# anticipating hay price increase



## Suburbanfarmer (Oct 9, 2012)

What do y'all do for hay in the winter? Do you have space and get hay for the whole year?

We have been buying alfalfa a couple of bales at a time due to space. Plus, we only have 2 ND does, so we only go through a couple of bales a month. I am anticipating an increase in hay prices this winter, more than usual due to drought. 

What do you think? Will hay prices jump as much as people think? I am currently paying $16/85 lb. bale.

-K


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## SheepGirl (Oct 9, 2012)

Don't have goats, but I have sheep. All the previous winters, we would only offer hay when there was snow on the ground and otherwise the sheep would graze the rest of the time. This year, with the sheep at my house, I'm going to try it this year. If pasture runs out early (because my stocking rate is higher than what it was at my neighbor's farm), I will feed hay. I can get a 400 lb round bale for $25. It fits in the back of our pick up and we just have to roll it off the truck and roll it onto a pallet in the garage and I just hand feed it (2-3#/hd/day). I still have hay left over from the second bale I bought, so I will probably be using that first. But I estimate I only have 100# left. So I will probably buy another one to stock up on, should I need it.

If you buy hay early you won't be subject to the hay price increase that the procrastinators have to pay


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Oct 9, 2012)

We used to buy hay by the bale like that but now that we have so many goats it would cost a fortune now. I got 25 bales for helping bale, gather, pickup, stock, ect. for a friend. Now that we are running low we went and got a round bale for 25$. There are several guys around here that bale 300-900 square bales and well over 100 round bales so we will pretty much always have the chance to buy hay and for a good price. Oh and they are so close they deliver to us. haha


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## Southern by choice (Oct 9, 2012)

Round bales-$25 (neighbors)
"Sqaure"-$2.50 (neighbors) 
Alfalfa-$14compressed bale (from the feed store)

We are in NC- all my neighbors grow big fields


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## Catahoula (Oct 9, 2012)

wow...all of you hay are cheap except for Suburbanfarmer. We pay $16.5 for small bale of alfalfa hay. A round bale...around 750lbs of grass hay is about $155. 900# half alfalfa/grass is $190   I don't feed regular hay anymore. I switched to Chaffhaye alfalfa hay...which is $13.25 for a 50# bag. It last about 10 day for two Boer kids with browsing.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Oct 9, 2012)

Catahoula said:
			
		

> wow...all of you hay are cheap except for Suburbanfarmer. We pay $16.5 for small bale of alfalfa hay. A round bale...around 750lbs of grass hay is about $155. 900# half alfalfa/grass is $190   I don't feed regular hay anymore. I switched to Chaffhaye alfalfa hay...which is $13.25 for a 50# bag. It last about 10 day for two Boer kids with browsing.


I think the Alfalfa here is 15.50$ a blae. It's been going up and up.
The guy who sold us the round bale said it was about 900 pounds but it doesn't feel that heavy to me.

Boy you do have expensive hay!! How do you do that!!?? If hay where the same price I don't think I could have goats.


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## Catahoula (Oct 9, 2012)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> Catahoula said:
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I never had goats or any livestock before so I didn't know about how cheap hay was! Chaffhaye was easier to get and store for me and the goats don't waste much comparing to dry hay. In a way, the expensive hay price drove me to Chaffhaye and I am hooked. Even if hay price come down, I'll still be feeding them Chaffhaye.  I guess I can only have four goats cause...anymore goats would be too expensive....


