How should I work out this split with my neighbor?

[2458n]

Bale kickers not used around here much. Only know of one farmer who has the wagon to catch the bales. Old neighbor said it was a good way to make manure-by passing the cows.

 

[Btown]

I don’t understand why people would want to pick up small bales by hand. The kicker is a great idea and if you want maximum bales all you need is one person on the wagon to stack it. You have to be careful doing this. I personally don’t think it is worth the extra 20 bales or so you can get. I have only seen this done by one farmer around me. The rest just kick them in the wagon. No risk of injury of a 40 lb flying bale of hay.

 

[LouNY]

50/50 sounds good for a bit but when you start adding up all the equipment expense not so good.
We round baled and wrapped for a neighbor some this year, his hay field, he mowed, he tedded, he raked;
we baled and wrapped for 50/50, round Balage and plastic wrapped.

 

[LouNY]

Bale kickers not used around here much. Only know of one farmer who has the wagon to catch the bales. Old neighbor said it was a good way to make manure-by passing the cows.

The vast majority of small squares around here have been kicker bales for over 40 years. we used to do 10 to 15,000 a year
Now its just 12-1500, the rest is haylage or dry chopped and quite a few round bales dry and silage bales.

 

[petebert]

Speaking of kickers... at this point I don't have remotes on my tractor. Got some other threads going on trying to figure out how to add them since I already have a loader. But back on point, which square balers don't require remotes. Looks like JD's are the only ones that require remotes right? Do all the JD's only run a hydraulic kicker do some have the belt style like the New Hollands? I'd much rather run a kicker than bale, stack, unstack, restack.

Those prices from Michigan State for custom work. It says $13.34/acre for discing. Do you suppose that's to get the entire job done or per pass? For example, he did 3 passes over the field. So it it price x acres x 3?

 

[aczlan]

Speaking of kickers... at this point I don't have remotes on my tractor. Got some other threads going on trying to figure out how to add them since I already have a loader. But back on point, which square balers don't require remotes. Looks like JD's are the only ones that require remotes right? Do all the JD's only run a hydraulic kicker do some have the belt style like the New Hollands? I'd much rather run a kicker than bale, stack, unstack, restack.

Some of the JDs have a belt driven pump to run the kicker, some of the New Hollands have a pump on the flywheel that runs the kicker. All depends on the machine. If you have a loader, you could disconnect the curl circuit from the loader valve and make up some extension hoses to run from your loader valve to the back of the tractor and then run whatever needs hydraulics off of your loader valve.

Aaron Z

 

[drueke]

It all depends on local supply and demand. Around here, the landowner usually gets nothing. According to the census 60% of the agricultural land in town is not used for any productive purpose. We have an abundance of land and few people to work it, people are glad just to get their field mowed for free to keep the weeds from taking over.

Hi,
Just saw your post about splitting hay crops. Where are you in RI? We bought a 12 acre home in South Kingstown and I'm looking at restoring the fields and am looking for someone to talk with about this and perhaps do some haying. Maybe split the crop?.
Thanks in advance,
Ray.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I have always split the hay crop 50/50.

There are a lot of hidden costs owning haying equipment, but there is plenty in owning land too. My property taxes have doubled in the last few years.

Last year there was a pretty good drought, so the hay tonnage was way down. I just paid the guy to bale the hay for me, keeping the bales for my sheep. I paid him $14 a bale (4x5 round bales) for mowing, tedding, raking and baling.

 

[D2Cat]

I have always split the hay crop 50/50.

There are a lot of hidden costs owning haying equipment, but there is plenty in owning land too. My property taxes have doubled in the last few years.

Last year there was a pretty good drought, so the hay tonnage was way down. I just paid the guy to bale the hay for me, keeping the bales for my sheep. I paid him $14 a bale (4x5 round bales) for mowing, tedding, raking and baling.

You got by cheap!!!!

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Hi,
Just saw your post about splitting hay crops. Where are you in RI? We bought a 12 acre home in South Kingstown and I'm looking at restoring the fields and am looking for someone to talk with about this and perhaps do some haying. Maybe split the crop?.
Thanks in advance,
Ray.

I'm clear across the state, right up against Westport, Mass.

I doubt you'll have luck finding someone to go halves. I used to have people hay my fields just to keep them mowed, and I had trouble getting them to show up when they were getting all of it. I found it easiest just to rotary mow to keep the weeds down, once a year is fine, twice is better. Now I make as much hay as I need and rotary mow the rest. I bought used hay equipment on CraigsList and got started for not a lot of money, it's not great stuff but it gets the job done. It's out there, you just have to be very patient as it's not often listed.

If you need hay, rather than going halves, I would try paying someone to bale for you. That changes the relationship. I would think you'd pay around $2.50/bale for square bales left in the field -- although that's just a guess. I get around 100 bales per acre.