HAY-MAKING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1940, Page 9

HAY-MAKING

AN ANALYSIS OF COSTS. AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN. The March bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce. ccmpiled by Canterbury ' Agricultural College, deals with haymaking. Costs are analysed as follows in the bulletin: Two examples of costs of making hay will be given, the one for grass hay made on heavy land and stacked by means of a sweep and grab stacker and I the other for lucern hay made on light i land by means of a pick-up baler, each 1 method being probably the most con--1 venient and efficient method when con- , sideration is given to each farmer’s in- ’ dividual conditions. i Case 1: Equipment and costs for 15 I acres yielding 30 tons. Mower £4O; ; 14ft sweep £3O; portable grab stacker £35; hay rake £2O; wires and weights and sundry fencing material £5: Total £l3O. Mowing: 1 man and 2 horses and mower 12 hours—12 man hours and 24 horse hours. Gathering: 1 man, 1 horse and hay rake raking while 2 men and 2 horses are preparing sweep and erecting the grab stacker—the stack being built near to a straw stack for convenience in making foundation and covering. A runway by means of a wire attached to two posts is erected to which the horse on the grab stacker is attached by a short running connection so that he pulls forward and backs alongside the wire. Then 1 man on stack. 1 man with 2 horses and sweep and 1 man with 1 horse and grab stacker in 22 hours stack and cover 30 tons of hay =66 man hours and 66 horse hours.

tractor cost £22 19 6 Overhead cost, repairs, and depreciation at 10 per cent, £45, and for 35 acres cut 3 to 4 times a year=£l3 a cut. Cost of wire at 2s 6d a ton £4 7s 6d. (Note: This may be straightened out again after use and used again for several seasons.) Total cost —£40 7s. = £1 3s a ton approx.

The baled hay is easier to measure and load for feeding out. Where sheep are being fed on dry ground it can be left in bales without breaking up. However, for cow feeding or on heavy land, baled hay although easier to load is more difficult to unload and spread over the ground evenly. When the cost of the wire is also considered, the net advantage of the baled over tho stacked hay is not so obvious. As indicated at the outset the suitability of the method used will depend on individual conditions. Many farmers depend on contractors for getting the hay harvested, but where contractors are not employed under dry conditions the least labour is involved in the use of the pick-up baler. Under damper conditions the sweep and grab stacker worked as above seems to involve the least labour requirements. Where the configuration of the land is suitable and adequate drainage is available, then the hay may be collected from the windrow by a one horse tumbler sweep and the sweep loads tipped over a prepared depression or siding of a hill. When feeding out. the hay can then be carted up from the lower side of the depression. This method will enable a considerable saving of labour in hay-making on one man farms.

£ s d Total labour cost 78 man hours at 2s 6d 9 15 0 90 horse hours at Gd .... 2 5 0 £12 0 0 Overhead costs: Repairs and depreciation at 10 per cent on £130— £13 26 acres stacked per year— 10s per acre and for 15 acres 7 10 0 Total cost £19 10 0 And for 30 tons —13s a ton. Case 2: Equipment and costs for 35 acres lucerne yielding 35 tons a c ut and 3 to 4 cuts a year:—In addition to tractor, a side rake £40: 7ft power mower £40; and pick-up baler £370; Total £450. Mowing: 21 acres an hour. 14 man hours at 2s Gd 1 15 0 14 tractor hours at 5s 3 10 0 Side raking"! 21 acres an hour. 14 man hours at 2s 6d 1 15 0 14 tractor hours at 5s 3 10 0 The windrows may be turned again with side rake before baling, dependent on weather conditions. Pick-up baling: 21 tons an hour. 1 man on tractor and 2 men on baler. 42 man hours at 2s Gd 4 5 0 14 tractor hours at 5s 3 10 0 Stocking bales: 1 bale on end • and 4 bales leaning inwards with 1 horse and sledge, and carting and stacking and covering. 7 tractor hours at 5s 1 15 0 14 horse hours at Gd 0 7 0 21 man hours at 2s Gd 2 12 G Total labour, horse and