Let’s Give You What You Are Looking For, Let’s Start With Bale Rates

Now we need to say this: this is not us setting an industry price.

This is what we see and what we know.

Although, as I have said many times in person and in articles, price should not overrun quality and reliability.

Do not try and drive each other down. Try to meet in the middle where it is fair and keep quality and reliability as a non-negotiable.

Round bales, from 4×4 to 5×6, seem to sit around $13.50 to $16.00 per bale.

The lower end, $13.50, is usually standard net wrap. The higher end, $16 to $20, often includes knives, HD fixed chamber setups and so on.

Large square bales, 8x4x3 or 8x3x4, seem to sit around $20.00 to $24.00 per bale, and the gear doing the job seems to be the 6-stringers like the Massey 2170s or standard New Hollands.

High density adds to the price per bale, and we seem to see it around that $24.00 to $28.00 per bale for HD, HDP and XD, with gear like the Krone HDPs and 8-stringers doing the job.

For your small squares, the rates seem to be starting from $3.50 to $5.00 per bale depending on the setup, accumulators and so on.

If you want to see what is currently being listed, you can browse Broadacre Contracting equipment listings.

The Hectare Jobs: Mowing and Raking

Getting it dropped on the deck, mowing or conditioning, the rate seems to be $45 to $55 per hectare.

That is generally your standard MacDon windrowers, Massey mowers and Krone triple mowers.

Raking price seems to be around that $40 per hectare for 9m+ twin rotor rakes.

For hay quality decisions, timing and conditions matter. The GRDC hay and silage factsheet and Agriculture Victoria’s quality hay guide are worth reading if you want more background around hay and silage quality.

Getting It Stacked and Off the Paddock

Cartage rates are hard to determine, and given the current diesel issue it is all a madhouse.

In this article, we are not putting out kilometre rates.

We are staying away from that rubbish.

As a matter of fact, we should not be doing any rates, but the sector wants a guide.

Anyway, moving on.

Bale stacking in the paddock seems to be around that $6.00 to $8.00 per bale, and generally it is the Milstak or Jadan 6/12 stackers.

Cartage and loading, local or in-paddock, seems to sit around $200 to $270 per hour for truck and telehandler.

This usually applies to paddock work or short carting distance within a 100km radius.

Long distance, over that log book requirement of 100km, the pricing seems to shift from hourly to per km or per tonne as it does with grain, and this is the part we are staying away from.

The All-In-One Package: Mowing or Windrowing, Raking and Baling Combined

Silage cut, rake, bale and wrap seems to be around $33 to $36 per bale if the grower supplies wrap.

If the contractor supplies the wrap, it seems to sit around that $40 to $44 per bale.

For hay cut, rake and bale, it seems to be around that $30 to $35 per bale.

Then add on $200 to $270 per hour for truck and loader, plus whatever the cartage is.

A Note From What We See: Hay Can Be the Bloody Wild West

Now a bit of a note from what we see.

We have seen over and over people who are doing the wrong thing by someone.

For example, a grower planning to shaft a contractor will try and book you up for the whole show.

When doing jobs, we strongly suggest to all parties to have something in writing at a minimum.

At Broadacre Contracting, we want to help everyone grow their business.

We are not blaming growers or contractors.

At the end of the day, there are serious issues on both sides, and as in every sector, there are some ruthless people.

Just keep in your mind the R word.

When you are talking with people and locking jobs in, ask yourself, how ruthless is this person?

Hay contracting cheat sheet: just bloody do the right thing by each other!