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Anyone do any custom small square baling?

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DJL

06-06-2007 21:04:39

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Was curious if anyone did any custom square baling? I'd like to put the 4030 and 336 to work in some of my spare time! LOL I'm learning that out here in Nebraska, you can get done working your day job around 5 or 6 o'clock and still have a good 4 or 4 and a half hours of hay making time before it's dark! Looks like the custom rates are about 50 cents/bale. Do you guys just drop it on the ground or are you stacking it on wagons for customers? Is there any money to be made in this game? No looking for much just enough to pay off the baler and pay some of the repair bills on the tractor.

Thanks
DJL

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Jim.UT

06-07-2007 13:41:18

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

Around here, it's a flat rate per acre PLUS about 50 cents per bale on the ground. I can't remember what the per acre charge is typically. I have to ask around every year to make sure I'm charging my sister the right amount (not too much, not too little). She's the only one I do as a custom job.

I have another neighbor whose ground I cut just to keep it looking nice. I get all the hay in exchange (which I then sell to my sister).

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06-07-2007 12:43:03

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

i charge $2.50 to cut ,ted,rake,and bale on ground.I do about 2-3000 bales a year.

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hayholler

06-07-2007 08:32:56

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

Its hard to make any money...once any machine needs repair its impossible to charge .50/bale and make money

Thats my personal experience

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Mike (WA)

06-07-2007 08:30:58

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

I don't think you are going to get rich at that rate. I haven't done custom haying for 25 years, and when I did, I got $1.00 per bale to cut, rake and bale (onto the ground). $.50 a bale to put it in the barn. Baling only was 50 cents a bale. Share rate was same as for grains- landowner gets a third, I got 2/3. Most often, they wanted me to just sell it all and gave them a third of the money.

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Walt Davies

06-07-2007 07:08:32

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

Boy looking at what you guys charge for baling I'm wondering if you do it for fun or profit.
My friend who got me into this stuff just spent $700 on parts for her mower and she needs more to get it back in operation. We spent about a $1000 a year in parts and twine and we do a small amount for ourselves and some for sale. this year we have doubled our cut so our cost will go up to. We have been lucky we pick up an IH 46 wire baler for $300 that needed very little work to get it in top shape. But that doesn't happen all the time. We are now looking to get another Mower so that will take abig chunk of what we make on the next field.
As for doing it in your spare time well your spare time will be mostly taken up with fixing equipment and getting to each site. Mostly what you get around here are small 5 to 15 acre sites so you move around a lot. Its not a very good business to make money in if you are part time because of the big outlay for equipment. You will need a Tractor or two a mower/conditioner a rake or tether and a baler. And a backup of each for parts if they are older equipment. Be prepared for for bad weather lost time to break down and finding help when needed. If I was you I would get a friend to go in with you even if you own all the equipment a partner can be a very good asset for those times when you need another hand. Or maybe you have teenage kids who will work hard for little pay.
Good Luck
Walt

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David Snipes

06-07-2007 11:23:59

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to Walt Davies, 06-07-2007 07:08:32

Well said, Walt. I have been there and done that. It's more a labor of love than a profit making venture. I used to custom bale for 1/3 for the property owner and 2/3 of the bales for me. When that wasn't worth it, I went to 1/4 - 3/4. I eventually focused just on small property owners who wanted me to cut their fields just so it would look nice and reduce the fire danger - I kept all of the hay.

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Matt Weltz

06-07-2007 06:48:23

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

We do everything on shares. For cutting raking and baling a field, we get half of the bales. The owner is responsible for picking up his half of the hay and od what he wants with it. Although we usually end up buting there half at market price and taking everything.

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TomTX

06-07-2007 05:09:31

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

Your 50 cents seems way low. Around here in North Central Texas, they get $1.00 to $1.25 per bale to cut rake and bale, leaving the bales on the ground. To cut, rake, and bale in 4 X 5 round bales is $18, left in field. Tom

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Shovelman

06-07-2007 05:04:43

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

Much depends on the size of the field, number of bales, how heavy the hay is and travel time. Here in the People's Republic of Connecticut, the going rate is a buck a bale for smaller quantities, down to about 70 cents for 1000 bale lots, dropped on the ground.

Be sure to figure travel time and cost of twine. When it is all said and done, I like to net $65/an hour for the tractor, baler and operator, plus twine costs. If you hiring extra labor to stack, factor that in plus about 10% for yourself to organize it.

I hope this is helpful.

Scott

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georgeky

06-06-2007 21:56:43

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to DJL, 06-06-2007 21:04:39

I get 60 cents for putting it on the ground. If I put it on wagon it is 75. If I rake, bale and load it is 1.00. If I put it in the barn it is 1.50. You have to be careful as you can run in thin hay and cover lot's of ground without much profit. I just went up on prices two years ago due to increase in fuel,twine,parts,labor and so on. Lately I have been putting up more free hay that people give me for mowing their place, and I have been doing right well on it. All these nag horses around the countryside have to eat. It is a good hay market for any kind of hay.

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Walt Davies

06-06-2007 22:25:45

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Re: Anyone do any custom small square baling? in reply to georgeky, 06-06-2007 21:56:43

That seems a little low for here in oregon but I guess in Nebraska you don't have that many working class people to buy it giggle.

I sold some the other day at $2.50 a bale in the field. I see some advertised at $100 in the field.
Of course it depends a lot on the size of the bale. don't cut your price to much on small bales they take just as much work to make them and more to load and haul.
Just remember to check the moisture content 18 to 20% is best but not always the way it will come out. our last field was 9 to 12 % do to high heat.

Walt

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