Baling prices

jj92

Anybody have prices for mowing, baling, wrapping, drawing (avg about 500 meters) and stacking? Also the name of a contractor in Clare providing this service would be a big help.

My usual contractor only bales and wraps but we've never done this many bales before and I won't have the time to mow and draw, and no attachment to stack em high.

Muckit

I feel your pain lad You won't hear many dissing bales on here, but they are a pain in the h*le if taking them as your main silage crop and you 11+ bales/acre Slow f**kin job with a single carrier and if they get a shower your average tractor won't work a double. They're an awkward h**r of a yoke anyway. There's a reason most contractors don't draw in, they'd have to charge an arm and a leg. It costs the farmer the same to do, but lads don't/won't put a price on this. If I could get a contractor to draw them in for me, I would. Then a real price comparison on pit/bales could be done. Silage not saved until it is in the yard and the last bale is patched.

The silage pit is your friend. Watch the trailers roll in and cover it at your leisure

simx

Muckit wrote: »

I feel your pain lad You won't hear many dissing bales on here, but they are a pain in the h*le if taking them as your main silage crop and you 11+ bales/acre Slow f**kin job with a single carrier and if they get a shower your average tractor won't work a double. They're an awkward h**r of a yoke anyway. There's a reason most contractors don't draw in, they'd have to charge an arm and a leg. It costs the farmer the same to do, but lads don't/won't put a price on this. If I could get a contractor to draw them in for me, I would. Then a real price comparison on pit/bales could be done. Silage not saved until it is in the yard and the last bale is patched.

The silage pit is your friend. Watch the trailers roll in and cover it at your leisure

+1 on pit silage, love it compared to bales, always make a small few just for starting off the winter but id hate to be going back to opening them for the winter again

jj92

Muckit wrote: »

I feel your pain lad You won't hear many dissing bales on here, but they are a pain in the h*le if taking them as your main silage crop and you 11+ bales/acre Slow f**kin job with a single carrier and if they get a shower your average tractor won't work a double. They're an awkward h**r of a yoke anyway. There's a reason most contractors don't draw in, they'd have to charge an arm and a leg. It costs the farmer the same to do, but lads don't/won't put a price on this. If I could get a contractor to draw them in for me, I would. Then a real price comparison on pit/bales could be done. Silage not saved until it is in the yard and the last bale is patched.

The silage pit is your friend. Watch the trailers roll in and cover it at your leisure

Always do a few bales, sell off if we don't need them, going to try and sell a few more this year. I figure it's easier to sell bales than pit, though pit will last longer. I got a fella for a finish, €10/bale all in. Seems a really good price. Cutting there now, bale tomorrow.

jj92

That 10e a bale is plus plastic BTW.

Going forward...

The trick to drawing bales is a trailer(s), big trailers, 14s, 17s, 20s and loader(s). :cool:

Single and double handlers.:rolleyes:

Mech1

Just a question from someone that knows nothing about farming:D

I have 3 pet rabbits, we go through a load of small hay packets (about 6"inches*4"*18") pressed tight enough.

Could I buy a bale of hay? Not straw.

Where, how much,?

IM in Knocklyon South Dublin but can travel to collect within reason.

Milked out

+1 on the double bale handlers, two tractors drawing on the home block won't be long following the baler out the gate, you'd want weights on the tractor for the fusion bales though, our 7840 was rising unless the diesel tank was kept well full without em

moy83

Mech1 wrote: »

Just a question from someone that knows nothing about farming:D

I have 3 pet rabbits, we go through a load of small hay packets (about 6"inches*4"*18") pressed tight enough.

Could I buy a bale of hay? Not straw.

Where, how much,?

IM in Knocklyon South Dublin but can travel to collect within reason.

