Green Feed.....money maker or not?

[RedLentil]

Chatting with some neighbors yesterday about seeding plans and some are thinking of simply growing feed, oats or forage peas/oats. $150-$200/MT for greenfeed bales is what I have been told. I’m not a feed/cow guy so I don’t know much about it. These prices sound high to me, but if true could be more profitable than what we have planned now. Is there a shortage brewing? Just need a Baler.

[bucket]

Sssssshhhh!!!!!!

All of sudden all the BTOs will be growing greenfeed.

Might be the only money maker out there this year....considering the weather .....

There is a shortage of straw right now in southern Alberta

[ajl]

If you can get green feed dry. Bale green feed that feels dry and the bales will cause global warming by themselves. We can swath green feed late and then bale when frozen but it will not dry in this climate. The hay market will be good this summer due to cows on feed an extra three or four weeks. Saw some nasty hay being picked up the other day.

[RedLentil]

So what would be a reasonable price for quality green feed this summer?

[Sheepwheat]

So what would be a reasonable price for quality green feed this summer?

Way too early to tell. If it rains, it could be almost worthless. If dry, skies the limit. If it’s dry on your farm, and production is pathetic, I am sure crop insurance on most crops would pay more. In the heavy snow zone, if it ever melts, hay production should be excess, so I am not sure what to think of it.

[macdon02]

Timothy is worth $580 US/Mt landed in Dubai. They've quit irrigation on anything not directly consumed by people. Would think the last snow storm might recharge the water supply ....

[Horse]

HAy around here is 3 cents that is if you can find anyone wanting, if feed is as high as you quote then its because the truckers are taking all the money.

[makar]

Made some of the best greenfeed and watched it rot, no one would pay for it, lose lot less money on summerfallow. Here the the cow people are the envy of china and india.

[checking]

Ssshhhheeeee!

Don't tell gasgrazers' neighbors. He won't be able to con them into delivering two cent a pound hay to his yard!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

In theory, greenfeed should be a real money maker. In reality, unless the stars align, it probably isn't, although, your climate and yield expectations may vary from ours.

This is what usually happens. Spring is too wet, so some acres get left until dry enough, that is typically after the worst of the June monsoons, so with no flooding to drown it out, and lots of moisture, and what proves to be the best time of year to seed for tonnage ( here at least), it grows massive yield. Late August,or September it is ready to cut. Greenfeed can be nearly impossible to dry in hot dry weather in July, in September, or even October, it might as well be impossible. After getting rained on a few times, raked a few times and sitting out for a few weeks, it can no longer be rightfully called greenfeed, instead, it should be marketed as black feed, or brown feed, the leaves and the grains have long since fallen off or decomposed. And because it was so hard to ever get dry, it probably got baled at marginally dry, which might work for hay, but not for greenfeed. Now you have to compete with surplus hay crops thanks to the wet spring, so if you cut the price to half of what hay is selling for it might move eventually.

Now you get to deal with hay buyers, which requires patience on getting paid, loading at the most inconvenient times, lots of snow to plow. Best market is likely in spring, so loading in the mud. Can't store it for the next year in case the market is better without losing a lot of quality.

You probably don't want a discbine larger than 10 feet to be able to dry it and turn it successfully. Needs to be have crimpers or flails, or it never dries, so don't plan on using the swather. Wheel rake might work if it doesn't get pounded into the ground and grown through, if so, then you need a rotary rake, or swath turner, or side delivery. Not all balers like greenfeed, neighbor with a late model JD tried to bale some for me and gave up.

So you'll need a discbine, probably a couple different rakes, baler, bale moving machinery, snow plow, loader tractor, probably some matches.

On the other hand, you may live in a climate where you can cut with a 30 foot swather and follow a few days later with a baler, in which case disregard everything I wrote.

[WiltonRanch]

Don’t get sucked in to growing greenfeed unless there are no other options. I grow enough to feed my own critters but none to sell because when I have excess it’s usually not worth selling and when it is worth selling it’s not a big yield. Biggest portion of price is trucking. Like horse said hay is 3 cents and decent greenfeed you’d be lucky to get that. So typical greenfeed yield around here is 3 1750lb bales. You happen to get 3 cents that is a return of $160 per acre. Do your math.

[ajl]

Thanks for the laugh AB5. Best thing on a day that I will lose the driveway to mud. That is exactly how it goes with green feed. I rolled a few last year after seeding barley in some low spots. Though it was not bad but was as hot a a firecracker not long after.