cost of making hay - again ! price gone up !

meesha

meesha

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Hi I posted recently that the farmer had quoted me 1.50-1.75 per bale to make hay from my 2 acres - he then said that he couldnt be bothered with small bale as too busy with cattle (fair enough) so was going to do his for big bale haylage so i said ok! whatever is easiest as you are doing other 8 acres as this do mine same. i then get a phone call saying its not worth doing for haylage as there is so little there it would cost me too much per bale !!!!! so he suggests letting horses eat it down - i explain there is too much there to do this and he says he can do small bale but it will cost more as he thinks will only get 50 bales off 2 acres - he wont give me a price so i ask "is it going to be more than £3 per bale to make it" strangely enough he then did the sums in his head and it was going to be £3 per bale !!! mmmmm ......then says will only do it at same time doing another field close by !!!!! am I being had over ?

I have a chance to talk to a different farmer tomorrow and will ask him same question as he has just quoted only £7 per big bale hay for friend (so even if it were double it would be worth it) !!!

why is it always so flippin complicated ! though i was onto a winner as he was baling rest of field anyway for himself !!
 
I suppose the problem is that regardless of the yield he will still have the cost of cutting, turning however many times it needs doing, baling etc. Does his price include stacking? That might be something to negotiate on by moving the hay yourselves?
 
A friend of mine has just been quoted £300 for her 3 acres to be baled for hay. They got around 170 bales last year, but I doubt they will get as much this year.
 
£3/bale doesn't seem too bad if he is doing the lot, does this include wrap? Small bale haylage is selling for 5.50/bale locally apparently, (we make our own) so you will still be saving money. If you take he has to mow it, turn it a couple of times, dramn it up, bale, carry, wrap and stack, £3 isn't over the top.
 
£3 per bale is for hay not haylage - no wrapping and I stack it myself !! just seems a bit over the odds compared to prices quoted to friends by other farmers - I may have no choice though as its still alot cheaper than buying in !!!!!
 
I paid £10.50 a bale for large wrapped haylege last year, had terrible crop last year. This year looks slightly better and I expect it will go up very slightly, but large bales cost at least £30 to buy in round here.
The last time I made small bales I got 100 bales an acre and they were 75p each. Grass hasn't grown very well so far this year but is gradually starting to pick up.
Could you find someone else, he just doesn't sound bothered and if hes not really bothered he could cut it and then no bale it quick enough before it rains again.
I make haylege as hay is very stressful, hoping it doesn't rain before its baled and then put away, at least with haylege its baled quicker and once its wrapped it doesn't matter if it rains.
 
We've been quoted £2/bale for small hay bales (for about 400 bales) or between £12-15 for big haylage bales. We used to pay £10 for big bales three yrs ago, but considering the price of buying it in has gone up by over a third, thats predictable really.
 
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