[ZetorProxima90]

Im in central Wisconsin and I charge $8.50 for a 4'x5' (twine only). Im probably a little low as I have researched this and the average rate for up here is around $10 x bale. I feel a happy customer is always a return customer so I charge a little less.

 

[Widairy]

In central Wisconsin where I'm at I charge 9$ for a 4x5 round. There always seems to be someone running around my neighborhood doing it for less, but only for a year or two. I don't do a lot of custom baling and if I were to get serious about the custom work I'd have to get a serious silage baler and then have to charge more.

 

[nanuk]

I went on hiatus for the last three years.

Plan on retiring from my "Day" job and go baling in 2019.

I was charging:

$13 for a 5x5 (1350lb average) and burning their fuel

$15 for a 5x5 (1350lb average) using my fuel

$15 for a 5x6 burning their fuel.

never made any 5x6 needing to burn my fuel.

those were all twine wrapped at 25-28 wraps.

I'd have to add $1.25 per bale to net wrap it.

There's about 800 acres that may be available next year, but for that I'd have to Cut/bale also.

I wasn't raking, but will probably be next summer to ease my baling.

no charge as my time will be about the same, and it will benefit me more.

If I cut too.... well, I"ll have to rethink it all.

 

[r82230]

I was charging:
$13 for a 5x5 (1350lb average) and burning their fuel
$15 for a 5x5 (1350lb average) using my fuel
$15 for a 5x6 burning their fuel.

never made any 5x6 needing to burn my fuel.

those were all twine wrapped at 25-28 wraps.

I'd have to add $1.25 per bale to net wrap it.

If your time equates to money,

If your baler has ware, tare & lubing, with revolutions turned,

If your tractor has depreciation, that effected by time on hour meter,

If your tractor is 'burning' your fuel.

I'd look at actual 'total' costs of net wrap verse twine wrap.

In my case, net wrap cost of about $1 per bale of material (2 wraps), verses 50 cents of twine. But when I add cost to have baler turn an additional 23-26 times, the tractor's time of running (deprecation/fuel used), my time (it's not free), let alone the possible the additional bales, baled per hour, that could have gotten rain on.

I would call it a 'wash' or even consider charging more for twine wrapped bales.

Naturally, YMMV.

Larry

 

[mlappin]

I charge $15 for 4X5.5 to rake & bale. I know you stated "bale only" but I refuse to bale anybodies sorry,narrow not even made windrows. Bad windrows are very difficult to make good looking/level rd bales.

You just ain't kidding there, some people shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the vicinity of a hay rake, ever.

Had a lady I used to bale for in dire emergency's, she'd always get in a hurry with the raking so would end up with these tiny little rows that were all roped together. To make a five foot bale sometimes you'd hav etc stop when it read 56" as the pickup would suck that much more hay in. I was waiting for the day when I could just start a row, then stop and have it pull the entire row in without having to drive across her rough *ss fields. She grew up on the sand in town, then moved out here on the clay, still ain't figured out of your leaving wheel tracks get the hell off the field.

Haven't heard from her in years since last time we talked when I told her $9/bale if I raked, $11/bale if you rake.

Something else about those roped up rows, always had to drive at least a gear slower to avoid plugs.

 

[JD3430]

.... still ain't figured out of your leaving wheel tracks get the hell off the field.....

Totally agree with that, but in all honesty, my fields seem to be damp virtually all of the time.
I have maybe 2 or 3 fields out of 10 that dry nicely. The rest always seem to be "hay on mud".

 

[8350HiTech]

If your time equates to money,
If your baler has ware, tare & lubing, with revolutions turned,
If your tractor has depreciation, that effected by time on hour meter,
If your tractor is 'burning' your fuel.

I'd look at actual 'total' costs of net wrap verse twine wrap.

In my case, net wrap cost of about $1 per bale of material (2 wraps), verses 50 cents of twine. But when I add cost to have baler turn an additional 23-26 times, the tractor's time of running (deprecation/fuel used), my time (it's not free), let alone the possible the additional bales, baled per hour, that could have gotten rain on.

I would call it a 'wash' or even consider charging more for twine wrapped bales.

Naturally, YMMV.

Larry

He's also charging $2 PER BALE for fuel so if anyone is taking him up on that, he must have something figured out

 

[r82230]

He's also charging $2 PER BALE for fuel so if anyone is taking him up on that, he must have something figured out

Missed that, good catch.

Larry

 

[KYhaymaker]

Totally agree with that, but in all honesty, my fields seem to be damp virtually all of the time.
I have maybe 2 or 3 fields out of 10 that dry nicely. The rest always seem to be "hay on mud".

There would literally be no hay baled anywhere in central ky this year if we waited for dry ground. July 4th, and you will STILL leave cleat marks in the field right now. Wettest summer I can remember.

 

[JD3430]

There would literally be no hay baled anywhere in central ky this year if we waited for dry ground. July 4th, and you will STILL leave cleat marks in the field right now. Wettest summer I can remember.

Hear you on that
We really haven't had tons of rain like I remember in past summers. We had massive amounts of rain in May and the ground never really dried out.
Now what happens is we get a 3 day dry spell, then a torrential downpour, and the drying process restarts to end of May all over again.
I baled hay on standing water in some fields this year. Lots of 20% crap been baled up.

I often wanted to ask the embarrassing question: if you make a 23% bale, does it stay 23% for a long time? Like 6 months and then begin to lose some of its moisture? Or does it stay 23% "forever"?
I baled a field of 20+% last year thinking it was going to be loser hay and when I loaded it to be delivered it about 8 months later, the bales were much lower moisture levels, like 12-15%...didn't know if the moisture dissipated or my baler mounted moisture detector was reading incorrectly.
Also feel like the "wiregrass" type hay won't dry. There's no "airspace" whatsoever.
However, my reeds canary fields, which resemble straw more than hay have a texture to them that gives the appearance they'd allow moisture to escape small air passages.
I dunno, I'm probably "all wet" on that...LOL

 

[KYhaymaker]

Not sure jd, here in Ky when its too wet just get moldy inside or worse, turn black and get hot. Not sure what specific moisture levels cause that but this year there is going to be plenty of musty or moldy hay.