OK you country folks, I need a little help to make sure I get the most BANG for my $$$. With the drought down here, hay is selling for a premium.

I know there is some waste to round bales, but the conviencesure sure is nice. Also, I know there are different size round bales. So, which is the most economical?

 

I buy and feed tons of hay.

If you are buying hay, avoid rolls.

Reasons:

Farmers can roll up any old crap and it still look like good stuff; then, you get it home and feed it, the cows won't eat it and you get your pastures weed-seeded in the bargain.

You can haul way more quality hay in square bales, than can be hauled in rolls.

Small square bales are the best buy for the money, followed by large, inside kept, square bales.

If you are trucking it far, the best you can get is most economical to haul.

I get big squares of alfalfa, averaging 1000/bale, trucked to Kentucky from Kansas, for about $70/bale.

They will eat every crumb and lick the ground bare where it is fed.

 

Well, all of that is true. Usually, we calculate about 20 small squares to the big rounds. It all depends on the baler of course. If you un-roll a round bale, they will usually clean all of it up and you can un-roll them in a different place every time and not kill a big patch in your pasture. Just push them with the front of your truck, granted you have some steel hanging off it. Small bales are nice in the sense you can haul more hay at once and your kids and grandfolks can load and feed them. Round bales of course can be stacked outside and not take up barn space and you can move them from the comfort of your air conditioned truck or tractor. It is really in the eye of the beholder...just like beauty. I'm looking for about 200 small bales of alfalfa in central OK. I am getting prices from $3.50 if you load it out of the field to $8.00 and they'll load it for you. I hear round bales are going for $100+ in Fort Worth. What the hay????

 

Thanks for your replys.

It's so bad down here right now, they're baling and feeding the burned up corn stalks to the cattle. I feed coastal bermuda to my horses and really haven't paid much attention to the price of alphalpa being brought in, but I know it's high. IF you can find good coastal, it's bringing $7 and up for squares and $80 to $100 for round. Feed stores are even higher. That's just in this area. You can drive one to two hundred miles and pick it up cheaper. I don't mind the drive, but my 14x5 trailer and truck bed don't haul enough when you figure in $3+ for diesel.

Too bad Stillwater and Kentucky are so far away from Sedalia.

 

Charlie,
You can borrow my GN anytime you want. It's only 20' though and not a deck over (pipe top utility).

~Rob

 

Hmmm

id go large squares if i was you, most bang for the buck, Although for the two horses we have, small squares are more economical for my bang, but when i had cattle, round bales were the way to go..

Rick

 

Thanks for the offer, Rob. But, since I don't have a gooseneck hitch, I'll need to use your truck, too.

 

I thought your horsey trailer was a GN, my bad.
Maybe Dan can find you some on his way down from MO. next week and load up that big honkin' trailer of his

~Rob

 

The Dept Of Agriculture announced today that they are Outlawing round bales.....

Seems the cattle are not getting a square meal

 

Two horses are all I'm trying to feed. The past two winters, I have put up 100 or so square bales and have made it through OK. With the shortage here and the drive to get it, I'd like to put up at least 150 this year.

Before the drought set in last year, I was buying top quality, fertilized coastal from my neighbor across the road for $4 a bale. This year is so bad that he has sold all his cattle.

 

Top, you ain't right..................

 

Now there's an idea!

Oooh Daaan! How ya doin' there, buddy....................

 

For horses I can understand feedin them nice sqaure bales.

As far a cattle, i know it may sound bad, but they will eat anything if there are hungry enoguh.As of of right now most people are feedin corn stalks and slop from jack daniels and sayin the good hay for the winter when they need it the most.

I don't guess yal can get slop but the Jack daniel distellery is only about 30 minutes from my house and like I said alot of people have went to that cause it's just dirt cheap.

 

I second the motion!

This is a little off the subject, but while in Virginia Beach today I saw a bumper sticker that said "Meat is Murder". I wish I had my truck and not this stupid imported retal car...I would have had a serious attach of SMOKE right in front of those stupid 's. Sorry, had to vent. I raise cattle.

 

Just trying to be helpful Charlie