Posted 2007-01-11 9:46 AM (#53699) Subject: Hows the hay holding up
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
Posted 2007-01-11 10:20 AM (#53702 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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
Posted 2007-01-11 11:16 AM (#53704 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-11 11:46 AM (#53706 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.....
Posted 2007-01-11 2:09 PM (#53718 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-11 4:03 PM (#53724 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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!!
Posted 2007-01-11 6:40 PM (#53728 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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...
Posted 2007-01-11 7:34 PM (#53736 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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
Posted 2007-01-13 3:14 PM (#53818 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-13 3:17 PM (#53819 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-14 7:56 AM (#53835 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-16 10:01 PM (#53962 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-17 6:11 AM (#53968 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.....
Posted 2007-01-17 7:17 AM (#53969 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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)
Posted 2007-01-17 1:58 PM (#53989 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-17 2:13 PM (#53990 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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....
Posted 2007-01-18 10:29 AM (#54038 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-18 7:19 PM (#54080 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-19 6:50 AM (#54095 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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!
Posted 2007-01-19 7:33 AM (#54098 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.....
Posted 2007-01-19 8:48 AM (#54099 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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.
Posted 2007-01-20 8:46 AM (#54144 - in reply to #53699) Subject: RE: Hows the hay holding up
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!!
Hows the hay holding up
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