# Hay- Price and availability?



## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Hay looks to be in good supply in our area this year, but looks are proving deceiving. We have a rather unique situation, but prices are going up as first cutting is baled, and last year hay was in short supply. The reason is that not only are hay buyers buying hay to ship to Asia, but there are hay buyers buying for the California dairy and horse industry. Prices for good hay are between $200.00 & 290.00 a ton, in the field for 1st cutting, and much of it is sold. Much of second cutting is also pre-sold. It is going to be a hard year for a lot of horse people around here, many who don't buy hay until fall.
I would think the California hay buyers will be all over the western part of the country.

What is the hay market in your area?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I pay $90 a ton (2000 divided by 50 x 2.25 a bale- I'm math challenged but I think that's right) for mixed grass hay out of the field. I need around 300 bales for the two mares.

There's always a lot of hay available here, my area ships down south too.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

In my area, many farmers are struggling to get rid of what remains of last years hay just to make room in the barns for this years.
I helped a local deliver 355 small squares the other day, to a lady with several horses. This was last years second cutting, he still has between 1500 and 2000 bales last I asked.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

We're paying between $40 and $50 per bale for the big round bales, price depending on size, between 5 x 5, 5 x 6 and 6 x 6. Grass, sometimes grass with a little alfalfa mixed. Small square bales we're buying at $3.50 per bale, probably 40# bales.

Seems to be plenty of hay available, although our hay guy said several of the farmers he usually buys from have planted either soybeans or corn in some of the fields they had been raising hay on.


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## 92utownxj (Sep 13, 2013)

One of the farms on my road had great hay fields. 100+ acres of the thickest greenest bottom land hay fields. Turns out he leased them to the farmer across the road...I about cried when I saw them turning brown from glysophate. They're now all soybeans. It's a shame.

Small squares are about $3-5 and rounds are $25-50 depending on size and quality. It's hard to find rounds that have been stored inside. Lots of folks selling last years hay still.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Plenty out there so far. We've got our round bales almost a month ago. $35.00 a bale for net wrapped grass hay delivered. I think they're 800 lb. bales. 

We've got our order in for second cutting square bales with 2 different suppliers. Mixed grass & a little alfalfa. 3.50 a bale picked up out of the barn. 50-55 lb. bales. Unfortunately our supplier that does the best hay (for the type I like) in square bales isn't going to do any squares this year. The only good thing about that is his small squares weigh 70+ lbs. and the last couple of years it has about killed hubby and me getting them in the barn. I wish like heck we could find someone who would sell, deliver and stack the hay for us.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Hay here is sky high right now. I just paid 26.00 a bale for 3 strand Bermuda weighing approx 100 lbs per bale. It comes out of Arizona, trucked in once a week to our feed store. I was paying 110-120 for round bales last winter, but hope to heck they drop in price. We have had a lot of rain this summer so far, which is great for my pastures! I only graze my guys on my grass, I don't cut it. With good rain, I can keep the herd on pasture long into winter...I have good winter rye in several areas.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

$7 to #9 a 50-60# bale. But trying to make my own hay.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Last year I paid $5 per bale for third cutting alfalfa/orchardgrass/timothy, cut at it's optimal place in the growth cycle for nutrition, delivered and stacked. I'm betting it'll be more this year, but I'll pay it. This guy has a real instinct for making top quality hay. I send him a big tip in his Christmas card every year so, in lean years, if he has to make choices about who gets a meager supply, or if he has to start cutting back on customer count, he'll keep me at the head of the line. The farrier gets a tip at the holidays, too.


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## carbon (Jun 16, 2013)

I just had mine cut and baled last week and it came out to $1.90 a bale. I'm happy with that and I have about 250 bales of clover/orchard grass hay.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

It's over $400 a ton here now and I do expect that California will suck up a lot of hay this year.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

Around here, you have many choices as to where to get your hay. Personally, I prefer to go to the hay auction they have every Tuesday. Prices range depending on what's there, how much is there, and how many people are there. W/the hay that I've bought this year, I'm averaging about $2.75/square bale. W/out weighting them, I figure they weigh about 50 lbs. The cheapest I've gotten was $1.60, the most expensive, $3.50. I won't go over $3.75 since I know someone that would let me get it from the field for $4.00.

