feels the pace of change is too fast…?

With all that’s going on the boarding barns still seem at capacity…

 

[Hay Dude]

Young people today have no clue how hard our parents, grandparents worked, and how the women cooked all from scratch.

Kind of makes you see how so many of todays utes are overweight & out of shape. Kids 50 years ago were so skinny!

 

[Sberry]

I am not dating girls with their own hay equipment.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I am not dating girls with their own hay equipment.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I have worked that out to the best of my abilities. Typically, my round bales last about 15-18 days for 2 horses working a hay hut.
I replenish the bale (remember, you charge $ for that its value added). I typically charge $125/bale delivered locally.
I’d rather do that than sell the bale for $75 out of the barn on a Sunday when I should be enjoying family/friends.
This took a while, it did not happen overnight. You have to talk your customer into it and its NOT for everyone.

The only delivery we are leaning towards is bringing a trailer to the customer for them to unload (And not on their w/e schedule). Do not want to be delivering ones and twos of rounds either. We are gonna try and convince a couple of our older small customers to get more storage and buy a seasons worth at a time. Small versatube type carports are not very expensive.

 

[ddbackhoe]

From the outside looking in the cost of hay sure varies around the country.

When I posted $28 bale it is the current price here at the feed store cash and carry and yes the feed store is closed Sundays.

The difference between 4.50 and 28 is quite a spread...

Absolutely, regional markets and availability affect almost everything.

 

[Hay Dude]

The only delivery we are leaning towards is bringing a trailer to the customer for them to unload (And not on their w/e schedule). Do not want to be delivering ones and twos of rounds either. We are gonna try and convince a couple of our older small customers to get more storage and buy a seasons worth at a time. Small versatube type carports are not very expensive.

That could be a tough sell, depending on the amount of disposable $ they have for one. Typically, small customers = small money, but it’s worth a shot.
If you have enough wagons, you could leave them a wagon with a tarp over it, but again, you should be paid extra. You are saving them from having to build hay storage.
If you have a pickup truck and someone wants 1-2 round bales, just charge them accordingly. They know small deliveries dont make economic sense and they should pay for that.
If you refuse them, some other guy may get their business.