Clamp v big bale silage cost

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
A wagon to replace the forager, outdoor clamps, do some bales for flexibility...and rent current silage building to someone else for any damn thing but livestock.
Compaction and layering is key for field clamps though. I was on short chop with a SP with a tractor buckrake on the pit with a pit roller on the back. The manitou wouldn’t sink when going up the clamp with tyres when covering it was that well done.
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
Compaction and layering is key for field clamps though. I was on short chop with a SP with a tractor buckrake on the pit with a pit roller on the back. The manitou wouldn’t sink when going up the clamp with tyres when covering it was that well done.
got a pal who worked his clamp with a drott once.
only once....it was like concrete!
 

Matt77

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Sussex
A wagon to replace the forager, outdoor clamps, do some bales for flexibility...and rent current silage building to someone else for any damn thing but livestock.
Sadly no space for an outdoor clamp without causing an effluent problem, renting is also a no go, don’t want the extra traffic passing through the farm.
 

Stw88

Member
Location
Northumberland
Add in the baling and wrapper hire costs too if you're comparing.....
But if its your own gear and the cost has been already been written off it isnt costing much is it. But i know everyone like to work costs out so it looks like there loosing money. The op has his own baler and wrapper therefore no need pay a contractor for the service of another machine.
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
But if its your own gear and the cost has been already been written off it isnt costing much is it. But i know everyone like to work costs out so it looks like there loosing money. The op has his own baler and wrapper therefore no need pay a contractor for the service of another machine.
what future is there in that financial logic?
You need to factor in the cost of replacement...... cos else (and I'm looking in a mirror here), when the BPS dries up, what happens when at the rusty stuff around the yard is beyond service?
 

Agrivator

Member
Its mainly down to logistics rather than money. Clamp can be done in one or two days. Baling and wrapping can take weeks.

But the comparison has never been between ''clamp'' versus ''baling and wrapping''.

The comparison is between ''hay'' versus ''baling and wrapping''.
 

Agrivator

Member
But if its your own gear and the cost has been already been written off it isnt costing much is it. But i know everyone like to work costs out so it looks like there loosing money. The op has his own baler and wrapper therefore no need pay a contractor for the service of another machine.
what future is there in that financial logic?
You need to factor in the cost of replacement...... cos else (and I'm looking in a mirror here), when the BPS dries up, what happens when at the rusty stuff around the yard is beyond service?

Regardless of the overall profitability of farming, there will always be a debate about the relative profitability of using ''good contractors'' versus ''buying your own tackle''.

But as far as ''buying your own tackle'' is concerned, there's a world of difference between someone who hashes and breaks and wastes it, compared to someone who does the opposite.
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
Regardless of the overall profitability of farming, there will always be a debate about the relative profitability of using ''good contractors'' versus ''buying your own tackle''.

But as far as ''buying your own tackle'' is concerned, there's a world of difference between someone who hashes and breaks and wastes it, compared to someone who does the opposite.
and pretending that it has no 'cost' because it was bought already is hardly sound economics
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Its mainly down to logistics rather than money. Clamp can be done in one or two days. Baling and wrapping can take weeks.

But the comparison has never been between ''clamp'' versus ''baling and wrapping''.

The comparison is between ''hay'' versus ''baling and wrapping''.
Bale a lot of grass in “one or two days” with a modern baler, why should it take weeks. Also the cost of chopping grass will be an increasing cost the way machinery is going up in price. A baler on a farm will last easily 15 years if looked after and if you live in an area of high rainfall like around here the option just to go is invaluable. A big heap of wet poor silage is a huge cost in itself ( been there done that) and often not understood by the guys farming drier counties. Our pit was roofed and is now a useful shed, bought second hand fusion and wouldn’t go back to pleading with the local chopper man to fit us in amongst the big dairy boys.
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
@Stw88 didnt say it wasn’t costing him, he said it’s cost was already written off which is a standard way calculating the annual cost of a depreciating asset…..it’s already made him it’s initial purchase cost back
I'll depart this thread.....cos apparently I don't understand.
In my world, making bales with equipment that 'is already paid for', and not valuing it because of that, appears to be very stupid indeed.

You could sell the gear, or use it for someone else's baling and charge full whack. I don't understand the logic in pretending it shouldn't be accounted for.
I'm out
 
ive read an AHDB study into the losses and its near impossible to get losses with a pit system under 10% with higher field losses and wasteage around the edge, losses with bales are more like 2%, when you consider the cost of making silage with the current fert price why are these losses always overlooked in the bales v pit arguments? it costs us £2/bale o plastic currently, not as big a cost as many make out
 
Location
Cheshire
ive read an AHDB study into the losses and its near impossible to get losses with a pit system under 10% with higher field losses and wasteage around the edge, losses with bales are more like 2%, when you consider the cost of making silage with the current fert price why are these losses always overlooked in the bales v pit arguments? it costs us £2/bale o plastic currently, not as big a cost as many make out
With 2% losses why is there a debate about 4 or 6 or even 8 layers?
 

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