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Orchard/ Alfalfa square bales

 
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Copper1272
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:33 pm    Post subject: Orchard/ Alfalfa square bales Reply with quote
Does anyone on here use these huge compressed bales? If so what do you think of them. I have been considering picking a couple up for my horses as we are getting pretty dry down here and the grass is getting sparse. Any opinions would be great.
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cowboyup
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Orchard/ Alfalfa square bales Reply with quote
Copper1272 wrote:
Does anyone on here use these huge compressed bales? If so what do you think of them. I have been considering picking a couple up for my horses as we are getting pretty dry down here and the grass is getting sparse. Any opinions would be great.







I bale most of my hay in three by four squares, except for some I put in small bales to sale as horse hay. I tell those guys if they would try the bigger bales they would never buy an idiot cube again. I have converted several and working on more.
The bigger balers Have a lot better leaf retention as the plunger travels slower and doesn't beat the hay to dust. Just be careful when you are choosing your bales. Good Luck
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Manitoba_Rancher
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cowboyup do you have your own big square baler?
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Copper1272
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Out of Curiosity what is one of those 1000lb bales going for up your way? Or what they call half blocks down here that weigh about 600lbs?
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cowboyup
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Manitoba_Rancher wrote:
cowboyup do you have your own big square baler?




Yes, it is a Case IH 8585. Its six years old and has been pretty much trouble free so far.



Copper, my bales average about 1350 pounds that I sell for seventy five dollars a ton as horse hay. Little squares of the same quality are going for anywhere from 90 to 120 dollars a ton.
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Copper1272
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am gonna end up paying 175.00 for the 1000lb square bale Shocked
Guess thats why I gonna get the heck out of here in the near future. The price of hay and feed and the amount of people its kinda scary really.
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cowboyup
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
At that price I would be glad to sell you about three thousand tons Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


I would even sell it to you a lot cheaper than that Exclamation
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Copper1272
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Its really rediculous isn't it. A regular small bale here about 60lbs is 14.00.
I am originally from northern Idaho and we like everyone else would hay in about 20 tons of hay no problem didn't break the bank. Then I moved down here and about had a heart attack Surprised . We are going to Texas again next month to try and find a place, so hopefully this is the last year here to pay these rediculous prices.
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RoperAB
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LOL Im paying $60 a ton Canadian for excellent quality second cut alfalfa and I thought that was expensive until I read this thread!!
I realize that everybody doesnt have a bail deck but for the big round bales they sell a little trailer type outfit that isnt very expensive and uses a winch instead of hydraulics to handle the bails.
There are also guys making a similar outfit so that instead of a pick up truck you can use a team of horses to handle the bales.
Around here small squares dont make sense.
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