Hay by the ton?????

[Bigfoot]

BF have you tried the hay exchange? I usually find local hay on craigslist. Will not buy hay again without having it tested, learned the hard way.

I've got a user name on the hay exchange. Hay production like I have in mind seems to be far south of me, and far west of me.

One might could get lucky, and find hay on Craigslist here. Majority of hay I see on there would be pretty poor quality.

Id like to find someone, that I could commit with, to go ahead and bring me hay in the summer, when it's cut. Store it here, and have it when fall comes.

I don't need enough, to meet my entire hay needs. I just need a portion. We may be talking 2 semi lol ads though.

Bigfoot sounds like it would be well worth your time to try and make contact with a hay supplier, arrange to go and meet him, look at his operation, his equipment, his trucking and get to know HIM. You could discuss your needs, how much you want, how and when you want it delivered. Really just get to know the man and his operation and developing a relationship. Leave nothing unsaid so there will be no surprises. I've been buying hay from the same man now for about 12 years. He has raises good hay, bales good hay, has good equipment for haying and hauling. He knows what both of us are expecting. I test it at my expense ($12.00) and I test moisture myself. Have always got exactly what we agreed upon. As long as he doesn't drop the ball I have no reason to even look anywhere else.

TB
How far is your supplier, from your operation?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Along the silage lines.......Do you have any dairymen close by? The guys that chop our silage come about 15 miles or so, and can usually chop and bag about 150 ton between milkings.

 

[Bigfoot]

Along the silage lines.......Do you have any dairymen close by? The guys that chop our silage come about 15 miles or so, and can usually chop and bag about 150 ton between milkings.

Lots actually, but they are Amish.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Along the silage lines.......Do you have any dairymen close by? The guys that chop our silage come about 15 miles or so, and can usually chop and bag about 150 ton between milkings.

Lots actually, but they are Amish.

That'd be a good place to ask around. A Mennonite family chops ours.

 

[Bigfoot]

Along the silage lines.......Do you have any dairymen close by? The guys that chop our silage come about 15 miles or so, and can usually chop and bag about 150 ton between milkings.

Lots actually, but they are Amish.

That'd be a good place to ask around. A Mennonite family chops ours.

Not so much helpful around here. They'll flag you down to make a call on your cell phone though.

 

[TexasBred]

Bigfoot sounds like it would be well worth your time to try and make contact with a hay supplier, arrange to go and meet him, look at his operation, his equipment, his trucking and get to know HIM. You could discuss your needs, how much you want, how and when you want it delivered. Really just get to know the man and his operation and developing a relationship. Leave nothing unsaid so there will be no surprises. I've been buying hay from the same man now for about 12 years. He has raises good hay, bales good hay, has good equipment for haying and hauling. He knows what both of us are expecting. I test it at my expense ($12.00) and I test moisture myself. Have always got exactly what we agreed upon. As long as he doesn't drop the ball I have no reason to even look anywhere else.

TB
How far is your supplier, from your operation?[/quote]
He's only about 30 miles. That certainly helps.

 

[littletom]

Right smart of hay shipped out of my area. Mostly alfalfa but some grass is put up in big squares too.

 

[Son of Butch]

Tested Hay Auction Results in Minnesota this week.
Prices pretty much lined up with RFV

Grass Hay 85 rfv $90 ton (plus trucking)
Grass Hay stored inside 101 rfv $120 ton (9.1% protein)
small square bales of grass hay stored inside 108 rfv $110 ton (12% protein)

Alfalfa grass mix 131 rfv $130 ton (16.5% protein)
Alfalfa 118 rfv 120 ton (18.2% protein)
Alfalfa 137 rfv 150 ton (20% protein)
Alfalfa 153 rfv 150 ton (23% protein)
Alfalfa 186 rfv 175 ton (22.1% protein)

5x6 corn stalk bales net wrapped $23 bale
5x5 corn stalk bales n.w. $22

 

[Stocker Steve]

Tested Hay Auction Results in Minnesota this week.
Prices pretty much lined up with RFV

Grass Hay 85 rfv $90 ton (plus trucking)
Grass Hay stored inside 101 rfv $120 ton (9.1% protein)
small square bales of grass hay stored inside 108 rfv $110 ton (12% protein)

Alfalfa grass mix 131 rfv $130 ton (16.5% protein)
Alfalfa 118 rfv 120 ton (18.2% protein)
Alfalfa 137 rfv 150 ton (20% protein)
Alfalfa 153 rfv 150 ton (23% protein)
Alfalfa 186 rfv 175 ton (22.1% protein)

Old rule of thumb was $1/point of RFV, but I thought hay prices were quite a bit lower than this last fall?

 

[Son of Butch]

Yes they were, especially marginal end.... somebody must not of bought enough back then.

 

[jehosofat]

Good thread here.

 

[Bigfoot]

The grass hay at 108 feed value and $110 a ton versesthe alfalfa 118 feedvalue and $120 ton. Which one is the better buy........for a beef cow herd.

 

[ddd75]

i'd feed the grass hay but thats 65 / roll about. better be damn good.

 

[Son of Butch]

108 @ $110 fiber levels on both in acceptable range and 108 had 2.9% more protein, although it was also about that
much higher in moisture. But I didn't bother to post those numbers for y'all.

 

[Son of Butch]

What I was wondering was IF rotating between feeding baled corn stalks and occasional 130 rfv alfalfa grass mix bale
might be more cost effective. I still have corn stalks to feed up, but cows are well into 3rd trimester now.

 

[Jogeephus]

What I was wondering was IF rotating between feeding baled corn stalks and occasional 130 rfv alfalfa grass mix bale
might be more cost effective. I still have corn stalks to feed up, but cows are well into 3rd trimester now.

That's how I do it. Might as well make use of what you got. I'll flip flop between good and bad and just watch the cow pies to judge how to rotate between the different hays.

 

[Son of Butch]

yeah.... guess to be clearer I was wondering when purchasing hay if 90 rfv hay is $90 ton and 130+ rfv is $130 is it
more cost effective than the 90/$90 or is it a wash?

The 131 rfv Alfalfa/grass mix that sold for $130 was mine...
I've got more to sell, but I don't want to steer anyone wrong just to make a sale.

 

[Jogeephus]

Just a guess on my part but I think it would depend on how many bales of corn stalks you have need of feeding. I would think you could get shed of more of these feeding them with the higher quality hay than the lower. Personally I'd want to use the stalks up as quick as possible since I don't think I could store them very long. I've never fed corn stalks but would consider them similar to peanut hay which has a short shelf life.

 

[MtnCows93]

where im at in NC you can buy 5x4 rolls for $25 from just about anybody especially if your getting a tractor trailer load at a time and paying cash, so $75 a ton but you buy it by the roll not the ton around here

 

[Stocker Steve]

yeah.... guess to be clearer I was wondering when purchasing hay if 90 rfv hay is $90 ton and 130+ rfv is $130 is it more cost effective than the 90/$90 or is it a wash?

Could adjust gross prices down for the fertilizer available value, which will reduce the price difference.

Cows will consume more pounds per day of the higher protein hay if it is available.

So it depends on how you feed and how you handle manure. Grass hay would be lower cost in my cow wintering system.