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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Small Bales

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HaySam

08-21-2005 16:33:21

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Why would anyone want to fool around with small square bales.

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Doug in Oh

08-27-2005 16:20:08

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

Well,the reason we do so,is that are barns are for this kind of hay storage.Yes it is alot of extra work,but you got to work with what you have.Beside that you will use less hay in the longrun because,you can control the amount hay that is fed,lot less waste.And all the hay is kept inside not stored along a fence row.Hope this answers your Q.

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Kelly C

08-22-2005 15:03:19

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Oh I though of another reason. in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

After slinging a couple thousand or so bales. The wife really like the Poppey Arms I get. Good exersize and my forarms are like steel pipes after a summer. Now if they would just stay that way all winter.

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wolfman

08-22-2005 08:14:45

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

The hay I roll into a 4X5 round bale gets me $20. The same amount of hay in small squares (30-34) gets me $60-$68. Every round bale costs me about $40. Storage another issue. Simply run out of places to set & cover any more than 300 big rounds. Barns still there to store a few thousand squares.

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Leroy

08-22-2005 05:37:51

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

What I can't understand is why anybody would want to fool around with those round or large square bales that can't be moved by hand or fed in a manger or big straw bales that can't be spread in a barn. Those big bales DON'T bake any sence to me.

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Chick

08-23-2005 11:16:57

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Re: Small Bales in reply to Leroy, 08-22-2005 05:37:51

Up in Northern Colorado and Wyoming, where annual rainfall is limited, they do the big square, round bales and stacks, then stack it to the side. For the big square bales, they have big homebuilt fork trucks to get it out of the fields. Most of the hay is left in the fields, as 3 inches of rain a year doesn't affect it.

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Leroy

08-24-2005 17:33:29

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Re: Small Bales in reply to Chick, 08-23-2005 11:16:57

How do you handle them to feed it when pen #1 needs 50# per feeding, pen #2 needs 150# per feeding, pen #3 needs 400# per feeding and pen #5 needs only 25# per feeding and all in barn with no tractor access?

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BobMo

08-21-2005 19:55:25

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

I don't know either. I'm baling more than 5000 a year and I think people just buy them so I won't be embarrassed by having hay in my barn and not rotting in the field like most round bales in this area. My barn will only hold 6000 bales and its full but all sold at 2.50 or 3.00 dollars delivered within 20 miles. 90% paid in advance.
I can't think of anything that looks worse than a bunch of cows on a dry lot with nothing to eat but 1/2 spoiled round bales. Its sad.

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holcombwa

08-22-2005 12:37:45

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Small bales of what? in reply to BobMo, 08-21-2005 19:55:25

When you are talking about 2.50 to 3.00 dollars a bale exactly what kind of hay are you talking about? Here on the edge of the earth (coast of WA state) we can get local grass hay for anywhere from $1.25 - 4.00 depending on quality/bale size/ area. Alfalfa is $8.00 - 11.00 a 100lb bale at area feed stores. Same bales delivered by the truckload runs about $6.00 each: all from Eastern Washington. There is one valley here where you can get alfalfa out of the field, and it ran $3.50 last year. They were only 60 to 70 lb. bales and not very good quality though. If you guys are selling alfalfa for $2.50 a bale, we need to work on that whole Star Trek transporter thing. "Beam me over a load Scotty".
Stan

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Kelly C

08-21-2005 19:44:28

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

For my own animals I would do round. Square bales are for a nich market. For hay that gets rained on I round.

I sell my rounds for about $10 or $15 for 1000 pound bale just to be rid of them.
I get $3 a bale for squares+ Del+ storage.

It only works as long as the rest of you keep doing rounds. If every one does squares the market will get over loaded and no money in it then.

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Allan in NE

08-21-2005 18:27:16

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

I don't understand it either Sam,

But hey, I can't understand why someone would take a perfectly good tractor and try to pull the guts out of it at a tractor pull either.

Or, spend all day swinging at a little round ball on a golf course. :>(

Different strokes fer differnt folks, I guess. :>)

Allan

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Tim(nj)

08-21-2005 18:26:15

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Market Demand in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

Around here, round bales of good timothy hay are worth $60 a ton. Small squares of good timothy hay are worth $200 a ton. Most horse stables here feed animals individually in the stalls. Pretty hard to do with round bales or big squares. Only seat-of-the-pants horse operations feed round bales in run-in sheds around here, and their horses always look ready to drop over dead at any minute (not because of the round bales, but the lack of care the horses get that goes with the owners reasoning for using round bales---cheap.)

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Seth_ia

08-21-2005 19:14:15

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Re: Market Demand in reply to Tim(nj), 08-21-2005 18:26:15

I'd kill for $200/ton hay. The best I have seen in my area is $130/ton with a very rare $150/ton if someone finds a sucker. For $200/ton I would plant every acre i could get my hands on to produce small bales.

