feed prices?

[chandab]

What are feed prices like where you are? Please share...

I just got a new batch of ration balancer, it went up $1.65/bag in the last 6 weeks since the last time; so its now $31.90/bag. [same companies fat supplement is now $45/bag.]

I checked on senior feed today (different company that ration balancer), I only feed it in winter; its up to $14.50/bag. [it was $13 in May when I last bought some.]

Whole oats are $12.00/bag; and she said they will probably go up with the next order, they were down to 4 bags.

Rolled oats/barley mix is $14.50/bag.

"local" forage pellets and cubes were $9.00/bag when I ordered the first of this month. They will probably go up.

Last purchase of complete and Lite, was $20.00/bag; it'll go up again I'm sure.

I have beet pulp on order, last year it $8.00/bag; and I hope it hasn't gone up too much since then.

BOSS is $28.99/50# or $14.99/20# bag.

I have no idea what grass hay sells for, as my FIL gave me a very good deal on small squares of grass; and we put up our own round bales.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Our horses are a luxury! I use Blue Seal beet pulp pellets ... couple yrs ago $7.00 50#.....last week

$13.95, and rising. Some places asking $14.50+ for same. It was At $11. in Feb.

Face it, everything they do with "feed" is gas driven...to plow, to seed, to cut/harvest, transport, process, transport again........you know where those prices are!!

Gasoline went from $3.39 to $4.09 within 36 hrs at one station this past weekend. Most others weren't far behind.

Can't accept that these stations had that kind of increase!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sooooo, back to feed. Yep, this will be one year when over weight horses diet. I just hope that those who cannot afford feed to keep theirs in a normal weight will recognize and try to get them to someone who can. Even if it means giving them away.

Areas where the weather allows for yr round grazing will be able to better cope, as will those who can get good hay inexpensively.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I am about to order my winter feed:

Beet Pulp is going to come in around $16.00 a 25kg (around 50lbs) bag.

Alfalfa Pellets they reckon are going to be around $20.00 a 20kg bag (they are sneaky, and I am sure yours will follow this trend, so watch out for the bag sizes if you see "bargain" price feed!!!)

Oats/Barley will be around $8-$9.00 a bag.

Soya is the best bargain at $30.00 a 25kg sack and worth every penny.

My horses are going to be doing without BOSS as staple this winter- I shall keep an eye on them, obviously, but my answer is to go back to basics.

At the moment it looks as if I shall not be able to afford Alfalfa Pellets, either.

Forty years ago I managed without any of this, I shall have to do so again.

I never had a thin horse, so I guess they must have been OK!!!

Oh and Diesel is currently at $11.00 a gallon.

 

[muffntuf]

Feed prices have gone up for everyone, we have not see the last of price hikes. But buyer beware too, there are price gougers out there. I quite using my local feed mill because they were $2.00-$4.00 over other mills per bag of the grain I use.

Also remember, it's the end of summer and the beginning of harvest. Beet pulp, if you can get it in our area is $14.50 to $15.00 a bag, until the harvest, then it should come back down $1 -$2 a bag.

I suggest if you can - buy in bulk. Buy a ton or two at a time, bagged. And then store it in a metal building, or like I do, in my horse trailer, which is now idle for the winter. You can usually get a price break, sometimes up to $3 a bag.

One other tip - get your hay tested, find out the value of the hay you bought, its worth the $30, then you know whether you can let feed slip or not. The hay I acquired tested out so fantastic, I could let my grain program go, its a personal choice at this time to keep them on a balance of grain and hay. But at least I know that with loose minerals and the hay I have - I can let the feed program go for the winter if I have too.

Do not skimp on loose minerals and vitamins, if you have to drop your grain and have decent hay, get the right mix of loose minerals for your hay. There is a difference too - alfalfa vs. hay.

Might mean keeping your 4 legged friends and your family in tact.

 

[wantminimore]

Our local feed dealer charges $19.00 for a 50# bag of Purina equine senior and he charges I think something like $6.50 for a bag of pine shavings.

If I go out of town a bit and change to Blue Seal, I can get it for around $12.00 a bag. And this dealer charges $4.49 for shavings if you get 10 bags. The price goes down the more you buy.

I just filled the SUV and paid $3.59 per gallon and they pumped it for me!!

Leslie

 

[Minimor]

Pelleted feed hasn't gone up here in awhile, or at least it hadn't the last time I bought a bag, which was 6 weeks ago--possibly it has gone up since then. However, at the time my Frontrunner pellets were $15 for the Phase Two 14% and $16 for the Phase One 16%--same price as all this past year.

Rolled oats has gone up some. It was $9 in early summer, $9.40 in late summer and now $10 PLUS tax...we have never paid tax on plain oats, but now it has 5% GST and 7% PST added to it. ouch.

Minerals--for ages and ages the Equest blocks that I buy were $29.95 for the 25 kg box. Now it has gone up to $35.50 for that same box. The good part is, I've now bought Equest twice at that higher price, so at least it isn't going up $5 or $6 every month!