I prefer getting it from the auction since it's close, and I'm normally able to get it cheaper. At this time of year, it's not unusual for there to be a ton of good hay there for cheap. My goal is to have all of my hay by the beginning of August at least. It can really be expensive in the winter.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Running 5-6.50 in my neck of the woods for average sized small squares.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I miss the really good, very cheap orchard grass hay in both the NW WA and NW Oregon.

In this area of VA.......It's 502.00 a ton for orchard grass, that is 2000lbs of hay. Each bale is 30lbs.
There is only one place I can get half way decedent hay that isn't really moldy or so course, it gives my miniature mare colic.
Also have to drive 1 1/2 hours to get it. 

You have to stock up before winter, because finding any good hay here in winter, is impossible.

In Oregon, was lucky to be able to hay my place. If I ever needed extra hay, had a number of places to pick up some really nice hay. 
I miss the west coast!!


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I'm kind of surprised that the CA hay buyers aren't buying in other places. When the pelleting plants were built in central WA there was a lot more hay grown in central WA so buying as closely as possible make sense, but it does sound like the hay that the CA farmers need could be found in other areas for less. 
It is very interesting to hear what others are paying.


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## EarthSheltered (May 9, 2008)

It has been a difficult year to make hay in my part of PA. A very wet, unpredictable Spring, at least the Weathermen don't seem to be able to get their forecasts correct.  Luckily, we have a Beef Cow herd that will eat anything the horses won't.

That said, yesterday we pulled in 550 bales of the most beautiful 1st cutting Timothy, and today's field look to be even better. Once I get in the 2000 bales I need, (500 more to go!) I will sell what is left over. I have a list of people waiting for that moment. I'm not sure what we will get in 2nd cutting, but I only need 200 bales of that, so what is left over will be sold for more than ever before. We usually sell at $3.50 a bale (50 lbs or so) but this year it will be at least $4 a bale. Reading what you all are paying makes me feel better about the prices I'm going to have to charge. 

I just heard of another farmer who no longer does square bales. Can't get the help, so went to rounds only.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

Has he thought about selling it from the field? I've known of people who do that. That way, they don't have to get the hay out of the field. Some will even have a list of people that want the hay, they just have to call them when they're going to be cutting. And, if they have to help load it, they charge more per bale.


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## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

EarthSheltered we're having a real weather problem in NE Ohio. About ten days of dry weather the first of June-about nine inches of rain since. Lots of hay getting seedy because the fields are too wet to even get equipment into. My hay guy has kept his round bales at 25 for years but had to raise them to 30 this year because of fuel costs. Dizzy-there used to be several farmers around me who sold small squares out of the field. Almost all have stopped because people would say they wanted hay then wouldn't show up to get it. That left the farmer to have to hustle to get help to get it out of the field. They just got tired of the hassle.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

Around here, people say they have it for cheap in the field and they end up turning people away-especially since if the farmer has to put it up, they charge more.


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## Serbrider (Nov 3, 2013)

I'm not currently buying any hay bc of enough good pasture, but when I bought some about two months ago I was paying $10/bale of 60-80 lb two string bales of coastal grass hay.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

We just got a wagon of late first cut grass, $4 the bale, 50# bales. Like Mulemom said, not enough dry days together to do the hay here. I told the guy selling, he may want to do 2nd cutting a bit early, get it OFF the field so he can get a third cutting this year. He is just starting haying, got the field from our past hay supplier, and is learning as he goes. The old guys got at least a couple wagons off there of first cutting, several hundred bales which WE purchased. Not sure why this cutting didn't produce the quantity like before.

This hay is rather coarse, but edible, so we are happy to have it stacked in the barn. Will be good for feeding outside, where they hunt for every leaf in the cold. Hoping they get a bigger cutting for second, so we don't have to buy all over the place. I hate that. Husband said the price was OK, right in line with other hay sellers locally.

Around here, the hay auction tends to go pretty high. Buyers are only wanting little bunches for their hobby size barns, willing to pay more than me. I also don't want alfalfa hay, too rich for my horses, but looks SO GOOD in the bales.

We used to pay the guys delivering to stack it in the barn, new owner is not willing to do that. Guess we need to line up some guys for the rest of our supply for that. Just can't do 500 bales like I used to. Of course that is double handling, on the truck, off in the barn, so really is like 1000 bales handled. We usually need about 900 bales a year and the sooner I see them in the barn before winter, the happier I am. 

