Annoying equestrian lady needs 8 acres small baling in the midlands

Hi, I have to opportunity to rent 8 acres of flat land near Nottingham. Fencing is poor so I want to use it for hay rather than put my horses on it or pay for the whole lot post-and-railing.
I have no machinery so need a contractor. Would also need help stacking locally.
I've been asked to suggest what I think the plot is worth rental value, so need to know what it would cost for small bales to be made. I don't want to make a profit (heaven forbid) just enough to break even so would be happy to split the bales for reduced cost.

Any takers? NG11 area.
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
All depends on how well you can sell the hay.
Relying on contractor could result in it always being baled a day to early, or too late, as they do your bit after their own, or their bigger regular customers.
Frankly I can't see why you'd bother if you can buy your hay requirements at £3.50 a bale, as and when you want it.
What will you do with 400 bales of musty rubbish, should that be what you end up with 3 years out of 5?
Of course, you may just want to have a go, in which case good for you.
Better to fence the field, and take some liveries to help pay for it perhaps?Always on the assumption that you have some security of tenure, and the landowner doesn't give you the heave when you have fenced it?
 
Last edited:
All depends on how well you can sell the hay.
Relying on contractor could result in it always being baled a day to early, or too late, as they do your bit after their own, or their bigger regular customers.
Frankly I can't see why you'd bother if you can buy your hay requirements at £3.50 a bale, as and when you want it.
What will you do with 400 bales of musty rubbish, should that be what you end up with 3 years out of 5?
Of course, you may just want to have a go, in which case good for you.
Better to fence the field, and take some liveries to help pay for it perhaps?Always on the assumption that you have some security of tenure, and the landowner doesn't give you the heave when you have fenced it?

Yes, having a go is what it's about. I have plenty of people who would have the hay, including someone who runs a track livery and a local rescue centre with 115 horses to feed over the winter, hence my being realistic about making a profit. I'd happily give it away rather than let it rot.
Landowner is fine, known them for over 40 years. There's no water at the field, and I don't have a vehicle that would hold or tow a boom, so liveries would be nice but not practical. There's not enough natural shelter so I'd have to put in wooden ones and at £1200 a throw, plus proper fencing (I don't do barbed wire fences as they tend to generate vets bills) it wouldn't be worth the effort. Equestrians want facilities, so a windswept field at the end of a dirt track isn't going to be popular enough to make that a go-er. I've thought about, believe me.
 
How many horses do you have?
I'd guess it would be expensive hay.

I'd electric fencing and strip graze over the winter, it suits horses really well, particularly if they are easier kept types.
I have 3 horses of my own and one of them cares not a jot about walking through electric fencing, closely followed by everyone else so that really wouldn't work either! Then she tends to get the thing wrapped round her legs generate more vets bills.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I have 3 horses of my own and one of them cares not a jot about walking through electric fencing, closely followed by everyone else so that really wouldn't work either! Then she tends to get the thing wrapped round her legs generate more vets bills.
It’s never seen proper electric fencing then, a neighbour had 3 horses and 4 donkeys like that, they kept tying the electric to wire fencing and wouldn’t switch the energiser on half the time, horses walked over it for 5 years, 10 minutes I had a fencer in there for and they never touched it again.

Horses soon learn not to rub barbed wire, they chew everything wooden and rub against post and rail, ruining it!

If you know someone with 115 horses they won’t want small bales they’ll want big bales, they’d be better off with pit silage but they won’t be told (I’ve seen plenty of horses on pit silage)
 
It’s never seen proper electric fencing then, a neighbour had 3 horses and 4 donkeys like that, they kept tying the electric to wire fencing and wouldn’t switch the energiser on half the time, horses walked over it for 5 years, 10 minutes I had a fencer in there for and they never touched it again.

Horses soon learn not to rub barbed wire, they chew everything wooden and rub against post and rail, ruining it!

If you know someone with 115 horses they won’t want small bales they’ll want big bales, they’d be better off with pit silage but they won’t be told (I’ve seen plenty of horses on pit silage)
They do want small bales as it's one lady with about a dozen different fields. She has no tractor either so small bales work better. They are spread over about 5 miles radius.
 

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