2022 Hay Update

[Stocker Steve]

Frequent rains and cool temps are the opposite of last spring. Good grass growth here except for pasture that have been overgrazed. Hay cutting has started, and grass hay market is about U$S 130 per ton. A little less costly than last winter, but still too high to make a profit with commodity cows. I think more cows will go to town this fall.

 

[Richnm]

Alfalfa in NM is currently $350-$450 per ton ($12-$14 per small 60lb square bale) I hope I have customers left next year.

 

[DCA farm]

I'm buying all I can afford. 4x4 4x5 5x5 hell I'll buy small square bales if price is right. Right now I've got enough to feed my whole herd till next spring but I'm putting up way more than I need as emergency hay

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Luckily, we had 200 baleage bales left over from this past winter. We put up 80 acres and only got 300 bales (about 2/3 normal). I have enough to feed herd thru the winter, but also need about 60 4x5 dry bales, which I normally get from 2nd cutting. We have gotten a few rains since we cut and things look good - so far.

 

[Lucky_P]

Young man who's taken over haying here hit it just right, with regard to timing for best quality, this spring, on first cutting. 30 rolls of mixed wheat/rye/ryegrass, and 220 rolls of mostly fescue/clover. Averaged about 3 rolls per acre.
One of the wheat/rye fields has a ton of johnsongrass that's grown up and ready to be cut right now, but only 2 acres... not worth fooling with at this point.
Hope we get timely rains (had a nice one 2 days ago) so that he can get a second, and maybe a third cutting.

 

[damengineer]

Here in central OK, hay is about to burn up. I started cutting yesterday. Due to fertilizer cost and no rain last fall and this spring, less than one 4x5 bale /acre where last year 3 bales per acre. I found some spots with downy brome and weeds, so baled them within 3 hours of cutting to let the weeds sweat some. My cows will eat weeds very well if they are baled green. With the brome it makes a pretty good hay. I think hay will be over $100/bale here this winter. I baled 19 bales yesterday and probably have over $200 in fuel cost alone...

 

[Stocker Steve]

Reduced fertilitzer application really shows the weak fields. Many with recent manure history, or a lot of legumes, look fine. I have waist high bluegrass and chest high reed canary. Ohers need an intervention.

 

[Stocker Steve]

My hayman has been selling a few bales to his neighbor with some pet cows, and I buy all the rest a a pre set price. Usually about 250 bales. He said he was thrilled with this in the past six years.

This year he said he will not have any first cutting hay for me. I was expecting a stiff price increase but he did not even make an offer. A couple needy horse women found him during the drought last year... He said maybe some second crop hay? Not - - we are done. It was a good run.

 

[CowboyRam]

I have about 30 ton left over from last years hay. I think I am going to have a pretty good first cutting; probably will cut around the end of the week, or early next week; have a bit of irrigating to do yet.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Really wet here thru mid-May. Now rain has shut off and a couple days at 100 F...

I am not expecting cheap hay for a couple years, so updated my cull list today.

 

[cowgirl8]

We've baled up around 3000 4x5.5 net wrapped bales of johnson grass with mixed other grasses, and a few weeds.. Keeping a couple thousand for ourselves and holding the others, well, to see what happens. May sell, may not. We have more acres to bale. Might have to start feeding in a month.

 

[farmerjan]

We have been trying to make hay inbetween these 2 and 4 tenth inch rains. Some got wet and tedded out 2-3 times to get it off the field. Got about 50 acres on the ground since it has been absolutely perfect hay making the last 2 days... 70's clear no humidity, breezy... raked over 30 acres yesterday.. and now it is cloudy with some slight shower chance... then partial clearing later but more humidity... Going to tedd out some and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 90's and then showers on Wed/Thurs... Several fields are lighter, a couple are pretty good... running about 3/4 overall of what we got last year and we are late cutting due to the showers. Planning to get it all raked and baled by Wed noon or before. Way behind but, no sense in it sitting on the ground for a week and getting rained on... or having to tedd it out 3 and 4 times since it keeps getting a shower...
Costs to run the tedder so much are figuring in too... that is fuel and wear and tear on the equipment every time.... not to mention my tractor seat time.... which of course I make soooo much money per hour (haha).... Trying to save if we can on the fuel especially.... so not having to tedd out fields that get wet is definitely better.

 

[cowgirl8]

We are burning 500 bucks in diesel a day when we have 3 tractors running... Wednesday, we're getting a rake delivered that pulls in front of the baler.. I'll be out of a raking job, but, i'll get hooked to a shredder.. we do have some shredding to do also... excited about the rake though. Makes so much sense.

 

[farmerjan]

Here, with our weather, we try to rake to turn up the less dry underneath to dry for a few more hours before baling... so a rake right in front of the baler sometimes would not work... But I like the principle of it. There have been times that the hay has been dry and the weather looking ominous, that I have raked just ahead of the baler by about a row so as to not have much raked in case it does decide to rain. In that case it would be perfect to use.

 

[cowgirl8]

Here, with our weather, we try to rake to turn up the less dry underneath to dry for a few more hours before baling... so a rake right in front of the baler sometimes would not work... But I like the principle of it. There have been times that the hay has been dry and the weather looking ominous, that I have raked just ahead of the baler by about a row so as to not have much raked in case it does decide to rain. In that case it would be perfect to use.

Everything we've bailed this year i raked running ahead of the baler.... I know early spring cuttings it wont always work, but this year....its drying fast.. We were suppose to get it over a month ago.. but they keep delaying it for this and that reasons.. Its coming from Mississippi or somewhere in that direction. Not many companies make them..

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

A rake/baler combo is a time and fuel saver if it works in your climate. UP here we have to rake and wait 4-5 hours at a minimum before baling.

 

[cowgirl8]

We got a new hay cutter and it seems to lay the hay better for drying. Its not a mower conditioner though, but, it doesnt lay the hay like a bar cutter.. although its kind of the same but takes a 18ft cut instead of a 9 ft..

 

[Nesikep]

I'm FINALLY coming into some haying weather.. about 2-3 weeks behind as it is

 

[Nesikep]

Oh, for the people that measure with giraffes

 

[Down in Dixie]

Oh, for the people that measure with giraffes View attachment 18089

Nesi I will trade with you. It's hot down here. Hay is ready in no time though.