How Much Is Hay/ Straw in Your Area?

[TBigLug]

How much is hay in your area? Where are you? Alfalfa and grass? 1st, 2nd and 3rd cutting

How much is straw? Oat or wheat?

I’m looking to compare the cost of square bales around the country. I’m trying to put together a business plan for selling hay around the country. If there’s enough of a market I’m going to try and set up a delivery by the truckload hay business. I’m checking craigslist for average regional prices but I’d like to hear from the people on the ground more.

Thanks.

John

[TBigLug]

Also, if anyone knows of websites theat give regional hay prices/ auction results, I’d appreciate that as well.

[Does’ Leap]

We are paying $3 -$4 / bale for certified organic second cut hay. Another farmer I have dealt with in the past is asking $5 for last year’s second cut.

George

[Robin]

I am paying $4.00 per square bale for grass hay, $5.00 per bale for straw.
About $4.45 for wood shaving on a 25 bale pallet. I am in Orange County, NY. Big horse country, some dairies are still here, but few. I have oxen.

[Dubba]

@TBigLug 3534 wrote:

Also, if anyone knows of websites theat give regional hay prices/ auction results, I’d appreciate that as well.

http://www.hayexchange.com/

[LaNette]

Average price “for pick-up in the field” for Bermuda grass hay is 50-65 lb bales at 8.00 [up 2.00 from last year due to petroleum prices effecting fertilizer and production costs]. 85% of alfafa in this county is under contract arrangements to dairies (according to the County Extension agent). What little is left over is either sold to long standing customers or family friends. New buyers are either forced to buy outside the county or buy at the local feed store.

I just went by the feed store yesterday and the price they were selling alfalfa for is 11.25/bale for an average 65lb bale. This was grade A high quality alfalfa. The feed store Bermuda was going for 8.25 and was not of the highest quality (either B or C grade). Better prices can be had for round bales and these prices seem to be all over the place.

My cousin drives 70 miles round trip to pick up his feed (for cattle) in neighboring Chavez county. He’s says that even with the cost of fuel to drive up there he’s coming out ahead with his total purchases. So there seems to be some big price differences here regionally.

It will be very interesting to see what prices go for next season.

LaNette

[Rick Alger]

In nortern NH alfalfa is uncommon. Timothy/clover is the hay of choice for horses. Thirty-forty pound square bales in the field -$2.75. In the barn $3.00 -$4.00. Oat straw $8.00.

[gunslinger598]

I just don’t think I want to give the rates here for someone to come in and buy it all, so it would limit whats available for us local folks.

I prefer buying direct from the person who is producing an eliminating the middle man.

[TBigLug]

@gunslinger598 3556 wrote:

I just don’t think I want to give the rates here for someone to come in and buy it all, so it would limit whats available for us local folks.

I prefer buying direct from the person who is producing an eliminating the middle man.

Don’t worry. I don’t have any intention of buying your hay given I produce all my own hay myself. I can produce it a whole lot cheaper than it can be bought. What I am looking for is alternative markets to sell bulk amounts of hay for less than what they are paying for it locally. If I find enough of a market to make a business out of it, that would give me enough incentive to lease more ground to produce more hay.

[TBigLug]

For the sake of full disclosure around here, good alfalfa hay goes for $4/ first, $5/ second, $6/ third. Grass hay goes for about $0.50 less. My interest is in selling for a dollar less than they can get it locally. Last year gougers here ran the price on alfalfa hay up to over $9/ bale. Over in Missouri where my uncle lives he has to pay $7 for grass already, and it’s not even winter.

[gunslinger598]

I do not have a problem with anyone who is a producer aka farmer.

My concern is a middle man breaking the back on both ends while they get fat in the middle.

Alfalfa is generally unavailable around here. When it can be found it is double to triple the cost of “good” grass. The reasons possibly that very few irrigate here and a blister beetle problem.

At present most hay growers can’t use or sell all they grow around here. Bermuda & native grass’s. It’s very common to see a lot of hay go to rot around here.

A few years back we had what was said to be the worst drought ever recorded for this area. Hay that was normally say $20.00 for a 5×6 round bale went for $125.00 if a person could find it. I got through 2 years feeding mostly alfalfa pellets and what little pasture I had.

I have an established relationship with regular hay suppliers and pay $3.00 for sq grass hay behind the baler. The round hay I feed is $20 to 25.

Very reasonable compared to what I see advertised in other areas, some of those just across the river from here in N E Texas.

There isn’t much farm land for sale here. Much of the land is heavily wooded. Of course there is a market for the wood so clearing and developing it for hay meadows is always an option.

[cherprit]

Where? California, of course.

[dominiquer60]

I couldn’t resist putting in a call to a friend in Wellington Florida, she just paid $33/130# bale of really nice orchard/alfalfa mix. She is feeding horses with 6 digit price tags and it’s nothing but the best for them. Prices there are predicted to stay the same as last year and not increase because of the economy, the fact that there will be less horses and less demand for hay. I know that I will feel the pinch when I get down there to work this winter.

Erika

[Carl Russell]

We’re paying $35/dry round bale organic fist cut, $4.50/ organic second cut square bale, and $3.50/ square bale good quality conventional first cut, in central Vermont. These are good long-time relationships, and even though I know others paying more, we pay what they want, and buy every year.

Carl

[SunshineAcres]

I live, I am buying 2nd cut alfalfa/grass hay with 80% alfalfa 20% grass. I’m feeding horses with it. Paid $3.50 for a 60 lb. square bale. Supplier has a couple thousand bales left. I’m one of the lucky ones who has a supplier. Most hay for 1st cut grass is $5 for a smaller (40-50 lb) square bale. 2nd cut grass is $6 bale and those are hay auction prices! I’m just glad I don’t live in FL! Yikes!

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