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Veteran
Posts: 143
 
Location: southeast U.S.A. | Hello all, I just got to wondering, since the hay was so scarce in this part of the country (southeast) and everywhere out west to my understanding , how people where doing on there winters hay? As for us, we believe we have enough but it took getting hay every place that we could find any before winter set in. It also took buying hay that wasn't allways the quality that I would have prefered,some real good and some not so good. I have heard that livestock in this area (horses and cattle) are selling very cheap right now and feel as though the hay shortage has much to do with it. Just wondering if everyone else was able to get the hay that they needed for the winter. Hope everone has enough. Ardly |
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 Expert
Posts: 1871
 
Location: NY | my suppler is getting hay from canada the price up up up you need a passport to go to canada know and the truck are inspected three time on there way down I hope the hay season is better this year then past years |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama | Here in Alabama, it's tough. Could only buy 6 round bales this year, they were small too. $50 bucks a piece. I can still get square bales of Coastal/Bermuda. Up to $6 a bale. But my supplier is a "secret". Alfalfa is $10-$12 a bale. I don't use Alfalfa generally (but I may have to start). I like the Bermuda hay. Bales are pretty light. I'm not giving as much "munching" or "Here's something to eat, stay out of trouble" hay. May have to check my sources in the Midwest before long. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 479
Location: central sierra nevada foothills | The price of hay in california in the feed stores here is around $11-13 a bale for oat and alfalfa! and the bales are small lightweight bales. We buy direct from the hay guy and are paying $7 for both wheat and alfalfa. We feed cattle and horses. We picked up 9 80 bale lifts and one lift of beardless wheat, we also have irrigated pasture come April through Oct. so we are doing good, we always buy early too. I haven't seen a price drop in horses though, actually the prices are down right outrageous and ridiculus at times! (the price of the horse doesn't reflect the horse in general, ain't worth it most the time!) so that's the hay story here on the west coast..... |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 335
Location: Decatur, Texas | We had a brief reprieve toward the end of summer and some areas got rain which enabled some hay crops to be made. I wasn't in one of the areas. I paid $75 a roll for large rounds (bought from a good friend) delivered. Then paid $8.50/bale for coastal that the bales were light/loose. You had to pick up in a hurry and load before all the hay fell out of the tie strings. Hay prices have come down a little from September. Round bales were selling for $90 to $100 if you could find them and then you had to haul them. I see them for sale now at $80 a roll. I carried 4 calves to market this week and sold for $100/CWT on low side to $110/CWT on the high. And the auction barn was almost devoid of cattle. Not sure what to make of that. I just hope and pray also that the rains will soon return on a regular basis. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 209
Location: pensacola, fl | Can buy all I want at the local feed & Nursery. It is $6 a bale. The man said that there was no threat of running out he gets it from central Florida, But everyone around here is having problems with impactions, seems the horses are eating too much hay and not drinking enough water. My vet has taken my mare completely off hay. I may go and get her some US Alfalfa (bagged) hay. Poor Girl!! |
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Regular
Posts: 91
Location: Small Town, Texas | I am about 2 hours further South than Longrider in Texas and just the last few weeks have not been able to find good coastal rounds....Still buying 65# sqaures for $7.50. Going to get another load next week before it is gone.... The horse market is way down. You can find good broke horses for under $1,000 because people can not feed them. We have been going to the local horse sale because lots old farmers are letting go of their horses due to no hay. Last week a great 6 year old roping horse went through and brought $1000 he could be riden with no bridle and would slide with leg cues was guaranteed sound and was Not from a trader.....Kicked myself all the way home for not purchasing him. And he was a looker too....then are are the usual sale horses...Lots of good tack right now also... |
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Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: Keymar,Maryland | Wow is all I can say. The last few years were not the greatest for hay in Maryland but no real shortages. 2006 was a good year though. Plenty of timothy, orchard, brome. I buy nice size square bales ( 40-50 lbs) from 2 suppliers. Brome $4, timothy 3 to 5 depending on quality. Timothy will go up though as it is maintenance intensive to maintain good stands and I understand there is some sort of mite they have to spray for now.Mild weather and still strip grazing fields we stockpiled in the fall. Should be good until late Feb. at the current rate and plenty of brome in the barn. Just a few hours of good grazing a day really cuts down on hay consumption. Rich |
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 Member
Posts: 36
Location: Greasewood Springs, AZ | 3 wire = 120lbs = $12.50 bought ten bales today (from Cortez, Co)!here in Gallup, New Mexico but we live about 60 miles out... No shortage... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 781
