Custom Planting, Spraying & Harvesting Category Guide

What Is Harvest Equipment & Custom Services?

Harvest equipment includes mowers, rakes, tedders, balers, choppers, and all the machinery needed to harvest forages and crops. Custom harvest services provide this equipment and labor on a contract basis for farms that don't own their own equipment.

Why Harvest Timing Matters

Forage quality declines rapidly with maturity. Corn silage has an optimal harvest window of 7-10 days. Alfalfa quality drops 3-5% per day past optimal stage. Timely harvest is critical for feed quality, and equipment capacity or custom service availability determines whether you can harvest on time.

Key Benefits of Adequate Capacity

• Timely harvest: Capture crops at optimal quality
• Weather flexibility: Complete harvest in available windows
• Reduced stress: Not racing against time and weather
• Quality preservation: Fast harvest means better feed

Equipment Categories

Mowing

Disc mowers and mower-conditioners cut forage. Conditioning speeds drying for silage or hay.

Tedding and Raking

Tedders spread forage for faster drying. Rakes form windrows for pickup.

Forage Harvesting

Self-propelled or pull-type choppers cut and chop silage. Kernel processors on corn silage choppers improve starch availability.

Baling

Round or square balers for dry hay or baleage. Large square balers for high-volume operations.

Hauling

Wagons, trucks, and trailers move harvested material from field to storage.

Own vs. Custom

• Ownership benefits: Control of timing, equipment always available
• Ownership drawbacks: Capital investment, maintenance, storage
• Custom benefits: No capital outlay, professional operators
• Custom drawbacks: Scheduling constraints, availability risk

Do You Need Harvest Capacity?

Consider equipment or service review if:

• Harvest timing is frequently delayed
• Feed quality is suffering from late harvest
• Custom availability doesn't meet your needs
• Equipment is aging and unreliable
• Expansion has outgrown current capacity

Cost Considerations

Custom forage harvesting costs $8-15/ton for corn silage, $15-30/acre for hay operations. Equipment ownership requires significant capital—a self-propelled chopper costs $300,000-600,000. Evaluate custom costs against ownership costs including depreciation, repairs, and opportunity cost of capital.