Silage prices

caesar

Folks,

Have a fair bit of silage to sell, like over 200 bales and wondering what the going rate is per bale these days? North Mayo area if that helps.

I'm seeing prices from 12 to 25 euro nationally, seems like a huge range! Is that normal?

We began winding down the main part of what is now my mothers farm a few weeks back and are now looking at a stack of bales. We were a bit too keen last year on keeping things running as before, and between winding down and different things, we've got a decent shot left over.

The bales come in two lots, half are from 2019, half are from 2020. The 2020 bales are good quality, the 2019 ones are better but older.

What do farmers generally favour, newer slightly lower quality bales or the higher quality older bales, or is it much of much less?

Want to know if I should vary the pricing between them. (We only have the 2019 ones as we didn't want to be moving and restacking them last year.)

Aside from that I was thinking of getting silage analysis done—because of the number we have. What's the take here is on that? Would it be a big plus if buying. While we're not looking to profit we do want to recover costs as much as possible, as Mums farm not mine at the end of the day. A contractor baled, wrapped and stacked them. We put out the fertiliser, cut the grass and paid for the wrapping. So I guess cost was 15/16 euro a bale, maybe more (all in).

I might hold on the analysis 'til I see what the general interest is. I'm thinking no one is going to buy bales beyond a 10-mile radius.

There's an outside chance someone we know might take a good lot of them but wanted to get some thoughts before I advertise them.

Dunedin

2020 bales would be favoured over 2019 as bales don’t generally keep but factors such as how many layers of wrap were used and how much handling and hardship they got drawing in Will all impact on the quality of both at this point. Try not to move them at this stage either (unless to sell them of course).

I’d say €15 for the 2019 and €20 for the 2020 would be as much as you can expect.

kk.man

caesar wrote: »

Folks,

Have a fair bit of silage to sell, like over 200 bales and wondering what the going rate is per bale these days? North Mayo area if that helps.

I'm seeing prices from 12 to 25 euro nationally, seems like a huge range! Is that normal?

We began winding down the main part of what is now my mothers farm a few weeks back and are now looking at a stack of bales. We were a bit too keen last year on keeping things running as before, and between winding down and different things, we've got a decent shot left over.

The bales come in two lots, half are from 2019, half are from 2020. The 2020 bales are good quality, the 2019 ones are better but older.

What do farmers generally favour, newer slightly lower quality bales or the higher quality older bales, or is it much of much less?

Want to know if I should vary the pricing between them. (We only have the 2019 ones as we didn't want to be moving and restacking them last year.)

Aside from that I was thinking of getting silage analysis done—because of the number we have. What's the take here is on that? Would it be a big plus if buying. While we're not looking to profit we do want to recover costs as much as possible, as Mums farm not mine at the end of the day. A contractor baled, wrapped and stacked them. We put out the fertiliser, cut the grass and paid for the wrapping. So I guess cost was 15/16 euro a bale, maybe more (all in).

I might hold on the analysis 'til I see what the general interest is. I'm thinking no one is going to buy bales beyond a 10-mile radius.

There's an outside chance someone we know might take a good lot of them but wanted to get some thoughts before I advertise them.

The only way you make money out of bale silage is when there is a shortage and then you break even.

Dunedin

kk.man wrote: »

The only way you make money out of bale silage is when there is a shortage and then you break even.

OP has said he’s (or his mother) not looking to make money but would (not unreasonably) like to recover as much of the cost as possible.

If we hit a bad spring like in 2012 or whatever that year was, then bales could hit anywhere north of €50 and lads/lassies will drive from cork to Donegal for them. We’re not at that stage this year thank God and to be honest, they’ll be a hard sell unless there’s a bad break in the weather.

If I got offered €15 for any of them, I’d be tempted to take it (bird in the hand and all that...)

Wouldn’t bother with the analysis or any of that.

blue5000

How dry is it?

caesar

Dunedin wrote: »

2020 bales would be favoured over 2019 as bales don’t generally keep but factors such as how many layers of wrap were used and how much handling and hardship they got drawing in Will all impact on the quality of both at this point. Try not to move them at this stage either (unless to sell them of course).

I’d say €15 for the 2019 and €20 for the 2020 would be as much as you can expect.

Didn't think there would that much difference between them. I'll trying getting one of 2019 ones out to see what they're like when feeding tomorrow, but from what I gather they were as good as we ever had off the land, so despite them being older I'd probably put them on par with the others, but will know more when I grab one.

Either way that's the range I had in mind. But a bit wiser about what people might expect on the differential between the two lots.

kk.man wrote: »

The only way you make money out of bale silage is when there is a shortage and then you break even.

