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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

4x4 bales or small square bales

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ric1

02-26-2007 13:09:35




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hi i wanted to get you guys input on this im 50 yrs old im getting a late start at farming on my own but ive been around it all my life grew up on a farm anyway heres my question i have 75 acres about 50 tilable im thinking of maybe baling alot of hay to sell in the winter for cash crop. i dont have much help maybe 1 son could help alittle so i dont know whether to go with a small 4x4 round/square baler and pick them up with tractor rear/loader or get a bale wagon to pick them up for me and put right in my shed which is large enough for a bale wagon to unload but im not really sure what a bale wagon cost new or used or how effient they really are. thanks for your input RICK

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agrogers

02-27-2007 09:28:55




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
A good 4x4 baler will run you $20,000, and at least 120 horse tractor. However, if you were to get it custom baled, I could see finances working out more easily.



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agrogers

02-27-2007 09:32:29




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to agrogers, 02-27-2007 09:28:55  
Sorry I thought you meant 4 x 4 squares...

4 x 4 round baler would work out.
But for a 4 x 4 round baler and a loader, you should be able to get a good small square baler and a good bale wagon if you shop around and do your homework...

Small squares are more appealing to horse people, especially if it's good hay.



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Walt Davies

02-26-2007 19:54:41




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
This summer I will take some pictures to show you guys what real haying is like. Thousands of acres of grass straw baled and ready for shipment. As many as 4 or 5 big balers going across a big field at the sametime. Walt



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Walt Davies

02-26-2007 19:50:06




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
50 acres ain't going to produce much hay if you want to make money I'd put it into something with a better return. wheat or barley or some other seed then bale the straw to sell. Around here we grow lots of grass seed and after the seed is harvested the straw is baled mostly 800 lb square bales now. My friend does a few round bales I can get her to bale me some 800 lb bales instead of the 1600 lb and they work nice for summer feed but I put up small square bales for winter feed. At my age older that OLD and a bad heart to boot I can't handle anything bigger. I have a spear for my Kubotas to handle the round bales. But it rains in Oregon a lot and its wet all winter so storing hay outside doesn't make much sense around here.
Walt

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Kurt F. Cordes

02-26-2007 19:49:12




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
4x4 Bails take a good size loader to pick up, the 3x4's aren't so bad, they are 1500lbs, then there are round bails too.I do Grase hay, and use a round Bailer. Haying for sale, is a customer related deal.If the hay is for Horses, the woman folk and kids can't handle big or heavy bails. Look for prospective customers, and ask them.
Good farming, friend.



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oland

02-26-2007 17:56:41




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
I think that it mostly depends on the part of the country you are in as to which sells the best. Here in northwest florida I have been in the hay business for 28 years and up until about 5 years ago most of the horse market was in small squares but now I sell about 75 to 80 per cent in 4x4 round bales. I think that most people like the fact that they can store them outside, handle them with a compact tractor, haul them on small traillers or trucks and they are cheaper too. I still put up about 2000 small squares a year and sell about half of them out of the field and put the other half n the barn to sell through the winter. I think we all better prepare for some increases in fertilizer prices with the large increase predicted in corn acreage this year.

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J Schwiebert

02-26-2007 16:34:58




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
Rick: One item I did not think of. My neighbor does better with clean bright wheat straw than he does with hay. Also what type of hay are you thinking about? My neighbor also has no problem getting high school aged boys to help put the bales away and load the semi trucks in the winter when they haul it out.



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jhill52

02-26-2007 16:25:56




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
If you are in the right area some of the horse people are moving to 4X4 round bales. My cousin is in southeast Mi and he has gone to them. He can do it all himself.



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Luke S

02-26-2007 16:36:14




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to jhill52, 02-26-2007 16:25:56  
I too am going to expirament with these small rounds. I traded round balers and got a 3.5'X4.5' baler and I all ready have a few horse people with small tractors that can handle that size bale that are interested. We'll see, the small squares will still be the best profit center for me though.



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Cliff Neubauer

02-26-2007 15:20:48




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
If your wanting to make a good profit small square bales are the way to do it. It's tough to make much money on round bales because everybody and their dog has a bunch they want to sell. I think in general small square bales will be worth 50-100% more per ton than round bales. You should be able to buy a decent 1033 or 1034 bale wagon (105 bale models) for $3,000-5,000 and a 15 bale grapple for your loader will run $1,000-2,0000. Assuming your hay ground is close to your barn two people could bale and stack a thousand bales in an afternoon with no problem as long as you can start baling about noon.

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gene bender

02-26-2007 14:44:09




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
3X3X8FT topped market last week @170 per ton 120 for round.Many markets price per ton. The big squares are easier to truck.



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Luke S

02-26-2007 14:09:43




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
If you are looking for any kind of return than you need to do small squares. I do both, but the rounds I feed my own animals, and the squares I sell to the horse people in the city for $3.50 a bale for 45-50lbs bales of grass hay. You can get a good used pull type bale wagon for $2500-$5000, and do it all yourself with no more work than rounds.



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Tpost

02-26-2007 14:05:33




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
Like J and Old said it depends on your market and round bales are much easier and faster to put up. We usually bale 5X5 round instead of 5X6 around here due to weight mostly because a large amount have "hoppers" with feed and haul a bale with them too. Thats a lot of weight on a truck. Many of the horse guys still prefer the small squares and bring more per ton than the rounds.



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J Schwiebert

02-26-2007 13:39:26




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
Around here 90+% of the hay is sold out of the area and most of it out of state. It is all small square bales. I can think of only 3 round balers in this county compared to about a dozen of the square balers. Depends on who your market is and maybe where you are located. Can you get someone to bale it on shares. We grow about half of what you do and it is all on 50/50 shares.



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old

02-26-2007 13:29:50




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 Re: 4x4 bales or small square bales in reply to ric1, 02-26-2007 13:09:35  
Well since I'm not much older then you are let me say this. I stopped baleing square balesa about 7 years ago because its just plain to hard one a person 50 plus to do by them selfs. I now bale large rounds 6X6 and yes at times its nice to have the squares and I still bale a few of them but I would go with the rounds and save your self some $$. All you need to move rounds is a loader tractor and a bale spike and you can do it all by your self

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