The cost of baling hay

[horsetacklin]

Has anyone figured up what it costs to bale hay ?

 

[Gary Fowler]

My BIL had some baled 2 years ago and the guy charged $35 per bale and at the time you could buy it for $40 in the field. It wasnt worth it, better to graze the grass during winter than cut it for hay. Use the money and just buy hay from someone else rather than deplete the soil and have to put more than $5 back in fertilizer per bale just to be even on fertility.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

It is going to cost different for everyone. No one has the same expenses and conditions. You will need to factor in your equipment charges, fuel expense, twine/wrap, land prices, fertilizer prices, labor and then you also need to factor in the weather conditions as if you lack rain then your yeild is low so your price per bale increases, have hay ruined by rain and again, prices increase, have a great year and price per bale decreases. So every year it will be a little different and my prices won't have any bearing on you.

 

[Sawdustsmb]

Don't forget taxes - especially in NY - and insurance. I figure I just broke even last year.

Bob

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Don't forget taxes - especially in NY - and insurance. I figure I just broke even last year.

Bob

Yeah, there are probably other items I forgot about. I set up a spread sheet before and just have to input my costs and it figured out my actual cost per bale for what my average yield is. But the inputs haven't changed enough for me to worry about these last couple years.

 

[tcreeley]

I pay 2.50 a square bale - in the field. I buy 250 square bales. I figure 700 dollars or so. For that it is cheaper to buy. I could hay my neighbors field for free- but buying a baler, mower/tether - it wouldn't be worth it- be some years before it paid for itself - and that's used equipment = earlier maintenance costs.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Has anyone figured up what it costs to bale hay ?

Check with your local extension agent. They usually have information from the A&M ( Land grant colleges/univeristies) schools that figure those costs out for a specific set of assumptions. It will allow you to put your assumptions or real data into a spreadsheet and figure out your costs.

 

[Duffster]

Has anyone figured up what it costs to bale hay ?

With your own equipment or to have it done custom?

Here is the custom numbers from here.

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/custom_rates_2010.pdf

 

[D7E]

My BIL had some baled 2 years ago and the guy charged $35 per bale .

Thats crazy , For baling the big 3x3 squares several guys charge around $8-12 a bale here. I figure it costs me around $7-8 to bale myself

 

[Gary Fowler]

These were for what they call 4x6 round bales but yes ridiculously price for just baling given the price that it could be bought in the field for $5 per bale more. Of course you would have had to add hauling cost to that to get it in the barn. I think he said he had some delivered for $45 a couple weeks ago.