hay question

[richburg102]

down here in florida we have had a problem with getting coastal hay and this has never happened before (as far as i know)

anybody else having problems getting coastal hay? if so why?

what do you guys pay for a bale? round and square?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Production was down because of the drought. I got tired of answering the phone and turning people away.

Fertilizer cost is way up. I paid $375 a ton. So, I am starting out this year at $63 for 4 by 6 rounds. I should have some available in late May.

If I wind up irrigating, cost is going to go up accordingly. If it is a wet year, I can lower prices.

I don't anticipate having any extra hay. I will retain enough for myself and sell any "extra" if you can call it that.

 

[floridahay]

I grow Coastal in northwest Florida and hay is scarce here too. I think the dry year last year had a lot to do with it but I also think that they are less growers in the area and the horse population seems to have increased too. I sell the 4x4 round bales for 23 and square bales out of the barn for 3.25. I think that many are charging more than this from what I hear. I will have to go up this year due to the fertilize prices.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Last year (and probably this year) we paid $100 for 5x6 rounds (~1250 lbs) and $5-6. for small squares of horse quality (12% protein) hay. With this high protein we cut our 20% range cube bill probably 95% from previous year. This year we're getting 50/50 Alfalfa/Orchardgrass mix at 20.5% protein for $175 a ton delivered.

Cheap, low protein hay requires very good grass pasture and/or high protein supplements to meet the demands of 12-14% protein needed to main quality condition on cattle and horses. Low protein hay provides roughage needed; however, the protein level still needs to be there overall.

 

[richburg102]

i work at a feed store and my boss has said that because of the drought everybody went and bought up the hay before it was gone and while it was at a good price

we usually pay 5.50 a square and 70 a round after they have bought it and shipped it down to the store........a feed store 20 miles up the road just increased there coastal prices to 6.75 which obserd but they are making good money so i dont blame them

horse population has reallly grown like floridahay said.......down here 75 persent of our customers are horse people and where i am there is not that much cattle

 

[rkm]

When I was at the Farm Show in Syracuse, talked to grass seed salesman from Canada, and he said he was getting $12.00 a bale for small squares delivered to Florida. I think I would want a horse pretty bad to pay that! :shock:

 

[richburg102]

When I was at the Farm Show in Syracuse, talked to grass seed salesman from Canada, and he said he was getting $12.00 a bale for small squares delivered to Florida. I think I would want a horse pretty bad to pay that! :shock:

thats good money but i dont know who would pay that much for a bale of coastal :shock: ...........ii itwas that high i would go with T/A or timothy

 

[rkm]

That was not coastal, it was a mix of alfalfa, timothy, and reed canary. They try to keep the % of alfalfa very low. He showed me a sample, it was mostly grass. Good stuff though. At $12.00 a bale it better be gold. I don't think CB would grow in Canada.

 

[LonghornRanch]

Small bales of horse hay was $22 per bale last week at the feed store. No I wasn't buying.... I was just asking!