Ah yeah got you. Always down to supply and demand and the weather! Year's back I remember the aul fella saying bales were going mad money cause people got caught out.

caesar

blue5000 wrote: »

How dry is it?

Ah I wouldn't say it's haylage stuff. I shook some of the 2020 lot out with the haybob before it was done. But then some wasn't as contractors arrived early. But it had a decent days drying before they arrived.

2019 stuff is similar although it was definitely all shook out and rowed.

tanko

It all depends what the fodder situation is like locally. The forecast is looking cold wet and windy for Easter for the Northwest so there’s hope for selling yet.
If you’re offered €15 for the older ones and €20 for last years i’d take it, assuming they actually hand over the cash.
Put up a sign at the road and on donedeal.

whelan2

Put a sign up in local farm store

memorystick

They could make €30 in July with this heatwave on the way.

jd_12345

caesar wrote: »

Folks,

Have a fair bit of silage to sell, like over 200 bales and wondering what the going rate is per bale these days? North Mayo area if that helps.

I'm seeing prices from 12 to 25 euro nationally, seems like a huge range! Is that normal?

We began winding down the main part of what is now my mothers farm a few weeks back and are now looking at a stack of bales. We were a bit too keen last year on keeping things running as before, and between winding down and different things, we've got a decent shot left over.

The bales come in two lots, half are from 2019, half are from 2020. The 2020 bales are good quality, the 2019 ones are better but older.

What do farmers generally favour, newer slightly lower quality bales or the higher quality older bales, or is it much of much less?

Want to know if I should vary the pricing between them. (We only have the 2019 ones as we didn't want to be moving and restacking them last year.)

Aside from that I was thinking of getting silage analysis done—because of the number we have. What's the take here is on that? Would it be a big plus if buying. While we're not looking to profit we do want to recover costs as much as possible, as Mums farm not mine at the end of the day. A contractor baled, wrapped and stacked them. We put out the fertiliser, cut the grass and paid for the wrapping. So I guess cost was 15/16 euro a bale, maybe more (all in).

I might hold on the analysis 'til I see what the general interest is. I'm thinking no one is going to buy bales beyond a 10-mile radius.

There's an outside chance someone we know might take a good lot of them but wanted to get some thoughts before I advertise them.

Unfortunately the weather at the moment has taken any market that was there for silage. I would think if you’re trying to clear space €15 and you might get takers.

kk.man

Dunedin wrote: »

OP has said he’s (or his mother) not looking to make money but would (not unreasonably) like to recover as much of the cost as possible.

If we hit a bad spring like in 2012 or whatever that year was, then bales could hit anywhere north of €50 and lads/lassies will drive from cork to Donegal for them. We’re not at that stage this year thank God and to be honest, they’ll be a hard sell unless there’s a bad break in the weather.

If I got offered €15 for any of them, I’d be tempted to take it (bird in the hand and all that...)

Wouldn’t bother with the analysis or any of that.

I am just stating prepare for the worst as there hasn't been a want for fodder all winter and secondly why move it now!?... Whatever hope you had back in January...

Jb1989

memorystick wrote: »

They could make €30 in July with this heatwave on the way.

Agree, it's a gamble, but there may be takers midsummer if a heatwave materialised. If you get 15 upwards now then take it, if not then bide your time. If they not in your way then you still may get rid next October when cattle go back in. You can always put this years bales, if any, in a separate pile, and leave the other 2 years to be gone by year end.

caesar

kk.man wrote: »

I am just stating prepare for the worst as there hasn't been a want for fodder all winter and secondly why move it now!?... Whatever hope you had back in January...

Ah, the reason we're getting rid now is that part of the farm will be rented from May. That decision, while on the cards for a while, was only firmed up in the past few weeks. The main priority back in Jan was sending cattle to the factory and the usual stuff. Then coming into Feb, we offloaded a good lot of the cows as we didn't fancy taking a risk with the herd test. TB in neighbouring herds the years before and all that. We wouldn't have the land around home to keep more all the cattle; hence we offloaded a fair few in Feb. Now, part of our initial thinking was not to sell the majority of the cows before the herd test and that if they went down with TB, we had the option of bringing bales over to the home farm to compensate for the lack of grass. We figured that would only be slobbering, so we bit the bullet and sold most of the cows.

At a push, there might be an option to hang on to some of them, but will advertise and see what happens.

