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Orchard/ Alfalfa square bales

Copper1272

Well-known member
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.
 

cowboyup

Well-known member
Copper1272 said:
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
 

Copper1272

Well-known member
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?
 

cowboyup

Well-known member
Manitoba_Rancher said:
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.
 

Copper1272

Well-known member
I am gonna end up paying 175.00 for the 1000lb square bale :shock:
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.
 

cowboyup

Well-known member
At that price I would be glad to sell you about three thousand tons :D :D :D


I would even sell it to you a lot cheaper than that :!:
 

Copper1272

Well-known member
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 :eek: . 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.
 

RoperAB

Well-known member
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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