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What do bales of hay sell for in the States?
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Whitewing
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Joined: 04 Sep 2009
Posts: 2557
Location: Venezuela
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Liveoak wrote:
Whitewing wrote:
the_jersey_lilly_2000 wrote:
Right now...round bales are selling anywhere from $35 (crappy hay) to $50 and some higher for good quality fertilized coastal.


I'm selling regular-sized square bales of good quality fertilized coastal bermuda for $2.00 each, delivered. But that's really just an "introductory" price as I'm building a client base and will increase prices as soon as the dry season hits.

At this point, it seems like a decent business. Time will tell.


I would think that your pricing would be dependent on the local/regional marketplace. Down here, I have seen prices ranging from $3 to $6.50 a small square and $35 to $65 for round bales. The horse people pay a lot more than cow people but the horse folks are far more particular about the quality - fine, leafy, protein content, color, stored or unstored, etc. Getting some hay samples tested for protein content, is a small price to pay for getting a loyal clientele! From the looks of your hayfields (they look good!), you might try for the upscale market if that exits over your way.


Excellent idea on the protein testing LO! I appreciate it.

Immediately after cutting/baling I'm putting urea and water as quickly as I can and the results are impressive. The regrowth is dark green and CLEAN.

As it stands today I'm moving bales to a city about 60 miles to the east of me (population of about 1.3MM) and am having a hard time keeping up with the demand. I'm producing off of about 22 acres right now but have planted an additional 50 acres this year and because we've gotten decent rainfalls, it's all taken root.

Next year I plan to market to another city about 60 miles to the west of me (population of about 1MM) that I believe will provide even better clients because it's much drier there but there are a lot of horse owners and money in that region.
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cow20xgirl
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Joined: 06 May 2009
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Location: South East, Colorado
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:24 pm    Post subject: foot hill Colorado hay Reply with quote
At the moment...50/50 sm bales are from 5$ to 6.25, Lg bales around $100.
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Liveoak
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Joined: 25 Aug 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It sounds like you already have a good client base!! Nice!! Now, you want them coming back! Quality, service and a price worthy of what their getting. Down here, our soil is phosphorous deficient and bermuda loves phosphorous. Green sells but does it have the protein content? If the protein level isn't sufficient then the buyer has to purchase supplements. If you sell him a product that already has the right nutrients then, your saving him money and time! He will pay a little more for that. At least those who understand nutrition will!

Here's the big trivia question. When is the best time to cut bermuda? Or, when is the nurtient level at it's greatest? The next question is; what is the best time of day to cut?
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Whitewing
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Liveoak wrote:
It sounds like you already have a good client base!! Nice!! Now, you want them coming back! Quality, service and a price worthy of what their getting. Down here, our soil is phosphorous deficient and bermuda loves phosphorous. Green sells but does it have the protein content? If the protein level isn't sufficient then the buyer has to purchase supplements. If you sell him a product that already has the right nutrients then, your saving him money and time! He will pay a little more for that. At least those who understand nutrition will!

Here's the big trivia question. When is the best time to cut bermuda? Or, when is the nurtient level at it's greatest? The next question is; what is the best time of day to cut?


I've hit my bermuda once already with 11-52-0. Yeah, I know those numbers look whacky, but that's how the product was labeled. The guys at AgroIslenia told me it was ideal for bermuda.

As for your trivia questions, I don't really know the anwsers but would love the info. You gonna make me look it up? Very Happy
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Liveoak
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Joined: 25 Aug 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
O.k., now I remember you posted those fertilizer numbers earlier and they would be great here as we are deficient but, I don't remember if you did a soil test or not. If your soil is already good in the area of phosphorous then why waste the money adding more if you don't have to? You won't know until you test it.

Down here it's advised to cut at about knee high OR before it goes into a bolt stage. The idea is to cut when the number of leaves are at their greatest. After that, the bermuda startd getting stemmy. The greatest nutrient content is in the leaves.

When to cut? When the sugar content is at it's greatest. Sugar makes the product more palatable. This occurs late in the day. But, the caveat to all of that is cutting may not be practical at that time due to moisture in the air etc. It's a personal call based on the weather and humidity at that time. You have to have the proper drying time, no chance of mildewing etc.
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Whitewing
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Joined: 04 Sep 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the informative input LiveOak. I really appreciate it.

To me it certainly seems logical to cut and bale bermuda when it's most tender or tierna as they call it down here.

I've pushed my crew to get my bermuda cut when it's ready and not a day later if possible. Why wait? Waiting can only increase the chances that the weather will turn against you, that an insect infestation can occur, that weeds you don't want will drop seeds, etc.

Also, the quicker you get it out of the field, the quicker the new crop can begin growing.

I've got a darned good irrigation system in place, but there's nothing like natural rainfall to grow bermuda. Our growing season is limited so as the saying goes, we've got to make hay.......... Very Happy
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the_jersey_lilly_2000
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Location: South East Texas
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Whitewing wrote:


I'm selling regular-sized square bales of good quality fertilized coastal bermuda for $2.00 each, delivered. But that's really just an "introductory" price as I'm building a client base and will increase prices as soon as the dry season hits.

At this point, it seems like a decent business. Time will tell.


Can I get some delivered to Texas for that price? Wink
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hypocritexposer
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 12:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
the_jersey_lilly_2000 wrote:
Whitewing wrote:


I'm selling regular-sized square bales of good quality fertilized coastal bermuda for $2.00 each, delivered. But that's really just an "introductory" price as I'm building a client base and will increase prices as soon as the dry season hits.

At this point, it seems like a decent business. Time will tell.


Can I get some delivered to Texas for that price? Wink


He only ships the "woody" product towards Texas.


What I'd like to know is, what the heck are the people in the cities doing with the hay he sells them? Laughing
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txbobcat
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Joined: 27 Mar 2006
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Location: China Spring, TX
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Whitewing wrote:

Of course, when I look at my labor costs ($50/week for a hand) and fuel costs ($0.06/gallon for gasoline), I might just selling my bales for an equivalent profit margin. Confused


Wish our fuel was that cheap...we're paying 40-50 times that much per gal - filled up yesterday for $2.79 gal (diesel)
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Whitewing
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Joined: 04 Sep 2009
Posts: 2557
Location: Venezuela
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
txbobcat wrote:
Whitewing wrote:

Of course, when I look at my labor costs ($50/week for a hand) and fuel costs ($0.06/gallon for gasoline), I might just selling my bales for an equivalent profit margin. Confused


Wish our fuel was that cheap...we're paying 40-50 times that much per gal - filled up yesterday for $2.79 gal (diesel)


Yup, I'm aware of those diesel costs in the states. Obviously we use lots of diesel at the ranch. Diesel down here is even less expensive than gasoline. They almost give it away. I give my driver about $10 of cash and he fills up a number of 55 gallon drums with diesel and gasoline.

Oh, and I made a mistake on my calculation of the cost of gasoline. At today's current black market exchange rate for the dollar, it's $0.04/gallon for 95 octane. Very Happy
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tenbach79
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Joined: 22 Dec 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hay that I have sold this year, round bales $100/per ton, 3x3 $125-140 depending on the quility. All the hay is 70/30 mix orchard grass alfalfa mix. Finished hauling all the corn off from last year and some hay this year and I filled the truck up at $2.92 for fuel.
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