Can't/won't do rounds, not big enough equipment and too many chances of moldy bales here with our damp air.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

In spite of the awful heat and drought we had a bumper crop last year. Thankfully we never got around to selling it. We haven't been able to get the first cutting in yet because every time our hay guy has cut his own alfalfa it's been ruined by rain. His first cutting got moldy and his second isn't good enough for his horses. This is the year his alfalfa should be best. He should have gotten four good cuttings.

He said it was good when I told him we hadn't sold last year's hay. We might not get anything this year. Every time he tries to cut ours it has rained. He hopes to do it this week but it's not looking great. It has to get off the field. Unfortunately fewer people cutting hay nowadays. 

The guy who used to bale our hay got a job managing a ranch in Wyoming. His friend and our neighbor is going to do it this year. Our neighbor said that most of the people who cut hay around here have stopped. He said it would be a lot easier to buy the hay he needs than putting it up himself. I suppose that if our neighbor ever does stop doing our hay we'd have to put the horses out on the hay field. As long as the snow doesn't get too deep we might make it through most of the winter without hay.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I ever get to where I can put up my own hay, I'm planning to have 2 years worth at a time for just in case. Right now, I don't have the room for it. But there have been years when hay has been scarce because it's been too dry and other years when hay has been scarce because it's been too wet.

I should have all the hay I need by some time in August. And I may, just to be on the safe side, get an extra 30 bales or so for just in case.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

For those dealing with damp hay, not enough time to dry before another storm, you might want to check into spraying the hay with propionic acid to cure it for storing in the barn. Here is some information about the whole reason spraying helps, how to do it, and much more about the topic.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/preventing.htm

The propionic acid is actually a form of vinegar, which CAN make the bales smell like pickles in the barn. 

We have purchased hay from a hay maker who used this spraying method to get his crop into bales and stored before losing the crop. He was able to bale with a much higher moisture level, spraying the loose hay as it entered the baler. We found the sprayed hay to be excellent feed for the horses, stayed very green if not in sunshine, kept ALL the calories, so we actually fed less hay over winter than normal, horses stayed in great condition. Horses LIKED the flavor, ate it readily. We never found a bad bale in the entire amount of hay we purchased from him, two years running. Probably 1000 bales.

Down side is those bales would normally weigh 60#, but sprayed, they were probably at least 75# each. LOT of hefting to get them on the truck and nicely stacked in the barn. Second item is you CAN NOT let the sprayed hay touch unsprayed bales, it WILL make them moldy. We hung a big tarp from the ceiling beams, which prevented that moisture transfer, had no mold problem using the tarp between the two kinds of hay.

In other discussions about using the acid-curing method, there were complaints about acid making the baler life shorter by causing corrosion with the spraying. So something to consider. Our hay guy said he could not have had ANY HAY put up, without using the spray, the season was so bad those two years. He puts up thousands of bales of hay, was the only guy in his area that got hay baled and stored in the barn those years. To him, the baler having a shorter life was the trade off to have a crop to use and sell, got another baler when the first one finally died. Wasn't new when sprayers added, didn't die fast, but didn't last 20+ more years either. Moved the sprayer set-up to the new-to-him used baler when he needed to replace the first one. He only used the sprayer if he had to, acid cost made the hay cost more to sell.

If you are doing your own hay, guess you have to decide if getting ANY CROP of hay done is worth the shorter life of your baler in using the propionic acid to cure your hay during baling when hay is such a high moisture content. Our hay guy was baling thick, heavy growth hay, grass mix, alfalfa straight, on the second day to get it in the barn before it got rained on. Again, sprayed hay we got was not moldy at all, in what I consider a large amount of bales, done over two years. His barn didn't burn from hot hay!! A good sign about how dry the bales he kept were!!!

You can do a search on propionic acid for hay, read other information. Just looks like this will be such a wet year for everyone, so having sprayer on the baler could let you get second cutting baled and in the barn between storms.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

If you buy treated hay check the protein. The spray can increase the protein in some conditions. This can be a problem in alfalfa that is high protein to begin with, especially for horses. It does make very pretty hay tho, and as long as you take the protein into consideration, it's fine for horses.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

Good hay year here.

130-140 a ton for good grass hay.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

bergere said:


> I miss the really good, very cheap orchard grass hay in both the NW WA and NW Oregon.
> 
> In this area of VA.......It's 502.00 a ton for orchard grass, that is 2000lbs of hay. Each bale is 30lbs.
> There is only one place I can get half way decedent hay that isn't really moldy or so course, it gives my miniature mare colic.
> ...


