SJB
Well-known member
what does a good 4x5 round bale of clean, dry pasture mix hay sell for in your area?
what does hay sell for in your area?
- Thread starter SJB
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Stocker Steve
Well-known member
was $90 to $100 per ton last summer
dropped as low as $70 per ton early this spring when folks could not move a surplus
got as high as $100 to $120 per ton in late spring when there was no rain for a period
dropped as low as $70 per ton early this spring when folks could not move a surplus
got as high as $100 to $120 per ton in late spring when there was no rain for a period
Kell-inKY
Well-known member
$25 for 4x5 usually, $35 for 5x5
It's hard to find good hay though, NOBODY around here fertilizes, and NOBODY cares about weeds, period. Plus they wait until the grass has turned brown long after it has gone to seed so they can get more bulk. You have to pick it up fast or it sits out and gets rained on too.
I drive 35 minutes (another state) to get hay for that reason, it's a PITA but my cows look good coming out of winter.
It's hard to find good hay though, NOBODY around here fertilizes, and NOBODY cares about weeds, period. Plus they wait until the grass has turned brown long after it has gone to seed so they can get more bulk. You have to pick it up fast or it sits out and gets rained on too.
I drive 35 minutes (another state) to get hay for that reason, it's a PITA but my cows look good coming out of winter.
cowboy43
Well-known member
Central Texas it sells for as much as the seller can get, very few producers fertilize or do protein test, so many non- knowledgeable people that have cattle they will pay top dollar for junk hay.
For several years hay has sold for $80 to $100 a bale. Tractor Supply sells hay year round for $100 a bale. The custom baler charges $30 to $35 per bale. Very few put up quality hay.
For several years hay has sold for $80 to $100 a bale. Tractor Supply sells hay year round for $100 a bale. The custom baler charges $30 to $35 per bale. Very few put up quality hay.
highgrit
Well-known member
We sell good for $40. a roll, and buy fair hay for $45. a roll. And we haven't learned nothing yet. My son sold a load of good hay already this year. We ran out last year and will probably run out this year. I told my son, you better be tough because we're dumb. :dunce:
SJB
Well-known member
Seems to be about 20-40 roll here for 4x5. But the ones I've talked to so far couldn't tell me what was in it...
greybeard
Well-known member
Don't know--haven't seen any for sale yet this year.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I dont sell hay and try not to buy any unless I get in a real bind. But the $20 a roll might be more expensive than the $40 a roll unless you are just needing filler. I do not know of anyone here that tests hay or sells it by the ton but if I was buying I would require it or I would look elsewhere.SJB":2llvthmy said:
I can buy the best quality hay from Wyoming and have the test results to go with it but cant get the same thing here at home.
SJB
Well-known member
Is it just that there is so much free hay ground, and there is so much hay that there isn't a market for higher quality hay?
slick4591
Well-known member
Last couple of years I've paid a neighbor $50 for Sudan. Cows seem to waste a lot of that so I may be switching this year.
Kell-inKY
Well-known member
Yes, we live where grass is plentiful and instead of paying someone to bush hog their land they get it mowed for "free" by letting someone make hay on it. This is 90% of the haymaking in my area.SJB":2mbemndq said:
Now, what are the chances of that land getting re-seeded, fertilized, sprayed etc., next to none. There's just so much of it available, and last year everyone thought they were going to get rich making hay so there was way overproduction of it. Probably be a shortage of people making it this year.
I can't imagine people in my area paying for higher quality hay either when they can buy the cheap stuff.
They basically separate the hay into "cow quality" and "horse quality", almost all horse hay gets made into square bales and they charge out the wazoo. Horse hay is usually advertised as having orchard grass or a little timothy mixed in with a crapload of fescue, helps to sell it to the rich horse crowd who need that special feed for their special horse.
It's not really that bad, you just have to drive by someone making hay on a field that you can check out before, then buy some of his before it gets rained on.
TexasBred
Well-known member
kenny thomas":1wdzsf2m said:
Good job KT. I''ve always bought hay buy the ton AFTER pulling my own samples and sending it to the testing lab. Amazing how those 1500 lb. bales shrink when you roll a load of them on the scales. :nod:
Circle P Cattle
Active member
I had mine baled this month for $16 a bale for 5x5. Can buy good fertilized grass ( fescue/ orchard / rye hay 5x5 delivered and stacked for $30-35. In march hay was scarce as I ever seen it paid 45$ for 4x5 as favor from friend, only other man in county that had any was trucking coastal in 4x4.5 for $75.... I'm keeping surplus this year, not running out again
Kell-inKY":240qrqmc said:
That's exactly what happens here. They truck the quality up to the Amish auction as they pay premium for quality 'horse hay'. Decent cow hay is $50-60 per round bale (aprox weight 950-1100 lbs) rare is the protein test. One of the real big fellas near me was telling me he sent some hay samples in and was shocked to find protein was down around High 8's to low 9's. I try to get two cuttings off my place if I'm able. Lots of clover and alfalfa.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Haven't seen any $30-35 roll hay around here in 6-7 years. Not even the junk hay.Circle P Cattle":73d63bug said:
Circle P Cattle
Active member
Dogs and Cows":3uu238ne said:
I'm in union co just a couple miles north of the sc line
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Wish there was some free here. There is very little hay for sale even. I could sell every bale I could produce here.SJB":14025pr7 said:
yup.. hard to find any quality hay for a decent price. most ppl want to sell stems and weeds as 'hay'
i bought some really nice 1300 lb rolls off a guy last year for 25/roll.. hoping I can get it again this year.
i bought some really nice 1300 lb rolls off a guy last year for 25/roll.. hoping I can get it again this year.
cowboy43
Well-known member
It is a mystery to me of how it is such a difference in the cost of commercial baling from region to region or state to state, I have seen on this topic from $16 to $35 per bale to bale.
Maybe it is the volume per acre, because of years of drought some have only got one bale to the acre and no second cutting, on good years 3to 4 bales is average , with maybe A second cutting,
Those who do fertilize the first cutting never fertilize for the second cutting and get half the volume of first cutting.
Maybe it is the volume per acre, because of years of drought some have only got one bale to the acre and no second cutting, on good years 3to 4 bales is average , with maybe A second cutting,
Those who do fertilize the first cutting never fertilize for the second cutting and get half the volume of first cutting.
