Hay Making on a Different Scale

[Hay Dude]

Unless mix of clover, timothy, trefoil packs a lot tighter than Coastal Bermuda I'm doubtful 4X4 rd bale will weigh 900#s. Due to my many experiences from having custom round baled hay for for 36 yrs I'll bet those 4X4 grass rd bales if moisture is below 16-18% will struggle to weigh 800#s. I think most 4X5 grass rd bales struggle to get much over 900-950#s if moisture is below 16-18%. One things for sure a certified scale would reveal the actual weight of the bales.

I decided I'm not going to fertilize & bale hay next yr for 1st time in 38 yrs & I purchased 111 bales of 4X5.5 fert/weed controlled Bermuda grass for $30 per bale and for some fertilized small stem Sudan/haygrazer for $20 per 4X5 bale delivered to my place. The hay owner just wanted the rd bales gone before the end of the year. The price I paid was his price not my idea.

Jim, that’s tough for me to read. Hate to see you slowing down, but it all catches up with us sometime…
What will you do, just mow fields with a mower? Or are you allowing someone else to take over haying operations?

 

[Tx Jim]

I let a friend assume leases on my hay fields. I still have some pasture & some cows.

I had to have a vet out yesterday that cow had calf day before yesterday & the cow was unstable when standing especially in hindquarters.

I suspect cow had milk fever but vet didn't confirm or deny that fact. She also had watery diarrhea. I'm still stumped on what caused the diarrhea. Maybe the Sudan hay I purchased but I've fed over 10 bales of the Sudan so far & non of my other cows have diarrhea.

I just hope cow & calf is still OK after sun comes up. Due to my disability & instability I will not venture out in the dark.

I just can't wait to find out how much my vet bill will be.

 

[LHF2019]

It’s rare to see a 4x4 round bale weigh 900lbs. Most 4x5’s barely weigh 900lbs.
$35 is selling at a terrible loss. I remember when I thought I was losing money on 4x5 round bales if they were less than $75.




Again, shockingly low prices. Those would be our prices in the 1980’s & 90’s. Round bales selling for $20 bucks? Are you kidding me?

Unless mix of clover, timothy, trefoil packs a lot tighter than Coastal Bermuda I'm doubtful 4X4 rd bale will weigh 900#s. Due to my many experiences from having custom round baled hay for for 36 yrs I'll bet those 4X4 grass rd bales if moisture is below 16-18% will struggle to weigh 800#s. I think most 4X5 grass rd bales struggle to get much over 900-950#s if moisture is below 16-18%. One things for sure a certified scale would reveal the actual weight of the bales.

I decided I'm not going to fertilize & bale hay next yr for 1st time in 38 yrs & I purchased 111 bales of 4X5.5 fert/weed controlled Bermuda grass for $30 per bale and for some fertilized small stem Sudan/haygrazer for $20 per 4X5 bale delivered to my place. The hay owner just wanted the rd bales gone before the end of the year. The price I paid was his price not my idea.

I know the 4x4's I weighed were around 640. Late 1st cutting. 4x5's were 840. We have a dummy email for various reasons so I reached out to the craigslist ad and I got the response I expected. 2nd time I have done this to find the seller using the weights in the specification. This time the guy was a little more friendly. The first time I called out an ad the guy didn't like it.

My inquiry

That's a great deal but..............."dry" 4x4's do not weigh close to 900 lbs.

Curious how you base your bale weights?

Do you have certified scale weigh slips confirming this?

A true 4x4 bale range from 500-600 lbs. pending moisture and crop maturity. A true 4x5 is in the range of 850 lbs.

Based on pictures of your hay and how it looks:

They were made with a fixed chamber baler

Either these are not true 4x4 or you are falsely advertising your crops.

His response.

I base the bale weight based on the manual of the baler... According to the manual of my baler (it's an OMC 590 Drum baler) , the average bale weight is 850 lbs when packed at 3000 PSI + or -. So based on that, the advertising of my bales would be correct, as I pack my bales at 3000 PSI.

 

[Tx Jim]

Vet bill for cow was $337. Cow seems to be doing better but she appears to be not giving calf much milk. I think I'll let my Granddaughter raise it on a bottle & send cow to sale barn after affects of medicine has left her body. My GD raised a similar calf from a similar situation in 2016 on a bottle that belongs to her that in my pasture today. My GD's cow should calve the 6th or 7th time again by end of this year. My GD lives very close & helps me put out rd bales by removing the netwrap.

 

[EddieWalker]

Nice to have family that helps out and knows what they are doing!!!!