By the by, what makes ye think a heatwave is on the cards? �� I don't remember ever seeing people around these parts feeding silage mid-summer due to a heatwave, maybe that year way back in the 2000s when it rained for the whole summer and people were bailing muck at one point. Was dreadful.

Edit: should add herd test was fine, thankfully.

kk.man

caesar wrote: »

Ah, the reason we're getting rid now is that part of the farm will be rented from May. That decision, while on the cards for a while, was only firmed up in the past few weeks. The main priority back in Jan was sending cattle to the factory and the usual stuff. Then coming into Feb, we offloaded a good lot of the cows as we didn't fancy taking a risk with the herd test. TB in neighbouring herds the years before and all that. We wouldn't have the land around home to keep more all the cattle; hence we offloaded a fair few in Feb. Now, part of our initial thinking was not to sell the majority of the cows before the herd test and that if they went down with TB, we had the option of bringing bales over to the home farm to compensate for the lack of grass. We figured that would only be slobbering, so we bit the bullet and sold most of the cows.

At a push, there might be an option to hang on to some of them, but will advertise and see what happens.

By the by, what makes ye think a heatwave is on the cards? �� I don't remember ever seeing people around these parts feeding silage mid-summer due to a heatwave, maybe that year way back in the 2000s when it rained for the whole summer and people were bailing muck at one point. Was dreadful.

Edit: should add herd test was fine, thankfully.

You off loaded cattle on a visual they might contract TB?

Jb1989

caesar wrote: »

Ah, the reason we're getting rid now is that part of the farm will be rented from May. That decision, while on the cards for a while, was only firmed up in the past few weeks. The main priority back in Jan was sending cattle to the factory and the usual stuff. Then coming into Feb, we offloaded a good lot of the cows as we didn't fancy taking a risk with the herd test. TB in neighbouring herds the years before and all that. We wouldn't have the land around home to keep more all the cattle; hence we offloaded a fair few in Feb. Now, part of our initial thinking was not to sell the majority of the cows before the herd test and that if they went down with TB, we had the option of bringing bales over to the home farm to compensate for the lack of grass. We figured that would only be slobbering, so we bit the bullet and sold most of the cows.

At a push, there might be an option to hang on to some of them, but will advertise and see what happens.

By the by, what makes ye think a heatwave is on the cards? �� I don't remember ever seeing people around these parts feeding silage mid-summer due to a heatwave, maybe that year way back in the 2000s when it rained for the whole summer and people were bailing muck at one point. Was dreadful.

Edit: should add herd test was fine, thankfully.

Down south they burn up in hot summers and feed silage, but I supose in mayo with heavier ground, it's won't be common.

TooOldBoots

You need to offload the 2019 bales right away. By winter 2021/22 they will be next to worthless.
It's the 21st of March now, Grass is growing, any lad that was short feed has surly taken action by now. You could gamble on the weather deteriorating, but its a gamble. Plus you can still sell the 2020 bales for top money if you get a late spring.
For the 2019 stuff if you get €10/bale take it.

caesar

kk.man wrote: »

You off loaded cattle on a visual they might contract TB?

Hmmm, I don't think I said that. What I meant was the risk the herd might go down for TB was reasonable. The national rate is just sub 5% for herd incidence, then factor in neighbouring incidence meant we felt there was a ~10% chance we might go down as the same neighbouring farm's cattle broke into ours at one point last summer. Any other year 10% risk wouldn't be a big deal, but in the year you're thinking/planning to wind down, and you've got a window re leasing with the BPS and ANC entitlements having to be put in for, well, then it matters!

Aside from that I reckon you think we sold a load of cattle from what I said in my last post on count of TB risk. My bad there, that's not what I meant. The first lot of bullocks and heifers, 20 or so were due to be sold anyway. They went early Jan.

We made a call to sell 6 cows to bring us below a threshold we were comfortable with in February (before test in early March), down to ~30 (including 5 calves). The 6 cows isn't much from a fodder standpoint but when you add them back in plus the calves they would have had (had we kept the cows), and the 16 cattle already here around home and potentially holding the lot an extra 6 months+ (plus only on 20 acres), it's starts to get little uncomfortable.

And when we sold the 6 cows it got the ball moving on timings of everything else. Had we not sold them and we'd not got through the test, what I was getting at is extra bales would have helped a great deal

Mind you, we were always going to have bales left over but the number are someway higher given the timings of the various aspects.

Dunedin

TooOldBoots wrote: »

You need to offload the 2019 bales right away. By winter 2021/22 they will be next to worthless.
It's the 21st of March now, Grass is growing, any lad that was short feed has surly taken action by now. You could gamble on the weather deteriorating, but its a gamble. Plus you can still sell the 2020 bales for top money if you get a late spring.
For the 2019 stuff if you get €10/bale take it.

