Hay making 2022

[bluebell]

keeping cattle or buying in extra feed? most will cash the cows in? The surplus amount of grass has got worse over the years and will only get worse? many farmers just cant grow crops and are stuck with fields land that has always, except maybe during the war been grass, you can see it out in the countryside, sometimes you really have to travel to see any farm animals in fields, fields that 20 or so years ago had livestock in them?

 

[Will 1594]

everyone keeps saying there getting so much per bale but how heavy are your bales ? this year my six stringers are 650 kg on average

10 p a kilo

 

[som farmer]

Weight is important, but tons of DM is all that counts, be that silage, hay, grain.

one exception, agree weight is important, in little bales, sold to the horsy brigade, as in 'not to heavy'

we have had to buy fodder in, for our dairy, 3 dry years, not enough winter feed. Silage, clamp or bale, is ok, if close. Hay is the easiest to buy/transport. Knowing we were short, bought hay, to feed with our own fodder. Been very surprised how well our cows responded, hay will feature in all future rations, but only if good.

there isn't to much unfarmed/lightly farmed, around here, its soon snapped up, for strong money. But there are a few more 'bits' about, l suppose, that could help out.

 

[onthehoof]

keeping cattle or buying in extra feed? most will cash the cows in? The surplus amount of grass has got worse over the years and will only get worse? many farmers just cant grow crops and are stuck with fields land that has always, except maybe during the war been grass, you can see it out in the countryside, sometimes you really have to travel to see any farm animals in fields, fields that 20 or so years ago had livestock in them?

This^^^^^^^
Look on FB loads of folk desperate to shift lasts years to make space for this year's, supply and demand currently there's too much supply, you can charge a bit more to regular customers but if you're looking for new ones you will have to undercut their existing supplier

 

[som farmer]

This^^^^^^^
Look on FB loads of folk desperate to shift lasts years to make space for this year's, supply and demand currently there's too much supply, you can charge a bit more to regular customers but if you're looking for new ones you will have to undercut their existing supplier

bit like straw, our suppliers barns, are still full, from last year, he's been selling from farmers yards, all through, he reckons straw will be short/expensive, this year, and as he said, my barns are full of nice dry straw, now. Right, or wrong ???

 

[onthehoof]

bit like straw, our suppliers barns, are still full, from last year, he's been selling from farmers yards, all through, he reckons straw will be short/expensive, this year, and as he said, my barns are full of nice dry straw, now. Right, or wrong ???

It's a difficult one and really depends on how many arable boys are going to chop it for fertiliser value, too soon to call but there are some great looking crops around

 

[onthehoof]

Bit more nearly there

 

[M-J-G]

bit like straw, our suppliers barns, are still full, from last year, he's been selling from farmers yards, all through, he reckons straw will be short/expensive, this year, and as he said, my barns are full of nice dry straw, now. Right, or wrong ???

Probably not a daft move

I know one guy who bought around a thousand round bales of hay in Spring 2012 for £12, the seller was needing the shed cleared for lambing and it had been a slow winter/spring for forage sales.

With his winter supply of forage sorted, he didn't apply any fertiliser to his own farm, spread his stock out over the whole farm during what turned out to be a horrendously wet summer.
Talk about the right place at the right time.

 

[som farmer]

It's a difficult one and really depends on how many arable boys are going to chop it for fertiliser value, too soon to call but there are some great looking crops around

don't think he's going to sell us to much, we have 18 acres, of 4ft w/wheat, plus 10a barley.
Between feeding all that grain back to the dairy, and a good heap of straw, reckon it will save us £6,000 ish a month, over winter, the best bit, other than combine/bale, all been paid up. Now, we haven't costed that wheat at sale value, but at cost to grow, might be wrong, but conc is £400+, and wheat is £300 ish, and no money going out, and a better quality feed.
Also looking at more hay, bought, and fed a lot to the dairy when we were short, pleased and surprised, with the result. If hotter drier summers, are here to stay, haymaking becomes easier, modern kit helps as well. Here there is a £10/bale difference, between bale, and bale/wrap, soon adds up. But only for quality hay - for the dairy. The best bit about hay, it can easily carry over.
And by selecting fields, or 2nd cut, its quality can be improved. Silage is, and will remain, the bulk of winter fodder. As much home grown fodder/conc, you can grow, on farm, the less leaves the bank. And, in the event of unsuitable weather, wrap the grass, w/crop or crimp the wheat, both very practical solutions.

 

[som farmer]

Probably not a daft move

I know one guy who bought around a thousand round bales of hay in Spring 2012 for £12, the seller was needing the shed cleared for lambing and it had been a slow winter/spring for forage sales.

With his winter supply of forage sorted, he didn't apply any fertiliser to his own farm, spread his stock out over the whole farm during what turned out to be a horrendously wet summer.
Talk about the right place at the right time.

flexibility, and seeing chances, should be a must, in farming, going forward. Neighbour has worked out, £2,000 saved, making hay, not wrapping it, and he has a lot more to do.

 

[neilo]

don't think he's going to sell us to much, we have 18 acres, of 4ft w/wheat, plus 10a barley.
Between feeding all that grain back to the dairy, and a good heap of straw, reckon it will save us £6,000 ish a month, over winter, the best bit, other than combine/bale, all been paid up. Now, we haven't costed that wheat at sale value, but at cost to grow, might be wrong, but conc is £400+, and wheat is £300 ish, and no money going out, and a better quality feed.
Also looking at more hay, bought, and fed a lot to the dairy when we were short, pleased and surprised, with the result. If hotter drier summers, are here to stay, haymaking becomes easier, modern kit helps as well. Here there is a £10/bale difference, between bale, and bale/wrap, soon adds up. But only for quality hay - for the dairy. The best bit about hay, it can easily carry over.
And by selecting fields, or 2nd cut, its quality can be improved. Silage is, and will remain, the bulk of winter fodder. As much home grown fodder/conc, you can grow, on farm, the less leaves the bank. And, in the event of unsuitable weather, wrap the grass, w/crop or crimp the wheat, both very practical solutions.