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## ksalvagno (Oct 9, 2012)

I have to buy my hay for the year. All the farmers in my area sell out their hay as fast as they can. You may want to talk to farmers in the area and see if someone would be willing to store hay for you or maybe they don't try to sell everything.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Oct 9, 2012)

*Wow hay is cheap elsewhere!!! It's $18.99 here for a small square bale and I don't think large round bales are even offered anywhere. *


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## BrownSheep (Oct 9, 2012)

I think for ten tons we payed $1000 or a little over. Not to bad 100- 110 a ton. Right now we have the ten tons we just bought and probably 30 more bales from last year. We just stack and tarp so we can store as much as we want although there has been some discussion about stacking in our shop which work just as well. No, abnormal drought weather here so I expect prices won hike much higher than usual, but I would never chance buying past September.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 10, 2012)

We buy for the year. Farmer brings it right off the field to our house. That way he does not have to put it in the barn.  Plus, We use enough hay that we have to be planned ahead.  I do use a few large(1,200lb) round bales and those the farmer stores inside and we get one at a time. I would think hay prices are pretty much set for the year, but I am no expert.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Oct 10, 2012)

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> I think for ten tons we payed $1000 or a little over. Not to bad 100- 110 a ton. Right now we have the ten tons we just bought and probably 30 more bales from last year. We just stack and tarp so we can store as much as we want although there has been some discussion about stacking in our shop which work just as well. No, abnormal drought weather here so I expect prices won hike much higher than usual, but I would never chance buying past September.


^^ Knows how to get it done. lol 10 tons? That's cool.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 10, 2012)

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> I think for ten tons we payed $1000 or a little over. Not to bad 100- 110 a ton. Right now we have the ten tons we just bought and probably 30 more bales from last year. We just stack and tarp so we can store as much as we want although there has been some discussion about stacking in our shop which work just as well. No, abnormal drought weather here so I expect prices won hike much higher than usual, but I would never chance buying past September.


That is about what we pay if we get the larger round bales, but for our small square bales it is double that. I haven't seen it cheaper than $5 per small square bale anywhere around here. Which would make it $200.00 for a ton of hay. That would be horse quality hay.


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## Tmaxson (Oct 10, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Round bales-$25 (neighbors)
> "Sqaure"-$2.50 (neighbors)
> Alfalfa-$14compressed bale (from the feed store)
> 
> We are in NC- all my neighbors grow big fields


Hi Southern (neighbor).  I need to find a neighbor to buy some hay from because I've been paying $6 to $7 at the feed store for a square.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 10, 2012)

Tmaxon- you are 35-45 minutes from us. My neighbor stopped by the other day asking if we need some square bales, if you are willing to drive I can call him up and see what he's got. I know he has horse hay too ( a little more expensive though). I've not used his hay before. The alfalfa is killing me   If you want you can pm me.

Glad we're neighbors!


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## Tmaxson (Oct 10, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Tmaxon- you are 35-45 minutes from us. My neighbor stopped by the other day asking if we need some square bales, if you are willing to drive I can call him up and see what he's got. I know he has horse hay too ( a little more expensive though). I've not used his hay before. The alfalfa is killing me   If you want you can pm me.
> 
> Glad we're neighbors!


I am going to PM you


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## Catahoula (Oct 10, 2012)

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> I think for ten tons we payed $1000 or a little over. Not to bad 100- 110 a ton. Right now we have the ten tons we just bought and probably 30 more bales from last year. We just stack and tarp so we can store as much as we want although there has been some discussion about stacking in our shop which work just as well. No, abnormal drought weather here so I expect prices won hike much higher than usual, but I would never chance buying past September.


Just saw on CL, one ton of Alfalfa 4x4x8 is $320.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 10, 2012)

Hey Catahoula- ya want to ship that to me 

BTW there is an Anatolian Shepherd in Dog Fancy Mag from 2008 issue that is identical to your avatar picture! When I saw it, I was going  , unbelievable likeness!


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

Wow, Co hay is expensive. I know a lot gets trucked out there from the midwest - do you know if that is the case for the hay you are pricing?

Usually I can get decent grass hay for $2.25 to $2.50 a bale. This year with the drought (I am in a severe drought pocket  ), we are over $3, some at $5. This is for an average sized rectangular bale. "Square bale".

We used to grow our own...but a few yrs ago hubby had the bright idea to rent out all our hay ground to a neighbor for crops (about 18 acres) and then use the rent income to BUY hay. It was working well (cost of hay was OK, and we had none of the labor!), but with the hay prices only going up, it isn't as good of a deal. 