Would agree with this. I was probably being positive when I said €15 but I wouldn’t be taking any gamble on the 2019 stuff. If you an offer take it.

lab man

Cease, what ever you do dont say you e 2019 and 2020 for sale say it's all 2020 if a local says was it 2019 say that was sold advertise far away 20 mile or so theres bad weather coming next week wind is northerly since the last new moon grass is burning at the moment I'm getting up to 35 at the moment I couldn't sell a bale in dec early jan you'll get 1 or 2 weeks to sell them if u dont, hold onto them dont give them away for 15 euro, when putting your add on your local paper put up 50 or 45 etc dont say 200, dont bother with dd. And buy a small old phone with a tesco sim that way when u get a call you know it's for the bales and when finished u wont be getting calls at 2 in the morning wrecking yer head

trg

kk.man wrote: »

The only way you make money out of bale silage is when there is a shortage and then you break even.

I'm confused, would you be breaking even or making money?

lab man

trg wrote: »

I'm confused, would you be breaking even or making money?

A bale at 20 your at a loss

blue5000

lab man wrote: »

A bale at 20 your at a loss

Getting it for 20 delivered here, have to agree it's cheaper than making it myself. Mix of 2019 and 2020 bales.

If you get any reasonable offers on your 2019 stuff, take it. Your 2020 stuff should keep until early next winter. Fertiliser is dear this year so it's possible silage could be scarcer next winter.

Dozer1

Good bit advertised locally now definitely going to try and source a 100 or so and I'd expect it delivered for 20 max. Too many places have heaps of bales stored in this area for it to be dearer than 20.

Sacrolyte

lab man wrote: »

Cease, what ever you do dont say you e 2019 and 2020 for sale say it's all 2020 if a local says was it 2019 say that was sold advertise far away 20 mile or so theres bad weather coming next week wind is northerly since the last new moon grass is burning at the moment I'm getting up to 35 at the moment I couldn't sell a bale in dec early jan you'll get 1 or 2 weeks to sell them if u dont, hold onto them dont give them away for 15 euro, when putting your add on your local paper put up 50 or 45 etc dont say 200, dont bother with dd. And buy a small old phone with a tesco sim that way when u get a call you know it's for the bales and when finished u wont be getting calls at 2 in the morning wrecking yer head

And when the bales are sold rip the phone in 2 like they do in “Breaking Bad.”

lab man

blue5000 wrote: »

Getting it for 20 delivered here, have to agree it's cheaper than making it myself. Mix of 2019 and 2020 bales.

If you get any reasonable offers on your 2019 stuff, take it. Your 2020 stuff should keep until early next winter. Fertiliser is dear this year so it's possible silage could be scarcer next winter.

I've given my own cattle bales from 2016 uptown 2020 this year I done 20 bales with 25 wraps each year just to see I opened them this year silage was perfect ok the 2016 stuff had a small bit of waste not much though

Jack C

Just listened to weather forecast... given fairly bad from tuesday on.
Will definitely put a move on prices.

tanko

caesar wrote: »

Folks,

Have a fair bit of silage to sell, like over 200 bales and wondering what the going rate is per bale these days? North Mayo area if that helps.

I'm seeing prices from 12 to 25 euro nationally, seems like a huge range! Is that normal?

We began winding down the main part of what is now my mothers farm a few weeks back and are now looking at a stack of bales. We were a bit too keen last year on keeping things running as before, and between winding down and different things, we've got a decent shot left over.

The bales come in two lots, half are from 2019, half are from 2020. The 2020 bales are good quality, the 2019 ones are better but older.

What do farmers generally favour, newer slightly lower quality bales or the higher quality older bales, or is it much of much less?

Want to know if I should vary the pricing between them. (We only have the 2019 ones as we didn't want to be moving and restacking them last year.)

Aside from that I was thinking of getting silage analysis done—because of the number we have. What's the take here is on that? Would it be a big plus if buying. While we're not looking to profit we do want to recover costs as much as possible, as Mums farm not mine at the end of the day. A contractor baled, wrapped and stacked them. We put out the fertiliser, cut the grass and paid for the wrapping. So I guess cost was 15/16 euro a bale, maybe more (all in).

I might hold on the analysis 'til I see what the general interest is. I'm thinking no one is going to buy bales beyond a 10-mile radius.

There's an outside chance someone we know might take a good lot of them but wanted to get some thoughts before I advertise them.

Do you still have them bales??:D