Holy cow!! $502/ton?! I was getting ready to wonder how you thought our prices here in eastern WA were cheap until I read that! 
We don't feed orchard as the horses don't like it that much anyhow, not counting that it's more money.

We buy a brome/wheat/fescue mix which is $200 this year. Was $150 in 2012, then $174 last year... sheesh! They really like it, it is only a few miles up the road, and unless you know somebody, it is on the cheaper end cost wise.

We also make sure to buy all we need (and then some) at the beginning of the summer when it is all getting cut, as opposed to waiting until fall.


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## Fat Man (Mar 9, 2011)

In my part of Cali a 3 string 100 lbs bale of quality grass hay goes for around $20. California and Nevada hay are going overseas too.

I'm not a horse person, I just saw the thread title.


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## RubyJane (Apr 23, 2014)

I live in northwestern Montana and we're getting top quality grass hay out of northern Idaho for $200 a ton, delivered and loaded into our loft.


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

we recently paid $18/bale (120 pound bales) for oat and alfalfa. That is delivered and stacked but west of us it's closer to $25/bale. Crazy expensive.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

This morning I filled my hay shed with a medium quality grass alfalfa at $400 per ton. That is 2 months early for me and I'm still feeding last years hay but I was worried that hay will be more difficlt to get later on with irrigation being cut off for so many local ranchers.

But I've heard the gloom and doom at other times too and it turned out to be wrong. It is always a comfortable feeling to look at a well stock hay shed. And I'm pretty sure the price won't go down this year.


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

We've been very wet in Michigan, so it grows but they can't get it off the field. I got lucky and found a guy I pre-buy from. I pay half down in the fall and it puts me at the top of his priority list in the spring. I'm paying 3.25 a bale this year delivered and stacked. Good deal.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

cooper101 said:


> We've been very wet in Michigan, so it grows but they can't get it off the field. I got lucky and found a guy I pre-buy from. I pay half down in the fall and it puts me at the top of his priority list in the spring. I'm paying 3.25 a bale this year delivered and stacked. Good deal.


I can only dream of that. Michigan had some of the best hay in the world.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Our prices are a based on a lot of variables but first cut was very good but already set at $170/ton for good grass hay but conditions are very hot and dry now so I'm guessing that's going to go up over the next couple months because second cut will be affected by conditions either by way of additional irrigation costs or the hail storms that usually follow long hot dry spells. If we happen to have an early winter, we could see hay sitting at close to $200/ton.


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## rambotex (May 5, 2014)

Lots of rain in East Texas this year. 4x5 Round bales from $30-$45


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

rambotex said:


> Lots of rain in East Texas this year. 4x5 Round bales from $30-$45


I just bought my winter round bales and half were delivered yesterday, the other half will come in today. Bought 5x5 rounds, about 1100 lbs each, for $60 a bale. Called my local feed store that cuts and rounds their own fields, their comparable Bermuda rounds are $90 per bale. I think I got a danged good deal for $60 a bale (from an employee of ours who hays his fields), then I read your post!! LOL! Oh well, this batch I got is beautiful. I picked up 47 rounds this time, should last me a good while.

We have had a really great summer so far rain wise, and today the rain settled over us for several hours this morning. I am looking forward to a couple more really good grazing weeks coming up! If we have rain in August and a good, wet, fall, I can hope for grazing into January if we don't get ridiculous ice storms every weekend from November through February! Last year I was buying round bales as early as Thanksgiving. That killed my winter hay budget!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

195.00 a ton for certified alfalfa here. We feed alfalfa during the winter and then a grassier mix as it warms up. We can still get some of last years alfalfa for less.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Grass hay 300 lb small rounds $25 each.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Prices in our local area are holding, at $250-300 a ton for alfalfa, with the out of state buyers and no rain to speak of. People are baling weed fields, with a little bit of grass. I have no idea what poor animals are going to get that, but it will certainly spread weeds around.


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

Irish Pixie said:


> I pay $90 a ton (2000 divided by 50 x 2.25 a bale- I'm math challenged but I think that's right) for mixed grass hay out of the field. I need around 300 bales for the two mares.
> 
> There's always a lot of hay available here, my area ships down south too.


Geez, maybe we need to move back to NY. We pay by the bale here, not per ton, and usually for horse hay you are paying $5/bale first cutting (~40lb bales). However, we were able to pick up out of the field this year from two different places. First one we got it for $4/bale and the other $3.50 (smaller bales, very late first cutting).

