How much does it cost to hire square bales to be loaded

[just_sawing]

Yes I know some do it all their self (I am one of them) but for those that either do it for others or hire it done what does it cost per bale. This winter I am doing a cost analysis but the data that I have is dated and their has been much inflation since I priced this.

[Kris in MI]

I have no idea what the going rate is, but I do know of a local person who pays an extra dollar per bale to have it delivered and put in her barn loft.

[Brighton]

I am picking up a full size truck load of bales tomorrow, I will help load them on my truck, but this farmer doesn't and never has charged me any extra to load them himself or even deliver them to my farm and put them in the barn.

I guess I am not fully understanding your question, are you wanting to know how much extra to bring them out to you and put them in your barn or loft without assistance from you?

[carasel]

I just trade mine out. Two guys stack it for me. They get to turkey/deer hunt.
For a dollar figure. Try asking here: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/haying/. Lots of good folks and info there.

[||Downhome||]

Usually an Hourly Rate, kind of depends on the overall labor involved.

I stack the wagon for one guy at 6 an hour, little more on short term notice.
He has a kicker though and I'm only on the wagon.

Another Guy I worked for paid 10 an hour each for two of us, needless to say he was pleased with our work cause we where normally waiting on him to bring back a wagon load. In other words we could of slowed down and he would of still been satisfied.

So I suppose its what your willing to pay vs what some ones willing to work for.

[edcopp]

55 pound bales will be cheaper than 1200 pound bales. Loaded on what matters too. Where you are does matter. The weather is a factor. Lots of other variables as well.

[jennigrey]

Loaded to where from where?

When I buy 60lb bales of horse hay, I can usually save $1 per bale by picking it up out of the field myself. Which is to say, when the grower moves it into a hay shed/barn, the price generally goes up by $1 per bale but sometimes as much as $2 per bale. To have hay delivered to my barn, there is usually a delivery fee of $40 to $60 per ton, plus mileage at about fifty cents per mile.

Having said that, the growers always tell me that they are ALWAYS shorthanded trying to find kids to load the bales out of the field and stack them into the barn.

When I buy hay out of the barn anywhere but at the feed store, I expect to have to load it myself. But sometimes (maybe 1 time out of 5) the hay seller will help and does not charge for the help. I usually tip those guys. The feed store charges so much for their hay that I figure that the cost of loading it onto my truck is rolled into their price.

[Molly Mckee]

We sell hay about a dollar a bale cheaper if you pick it up in the field. Once we pick it up and it is in the stack or barn the price goes up and we do not wait until you get around to picking it up. You get it when we're baling. There isn't enough money for us to deliver hay, too many people are unreasonable with what they want, and we don't have time any way. The only deliveries we will consider are to neighbors that are very close and have accessible barns where we can use the bale wagon. Then it really doesn't matter if it is in our barn or theirs, so we don't charge them to deliver.

[Fowler]

When I have hay delivered and stacked in the barn, it cost 50 cents more per bale.

But then again maybe I dont understand your question.

[haypoint]

It is hard work. Minimum wage isn't going to attract many (any). When someone complains that they can't sell something (house, car, wood stove) it generally because of the price. Lower the price enough and it will sell. Same for hired help. If you want someone to be on call until the weather is just right, rush over and pull square bales out of the baler, stack your wagon eight rows high, in the noonday sun for six hours straight for $50. chances are that he won't be there at sunup to stack hay in your barn. But in many places $100 for 6 hours of steady back breaking work seems fair. Partly due to it not being an every day job and needing to be on call.
It is a crying shame that in some areas, no amount of money will attract teenagers to this job.

[farmerDale]

From the field? By hand? From a barn? Per bale flat rate or based on hourly labor charges? Stacking with a stacking wagon? How many hands on deck? Need a clearer picture. Not sure what is being asked exactly I guess.

[Bellyman]

20 years ago, I would help an uncle-in-law stack square bales in his hay barn. I remember $10/hr cash and he did give us pretty frequent breaks to get a little something to nibble on and plenty to drink. It was hard work but not bad. Hard on the hands, though. Usually had some pretty healthy blisters by end of day.

These days, I would think it would be a little more than $10/hr but maybe not that much. $15/hr, maybe?

[countryfied2011]

If I get hay out of the barn it is .50 more per bale, the hay is loaded on our trailer with equipment that stacks 6 or 8 bales at a time from the barn or the field. Once home, I use to pay 20.00 for someone to help DH unload 100 bales. It took less than hour to unload into the barn. We don't have anyone now, we unload it ourselves. The last time we tried to get someone they said that it would take more than 20.00. There is no way I am going to pay more than 20.00 an hour for someone to help DH unload 100 bales of hay.

[dizzy]

Last time I got hay out of the field, I paid 50 cents less a bale since I stacked it myself.

[just_sawing]

I already have a 92 horse track skid loader , so by adding this I could load square bales out of the field and put it in a shed(No second Floor)http://www.everythingattachments.com...10-grapple.htm

[countryfied2011]

that is what my hay man uses, but he uses his big JD

[ksfarmer]

Originally Posted by Bellyman

20 years ago, I would help an uncle-in-law stack square bales in his hay barn. I remember $10/hr cash and he did give us pretty frequent breaks to get a little something to nibble on and plenty to drink. It was hard work but not bad. Hard on the hands, though. Usually had some pretty healthy blisters by end of day.

These days, I would think it would be a little more than $10/hr but maybe not that much. $15/hr, maybe?

I'm a little older, I remember helping a neighbor when I was in High School. Got $10 per day plus lunch. It was a good lunch, LOL.

[haypoint]

Originally Posted by just_sawing

I already have a 92 horse track skid loader , so by adding this I could load square bales out of the field and put it in a shed(No second Floor)http://www.everythingattachments.com...10-grapple.htm

Do you mean that you could use the grapple to pick bales off the wagon and into your shed? How are you getting the wagon loaded?

[jwal10]

My brother uses one and has this behind his baler....James

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CEAQ9QEwAQ

[backtocolo]

I don't remember how much I used to get paid for hauling hay in high school 30 yrs ago. I know I was the only girl on the crew who ever came back for a 2nd time. Some of the guys used to get paid more but if I recall correctly they were bigger and stronger than the rest of us. We were high school and I think the guys who got paid more were probably college.

It was HARD work. I know I couldn't do it now though.