Price of hay

[MikeC]

Just put the pencil to 120 acres of ryegrass hay we just put up.

Cost was $105 per roll before hauling. No rent, labor, or equipment costs included.

Cash out of pocket costs only.

5 X 5.5 net wrap rolls baled with JD 567 baler.

Drought hurts.........................

You folks selling hay better think hard before you let it go too cheap!

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Just put the pencil to 120 acres of ryegrass hay we just put up.

Cost was $105 per roll before hauling. No rent, labor, or equipment costs included.

Cash out of pocket costs only.

5 X 5.5 net wrap rolls baled with JD 567 baler.

Drought hurts.........................

You folks selling hay better think hard before you let it go too cheap!

yep.. and you folks buying.. better get it before it gets too dam high

 

[alabama]

A man at breakfast yesterday morning was complaining that the best price he had found for hay this year was $70 a roll. I told him that he had better buy all he needed at that price as soon as he could. He thought the farmer was ripping him off. Well I got one of those white carry out sacks and we put down some numbers. To make a long story short and assuming that I get at least one more cutting this year, I will have $53 a roll in fertilizer cost. We then added in fuel and twin at $3 a roll and came up with $56 a roll. Then land rent at $4.25 a roll that is a little over $60 a roll.
I quit without adding in equipment and my time when he said that “well $70 might be fair.” Even a $70 a roll I will be going in the hole and working for free in a drought year
Now when I can get 4 good cuttings in a year I can do much better but in a drought like this year my hay is going to be closer to $100 than $70.

 

[C HOLLAND]

I can relate, I am having a hard time buying any hay. I will be planting rye in all pastures this year and try the no hay scenario, because that may be what I have to work with.

The other problem we are all facing is the grass is not growing either and rotational grazing is not helping much with no rain.

 

[alabama]

My pastures are grazed out and i have started feeding hay.

 

[Arkieman]

$105 per roll before hauling. No rent, labor, or equipment costs included.
Cash out of pocket costs only.

What's the breakdown on the $105 (fuel, seed, fertilize, lime...)?

Thanks

 

[MikeC]

$105 per roll before hauling. No rent, labor, or equipment costs included.
Cash out of pocket costs only.

What's the breakdown on the $105 (fuel, seed, fertilize, lime...)?

Thanks

seed-$26
nitrogen-$30
fert-$31
fuel-$16.80
grease-$.18
net wrap-$1.60

=$105.58

We only averaged 1 roll per acre. Had the hay turned out at 3 rolls per acre (the usual average), the price per roll would have been 1/3, of course.

 

[houstoncutter]

There is a another option, SALE those animals. It makes no sense to feed animals at the prices being asked for hay. If your in a drought, destock. Simple, you didnt make the problem, but dont let the drought wipe you out by being stubborn.

 

[MikeC]

There is a another option, SALE those animals. It makes no sense to feed animals at the prices being asked for hay. If your in a drought, destock. Simple, you didnt make the problem, but dont let the drought wipe you out by being stubborn.

Problem: need buyers. Everyone else is in the same boat here.

One good rain at the right time would have tripled the volume of hay............................

Need some cows? ;-)

 

[C HOLLAND]

There is a another option, SALE those animals. It makes no sense to feed animals at the prices being asked for hay. If your in a drought, destock. Simple, you didnt make the problem, but dont let the drought wipe you out by being stubborn.

Problem: need buyers. Everyone else is in the same boat here.

One good rain at the right time would have tripled the volume of hay............................

Need some cows? ;-)

Actually, I am looking for more, but I have put it on hold because the newly seeded pasture needs rain and the other pastures are about gone.

I was at a sale Saturday and you wouldn't know there was any kind of hay or rain shortage here. The Brangus pairs were going for 1350-1550 a pair.

 

[LaneFarms]

I had 30 acre of oats notilled into bermuda grass, it has been so dry down here I let the cows have 20 of it and the other 10 I square baled because of no fence and got 90 bales off the 10 acres. With seed at 100lbs/ac and two applications of fertilizer at 325lbs/ac. I had over $10 a bale in it. But it sure has come in handy trying to get by until we get some real rain.

 

[Nowland Farms]

My Custom baler showed up late this afternoon after cutting down the neighbors 25 acres of costal mix. He made about 3 rounds around my MaxQ Fescue field cutting before he shut down for the evening. The 1st thing he said to me as he shut down the tractor was what was I going to do with my hay and if I wanted to sell it. I told him no that it was going into the barn. He said if I wanted to sell just to let him know because it was the best looking grass/hay he has seen this year and he would like to buy it.

Even though in the last 6 weeks we have only had about 1" of rain it's really dry here but but this bottom land apparently has held water better than I thought.

The forecast for the next 10 days show temps to be 60-65 at night and 85-90s in the days. The only day for any chance of Scattered thunderstorms is this coming Sunday.

Last year I sold about 2/3rds of my hay, This year I am going to hold onto it.

When all said and done, I will let you know exactly what cost I have in each bale for fertlizer and custom baleing charges.

 

[alabama]

I cut 7 acres of Fescue Ky.31 yesterday evening and although it has plenty of fertelizer we have not had a drop of rain in two months. It cut very thin if I get a roll to the acre I will be very susprized. this field should make 3 rolls to the acre.

 

[dun]

If the dew ever burns off today I have a small field of Brome to cut. It's usually waist high by now but it's just above ankle high now, but heading out.

dun

 

[houstoncutter]

There is a another option, SALE those animals. It makes no sense to feed animals at the prices being asked for hay. If your in a drought, destock. Simple, you didnt make the problem, but dont let the drought wipe you out by being stubborn.

Problem: need buyers. Everyone else is in the same boat here.

One good rain at the right time would have tripled the volume of hay............................

Need some cows? ;-)[/quot
Sorry Mike, I should have looked at your profile, and saw that you were a seedstock producer..... The drought does put you in a pickle of a time....Of course, before I fed hay that cost $105 a bale, I think I would look into feeding grains... Junk grain byproduts can stll be bought at about $125 a ton......


As for buying cows, nope I will not buy anymore animals until we get to the downside of the market cycle. What part of Alabama are you in.

 

[MikeC]

Just west of Montgomery.

 

[MikeC]

There's a low pressure cell right on the Atlantic Coast. Are ya'll supposed to get any of that? - maybe a little drought relief? Those hay prices are hard to believe. I hope we don't see anything that drastic.

No we won't get any of that.

We have a chance for some scattered storms this weekend, but have had the same for the past 4 weeks. :shock:

 

[tytower]

]

We only averaged 1 roll per acre. Had the hay turned out at 3 rolls per acre (the usual average), the price per roll would have been 1/3, of course.

This is the problem of course but trying to look around the drought do you think the ground is yeilding more or less each year?