Of course it’s wrong. All that does is mean that your 28ac of cereals have made nothing, whilst your dairy margin is artificially inflated.

Grain and straw is worth what you stick on a lorry for.

 

[som farmer]

Of course it’s wrong. All that does is mean that your 28ac of cereals have made nothing, whilst your dairy margin is artificially inflated.

Grain and straw is worth what you stick on a lorry for.

agree with some of that, but in the messed up economy, we have now, deem it best to count it in as a forage crop. At least we know what we have, for the winter, and its better quality than bought in conc, and still might be over £100/t cheaper. We are in peculiar times, so until things settle down, perfectly happy to see as much home grown, and less bought, money in the bank, may soon even earn a bit. But its also there, if a good chance comes along.

 

[neilo]

agree with some of that, but in the messed up economy, we have now, deem it best to count it in as a forage crop. At least we know what we have, for the winter, and its better quality than bought in conc, and still might be over £100/t cheaper. We are in peculiar times, so until things settle down, perfectly happy to see as much home grown, and less bought, money in the bank, may soon even earn a bit. But its also there, if a good chance comes along.

I’m not suggesting it’s wrong to do it, but unless you cost it properly then your just kidding yourself really. You will have grain slightly cheaper than the cost of buying it in, but only really by the transport cost.

 

[som farmer]

I’m not suggesting it’s wrong to do it, but unless you cost it properly then your just kidding yourself really. You will have grain slightly cheaper than the cost of buying it in, but only really by the transport cost.

but that extra money, in the bank, may well buy us a bargain later.
but its not how we would normally do it, its just these are not normal times

 

[robs1]

I’m not suggesting it’s wrong to do it, but unless you cost it properly then your just kidding yourself really. You will have grain slightly cheaper than the cost of buying it in, but only really by the transport cost.

A dairy farm can grow grain cheaper than an all arable one especially with fert at it's current price and can use less chems, also wont need to dry it down to a stupid level or worry about a extra clean sample, it's a no brainer.
Who cares about which bit of the business makes the profit as long as total profit is extra, one of the biggest mistakes made running a business is by looking at things from a theoretical perspective, ie just run a milking herd and out source replacements and all concentrates etc, on paper it works best but in reality its isnt.
Accountants and consultants running any business is bad news IMVHO of course

 

[bluebell]

So whats the easest way to farm say 1,000 acres if the land can grow good crops of arable, wheat, barley, oilseed rape, peas, machines can do most of the hard work now? plus its far less labour, less work and worry in the winter? yes in an ideal world mixed farming, that is both arable and livestock is better for the land, fertility from the muck and breaking the disease cycle and weed resistant buildup? but for ease, lifestyle, less work, employing people ,if you can find anyone, pure arable farming dominates? Plus do you actually make any more profit from livestock?

 

[neilo]

but that extra money, in the bank, may well buy us a bargain later.
but its not how we would normally do it, its just these are not normal times

Of course, and that's why it makes good business sense to do it. Don't kid yourself that your wheat is only costing yo £100 a ton though.

 

[neilo]

A dairy farm can grow grain cheaper than an all arable one especially with fert at it's current price and can use less chems, also wont need to dry it down to a stupid level or worry about a extra clean sample, it's a no brainer.
Who cares about which bit of the business makes the profit as long as total profit is extra, one of the biggest mistakes made running a business is by looking at things from a theoretical perspective, ie just run a milking herd and out source replacements and all concentrates etc, on paper it works best but in reality its isnt.
Accountants and consultants running any business is bad news IMVHO of course

Of course it can, and can make good sense to do it. The arable enterprise will make a nice profit if that wheat is just tipped in a lorry though, rather than fed to the cows. You're just kidding yourself if you try to make out otherwise.

I seen plenty pretending their beef enterprises make a shed load of money on the same basis, whereas in reality they'd have been better off selling the corn and not finishing cattle at all.

 

[Wesley]

Of course it can, and can make good sense to do it. The arable enterprise will make a nice profit if that wheat is just tipped in a lorry though, rather than fed to the cows. You're just kidding yourself if you try to make out otherwise.

I seen plenty pretending their beef enterprises make a shed load of money on the same basis, whereas in reality they'd have been better off selling the corn and not finishing cattle at all.

So should you be “selling” the fym from your livestock enterprise to the arable one? Where does it all end? All that really matters is the total farm profit. As long as your mixed farm is more profitable than pure arable it shouldn’t matter.

 

[som farmer]

Of course, and that's why it makes good business sense to do it. Don't kid yourself that your wheat is only costing yo £100 a ton though.

seed, pre em, and 2 fungicide, 50units N plus min-til, after maize, then rent etc
but we have 'spare acres' having reduced the dairy herd
if we sold it, admix, moisture, and no crop assurance, would soon knock the price back. Whereas l can store it at 18%, with a bit of air, well used to that. Or even crimp it, if weathers iffy.
The other consideration, is all wheat is as value, but conc has an element of cheap filler/product in it.
The reality, 65% ish of our winter conc requirement, is all prepaid. Takes a lot of risk out.