I was buying Co-op horse mineral blocks for awhile. Initially they were $17.60 for a 20 kg block. That was summer '07...then last fall they started going up $1 every month--last time I bought some they were up to $21.40. That's when I switched back to the Equest--the horses seem to prefer the Equest anyway.

Our gas price is up to $5.48 per US gallon (that sounds better than saying $6.58 per Cdn gallon, though it's all the same since a Cdn gallon is bigger)

Hay prices are up slightly from last year--I'm paying $4.50 compared to $4.15 last year; straw prices will be considerably higher this year ($2.10 compared to $1.75 last year)

On the plus side, my farrier won't be charging more....sadly for me my farrier still won't get paid anything at all...

 

[Magic]

Feed prices all have gone up so much, but what really makes me wonder is the beet pulp, which is TWICE what it was last year.

How can it go from $8 for a 50 pound bag to $16? That's just insane. Does it really cost twice as much to harvest and process than it did a year ago?

I've got plenty of hay and can and will buy whatever feed my horses need, but I worry for those horses whose owners are on the edge already financially.... more horses are going to suffer.

 

[Ashley]

My horses are way spoiled but this year they will actually be on a diet(most all of them are overweight).

I got beat pulp and alfalfa pellets a few weeks ago. The price was $13 something a bag. Got them both at Tractor Supply, which I dont normally go if I dont have to they are expensive. I tend to try to get my stuff at Fleet Farm. However there are only two places I know of to get beat pulp. Tractor Supply and a feed mill down by my mom.

Shavings........havent got any this year. I still have last years and dont stall that much so dont need it. But it was $5 something a bag unless I bought a whol pallet then it was down to $4.50 a bag.

My horses tend to get more then they need to eat, this year they will just get what they need.

My hay, well I got a mix around here. Pure alfalfa I got for $4 a bale. Grass with a bit of clover I got for $2.75 a bale deliverd and helped stacked. Grass round bales I got for $30(big bales). I have seen grass bales for as cheap as $2 here. I normally dont feed round bales but the guy I was getting squares from decided he need to jump up to almost $5 a bale in the middle of my order so I told him no thanks. The round bale guy is right next to my house, delivers them for me and willing to work on a payment plan. Very nice guy.

 

[muffntuf]

Gee Ashley, Where are you in MN? I would have loved to see hay at those prices!

Fleet Farm is certainly a bargain compared to T&S, but T&S will work with you if you buy in bulk. So will FF, but you have to find someone there to work with. (Have you been to the new store in Blaine??, It's huge!)

Shavings are around $5.65 a bag right now, no matter where you go, unless, again you buy in bulk. Then you can get it down to reasonable.

I just want enough fat on the ponies and minis to make them good to go for the winter, otherwise they are not getting fed anything extra this year.

 

[Jill]

We're paying about $14/bag for our complete senior pellets and $6-7/ bale for the hay. These things have gone up, as has everything else, but not significantly so imo when you think of other things and the fact that we have horses as a luxury.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Even though we are hearing daily that crude oil prices are DOWN(below $100/barrel yesterday, at least for awhile, according to the TV news), the upward march of prices continues unabated.

I buy concentrates (I use three from Triple Crown-Senior, Complete, and Lite) about once every 5 weeks(I use about one 50# bag of each in that time period). The price has been higher EVERY time I've bought now for about the last 5-6 times! The latest price was $19.95, before tax(our local and state gov'ts. should be rolling in dough!, for they get more w/ each price increase, too....)--I believe these were @ $12.50/50# bags when I began using TC, about 3-4 years ago...the expotential rise began early this year.

Hay? My alfalfa was 'more reasonable' to drive a 240 mi. round trip to go and get myself, than to buy anywhere locally--at @ $8/60 lb. bale, all related costs included(at least the gov't. didn't get any from it, as I bought directly from the producer!) No local producers of GOOD grass hay, so HAVE to buy it from feed stores(used to use enough to have it delivered and stacked from a long distance(far northern NM, or CO), but those days are OVER!) Was LUCKY to find good big bales(for grass; about 55-close to 60 lbs.); paid $8.75, then later, $9.25/bale, BEFORE the 'gross receipts' tax. I buy a year's worth at a time, but the feed store wouldn't let me have the full number of bales the first time I went to buy, and OF COURSE, the price had gone up by the next 'load'(it comes down from CO.)

I full well realize that costs of production are up; but I must say, I also feel that it is VERY easy to 'take advantage' when the trend is upwards, and 'improve' the profit margin. Who thinks that some of these prices will ever go DOWN, even as the costs moderate??? Hay? Maybe, but I'd bet the concentrates will NEVER do so, no matter what happens...

I HAVE quit using BOSS; instead, I now use a stabilized ground flax-I like it better; don't think I'm really saving money, but probably not spending any more, either (and yes, the price of BOSS was escalating when I last bought it!) I believe beet pulp is up because it has been 'realized' by the producers that it is both popular and useful in more ways--again, why not improve the profit margin? I like it and use it, and know MANY others here do, also-- and it is in numerous 'compounded' feeds nowadays--no surprise they'd price it higher, IMO. So--higher demand, yes--but I wonder if that's the only reason for higher prices....but then, I have seen a lot in my life, and so, am an old cynic!

