How much do you pay for making hay?

[Nbuuifx]

We've finally managed to purchase our field, however the grass is far too long, so needs making into hay before we can put the horses on.

We've had a quote but it was more than I was expecting, it might just be the way things have gone but wanted to check if it was around the going rate.

How much would you pay for 3 acres to be turned into small bales. Expecting cutting, 2 x tedding, rowing and then making into bales. Expected yield of 250-300 bales.

Thanks

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Last few years my neighbours have been charged about £1.90 a bale up from £1.10 per bale eight years ago.

 

[Quigleyandme]

Are the hay bales being left on the field for you to stack, trailer and store or are you selling all or some of them off the field? It’s a labour intensive job to save hay and farmers are doing their own in the small window in the weather they have to do it. I would say anything up to £2 per bale these days.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Last few years my neighbours have been charged about £1.90 a bale up from £1.10 per bale eight years ago.

About £2 a bale was what I was expecting, anything less I'd be happy with. This was much more. I'll have to get some more quotes!

 

[Nbuuifx]

Are the hay bales being left on the field for you to stack, trailer and store or are you selling all or some of them off the field? It’s a labour intensive job to save hay and farmers are doing their own in the small window in the weather they have to do it. I would say anything up to £2 per bale these days.

Price given was to be left in the field. Price given was more like £4 a bale.

We will drive round with the trailer collecting them and then stack them in the hay shed.

 

[spacefaer]

Small acreage, small bales - round here, I'd struggle to find a farmer with the equipment and time to do it.
Last time we made hay (about 6 years ago) it was hard getting someone to round bale 6 acres as it was barely worth his time.
For cutting, rowing, tedding, baling, wrapping and leaving on the field - 42 big bales - it was £12.01/bale
There are prices published annually of the standard cost for contractors. It might be worth you checking those out but you might find you're being charged a premium for the size of the job.

 

[TheMule]

It'll be the small acreage making it more expensive- that’s a lot of trips for very little return. You might get a more competitive quote from someone that specifically has machinery to make off small acreages- my local Facebook farmers group has a couple of people that advertise that

 

[Wizardsnecklace]

Our neighbours make small bales on approximately 2 acres for us. They use annual figures for contractors . 2022 figures were £15 per acre to cut. Turn was £9 per acre , and £1 per bale. This was approximately a 10% increase on 2021 costs, so expecting this year will be plus 10% on last year. We have to haul it off the field and stack it, which is getting harder as we're both early 70's ,but luckily fairly fit.

 

[FFAQ]

Do you pay at each visit or when the whole job is finished? I'm hoping to get a field cut this summer!

 

[TheMule]

Do you pay at each visit or when the whole job is finished? I'm hoping to get a field cut this summer!

If it's the same person doing everything they will generally charge per bale. I have 3 different people make my haylage (1 mows, turns and rakes, 1 bales, 1 wraps) so I pay them individually for each step

 

[Nbuuifx]

Do you pay at each visit or when the whole job is finished? I'm hoping to get a field cut this summer!

Our first quote, which is too much, was quoted for each individual trip, plus a price per bale.

We've got another lad coming out tonight who will just quote per bale. I got the impression he prefers to make haylage though - although he said he does it for the same price including the wrap. This would help with storage a little too but he would have to stack them for us. I'll see what he says later.

 

[spacefaer]

Our first quote, which is too much, was quoted for each individual trip, plus a price per bale.

We've got another lad coming out tonight who will just quote per bale. I got the impression he prefers to make haylage though - although he said he does it for the same price including the wrap. This would help with storage a little too but he would have to stack them for us. I'll see what he says later.

Make sure if he's quoting per bale that he makes full size bales! It's a well known scam by unscrupulous contractors if they're quoting per bale to make you lots of lighter bales, rather than fewer heavier ones

 

[Squeak]

Do you need all the bales of hay? I give half of them to the farmer as the payment.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Do you need all the bales of hay? I give half of them to the farmer as the payment.

Between us and family we can certainly use all the bales, the lads we've spoken to so far didn't seem interested in having any.

 

[rabatsa]

For small areas we never quote per bale and always by the time it takes to make them, as it takes a lot longer than in large fields where there are long straight runs in all directions.

 

[Sprogladite01]

I had mine cut and paid £102 for it - which worked out to about 2.40 a bale. BUT, the area being cut was only an acre, and he left us to haul it in and store it ourselves. The rats moved in and then ruined it all this year we are cutting the same again but getting pest control in first. Broke my heart getting rid of all that hay!

 

[Hobo2]

Our contractor charges min £100 each visit so I would say you have been quoted fairly.
Luckily we only need to pay for the rowing up and baling our hay area is 5acres .

 

[Nbuuifx]

Second lot have quoted about half what the first ones quoted, but want to do it as haylage in big bales. They reckon 25-30 large bales.

Not exactly what we want but we can't get the horses on until it is cut, so will probably go down this route.