Can someone tell us what is the going rate for selling bales of silage off the field (this guy is doing it all - just wants to pay us per bale for the grass ) ??? What should the price be per bale ?? What would be a reasonable price ???
Silage costs
- Thread starter Geoffbanjoman
- Start date
- Location
- West Wales
£2-6/bale depending on a lot of things…..
M-J-G
Member
A guy beside me was charging £5 per 4ft bale a couple of weeks ago, fairly coarse grass with a few weeds in it.
4course
Member
- Location
- north yorks
its howlong is a piece of string
is the grass new seeds or pp or whatevever in between,has it headed ? when was the last cut/previous stock removed? is it going to be silage ?I doubt it if its to be baled more likely haylage or even hay if its just surplus grass and weeds its worth feck all if its quality feed its worth a lot more but that doesnt mean you will get its value
is the grass new seeds or pp or whatevever in between,has it headed ? when was the last cut/previous stock removed? is it going to be silage ?I doubt it if its to be baled more likely haylage or even hay if its just surplus grass and weeds its worth feck all if its quality feed its worth a lot more but that doesnt mean you will get its value
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I’ve sold some standing grass to a local dairy farmer the last couple of years. I’m fertilising (& replacing P&K offtake after), he’s mowing/tedding/raking/baling/carting himself. It’s grazed bare in April, so all young growth and he cuts it to suit his requirements. We agreed on £10/bale, which I think is fair to both. If he waits and takes a bigger crop he pays more, but I have to replace more nutrients.
It works well enough for both of us, with neither trying to be greedy or clever.
It works well enough for both of us, with neither trying to be greedy or clever.
sticky
Member
- Location
- Near Stratford upon Avon
Ive just done some, three pockie paddocks minding this that and the other, going to give him £4/bale.
4course
Member
- Location
- north yorks
I would workout what it costs you to grow an acre of grass taking all costs into account, cos philanthropy aint sustainable
- Location
- Gods country (England)
£6 for decent quality stuff £2-£3 for poor quality stuff
Presumably anyone doing all the work, and paying so much/bale, will try to get it as dry as possible.
Haylage (70%DM) will contain twice? the dry matter of a bale of silage (35%DM), and there will be far fewer bales. There will be a corresponding saving in bale wrap and carting costs.
Haylage (70%DM) will contain twice? the dry matter of a bale of silage (35%DM), and there will be far fewer bales. There will be a corresponding saving in bale wrap and carting costs.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
i like fag packets, which I find as accurate as any other budgets. £10/bale as standing grass is as good as selling silage bales at £25 in the winter by my reckoning. That’s something that doesn’t happen often round here.
I have limited use for bales myself, but inevitably have a surplus of grass in June most years. I am happy to sell surplus at that, in order to provide more clean(er) grazing aftermath and to maintain grazing quality for later in the season.
- Location
- West Wales
Plus helping a neighbour out
Fag packets have changed since their now all grey/black
Now it’s “dead stock” sheet maths 
4course
Member
- Location
- north yorks
I stopped smoking nearly 25 years ago so aint got any fag packets, but i cant produce grass at £10 /bale and doubt I could have then in reality ,but we are all operating in different circumstances
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
It could be that some folk want to take as good a quality cut as they can for their milking herd, which isn’t 70%dm from young grass in Wales!
Some folk are also looking to have an ongoing agreement that leaves a bit for both parties, rather than trying to get one over on the other party.
- Location
- West Wales
Exactly, I’m selling 2 year old silage for not much more than cost and straw a lot under market price to someone because I want to deal with them again next yearIt could be that some folk want to take as good a quality cut as they can for their milking herd, which isn’t 70%dm from young grass in Wales!
Some folk are also looking to have an ongoing agreement that leaves a bit for both parties, rather than trying to get one over on the other party.
It could be that some folk want to take as good a quality cut as they can for their milking herd, which isn’t 70%dm from young grass in Wales!
Some folk are also looking to have an ongoing agreement that leaves a bit for both parties, rather than trying to get one over on the other party.
Why would anyone choose to cart water and double the number of bales over what might be a few miles.
I would far rather pay £10/bale for dry haylage rather than £5/bale for wet silage. And presumably a dairy farmer would be feeding bought-in bales to dry stock rather than milk cows.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
By allowing him to choose when he cuts it, and him knowing it’s decent grass, grazed tight in April, my neighbour gets to take ‘milking’ silage off it if he wants. Easy enough to get some dry cow silage from wherever, but dairy quality young stuff is harder to find, certainly locally.
The arrangement works well enough for both and it’s a short enough haul.
Or: you could let him graze dry stock all summer, so you could have a better balance of sheep and cattle
And there wouldn't be any off-take of nutrients.
Mouser
Member
- Location
- near Belfast
Or he could do what hes doing and happy with.Or: you could let him graze dry stock all summer, so you could have a better balance of sheep and cattle
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Or: you could let him graze dry stock all summer, so you could have a better balance of sheep and cattle
I can’t spare it all summer though, I have lambs to wean onto it as demand increases and growth decreases into July. Taking a silage cut resets it nicely for my system.
I have used dry cows from another local dairy man to ‘top’ poorer grazing land (where enviro scheme prevented me topping it mechanically), if that makes you happier.
I can’t say that it reduced my minimal wormer usage noticeably though, whatever your favourite 1980’s book might tell you.
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
Pleased to read that because we have started to do similar this year. We have always had cattle and sheep but are reducing cattle numbers which means there won't be the aftermath to put weaned lambs on to.
Ours is reasonable quality PP. I cut it and rake it because I want to have control over when the job is done and I have the equipment anyway. The chap who takes it helps me with clipping, fencing etc. and I just pay him in bales at £10 per bale