[King94]

We have a 6 acre field. The farmer has left straw in it that we need baled up, does anyone know anyone in the fife area that could do this for us? We don't have a tractor or we'd have hired a baler and do it ourselves!

[shep53]

Why can't the farmer bale it for you ? or recommend some one ,often farmers son's will do it for cash  .  Ask farmer neighbours or your local auction mart /  agri merchant for names .

[F.CUTHBERT]

Where abouts in Fife are you? There are many contractors but no point recommending some one in St Andrews if you are in Dunfermline. Try the tayforth machinery ring you need to be a member but perhaps if you ring up and plead ignorance they might point you to a local who can help you out.

[Still playing with tractors]

if the straw is wet it will not bale properly, it may be why they left it?

[shep53]

Hope you manage to bale your straw as this year it may be more valuable than GOLD

[landroverroy]

Hope you manage to bale your straw as this year it may be more valuable than GOLD

I don't think so!
Straw that has been on the ground for several weeks now will be very difficult to get dry enough to bale. Each time you turn it you lose valuable leaf, so at this time of year you will either end up with a load of stalks, or in attempt to bale it come what may, you are likely to end up with mouldy bales. Neither alternative is worth much for feeding or bedding.
As mentioned, I would be inclined to go back to the farmer that combined the field and ask him to get the straw off, or at least chop it so it can be ploughed in. Is he hoping to get a crop off the field again next year? If so, then he'll definitely have to do something about the straw.
If you have to pay someone to bale it, it is likely to cost you more than than the bales are worth.

[shep53]

My supplier can't even source any straw yet and the 1 quote ive had is £150 tonne  a  50% increase on last year.  Yes quality will be rubbish it will be something , in 85 I spent a lot of time  wuffling straw well into November ready for baling .   Last week when I drove through the carse of stirling lots of straw lying in rows even some fields of hay .  Think 85 lots of hay and straw came in from Europe and canada

[landroverroy]

Well it's £60/tonne + delivery here in E Yorkshire so I reckon I could probably deliver a load of best quality round bales to you for £125/tonne.


There's certainly been a lot chopped round us that would normally have been baled, but there's still been plenty baled. So I don't think things are so bad that we'll be importing this year.