This is the first year in several that I've actually had GRASS here--had decent rains at the right time--so I am able to let my horses graze a BIT, which helps with the hay situation. Not a lot, but I'll take all the help I can get!

These circumstances are a large part of why I am finding placements for several horses. Not my choice, necessarily, but you do what you have to do.

Margo

 

[Ashley]

I live in Taylors Falls. The hay I get mostly in Wisconsin. THe first batch I got from about 15 mins away. THe stuff for $2 a bale is about in hour away.

No I havent been to the one in Blaine. I did drive by it the other day, thought about stoping but was to tired so went home.

 

[CZP1]

I went to buy pellets last week, I feed Triple Crown Lite it was 16.99 for a 50# bag OH! (I puchased the same feed 6 weeks ago and it was $13.49 a bag) checked around and bought the "Reliance" brand and it was $8.99 a bag. My guys are a little fluffy

and only get a little grain so just use as a filler.

Now hay has been hard to find in the area I live in NC. I bought 6 bales of orchard/fescue mix for $6.50 a bale. The hay guy said he put up 3000 bales and still has plenty, can't believe he has that much left. Said business was not like last year (hay was $4.00 a bale) they are about 40# bales and went up $2.50. People around here said that is too much and only want to pay $3.50 max (good luck). I usually feed the Triple Crown Safe Starch hay and it is $16.99 for a 50# bag. I use both, reminds me have to go to the Southern States.

Shavings are $4.99 a bag and the pelleted bedding is (woody pet) is $5.99.

Had to get gas on Friday, since everyone was freaking out over the gas running out (I was on empty almost) got to the 3rd station that wasn't out of gas and the sign said $3.99, waited for 25 minutes and the gas went up to $4.20 while we were sitting there.

 

[dali1111]

We pay $12.50 for 25kg of beet pulp and $14.50 for 12% complete feed. Grass hay is $5.00 a small square bale and a pain in the rear to find..can't get it in round bales.

 

[horsehug]

Hi Chanda,

I bought feed today and it had gone up again. :-(

I paid

$11.25 for 50 lbs. of little alfalfa pellets.

$14.95 for 50 lbs. senior feed.

$10.50 for 50 lbs. beet pulp pellets.

$11.25 for 50 lbs. whole oats.

Calf manna is no longer in my budget. It's almost $30 a bag.

And my hay this year for good wild meadow grass hay (lots of timothy in it) was $150 a ton. I buy it for the whole year since our growing saeson up here is just one cutting.

Susan O.

 

[bingo]

I would love to have some of the prices I see here.

Meadow Grass or Orchard Hay-$255.00 a ton

Timothy Hay-$300.00 a ton

50 lb bag of Beet Pulp Pellets $16.95

50 lb bag of Nutrena Compete feed-$19.95

50 lb bag of Safe Choice $18.00 a bag

50 lb bag of Alfalfa Pellets $14.95 a bag

50 lb bag of Whole Oats $14.00 a bag

50 lb bag of COB plain-$13.00 a bag

50 lb bag of COB with molasses $13.95 a bag

 

[disneyhorse]

Was just at the feed store this afternoon:

Hay pellets (most types and blends) $9.50 for a 50# bag

Beet pulp pellets: $13.50 for a 50# bag

Shavings: $6.99 for a 4.75 cu. bag

Crimped oats: $17.95 for a 50# bag

Purina Strategy GX: $19.99 for a 50# bag

Beet pulp shreds: $10.99 for a 40# bag

That was my bill today...

Andrea

 

[chandab]

Hi Chanda,
I bought feed today and it had gone up again. :-(

I paid

$11.25 for 50 lbs. of little alfalfa pellets.

$14.95 for 50 lbs. senior feed.

$10.50 for 50 lbs. beet pulp pellets.

$11.25 for 50 lbs. whole oats.

Calf manna is no longer in my budget. It's almost $30 a bag.

And my hay this year for good wild meadow grass hay (lots of timothy in it) was $150 a ton. I buy it for the whole year since our growing saeson up here is just one cutting.

Susan O.

If your hay is as good this year as it was last year, I'd love to get some even at $150/ton. [Hard to find grass, but round bales around here are about $100/ton for alfalfa mix.]

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

We are in Missouri. The last time we bought:

Buckeye Growth (50#) 18.99

Nutrena Youth (50#) 16.89

Buckeye Ultimate Finish 100 (don't remember the weight of the tub, feels like about 15lbs) and it was $60!!! It used to be half that.

Our hay is timothy/brome mix and they are kinda light bales, second cutting and we paid $4.50 per. We also bought 10 round bales of the same thing for only $45 per! But we don't own our big horses any more!

Those round bales are sitting in our hay guy's barn and I have NO idea when we're going to use them.

Does anybody feed those big round bales to their minis? Doesn't it rot before they can eat it?

 

[muffntuf]

Ashley - I used to live near Taylor Falls, used to do laundry across the river in St. Croix Falls, beautiful up there!