Thank goodness we have a nice barn (LOVE my barn!) 






(from a couple years ago - when we had a normal rain and green grass, etc)

and we can store an unlimited amount of hay. We have been buying anything we can get since 1st cutting. Good deal too - as we never would have dreamed the drought would get this severe, and have NO pasture from June on. It's just a dirt and dusty wasteland still.


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## Catahoula (Oct 10, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Hey Catahoula- ya want to ship that to me
> 
> BTW there is an Anatolian Shepherd in Dog Fancy Mag from 2008 issue that is identical to your avatar picture! When I saw it, I was going  , unbelievable likeness!


Cooper is a Catahoula Leopard dog and that's him as my avatar. I love Anatolian Shepherd but DH said no to more dogs (and goats). 



			
				Alice Acres said:
			
		

> Wow, Co hay is expensive. I know a lot gets trucked out there from the midwest - do you know if that is the case for the hay you are pricing?
> 
> Usually I can get decent grass hay for $2.25 to $2.50 a bale. This year with the drought (I am in a severe drought pocket  ), we are over $3, some at $5. This is for an average sized rectangular bale. "Square bale".
> 
> ...


Wow, even $5 a bale is a steal! I have seen people trying to get enough interests to get hay from out of the state or selling extra hay that they got from out of the state. Never mind the hay price... I LOVE you barn!!!!


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

Catahoula said:
			
		

> Southern by choice said:
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Considering the drought here, I agree at $5 it's not a bad price. I was thinking it would have been way more by this fall. And worse, was thinking shortages d/t the poor harvests. 2nd and third cuttings have been virtually non-existant for many.
One of my BIL's lives out west of Rapid City, SD and he had friends who were getting together to truck in hay from MN and WI.


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## BrownSheep (Oct 10, 2012)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> BrownSheep said:
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Haha yep go big or go home. I think we should have some left over if the winter is mild but who knows. With 30 sheep and two yaks we can burn through it pretty quick.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Oct 10, 2012)

I bet so. You should show us your yaks....

You have an awesome barn!! Every time I see it I have to smile. What I wouldn't give...


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> I bet so. You should show us your yaks....
> 
> You have an awesome barn!! Every time I see it I have to smile. What I wouldn't give...


We had that barn moved in from a neighbor's farm. They used it as a dairy barn their whole life. Then they were old and totally retired, a few yrs later the road between us (about a mile apart) went from a 2 lane to a big 4 lane highway. They were too close to the new road, so the state was going to bulldoze the barn! 
We lined up the house movers, electric company (had to take down power lines), state patrol escort, pouring cement sidewalls, etc...expensive, but worth it!
Our place came with a barn (in the same site), but it was falling apart and unsafe when we moved there. 
We have spent more on the barn than our old house 

And yes, we need YAK pictures!!!


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## Southern by choice (Oct 10, 2012)

@ Alice- yes, I too, have barn envy... 

Great story about the barn. Did you guys get any pics of the move? Alice= BIG RED BARN...they just go together in my head 

@Catahoula- cooper is "purdy"

@Brownsheep- pics of yaks please 

and now I am completely off topic....:/


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

We did get pictures of it being moved - and it was before digital cameras were popular. I really need to go dig the photos out and scan them into my computer....good job for me!
I'll post them when I get it done. It was an incredible sight - this huge barn coming up the hill!!
Also - the barn pigeons moved with it. 

Yaks, we need to hear about these yaks...and pics!


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## BrownSheep (Oct 10, 2012)

Haha I'll post what pics I have in my journal. Theyre OLD! but I have issues downloading pics from my iPad on to the site so new ones are slow in progress.


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## Catahoula (Oct 10, 2012)

Thanks...this is Cooper. He is a certified Therapy Dog. We visit libraries and nursing homes.


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

Yay Cooper!! He's a handsome guy.
Most people up here don't know what they are. 

We have a catahoula mix in our TDI chapter.