I still need more first cutting, plus will need second cutting for the sheep.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

birchtreefarm said:


> Geez, maybe we need to move back to NY. We pay by the bale here, not per ton, and usually for horse hay you are paying $5/bale first cutting (~40lb bales). However, we were able to pick up out of the field this year from two different places. First one we got it for $4/bale and the other $3.50 (smaller bales, very late first cutting).
> 
> I still need more first cutting, plus will need second cutting for the sheep.


Cheap hay is to make up for the property taxes. :grin:


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

Irish Pixie said:


> Cheap hay is to make up for the property taxes. :grin:


You have a point. I remember the property taxes, and the sales tax, and the state income tax, and all the other taxes and fees inflicted on the citizens of NY. People here in NH think their property taxes are high, but they haven't lived in NY.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

very much drought here. I am not sure what will happen. My pasture is eaten up and bone dry. Think dust bowl. I guess I wil be finding out soon as to what hay will cost


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

My pasture, never enough anyway, is brown peach fuzz and clouds of dirt. Definitely will need reseeding this winter.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

My area just got hailed out 100% on second cut so prices will likely climb to $175/ton shortly.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

It's not only the loss of hay production that is a stressor but the acres of dead pasture. Around here there is normally year around pasture with irrigation. But no irrigation and no rain mean that people who normally feed hay only for a month or two will be doing so for at least 10 months.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

We've had the opposite problem with it raining too often and suppliers not being able to get their second cutting done. Found an ad in the paper today for alfalfa, called and turns out he had some alfalfa/orchard grass mix so we went to check it out. BEAUTIFUL hay, a little heavier on the alfalfa than I like but the horses will love it and their round bales are all grass so the square bales are not used on an every day basis. 3rd cutting from an older guy that really knows how to bale hay, great color and dry, dry, dry YAY!. 50-60 lb. bales @ $4.00 per bale already on the wagon which he will let us use to haul home and then return and only 10 miles from us. I asked him where he'd been for the last 15 years.LOL What a relief to find another good supplier close to home.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I'm glad I got my first cutting when I did because second cutting varies wildly in quality. It's been either soaking wet or bone dry since July and the hay is suffering for it.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Not much in the way of rain here, my pastures are crispy. 
This keeps up, its going to be nearly impossible to find good clean hay this winter.
Glad I have already stocked up!


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Weather patterns are strange creatures. My sister & bil live & farm about 76 miles northeast of us and their corn crop was hurt by lack of rain. Our yard and pastures look like it's April/May instead of Aug./Sept. Even my dry lots have grass growing in them.

We buy first cutting round bales but I like my square bales to be at least second cutting. We keep enough of them in stock that we could get through a season without buying any if worse came to worse and I was stingy with it.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Right in the neighborhood, weather is not following the news predictions. South of us 5 miles, predictions seem to exactly correct with rain, storms, fierce winds. So that has been a real issue getting up the 2nd cutting after such late 1st cutting. People are STILL trying for their 2nd cutting. Some have made it, got it in the barn, while others have black windrows in the fields.

We got another few hundred bales of first in last week, only need a couple hundred more. Not the best "looking" stuff, mostly grass and older, but no dust, leaves are firm, no shattering if pulled on. Not a lot of chaff on the trailer after unloading. Should be pretty good for our easy-keeping horses, even in hard cold weather.

Price was good too, farmer even reduced it when we said we would take it all. He had it stacked on his wagons, wanted them empty for next cutting. I think he planned to cut SOON, since the hay in field was up over my knees. First cut must have been sitting on the wagons a while, to get field plants that tall! We told him to call us if he does get 2nd cutting in, even a small bale count. 

So anyway, we are still "shopping around" for the last we need to fill the barn. Lots of ads for hay out there. Some pretty high priced though, $5 the small bales. Averages seem to be $3.50-- $4 a 50# bale for good hay.


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## cappy (Sep 22, 2014)

Boy, am I in the wrong place. Around here square bales go for $7 to $8 each. Round bales are anywhere from $50 to $70 each. My pasture dried up this summer so I need to buy twice as much as usual. Kinda hurts the wallet. 

Ken


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I went to the hay auction yesterday and got a total of 61 bales. The first lot of 20 I got for $1.50/bale. The 2nd lot of 20 I got for $2.50/bale and the last 21 I got for $3.50/bale. I'd say the bales weighed at least 70 lbs. And, my fingers still hurt from stacking it in my trailer, then unstacking it and stacking it in my hay shelter.


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