the price

[wpsellwood]

We paid last year 5.50 a bale for alfalfa about 70 lbs a piece delivered. 5.50 for grass but we go it that.

 

[Miniv]

When talking about how much you pay for hay please tell us how big the bale is in pounds. The size of bales vary a lot around the country. I buy 80# bales, a few house down from me they sell 110# bales. By giveing the size it gives a better comparison. Last year I paid $225 a ton for 80# bales. So thats 25 bales per ton, which is $9 per bale. And for those that are not sure a ton is 2000 pounds.

Bill -- Isn't this crazy??? And we live in a hay growing region!

We're shopping around and finding it for either side of $200 a ton. And the quality is all over the place. Last I checked at the feed store, a 65 to 75 lb bale of grass hay was $8, but that was last Fall.

 

[Riverdance]

I buy from a farmer down the road who grows hay for horses. He has pure grass hay (the good stuff) and alfalfa. He used to charge me $2.75 to $3.25 a bale delivered (for the alfalfa) and stacked for me. Last year he charged $3.75 a bale (these are heavy regular bales not throw bales) and he told me that it will be up to $4.25 or more this year. I usually put up over 1000 bales. One of the reasons why I am selling 1/2 my herd, besides the fact that it is getting to be too much work for me, being alone.

 

[Katiean]

I wish I had your problems of under $10 a bale. Here we are paying $20.50 a bale at the feed store. I can go to the hay yard for $15.50 a bale but they don't like that I am buying only 4 bales a month.

 

[Hosscrazy]

You guys don't know how lucky you are - seriously!!!!!!

Timothy hay is $28 a bale here in So. Cal. Yes, $28.00 per bale - the square ones.

Liz R.

 

[keely2682]

square bales of coastal grass hay are 6.75 here

orchard/alfalfa or timothy are mix are up as high as $16 a bale

round bales of grass hay $90 each

 

[Equuisize]

Our hay broker told us over two years ago that hay would be outrageous

this year as the price of nitrogen had quadrupled....and they need it to

fertilize the orchard grass fields......He said many farmers will not do it

and will plant alfalfa instead. I tried the kids on timothy compressed

bales early in the fall and 3 of them came up with an allergy....

May not of been the hay but it was the newest thing so we eliminated it.

As our barn isn't complete we've been buying a 1/4 ton at a time only.

Started in the fall paying, for orchard grass $9.95 for a 95-100# bale

now it's $15.95.

Quality is good and consistent so quess I don't mind but sure am missing

the olden days.........

 

[C G Minis]

OMG!!!

SOME OF THE PRICES I HAVE JUST READ ON THIS TOPIC IS CRAZY. I AM PAYING 3.75 A BALE FOR BROME, 3.25 A BALE FOR PRAIRE, SMALL SQUARES.

 

[Laura]

[SIZE=12pt]If we weren't raising our own grass hay at this time, we wouldn't have but a few horses. Hay in NW Arkansas was only $4.00-$5.50 last year, Grass & Bermuda, approx 40-50 lb bales. When I was feeding 60 or so dry-lotted/stalled horses, we went through about 2000 bales a year [email protected]/bale delivered~yikes! Who knows what it will be this year!?![/SIZE]

 

[Katiean]

If farmers need nitrogen for their fields why don't they just make friends with some Commercial Rabbit farmers and spread that over their fields. It contains a ton of nitrogen and won't burn the fields if it is fresh or they put too much on.

 

[classic carr minis]

You all have it made In Bellingham, Washington Grass hay that looks like it died before they cut it is 10.00 a bale alfa is 12.75 and these arnt big bales

Bob C

 

[NoddalottaFarm]

i called my hay guy this weekend to see what he will be charging this year for hay. last year, it was $3.50/bale. he has raised his price to $4.25/bale and that's NOT delivered.

Hey Charlene - By any chance, is your hay guy Mr. Norris in Brighton? It sounds like the prices he had last year. I'm hoping his prices aren't too high this year. My husband had a disc replaced in his back (screws, rods and everything!) so we have to hire someone to load hay this year. Sigh...

 

[Charlene]

i called my hay guy this weekend to see what he will be charging this year for hay. last year, it was $3.50/bale. he has raised his price to $4.25/bale and that's NOT delivered.

Hey Charlene - By any chance, is your hay guy Mr. Norris in Brighton? It sounds like the prices he had last year. I'm hoping his prices aren't too high this year. My husband had a disc replaced in his back (screws, rods and everything!) so we have to hire someone to load hay this year. Sigh...

no, he is bob jokish just outside of jacksonville and bless his heart, from what i see here I AM LUCKY TO HAVE HIM!!! good heavens, i can't BELIEVE some of these prices!!

i bought one of the best paint horses i ever owned from bruce childress in brighton. any chance you know him? great guy!

i really need to get down and visit with you one of these weekends!

EDIT: sorry about your husband, hope his recovery is going well. i know just what you mean. since gary's illness and death, i have had to hire a couple of guys to load/deliver/stack my hay. i haven't figured it up but at $4.25/bale and paying a couple of guys $100 each, i'll be spending way more than normal. *sigh*

 

[Bess Kelly]

That same hay you feel is expensive at $200 a ton costs me $440-475 a ton!

I'm east coast of VA, just outside of Va Beach/Norfolk areas. Shouldn't be so high.

Oh, it's gorgeous, heavy bales (80-110, depending on farm)...excellent nutrition. Weighed at the dealer when I buy, and I cry all the way to the register! Most is orchard or orchard/alf mix, sometimes a young timothy/orchard. Now, I have 42 minis to feed. YEP OH! We had a drought in our area last summer, so you can imagine what weeds I now have (grass dies and weeds prosper in drought). Full yr of hay.

I'm afraid to see what it will cost this Fall. I use beet pulp, occassional alf cubes, etc. But they always get great hay and rations. That's why I still work full time!!!!!!!

 

[maplegum]

Here in my part of the world, Australia, I recently paid $10 a bale for grass hay. A friend sold it to me for $2 less a bale than she would anyone else.

I just bought a couple of bales of lucerne/alfalfa for $12 a bale.

I also have some oaten hay for $12 a bale, very nice stuff.

Last year, I paid $30 for one bale of alfalfa!

 

[crponies]

I think I just paid $16.75 a bale for orchard grass. They are 3 string bales that are maybe around 90 lbs. and very good quality. The alfalfa was $15 per bale. It seems like no one around here sells hay by the ton or bales it in 2 string bales. I don't have much hay storage either so I have to buy just a few bales at a time. I am glad I just have the 6 small ponies to feed but even so it is costing me over twice as much to feed about half the ponies as I had up in central Idaho.

 

[Minimor]

I've been paying $4.15 for my alfalfa/grass hay, 65-70 lb bales, delivered; brome grass from a different supplier is $3.75 delivered, bales weight about 55 lbs. I spoke for my hay at time of baling & that price was locked in then. Actually my first load of the alfalfa mix was $4.25/bale but then after that the fellow dropped it down 10 cents because the US dollar dropped then. I guess he bases his price on what he'd get in US funds.

I expect that this year the price will go up again, probably to $4.25 or $4.35 for the alfalfa (possibly more if the fellow buys new balers that make the bales bigger--and he did mention that) and to $3.85 for the grass, but that's strictly a guess. Let's say I HOPE that it won't go up any more than that!!

I have been paying $35 each for my round bales of alfalfa/prairie hay--I pick those up myself from a neighbor 4 miles down the road. I haul them one at a time in my half ton, so if I go & pick up 3 bales, that costs me $10 in gas for the 3 trips. It adds up pretty fast these days!! These round bales are 1100-1200 lbs.