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txgrn

08-22-2005 16:48:24

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Re: Market Demand in reply to Seth_ia, 08-21-2005 19:14:15

Well a good 10% protein hay at that price is only 10 cents a pound which is less than you'd pay for sweet feed at 8% so the horse owner should go for it..... course I guess you feed a 1/3 bale per day vs a bean can full of sweet feed so I guess those economics wouldn't work out.

Mark

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Allan in NE

08-21-2005 18:24:16

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

I don't understand it either Sam,

But hey, I can't understand why someone would take a perfectly good tractor and try to pull the guts out of it at a tractor pull either.

Or, spend all day swinging at a little round ball on a golf course. :>(

Different strokes fer differnt folks, I guess. :>)

Allan

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old

08-21-2005 17:56:35

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

Have you ever tried to feed a rabbit a big round bale?? Or how about the guy with 4 or 5 goats that he milks the round bale doesn't fit in the feeder. Both types of bales have there place.

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John S-B

08-21-2005 17:37:28

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

Top ten reasons for making small square bales;
#10. People with 1 or 2 horses don't need a big round bale.

#9. They're easier to pick up off the highway after it falls off of the wagon.

#8. Tradition.

#7. Round bales don't fit on the elevator.

#6. Even if they did fit, would the loft hold it?

#5. Women like an easy to handle bale.

#4. Used square balers are a lot cheaper.

#3. I only bale an acre right now anyway.

#2. It's the kind of baler my neighbor who I bale for has.

#1. Have you ever tried making whoopee on top of a round bale?

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funonthefarm

08-22-2005 23:18:31

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Re: Small Bales in reply to John S-B, 08-21-2005 17:37:28

Well the top of a round bale is about the size of a coffee table or park bench... so yeah what's the deal with trying to stay on a round bale. That being said small sqaures make me more money than giving all that hay away for $20.00 in a round bale.

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Randy-IA

08-21-2005 17:35:19

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

I'll bite . For us , small squares are cheaper to buy equipment to make and don't spoil the outer 6" like some round bales that are stored outside which around here is where most everyone stores them . My wife feeds her horses ( 3 pure blood arab's , one app and one mustang ) with them so they need to be moved by hand easily . I don't know too many people that can pick up a round bale and put it in the mow . We also only do hay on 6 acres so why would I want to buy a $3000 machine ? You can buy them cheaper it's true but then what ? From what I hear on this forum they are more trouble and more expensive to repair than a $200 baler . I made close to 600 bales this year , and around here bales sell for about $2.50 each so I've come pretty close to paying for all the equipment I bought last year and this year getting ready for this years harvest ( 2 - 14t's , a oliver 207 rake , a oliver 415 sickle , a bale conveyer , a grain elevator for the length and a recent purchase of a International 990 moco , total invested including repairs to make field ready and not including the tractor = $2300 ) I still have a cutting or two before I break even but I'm not really keeping track because this is a hobby acreage not a for profit business . Mostly though - I enjoy it ! It's not important to me , it's just fun work that I don't have to do but I want to do . Just don't tell my wife that ;) ...Randy

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holcombwa

08-22-2005 03:43:46

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Re: Small Bales in reply to Randy-IA, 08-21-2005 17:35:19

Wow! There is someone out there as nuts as I am... well, except for the having horses thing... (we have goats so there's nuthin' wrong with our sanity!} Otherwise... pretty much exactly what I was going to write including acreage hayed. We have $2600 and change invested, but I have three antique tractor boards on here I get to monitor out of the deal so it's all worth while. The bottom line is, it is kinda fun to be a "gentleman farmer" at this level. The work involved is healthy and, I get people coming up to me in town congratulating us on moving up to the hay rake and baler after seeing us put it in loose for quite a spell. (Also had the local State Patrol officer shake his head and tell me he couldn't believe anyone still used that equipment to make hay.... but then he's new and never saw us doin' it the old way. ;)
Stan

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Alvin NE WI

08-21-2005 17:30:15

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Re: Small Bales in reply to HaySam, 08-21-2005 16:33:21

up here the horse people want them and pay good with good checks.

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Guyzoo

08-21-2005 18:21:14

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Re: Small Bales in reply to Alvin NE WI, 08-21-2005 17:30:15

Talking of small bales, how much square bales a horse can eat in a winter. I am ready to build a small stable(16' by 24') and I am wondered if I can store enough hay for my horse inside the little barn. THANKS

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Sandbur

08-21-2005 20:12:33

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Re: Small Bales in reply to Guyzoo, 08-21-2005 18:21:14

guyzoo,
I am a horse farm manager. I usually figure at least 1/2 to 1 bale of hay/horse/day. It varies on the breed of horse,size,and energy requirements and the weather. If it gets cold they need more hay than when it is warm.Also depends on the size or weight of the bale. A good bale should weigh 50-60 lbs in my opinion. When the bales get heavier, you have to watch that the hay is dry, so it doesn't spoil or mold. I also like mix hay, but this depends also on breed of horse. Most of out horses are warmbloods so they do better on grass hay. My horses at home I get a 90% grass mix with 10% alfalfa. I have quarter horses.

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