Location: La Cygne, KS | I live in NE Kansas. There is an extreme hay shortage here. Not because we had a drought, but because hay producers here realized they could get 2-3 times more money by selling to hay trucking companies that are taking the hay to Texas and Colorado. A 1200 pound round bale is going for $75-80 dollars and sqaure Brohm when you can find it is $6-7. Normal prices are $30-35 for round and $3-3.50 for square wire tied. I have started feeding beet pulp/bran to icrease fiber and only feed hay when necessary. I have 24 acres of pasture, but will only use in winter. due to founder risks in Spring. So if it is snow covered, then have to feed the precious hay and may not have enough to make it to the June/July cutting. Horse and cattle prices have also dropped. Seen a significant drop in the Quarter Horse prices even for well broke stock. Gaited Horses are still holding some value since the baby boom generation has discovered them and there are less broke ones to choose from due to not as many being bred as the QH,Paints etc. Thinking about sellin my goat herd to save hay for the horses. I've never seen such a hay shortage before in my area, but I also attributed it to the urban sprawl that is taking away good hay ground for 2-3 acre home plots that are springing up all over. |
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.jpg) Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | Here in southern NM the three strand bales of alfalfa are going for $14 and the 2 strand are $7 at the feed store. One of the feed stores sometimes has 3 strand bales of coastal but I think it is going for $19. I met one of the local hay growers in Aug and bought 300 bales of alfalfa and alfalfa/coastal mix from her in Oct at $5 a bale and another 100 of a not great grassy mix at $3 a bale in Nov. I've still got almost 300 bales. I just got here in Aug and didn't know what the winters are like and wanted to make sure I had more than enough to get to the spring cutting. |
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Veteran
Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | We are very fortunate! We get top quality timothy or brome delivered and stacked in the barn for $2.75/bale. I also give the farmer $50 for gas, since he has a 70 mile round trip. Our next load will be $3/bale. These are about 50 pound bales. Brenda |
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 Regular
Posts: 66
Location: Maryland | I have a neighbor that is a hay dealer. She tried telling me there was a shortage here. Tried selling me orchard grass hay for $5 a bale. Come to find out I bought heavy bales of timonthy for 2.75 a bale. (what a nice neighbor, huh). I also use timonthy large, heavy round bales, they sell for $35 a bale. Last year my neighbor was selling me loose, very light round bales for 40, go figure. I've heard the hay crop was very good this year around here, some people I've spoke to got 3 and 4 cuttings. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri | Down here in So. Md I paid 3.75 a bale for orchard mix 40-50lb delivered. Was great hay. With our winter being so warm this year. I haven't had to use the hay as much. Still have pasture left. I don't think I could afford to have a horse out west.... Hay prices are ridiculous..... |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | we ought to be selling and shipping hay dow to you folks. We live in Mi and bale our own hay. I have more than I can use most of the time. this year will probably come down to the wire. I sell 50 lb blaes for 2.50.....but we quti doing that since it ain't worth the work ( there we are on a hot july day saying wow 2.50 for each one!!!! forget about it) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544
Location: Claxton, Ga. | In my area this is same ol, same ol. We never have enough hay. The problem here is we do not have a big hay farmer in my area. We have a ton of what I call weekend warrior hay farmers all over the place and quit a few horses. Hay got hard to find this time last year and the year before and so on. I can get hay out of the field for 2.75 a 50 lb bale or 3.25 from the barn. As usual they have jacked the price up to over 5.00 a bale and have created a word of mouth shortage becuase Texas is having such a shortage we are too. This is the worst part about having horses in my area. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | Owning the land and equipment for hay production isn't cheap. Not to mention the WORK....One reason we quit baling for sale was the people who wouldn't pay more than 2 bucks a bale...so fine buy it some where else. I have other things to do than baling and stacking hay when its hot out. Then I hear local people gripe about finding hay, I just smile.... |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 309
Location: MO | We have been fortunate in northeast Missouri. The hay crops have been pretty good and we have a reliable supplier locally. We have nice mixed alfalfa/grass hay in the barn. Looks like we'll have plenty for the rest of the year. Haven't needed to feed much with the warm winter weather alloeing the pastures to remain palatable. Not until the recent ice storm. Now the remaining pasture gasses are ice coated and difficult for the horses to graze. So, we are feeding hay as though there is no pastures. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 671
Location: THE GREAT NORTHWET, OREGON(THE REAL GODS COUNTRY) | I am paying $110 a ton for oat hay 20 bales to the ton and I haul. |
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New User
Posts: 1
Location: mid central MO | I guess I must consider myself lucky. I purchased 125 square bales of fresh cut alfalfa/brome mix for 2.50 each towards the end of summer. Also get my big round bales( 1200 lbs ) of good grass hay from my neighbor for $20.00 each. He delivers them when I call him, places them out in the pasture, drops the bale rings over them, and then closes the gate behind him. It is nice to have great neighbors ( altho I was dissappointed when he raised his price from last year... $10.00 each! ) So as I said earlier.. I am very lucky. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 335
