# How many bales of hay equals a ton, approx?



## Milk n' Honey

All these price quotes for so much money per ton is confusing b/c I don't really know the approx. weights for small squares or large rounds. Can anyone help me? Also, how long could I expect a round bale to last me in the winter with 30 goats eating on it? Thanks for your help!!


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## ricky

I know this is not what you want to hear but it all depends on the bailer setting it can range from light 45 50 lbs to a heavy setting 80 lbs.


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## Janis Sauncy

It depends on the weight of each bale. Plus, around here, what we call "local" grass hay the bales weigh 50 to 60 pounds, which would put 40 bales to a ton (if they weigh 50 #). If you're talking alfalfa, then the bales can weigh around 100 pounds (it can vary, too). If they're 100 pounds, then you're talking 20 bales to a ton.

When I moved, someone was taking care of my goats for me until I could get them moved, too. Her feeling was they should get a bale a day. It didn't matter if it was an 80 pound bale or 120 pound bale (which, when you're buying "by the bale," the heavier the bale, the more it will cost) and, since I was paying for that hay, if she was feeding the big bales, it was costing me way more money than when she was feeding the 80 pounders.

When you buy by the ton, make sure you know what those bales weigh and then count the bales to make sure you get what you pay for. I used to work in a feed store and each load was different. One week we might have those 80-pounders; the next week might be the heavier ones. 

Janis


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## Milk n' Honey

I guess, more importantly, I could figure how many lbs my 30 goats should eat each day and figure how long a ton will last me. Thanks for the input. I knew it depended on how it was wrapped. I didn't consider the different substances though. 50-100 lbs is quite a wide range.


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## prairiecomforts

On average goats eat about 4 lbs a day per head. That is what I use to figure how much hay I need for the winter. Good luck!


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## Westwood

When I was a kid we bailed at 65 lbs per square bale and a ton was 30 bales. A long ton was 32 bales. Since 65 pounds is a bit short, everyone sold by the long ton.


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