Cost of hay where you are?

[farmerjan]

We are selling our small sq bales for $5.00 in the field, $6.50 delivered in their barn, to our regular customers. They weigh an average 50 lbs. That is orchard grass. Mixed grass is 1.00 lower because it takes us just as long to make it as the orchard grass. We do not grow alfalfa due to the timing of making it, but the locals around here get around 6.50 to 8.00 per sq bale 50-60 lbs.
Our round bales are about 40-50.00 each when we sell them but it is not that often. That is 4x5. Net wrapped. We seldom sell any 5x5's. We feed nearly all we make, and sq bales is where we can make some money on hay even with all the labor. Most of our first cutting is done in round bales, but a field or 2 of the pure orchard grass is done in squares if we have some of the regulars needing hay.
It all depends on the year, the quality is dependent on the weather and being able to make it. We have had it so wet that it has been into late June before we have gotten into making any and the quality is way down. And during drought we have seen it for nearly twice what we are getting.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

What size bales are these? The size and weight has a lot to do with price. We buy Bermuda grass round bales that weigh 1500 pounds for $60. Our hay guy stores them in his barn and brings them to us. We buy not so great grass square bales in the field that weigh around 60-80 pounds for $4. We buy the square bales for the in between times like now, when tractors are out in the fields, to tide us over for a few days to a week until he gets a tractor home. Russell is going to venture into square bales this year from a beautiful stand of Bermuda. We will pick up in the field, price to be determined, but probably $6-$8. They will be 60-80 pounds.

Feed store price for same square bale is $11, at Tractor Supply price is $12-$14 for square bale.

In 2011, when there was a terrible drought, we had over 2 months of 100+ degrees heat. The heat and lack of rain scorched everything and there were terrible fires across the state. Trees died, beautiful old oak trees and pine trees died. Grass will come back in a season, but trees like those take 75-100 years to grow. During that time, hay was trucked in from other states. Round bales went from $125-$250 per bale. Ranchers sold down to their very best core genetics, some sold out. People dumped horses at the sale barns, they were shipped to Mexico for slaughter. We were lucky and found a source of hay for $80 a round bale. Truly, a barn of hay is wealth that only people with livestock can understand.

Good point about the size...they are square bales..but my neighbor with the Timothy hay...can barely lift and the baler twine is si tight you can’t get your fingers through...that’s my kind of hay! Our regular hay..mixed grasses is lighter...probably only 35-40 pounds? Wrapped ..lol..what a joke..twine older than dust so I can’t reuse it, but the hay is delivered and cheap and good quality..very green now..girls like it!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

All I have to say is...what’s up with the price of hay in California where
@The_V's are?

 

[chickens really]

Here hay prices fluctuate from first cut to second cut. Type of hay and quality of bales. Drought or rainy weather during hay season definitely changes prices. Gas prices also determine hay prices.
I have a regular supplier and usually any given year I'll pay between $6 and $10 dollars a bale depending on what cut I'm needing? I'm needing first cut this year and depending on quality my supplier couldn't tell me a price? I buy horse quality orchard grass/alfalfa/ Timothy mix hay In squares.
Hopefully it's a good season and I don't need to pay too much.

 

[Niele da Kine]

I'm not sure what kind of hay, but a small bale starts at $38 per bale so we don't buy hay. It's all shipped in from the mainland and inter-island shipping just went up by 46% starting the beginning of this month (September 2020) so I'm sure hay bale prices will go up even more. We have grass all year and don't have to feed hay, though.

 

[Ridgetop]

Southern California outside L. A. Cheap price right now is $8.50/100+lb. bale. Will go up to $18+/bale in winter. We try to lay in a supply and store it for winter since we feed a lot once forage is gone and lamb year round. We only have forage when we get rains during the winter and spring. No rain, higher hay prices and no forage. Hoping for rain.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I pay $40 to $50 for 900 lb round bales.