Location: Decatur, Texas | One thing I've learned through the years, that old wheel keeps turning and what goes around comes around. Enjoy your low prices and good hay crops while you can, 'cause chances are in a few years you'll be crying the "no hay blues" like we are here in Texas now. Count your blessings! |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | You bet I count my blessings. I have never bought hay as we have always grown it. With just two horses now, I can put up all i need. Right now I have about a months worth left over in my arena I am trying to feed out so i can have that space back. This is two year old hay and good as new..... |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 301
Location: Catoctin Mtn, Maryland | We paid $3 per bail for straight Timothy. Bales weigh about 40-50 lbs. (Delivered and stacked in the barn) We are very lucky to have a great dealer. I was expecting to pay alot more for my hay due to the gas prices in the summer. But he said "NO", it's still $3.00 a bale. He also said that he knows we are not a boarding facility and cannot pass on an increase. (he's a saint!) I always give him around $200 more to cover his gas. We do however purchase 1,500 bales at one time. So he makes several deliveries to our farm in late July and we don't see him again until the next July. I pay him cash for the hay and he's happy............and so are we. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | hey you're a saint too! Its hard to find a good supply and when you do, treat them right. |
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Regular
Posts: 93
Location: Cherokee, Ia | Wow! Guess I sold hay way too cheap this fall. We have 75-90# squares of wonderful alfalfa-grass mix(timothy,orchard,brome) and sold them for 3.25, but I guess I like my customers to come back, so don't want to seem greedy. We did get 3 cuttings instead of 4 this year(dry in Iowa until late summer) Have 5 head, so I make sure we keep plenty on hand. Hope next year we get 4 cuttings again. Sorry some of you have to pay big bucks, but look, what do you pay for a mocha latte from Starbucks, 4.00?? That'll feed your horses for a day!! They always say horse owning is an expensive hobby, but to me, it's worth every cent!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | Sorry some of you have to pay big bucks, but look, what do you pay for a mocha latte from Starbucks, 4.00?? Fortunately there is no starbucks around here. But when we travel I have to let my husband stop. If I make him give up his "special" coffee then I have to give up my "special" horses. |
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Member
Posts: 10
Location: Eureka, MO | We are very lucky, my husbands' cousin has a century old farm and grows the best alfalfa around. So we get it at a super "family" price! We find with good alfalfa we can feed less due to it's good protein and density. |
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Regular
Posts: 81
| I use square bales and I am fortunate to have enough storage to support my four horses. I am in middle Middle Tennessee and buy first cut every Spring. This year, the grower was three weeks late on the first cut because of the rain. I was getting nervous because he is a breeder and his brood mares come first before he sells any off. It goes without saying that the $3.50/bale I pay for 35#-45# bales is well worth it because the hay is top quality grass mix with no weeds. Even the first cut is hardly stalky. I know there is a bit of a hay shortage in my area, and you pretty much have to "know" someone if you run out or be prepared to pay BIG dollars at the local feed stores. I hope this year's hay season is better for EVERYONE. Those cows need to eat too, or we might not see as much beef and milk products in the grocery stores. Plus they'll raise the prices on US and the farmers won't get any of it. Sorry for the momentary rant, my dad dairy farmed when I was a kid. He eventually leased our land many many years ago to the big guns because we couldn't survive and fell back on his journeyman's trade that he learned in the military |
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 Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | I buy hay from neighbor for $2.25 a bale. 32 bales to the ton. Or about $72 a ton for Alfalfa/grass mix. I had 200 bales of hay get ruined in a freak thunder storm last october where the area where I stack my hay got flooded. ( heck of a way to run a desert). It turned moldy real fast and was wet and heavy to haul off. It cost me more to get rid of the bad hay that it cost me to buy it. So I'm having to buy a little hay to carry till first cutting. My neighbor was hooking up his trailer the other day and I asked where he was going. Said he was going to pick up some hay for his horses from his ranch in South East Idaho. Asked him if he had room to throw some on for me. He said sure and brought me home four 1000lb square bales on his gooseneck flatbed trailer. Two bales of meadow grass and two bales of Grass/Alfalfa for $40 a bale. Put the forks on the skid loader and picked them up off the trailer and stacked them in the shed. I think I'm going to have to buy a lot more of those 1000lb bales come summer. Moving 1000 lb bales with a machine beats the heck out of picking up 60lb bales in the in the field in the July heat. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 644
Location: Odenville, Alabama | My hay guy called tonight and said he's going to be out of grass hay soon, so I better make plans to get some more quick. I'm hoping another 75 bales will hold me until they can cut some time in June. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 274
Location: Memphis, TN | My place is surrounded by a 400 acre cattle operation and they are kind enough put up some good round bales inside the old dairy barn that is no longer used for my horses. Been paying $40 per round bale this year but seems the horses have eaten more this year than last as we are out of round bales. They have just enough "cow quality" bales left for their herd. Have resorted to buying sq bales at local feed store. Did not plan this in the budget 
