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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 11:38:26 AM
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to have your fields fertilised?
I have just received a bill for £2124 for six 600Kg bags of 20.10.10 fertiliser, this doesn't include harrowing and spreading the fertiliser. The land fertilised is about 31 acres (possibly 32). He is going to do haylage for me and that will cost approximately £17.50 per bale, no definite price yet (they are the square bales so not huge). I have worked out that each bale of haylage will cost me between £30 and £32 depending on how many I get. It seems an awful lot as I can buy it in for that price. My total bill will be over £6000.
What do you all pay and is that a fair price and would that be the amount of fertiliser needed for that acreage?
Many thanks for your comments!
Barbara
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glo
Gold Member
England
1297 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 1:38:07 PM
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I don't know the cost, but a friend used to make haylage and we worked out that by the time she had had it fertilised, harrowed and made haylage, etc it was better for her not to fertilise or have the stress of doing haylage, and to use the grazing and buy a small amount that she needed.
She has made some hay if she had too much grass but not fertilised so the cost is only the baling as she had the equipment to do the rest and the hay is for her self.
I would say that your costs are fair, my friend never made any money out of doing it, but it did use up the grass. |
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stuart
Silver Member
United Kingdom
335 Posts |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 7:14:02 PM
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You have been done if you paid that for the fertiliser, it is less than £300+vat per TONNE, which is about £1296 for 6 bags. Perhaps including spreading that would be closer - but still very steep.
With regards to making the rates here (all plus vat) are £10 per acre for mowing, £7 per acre for tedding and the same for rowing up, £2 per baling large round bale and about £5-6 for wrapping per bale.
If you work out all the costs it is often cheaper or similar to buy it in, if we did not do everything apart from the baling and wrapping I guess it would cost around £20 a bale for large round ones.
Why not let the ground for somebody else to take a crop - you would probably be better off in the end. |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 7:33:34 PM
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| I can buy a round haylage for £35 and a large round hay for £30 from our local farmer, I have no idea about fertiliser costs but that sounds quite expensive. |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 7:45:27 PM
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You could just not fertilise and save money that way...only fertilising every 2/3 years for the nutritional value. My yo never fertilises her hay fields. She has welshies so its mostly for fibre intake. As long as she makes enough to see her through winter shes happy.
Obviously you will get a higher yield if you fertilise. I used to work for a fertiliser company doing admin. I ask my friend who still works there for you.
Or does it have to be that particular fertiliser? Maybe your fields would be ok with a cheaper one?
Also...who told you that you need that amount of fertiliser? Is it the company rep? or do you have a friend who has ordered it for you? Reason I ask, a man ordered from the company I worked for direct instead of through his usual 'friend'. We spoke to the guy who did his spreading to find out how much he needed. Turned out the 'friend' was ordering over double of what this guy needed, keeping the rest for himself but getting this guy to pay for it all. Needless to say the 20 year 'close friendship' came to an abrupt halt! |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 8:07:45 PM
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| That amount of fertiliser will be over 100kg/acre which is probably twice the rate we spread at if we do at all. The other thing to consider is soil testing because if your soil is acidic then applying lime will have a far bigger effect on yield - if a field needs lime it will only get 50% of the boost from fertiliser. |
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Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 10:22:38 PM
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Thank you all for your help. I was surprised at the cost of the fertiliser but it hadn't been done for a couple of years and I had some of the paddocks done at the same time so thought it might have gone up a lot. He gave me the bill for the fertiliser:
20.10.10 6 x 600Kg bags £1770 + VAT which = £2124
Is this the amount that would be needed for 29 acres which is what he fertilised? He charges £4.75 per acre for spreading the fertiliser and £9.50 for chain harrowing; bill so far £2620 and he has given me a price of "about £17.50 per bale" for the haylage. If I get about 200 bales the total cost will be about £6102 making each bale of haylage about £30.60; i can buy it in as I need it for that!
The person who did my hay previously (and was very cheap) has now retired so this is a new farmer; it is very difficult to get it done here as most of the farmers contract out the work now so there aren't many contractors left and those there are don't really want to do less than about 50+ acres.
Is that a fair amount of fertiliser or do you think he is charging me for some he has kept?
Thanks for all your help.
Barbara |
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Barribarrs
Bronze Member
Scotland
212 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2014 : 10:59:35 PM
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| If you know which company supplied the fertilizer, you could call them and ask price per bag? My farmer has done something similar but with fencing. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2014 : 06:07:30 AM
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He gave me a copy of the bill for the fertiliser but I wondered if it was all for my land. I suppose I could ring the company and find out how much would be needed per acre to see if it corresponds with what I am paying for or if some of it was for him as he does a lot of hay and haylage. He also has shepp and I think some cattle.
Thanks again for all your help. It will be expensive haylage but at least I will know what is in the bales and the land did need harrowed and fertilised!!!!
Barbara |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2014 : 9:57:21 PM
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| He is charging you nearly £500 a tonne for the fertiliser when it only costs £300..... |
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brooke
New Member
29 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2014 : 08:11:54 AM
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| My husband has just fertilised some 25 acres of ours to make hay from, he told me it was £450, I will ask more about it tonight when he comes home from work. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2014 : 09:14:39 AM
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Many thanks to you all, I must admit I was shocked at how much it is costing especaially as I need quite a bit of fencing done; I will need to rob a bank to pay for it all!!!
Barbara |
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delly-b
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1107 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2014 : 7:06:16 PM
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| I buy my fertiliser from progreen ... they are on the net... it depends on the mix you get.. the 20 10 10 tends to be cheaper but it usually too rich for grazing land (more suitable for cows as I understand) check out their site or give them a call for advice... they are great and should give you indication of way forward. Adele x |
       
Adele
Batley, West Yorkshire |
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delly-b
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1107 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2014 : 7:07:22 PM
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| oh, and I pay £27 bale of top quality square haylage xx |
Adele
Batley, West Yorkshire |
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doug ault
Platinum Member
Wales
1688 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2014 : 11:10:32 AM
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Product / Price Range (£/tonne *)
Apr-14
Mar-14
Apr-13
15:15:20 Blended (bags)
304-320
304-320
340-360
15:15:20 Blended (bulk)
297-313
297-313
334-354
17:17:17 Blended (bags)
309-317
309-317
350-358
17:17:17 Granular (bags)
321-329
321-329
362-370
20:10:10 Blended (bags)
284-291
284-291
309-320
20:10:10 Blended (bulk)
278-285
278-285
293-314
25:05:05 Blended (bags)
275-282
275-282
300-307
25:05:05 Blended (bulk)
266-276
266-276
290-301
46% N Urea (bags)
n/a
n/a
n/a
46% N Urea (bulk)
n/a
n/a
n/a
34.5% N AN (bags UK)
295-303
295-303
300-310
46% Granular urea (bags)
300-312
300-312
345-358
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   DOUG.
http://www.silversun-enterprises.webs.com |
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How much do you pay...
