Posted 2014-02-18 8:43 AM Subject: Coastal Hay - Round Bales vs Square
Veteran
Posts: 180
I just got a new place that has a 50 acre coastal field for hay. I'm thinking about baling square bales instead of round for resale..How many 3 string square bales is equal to 1 normal sized round bale? Also, how much more would it cost me to pay for the square baling as I would hire someone to do this? Thanks!
Posted 2014-02-18 9:12 AM Subject: RE: Coastal Hay - Round Bales vs Square
I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
Not sure what it would cost to have it done..around here(TN) a lot of people are getting up to 50% of the hay to come in and cut/rake/bale hay. The cost of having it done wouldn't be your biggest concern IMO though...picking it up and putting it in the barn would be my biggest concern. Its hard/hot work and its hard to hire anyone to help that will actually show up. We used to square bale ours and sell some out of the field but half the time people wouldn't show up to get it when they were supposed to. We did take deposits one time but that really didn't work out either b/c one buyer bought 350 square bales and paid for half up front in a deposit....she was supposed to be here first thing that morning but actually showed up right before dark with only 1 helper and rain was on its way! We ended up rounding up some help and we loaded it for her because we were trying to be nice AND if it got rained on and she didn't take it we would have STILL had to get it off our field AND we would have lost the other 1/2 of the cost of the hay! We learned a MAJOR lesson! No square bales for us unless someone is standing right there to pick it up. We round bale all of ours and sell it and keep just enough for our horses. There is more money in square bales but all the extra time, work, and headaches make it NOT worth it IMO.
Posted 2014-02-18 2:59 PM Subject: RE: Coastal Hay - Round Bales vs Square
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
We have hay fields and our neighbor does it for us. Our arrangement is we pay 1/3 of fertiizer for 1/3 of the hay-it is his equipment and he does all the labor. He round bales what we have but does squares in other fields. He trades me 25 squares for each round bale. We have more rounds than we need so he sells it for us. Our friend who has someone to come in and cut his fields and round bale them said he just breaks even by the time he pays all his costs.
Coastal Hay - Round Bales vs Square