Edited by Ike 2007-01-31 8:22 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: southeast U.S.A. | A good friend let me buy 4 round bales this past friday. That really helped out alot! We have small acreage and have to have enough to make it till first cutting in the spring. Went around buying all the hay that we could find last summer and still didn't look like it would be enough.I had a conversation with one of the guys that we buy from and he said that his stepfather had never seen a hay shortage in this area this bad and he's in his 70's. I hope for the horses sake that everyone has enough to get through till springtime. Really heartbreaking to see horses that have nothing to eat. Ardly |
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Member
Posts: 44
Location: Montana | Yuck all the hay troubles sound horrible. We grow our own hay on 5 acres and get 11 tones. I have a wonderful neighbor who cuts, turns, bails and stacks for just cost. This year I paid $345 for 10 3/4 tons of hay. I have a good source for my boarders that is $2.15 a bail and he will deliver and stack for me. (The bails are 80lb 80 orchard/20 Alfalfa) |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Danielsville Georgia | I bought a trailer load in Sept.for $3.50 a bale.Bermuda mainly.Then prices around here went to $6.50 a bale for common grass hay(mainly Bermuda which I'm NOT fond of)any how everyone stated about the shortage and the high prices and all of a sudden in the last few weeks theres lots of hay available.Guess with spring coming on theres more stashed around then folks growing it wanted folks to believe.There were a number of hay growers that did have a issue with Army worms that show up in drought and can eat fields to nothing in a few short days. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 391
Location: Columbia, KY | In south GA where we used to live I'd pay 2.50-$2.75 bale out of the field for nice looking bermuda hay. When we moved to VA s yrs ago at first all I could find was crap hay for $4.50/bale. since my horses would only eat a portion of it and waste the rest it came out to more like $10/bale... there is a hay store nearby that sells good hay by the pound and it's anywhere between 18-22 cents/lb. they loaded 30 bales on my truck and the bill was something like $560!! unbelievable. lately we've been getting 1000 lb square bales 2nd cutting orchardgrass for $95/bale and are happy to pay that and have decent hay. they are more trouble to move around but it's just another excuse for my husband to get more implements for his tractor. |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK | This is exactly why I plan on putting 80 acres of fertigated(irrigation that delivers liquid fertilizer) hay pastures in my new location. Around Dallas you can't find horse quality hay. Cow quality rounds are around $100. Earlier this year there was a ban on transporting hay out of some counties in Texas due to fireants. I guess they think this will stop them from spreading. Good luck with that one! I think this problem will ony get worse, imagine...farmers may move away from cattle due to increases in feed costs because corn is now fetching high prices due to ethanol production. What is the American farmer to do? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 335
Location: Decatur, Texas | "What is the American farmer to do?" Outsource to China or some other third world country like everything else. I have nightmares about a foreign flag waving over the US Capitol. Not because of war, but about America being cashed out! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 274
Location: MO in woods | We pay farmer to cut 2 fields for us and husband an I ride rack an load/stack square bales.Also pay help well to help stack in barns.Our hay man never has any luck getting kids/young adults to help and I knew he pays them cash an well too.So whats a farmer to do????We feeding 7 this winter an 4 are preg so we'll probaly look/need 60 more bales. I just know of all farmers that do hay They all complain on getting No help on stacking or riding the rack.Its real hot dirty dusty job and If we could I would pay to have someone else stack an load it an ride on rack.Hopefully we get enough rain this year. |
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Member
Posts: 28
Location: Belvidere, Tn. | Looking for round bales and square bales of hay in surrounding counties of Winchester, Tn. Getting to low and need some quick!!!!! |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Delaware | I resorted to round bales about 5 summers ago when we had a drought and lost our pasture in August. Around here round bales were not horse quality. The farmer had baled for his horses and had extra. I used round bales for the next 3 years and we built a square box in the corner of the lean-to that we placed the round bale in and kept the horses from ruining so much of it (round bale feeder $200, homemade $20). Last year I ended up getting square bales from the hay farmer that was cutting the field down the road. He dumped it from his stacker right to our barn door. He and his wife do it all (they are early 20's). He has 3 barns that hold 8-10,000 bales each and he said he fills these up 2-3X in the summer. He has an automatic stacker and the only time he touches the hay is when he sells it. His hay this year was $3.25 to $4.25 for 60-70 lb bales. We have 3 horses and take 5 bales out in the tractor bucket and dump in the hay box. This lasts 3 days. This works for us. When I throw hay I use 3/4 bale a feeding so this is just 1/2 bale more free choice than if I feed 2X a day. My horses constantly have their heads in the hay box. My husband wants to keep with the square bales since they take up less room in the barn. We buy all our hay in the summer so we don't have to worry about $6.00 hay in Feb. |
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Hows the hay holding up
