Have the feed companies lost their minds? *Prices*

[mizbeth]

Me too Kimberly,

I am mixing 12/8 Acco feed with my Strategy as it is 8.50 per bag. I have been fortunate up to this point however as I have been able to purchase my Strategy from my neigbor who works at the race track and supplies my Strategy for 10.00 per bag (Country Store 12.85 - TSC 14.29 per bag), he is leaving for Florida the first of December to play Polo. So I will be changing my feed although I sure do not want to, but when you have 40 horses to feed it simply is not cost effective to feed at todays prices. Mine are all FAT and healthy, so hope the new feed keeps them that way.

All in all times are tough and prices too high. Hay is still priced right and GOOD quality.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Mizbeth--

You are in Texas, is that right? What ARE your hay prices? What kind of hay?

I ask because I've noted a WIDE range of hay prices mentioned in threads here in past; sure seems to be a HUGE variation in price around the country!I'm interested in what others feed are 'right' prices for hay!!

I was a LOT happier with the grass hay I bought this year than last; that said, the price held high, but at least didn't rise. Here, a mix of brome/orchard, sometimes w/ timothy also, is $9.25/bale--about 45-50 lb. bales--BEFORE the @7% sales tax. Of course, you don't have to pay sales tax if you can buy from the actual producer, but since most of the decent grass hay here comes from elsewhere, and I don't need enough anymore to justify a full delivered load from an out-of-state grower, I have to buy from one of my area feed stores.I do buy my alfalfa from the grower, and it was actually LOWER in price this year...but then, I get it from one of the state's best, most ethical, growers!Thank goodness! I feed generous amounts of hay, and REALLY want and need good quality for reasonable cost!

Anyone have any experience with 'dovey fescue' hay? I don't have broodmares, so feeding fescue is not an issue for me. A good friend found some area-grown dovey fescue this year, bought some and liked it, as do her horses, so was headed to get some more, last I spoke to her. It was 'only' $6/bale--about the same size bales as I mentioned above.She showed it to me; it looks good, and my horses liked it when offered some. I am hoping to be able to consider some next year, IF the crop comes off good.

Margo

 

[chandab]

Mizbeth--

You are in Texas, is that right? What ARE your hay prices? What kind of hay?

I ask because I've noted a WIDE range of hay prices mentioned in threads here in past; sure seems to be a HUGE variation in price around the country!I'm interested in what others feed are 'right' prices for hay!!

Margo

We raise a lot of our own hay, as we have cattle, too; but this year we didn't get much horse quality hay put up, so I had to buy some. I could only get alfafa-grass mix as the straight grass wasn't good (bad weather), the mix was $90/ton, I got two ton (I think it comes out to a little over $3/bale; they are roughly 70# bales (some more, some less), so about 28 bales/ton). I'm also probably going to have to feed some complete pellets to stretch my hay supple.

I found an interesting hay feeder advertised in my Horse Illustrated magazine, so I ordered one to try on my chubby mare that I should really have on a diet, but always give her extra hay as I feel bad when she goes through it so fast. Here's a link to the feeder site (I ordered from Jeffers as I needed something else too, but I think the price would be the same w/ shipping): http://www.healthezhayfeeder.com/ It looks interesting, so I'm going to try it.

 

[mizbeth]

I feed coastal and alfalfa hay. I have a new 10 acre pasture so am not feeding too much hay now, but our hay runs from 6.00 - 9.00 for coastal depending on where you get it 12.00+ for alfalfa. Either one of these hays are supreme quality as we have had a good hay growing year, rain at the right times and so on. Coastal is typically grown around here and the alfalfa comes from NM, very fine and leafy.

* Yes, southern Texas