You could buy one no problem , a decent lad might not even charge you for one square bale . Im no help where to source one but if you look out for horses or cattle around you call in to the owner and if he doesnt have them , will probably send you some place that does

freedominacup

moy83 wrote: »

You could buy one no problem , a decent lad might not even charge you for one square bale . Im no help where to source one but if you look out for horses or cattle around you call in to the owner and if he doesnt have them , will probably send you some place that does

You might find it easier to get one of the wrapped small bales they sell in the equine supply stores. Be tidy for bringing home in the car also.

moy83

freedominacup wrote: »

You might find it easier to get one of the wrapped small bales they sell in the equine supply stores. Be tidy for bringing home in the car also.

Id say it would be gone off by the time bugsy would get to the end of it .
I just got a flash in my head there of a mini ring feeder with a heap of rabbits pulling out of it :-)

freedominacup

Baling and wrapping around here 5.50 plus vat with a fusion. Bale hauling with a 10 bale keltec is €70/hour. BIL said keltec was hauling 7 loads every 2 hours on around a 1 mile draw, reckoned it was good value. Farm handler charges around €40/hour so hauling and stacking would be costing just north of €3/bale in that scenario.

Farmer Pudsey

A contractor that I know that makes and draws a lot of bales reckons up to one mile that a double bale handler and front loader is faster than a trailer ( his trailer carries 14 bales) also less risk of damage. The distance may be even a little longer if someone else put the bales in two's with a small tractor and put third bale in a handy position for front loader.

Posters here are talking about silage costs of pit versus bale. Just like you need to cost the drawing/stacking of silage bales you also need to cost in silage slab that you may need a better tractor to feed pit versu bale. Any good 60+HP tractor will feed bale silage. Also if carring a distance during the winter no grab of pit silage is as big as a bale. In my case the bale has another advantage I can cut hybrids/RVP when they are ready and the same with normal ryegrass.

Most smallish farmers cutting less than 25 acres( and maybe more) will find it hard to get a contractor when it suits them as opposed to the contractor. Some contractors will not allow pit silage to wilt for long for farmers doing smallish acerage.

Depending on your system/size each has it advantage bales for flexibility, quality( lot of farmers making them do so after wainting to make hay giving bale silage a bad name) and lower cost for smaller amounts. Pit silage for large acreage, big cuts, and lower cost in these situtation as well as quality when done on time.

Farmer Pudsey

freedominacup wrote: »

Baling and wrapping around here 5.50 plus vat with a fusion. Bale hauling with a 10 bale keltec is €70/hour. BIL said keltec was hauling 7 loads every 2 hours on around a 1 mile draw, reckoned it was good value. Farm handler charges around €40/hour so hauling and stacking would be costing just north of €3/bale in that scenario.

That is a very good price it works out at 6.25/bale. Is it chopped for that or will contractor charge extra. Around here it is between 7-7.5/bale chopped. If that is a newish machine I think that somthing else is subsidising it. Cannot see the owner/operator making much money out og it. Maybe he will move down my way.

There are a few fellas down our way doing it at that kind of money however they do not chop the bales and a friend that change found his bale count chanding from 17/acre to 13/acre. Also they are always breaking down or will over promise when they will arrive.

freedominacup

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

That is a very good price it works out at 6.25/bale. Is it chopped for that or will contractor charge extra. Around here it is between 7-7.5/bale chopped. If that is a newish machine I think that somthing else is subsidising it. Cannot see the owner/operator making much money out og it. Maybe he will move down my way.

There are a few fellas down our way doing it at that kind of money however they do not chop the bales and a friend that change found his bale count chanding from 17/acre to 13/acre. Also they are always breaking down or will over promise when they will arrive.

I checked that price it should have been €5.90+vat. It is chopped but is with a fusion so one less tractor than many have to carry. Not subsidised, this guy only does bale silage, no wagon or self-propelled crew distorting costs. This guy arrived to our yard for a few bales on paddocks on his first day out in May and the bale counter read 5. The rake had never seen any action at all. He makes a point of arriving when he says he will, breakdowns are never an issue as gear is always fresh and well maintained.