1000's of them squares and round mowed, raked, wind rowed, baled and stacked/hauled, they are now paying .50 bale to load squares, we have entire families in season working around here on hay. A big deal here. My trailer holds 300 squares or 14 big rounds. 2 tractors here a 50 and 100 hp 4x4. We don't see many wire tied bales anymore, all string on squares and netting on rounds a few wrapped. Horse squares are going for $7 and close to $100 for good rounds, speaking of coastal, cow rounds about $35 loaded. Plenty now for anyone who needs it dur to all our rain. We got 3 cuttings in some areas.
@Tex Dennis In Missouri, the round bales were said to weigh about 1000 lbs. The Ozarks area has poor ground, so what hay is grown is done so in small fields set amongst the "mountains", really, big hills. Limestone is so common, soil is in some places nearly non-existent. Frank
Frank I have had 1200# rounds the 6x4's the 5x4's are the popular ones here you can set your baler to that also you will bale more bales = $$$. We have had so much rain all we would need is a month of sunny days and some could cut again some, quite a lot of 3rd cutting last years still out there for cow hay still cheap. Just one bad cold spell with ice and snow will up hay usage 300% over night, I have all my winter feed all bought and stored by Sept every year. Or earlier. A load off my mind for sure. 2010 drought there was no grass here, I was feeding winter hay in June/July so had to down size 75%, northern OK and eastern LA had lots of good cheap hay but the fuel cost to get it came into play big time. I did make several trips, we all did.
One thing I have noticed is so many do not have a clue looking over a fresh cut pasture of bales just how much $$$ is laying there and what that tractor/baler cost to bale it and the cost to maintain it. My uncle used to have many true sayings that stuck with me and still do. Look at the fences, tractors, guns and their knife and you will learn so much about the person.
The hay bailers that I've worked with automatically compressed and secured the twine, which is probably why the bales were so tight.
Except for when they sheered a timing pin, the knotter refused to knot, the twine hung up and so on... This reminiscing has been helpful in reminding me of why I left the farm!!
@Tex Dennis Around here, with no frost and abundant water, the Mojave Indian Tribe has endeavored to raise an enormous amount within the boundaries of their reservation. They seem to have no problems with "PC", calling themselves an "Indian Tribe"! They raise alfalfa for the California dairy markets, probably a thousand acres or more, cut every 6 weeks or so, year-round. For a month or so in "winter", they bring down a couple thousand sheep, after putting up temporary fencing, and turn 'em loose! The babies are comical, frisking around, an occasional black one mixed in. I think they turn the ground then, and back to alf. again. Cotton is also raised south of where we live, and there are several private farms raising produce. This surrounded all around by Desert receiving 5-inches of rainfall a YEAR! Frank