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## PFSfarmer (Oct 11, 2012)

Down here in the Great United State of TEXAS hay is not something we like to talk about. With severe drought the past couple years hay is expensive. It has come down because we got a decent, but not good rain this year, but you are still lookin at about $75-$100 for a round bale. I seen round bale alfalfa advertised as much as $150. Dunno if they sold, but I seen it. Small square alfalfa is $15-$20. Trash hay off the side of the road is $5-$8. We lucked out this year and found some beautiful heavy sudan small squares for $6. 

I am currently working on coming up with funds and plans to build a hay storage shed/barn as of right now we only can hold bout a 100 small bales under an awning. 

If the grass is growing green and beautiful in the pasture we try to make the animals eat that first. I will take a prickle pear burner aka weed burner when it gets bad and burn the thorns off the prickle pear cactus for the cows to eat. Fire up that torch/jet sound and the cows come a runnin.


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## larryj57 (Oct 11, 2012)

If I had to pay over $3 a bale I'd have to sell all the goats and most of the chickens. i can get the round bales for $20 for 700-900 lb rolls. The only problem is the goats don't eat it only use them for climbing and playing on. I have 30 acres of orchard run/ fescue grass mix, my neighbor has the square bale equipment and he bales for me on the thirds he gets 2/3 and i get what's left. the square bales we sell for $2 and they weigh abot 75-80 lbs. usually 125 bales will get me through the winter as we have grazing and browse all winter here.


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## animalmom (Oct 11, 2012)

Y'all know it isn't nice to brag.  Where we are, close to but not quite deep in the heart of the Great State of Texas (Woo!!) we've been paying so much for hay for so long that any rain for the grass is coveted.  Earlier this month we just bought 10 big round bales of reasonable coastal hay at $70/round and thought we were getting a steal.  Last winter we were paying close to $20 for am 80lb bale of hay imported from California, and we were glad to get that.

I've tried burning the prickly pear cactus here and the goats just won't touch it.  I've even sliced and diced the pads and they still turn their nose up at it.  Hubby said they just weren't hungry enough.  God willing they never are that hungry.

Seriously I'm thrilled that some of you folk get hay at a price that doesn't break the bank... and hope you have some compassion for those of us who pay for what we can get.  Here's praying for rain everywhere.  I'd love to see the big round hay back down to the $50 range again... sometime in my lifetime... if the drought every stops.

Oh, and Alice, if you find your barn missing don't even bother to come looking at my place.  HA  Barn Envy!


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## 2goats8kids (Oct 11, 2012)

Suburbanfarmer, I'm in your general area. We are buying hay in Yelm/Roy for $7 regular bale, organic practices but not certified, mixed grass hay. Then we get organic alfalfa pellets from Azure Standard. Don't know how far a drive that would be for you, though. We've used several sellers in that area, found them via Craigslist.


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## jenlynn4 (Oct 11, 2012)

I couldnt find hay either....I did finally manage to find someone who has some today....I wanted 2nd or 3rd cut but all they had was first cut...I had to take it because 1st cut is better than NONE...I just hope it will be ok.  I dont know ANYTHING about hay!  It was $3.00 a bail for square bails


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## SkyWarrior (Oct 11, 2012)

Our hay is running $150-$200 a ton.

Yeah, we're hurting.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 11, 2012)

sky-    wow!
btw- I see you are up, when do you sleep


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## SkyWarrior (Oct 12, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> sky-    wow!
> btw- I see you are up, when do you sleep


Sleep is highly overrated.  

Yeah, the hay prices are horrible right now.  Good luck trying to find some out here.  We have lost a lot because of the drought.

I'm thinking of getting electric netting to graze the goats on our property.  (We are on a mountainside).  I figure that would cut down on the hay bill.  Everything is brown, but I figure there has got to be some nutrition there.


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## jenlynn4 (Oct 12, 2012)

same problem here...It was VERY dry for a long time, then it got really wet!  The farmers I contacted all said it was a terrible year for hay and that they were out.  I was worried there for a bit...but the lady I am getting the goats from gave me the # for the person she gets hers from and they still had some.  Its the same stuff they been eating so I guess that will be better anyhow.  JEN


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