Straw for Dung Arrangements

[CornishTone]

Is anyone doing straw for dung arrangements? If so, what sort of deal are you doing? Do you put a value on either product or is it just a straight “swap”?

 

[Cowcorn]

Usually i give straw and get the dung back spread . BUT be warned if you get someone elses straw back it may contain wild oats or other nasties . Currently battling with w oats on 40 acres over " free " dung .

 

[Devil's advocate]

These arrangments are sought by livestock farmers when straw is expensive & arable farmers when straw is cheap & fertiliser expensive.

We sell straw & buy muck easier that way. Composting kills weeds

 

[DRC]

Do it here with neighbouring pig farm. Straight swap, he pays for baling and carting, I fetch muck and pay for spreading . At least I know it’s all my own straw coming back, as I wouldn’t be so keen if he’d bought in straw with potential black grass .

 

[CornishTone]

Thanks all. I don’t think there’d be anyone else’s straw in the mix so should get back the same weeds we send over![emoji6]

 

[CornishTone]

These arrangments are sought by livestock farmers when straw is expensive & arable farmers when straw is cheap & fertiliser expensive.

We sell straw & buy muck easier that way. Composting kills weeds

What do you base the price of the muck on? Just nutrient content?

 

[TripleSix]

Boss did that.

Also gained free concrete blocks, slats, string, plastic and timber in with the muck.

So that was a bonus as the land was short of those specific nutrients.

 

[Wooly]

I would imagine in Cornwall a straw for muck deal would be a bonus for the person getting the straw !?

Straw in the West Country is in short supply and muck is in abundance.



I do a staw for muck deal with a neighbour as I don't produce enough for myself. The bonus is that he has land that we can dump muck on through the winter, so I am also happy to cart it back.

 

[Pan mixer]

I bale and cart the straw, my mate carts the muck and I spread it for him, suits us both as he can plough with his big tractor whilst I spread with mine.

No money changes hands.

 

[jack6480]

Get paid for the straw and fetch the muck for nothing

 

[Wooly]

Get paid for the straw and fetch the muck for nothing

There is always someone in life that falls in sh1t and comes up smelling of roses !!

 

[T Hectares]

I've had a few in the past, livestock guy gets free straw and he pays for baling and carting.
Arable side usually carts mucks ( mucked out of buildings normally) and spreads
These arrangements can work really well as long as there's no nasties coming back and everyone is sensible when the straw price rockets, these suit long term relationships.

The best one we had was a large pig farmer who would bale at any moisture and had an army of trailers clearing behind

 

[simmy_bull]

I've had a few in the past, livestock guy gets free straw and he pays for baling and carting.
Arable side usually carts mucks ( mucked out of buildings normally) and spreads
These arrangements can work really well as long as there's no nasties coming back and everyone is sensible when the straw price rockets, these suit long term relationships.

The best one we had was a large pig farmer who would bale at any moisture and had an army of trailers clearing behind

One farmer I knew from years ago who did a bit of bailing supposedly had a pig farmer that wanted it bailing in the rain. Not sure if this was an exaggeration but he said the pigs just destroyed the straw of it was Bailed fit. Can only imagine he must of been dumping the bales in the yard as I wouldn’t like to have tried to roll them out if it was a true story!

 

[Optimus]

Done it for years we baled,moved an then carted dung back.to be honest though its getting expensive to the point of be better of buying straw an at least I've got some dung to show for it.

 

[TripleSix]

One farmer I knew from years ago who did a bit of bailing supposedly had a pig farmer that wanted it bailing in the rain. Not sure if this was an exaggeration but he said the pigs just destroyed the straw of it was Bailed fit. Can only imagine he must of been dumping the bales in the yard as I wouldn’t like to have tried to roll them out if it was a true story!

They don't get rolled out for pigs.

Just stood on their ends in the shed, netwrap removed and the pigs bed themselves up, they've nowt else to do...

I was told of someone who didn't take the netwrap off to make the bales last longer.
Scruffy sods.

 

[ILovebaling]

They don't get rolled out for pigs.

Just stood on their ends in the shed, netwrap removed and the pigs bed themselves up, they've nowt else to do...

I was told of someone who didn't take the netwrap off to make the bales last longer.
Scruffy sods.

Knew a man who did that with squares and string. He stopped when the arable farmer who got his muck said he didn't want it if he didn't stop that practice as his land and cultivation machinery was getting riddled with string.

 

[Matt]

Straight swop here. We bale and cart straw, arable guy carts muck from his straw back.
Nice and simple and over course of few years both sides have a winning year.
Some arable guys are quick to forget when straw is worth naff all but they still have the muck...

 

[Matt]

We typically have 700 ish big squares worth off chap which last year would of cost to buy straw just under 4k this year to get the same bales and tonnes of muck back it would cost over double.
Hence we keep it simple that he has his straw back and has to try and forget this year..