I need to automate my bale handling

[ddivinia]

I know you're in an isolated area Robert but swapping some fields to corn or grains for a few years might be an option. Not sure how busy your falls are but it can spread the work over a bit more time. The big limit is access to custom combining. I would hate to buy a combine for just a few acres.

If I were in your position, I'd get a dolly for your trailers, a cheap ground drag accumulator, a grapple and try it for a year. I'd sell the thrower racks and thrower since you know you can't go back to that with your back. If the ground drag works ok but you have the usual ground drag problems, search for a kuhns. If it works terrible sell it and you haven't lost any money really.

My problem is I can't stand fields going idle so I'd have to have a plan for what to do with the fields such as crops or round baling and finding new customers. With a 5x5 baler you'd be able to put up 2000 square bales equivalent on your own in a day. Just doesn't make you money like that many squares.

Changing from grass to corn and then back can be very expensive. It can take years to get a grass field into really good shape.

Maybe have a custom baler do the haying and see how that works out is an option?


D.

 

[ddivinia]

Also - I have been looking at it and the Haymaster seems to be top notch. I am debating if I want to mess with squares at all. Storage is the big hassles and that is after you figure out the moving aspects, etc.

D.

 

[Rara Avis]

Well, you are not in the East, so you have options...we have horse people so it is small bales for us...

Hay Tech

Current prices for the Hay Master 08 Convertable Bale Accumulator:

8-bale: $7000
10-bale: $9000
12-bale: $8000
Current price is $2500 plus freight for 8-BG Bale Grapple.

Current price is $3000 plus freight for 10-BG and 12-BG Bale Grapple.

Not having cheap labor available, can be expensive...

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Are you baling alfalfa? grass? alfalfa/grass mix? I've been wondering for a while why you would want to use a kicker with a wagon and then stack by hand when you could use a bale wagon/stacker. Alfalfa makes super nice, tight bales which may be the answer.

I can see moisture/rain as a problem but you can pick up an awful lot of hay with a stacker wagon in a short period of time. I suppose bale for a bit/stack for a bit could get old.

Nobody does 'tie tiers' etc. here. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll go down the road and take pics of some really nice stacks the farmer down the way has. Just a backstop and a self propelled stacker. He delivers with a 'retriever truck' which has a bed similar to the stacker with hooks/grapples built into it. The retriever works like the one in this video but it doesn't pick up/stack bales and it works with small squares:

http://www.superhaytoday.com/balestackers/balestackervideo.html


Downside is definitely when using the stacker to put it in a hay barn, you need really high roofs and there is some wasted space.

Well, I do not have a barn designed for a stack wagon just yet and my baler came with a thrower so I kept with that system. It is better then picking bales off the ground by hand.

I bale mostly grass hay with some alfalfa.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Changing from grass to corn and then back can be very expensive. It can take years to get a grass field into really good shape.

Maybe have a custom baler do the haying and see how that works out is an option?


D.

I have enough land I can rotate my fields without hurting my current production. Some of my fields have not been turned over for 20 years and they are in need of major work. I put in 13 acres last year and another 6 acres this year. without taking out any of my current fields. The fields from last year are finally coming up into production, next year should allow me to remove a 20 acre field and put it into corn while taking one of my current corn fields and putting it back into hay.

There is no option for a custom baler here unless I go to large squares.

 

[chh]

Well, you are not in the East, so you have options...we have horse people so it is small bales for us...(

You would be suprised how many horse people suddenly like round bales when squares are not available . I made some 4x4 1/2 net wrapped bermuda rounds this year for horse people. I have them stored covered and have been selling them 1 & 2 bales at a time. Usually loaded in the back of a p/u, since it seems they don't have equipment to handle the bales. Most of they guys around here selling hay, refuse to sell/load 1 bale at a time. I had some requests from people to do square, but the costs to get started, handling, and storage are too high for the number of bales I think I could sell.

 

[ddivinia]

Well, you are not in the East, so you have options...we have horse people so it is small bales for us...

Hay Tech

Current prices for the Hay Master 08 Convertable Bale Accumulator:

8-bale: $7000
10-bale: $9000
12-bale: $8000
Current price is $2500 plus freight for 8-BG Bale Grapple.

Current price is $3000 plus freight for 10-BG and 12-BG Bale Grapple.

Not having cheap labor available, can be expensive...

Well, we have a lot of horse people here also. The way the rain was this year I am going to be lucky to have enough hay for my herd.

Small squares will make more sense once I get my pastures cleaned up.

In the time that takes, I am sure you guys will have this small bale handling figured out and I will just follow your lead.

D.

 

[mark.r]

You would be suprised how many horse people suddenly like round bales when squares are not available . I made some 4x4 1/2 net wrapped bermuda rounds this year for horse people. I have them stored covered and have been selling them 1 & 2 bales at a time. Usually loaded in the back of a p/u, since it seems they don't have equipment to handle the bales. Most of they guys around here selling hay, refuse to sell/load 1 bale at a time. I had some requests from people to do square, but the costs to get started, handling, and storage are too high for the number of bales I think I could sell.

This is absolutely true on the east coast too. With the drought we had last year horse owners would by rounds 1 or a few at a time AS LONG as they were stored inside and they could be loaded. It doesn't take He-man to roll one out the back of a pickup intor a run-in shed. We have 8 in my tractor run in now that my boarder just cuts the twine off and then pulls them apart with a pitch fork and feeds as she needs them. Would she do squares instead? Absolutely. If they were cheaper. Furthermore, I'd be happier because I could have my run-in back and put my mowers back inside.

 

[tjkadar]

I feed round bales to my horses. Stick the bale under the old live oak, take off the net wrapping, and let 'em have at it. Haven't had any issues and I've been feeding rounds for a couple years.

I prefer rounds to small squares, but would like large squares even more. They stack better.

 

[Rara Avis]

You would be suprised how many horse people suddenly like round bales when squares are not available . I made some 4x4 1/2 net wrapped bermuda rounds this year for horse people. I have them stored covered and have been selling them 1 & 2 bales at a time. Usually loaded in the back of a p/u, since it seems they don't have equipment to handle the bales. Most of they guys around here selling hay, refuse to sell/load 1 bale at a time. I had some requests from people to do square, but the costs to get started, handling, and storage are too high for the number of bales I think I could sell.

Well, my clients are competition dressage types...They will pay for square bales...When their horses run $50K+...and their tack runs 5K+...bales prices are the last concern for them...

And they buy in the hundreds of bales...

Obviously, a much different situation than you are dealing with...

Keep on tractoring...