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MeganH

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I am shopping for hay for my young colt for the winter months when he will not have grass. I'm looking for costal and found quite a few places selling it.

I have been quoted $7.50 per bale, $6 per bale, $5 per bale and now $3.50. They all have told me it is horse quality costal hay that is not course.

All of the places had the bales already ready except the last one who is offering each bale for $3.50 but he is cutting his field this weekend and we would have to wait a few days for him to bale it and we'd have to get it straight from the field. Is there a difference to the horses if it is fresh?

We are new at this.. I want to make sure I give my boy good hay and don't want to take any chances. I don't know why there is such a difference in prices.. and I don't know the do's and don't of hay buying just yet.

I would appreciate any advice! Thank you!
 
The hay you buy should not have been rained on either before baling (after cutting) or after being baled.

Getting the hay straight from the field is usually WAY cheaper! So your cheapest price hay could actually be the best hay. Ask if it has any weeds in it or any sand burrs. Most hay has a 'few' weeds. 'Costal' is a type of bermuda hay and is a good horse hay.
 
I bought some hay out of the field this year, and it wasn't any cheaper than what he had up in the barn. I didnt even know it was out of the field until I got there, ugh. Normally in my area its .50cents to $1 cheaper a bale out of the field. I ended up having to take 15 bales back. The hay had too much moisture in it when it was baled, and started to smell off/moldy. I bought all of my hay from the same guy, and only the hay I got out of the field went bad. I prefer buying it out of the barn after its been put up for at least 3 weeks. Hay is most likely to spontaneously combust within a couple weeks after baling. I know buying it later doesnt completely get rid of the risk, but I'll do anything I can to lessen the chance.

I feed timothy and alfalfa, but I don't buy it as timothy/alfalfa mix. I would if I could find it in my area with at least 50% alfalfa, but its impossible to find here. I do like feeding it from separate bales though, as I can control how much each horse gets. When It gets really cold in winter, I will feed extra hay, and the extra will be timothy just for munch factor to keep them warm.
 
I have been quoted $7.50 per bale, $6 per bale, $5 per bale and now $3.50. They all have told me it is horse quality costal hay that is not course.

I don't know why there is such a difference in prices..

Small square bales can vary widely in weight from as low as 40-50# to as high as 110#; so if all the hay is similar in quality, I'd be finding out the weight of the bales and buy the hay with the best price per pound (or per ton). Gotta compare apples to apples.
 
My hay supplier puts up nice hay. He has a hay dryer and his hay comes very consistently clean and dry, fine grass hay is what I buy, he puts up all kinds of hay. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a hay dryer until I was talking to him one day and wondering how he got such nice perfect dry hay this time of year.

I pay about $650 a bale delivered for my grass hay, but it has always been well worth the price. I am very picky about the hay for my boys and would rather pay extra to get the quality clean and dry and no mold and fine grass. I am in SE Pa and hay is going to be scarce for many this year locally because we had the drought and then too much rain and people are short on cuttings and it is still raining and nobody is baling anything decent for horses right now unless they have a dryer.

This time of year where I live it will take several days to "make" hay. Too wet at night. Grass hay dries quicker, Alfalfa requires decent sun time to cure and when you don't have 90 degree days with breeze and sun, it will take several days to make alfalfa and put it up dry. . You want the hay to crunch when you squeeze it in your hand, not feel bendy and green. Pay attention to the weather from hay cutting to baling and you will get your answer about whether it is right for horses or if it is going to turn into cow or heifer hay. The longer it lays while getting wet at night, the higher the risk of some mold setting in while it is wet at night. Hard to explain...

My guy also brings in hay from Canada and I have gotten some excellent teff hay from him. Depending on where you live would depend on whether about the field hay is worth the risk vs the price.

Alfalfa is too rich for my boys and Timothy is too stemmy so I just have been feeding grass hay and supplementing pellets to add nutrition and protein.

cheers
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shorthorsemom, what cutting timothy are you feeding? I got some second cutting, and some third cutting this year, and its the softest hay I have ever felt, granted I have only had horses for about 14 years, and only started being a "hay snob" a few years back. I went to get all alfalfa hay, but HAD to get some timothy too because it was so soft, with no stems. Im wondering if its just the cutting, or if this is really exceptional timothy.
 
The thing with coastal hay is either you love it or hate it. I know plenty of people who feed it with no problems and swear by it. Not me. I prefer orchard grass. Just personal preference.

I do try to buy hay out of the field when I can. That way I save money but you can really get to walk around and look at the field and pick up the grass and see how nice or weedy it really is and check to be sure its not wet at all. Just beware that a lot of farmers will tell you their hay is good horse hay when its not. I've had hay farmers tell me how great their hay is and how everyone is buying it when it turns out its not even fit for cows so go slow and beware. Don't tell them you are new at this either.

When they cut the field, they have another tractor go behind it and fluff it up and turn it so it will dry. Depending on the weather, they can do this a couple of times for a day or two to be sure its really dry. Then they will bale it.

What I would suggest to you is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Buy a couple of bales from 2 or 3 places and try it first. When you decide on which hay is working for you, then stock up.
 
If the person with the hay ready to cut is nearby, ask to go see the field before it is cut and you can see what it looks like. Then you can go by daily and check on it, walk through, check moisture with your hands, and if they have baled too moist, back out. Of course, time of day for checking moisture is important, don't check early morning because there will be dew on it, check in the afternoon which is when he should be baling as well. Afternoon or maybe late morning. Depends on how thick the windrows of hay are. Super thick windrows take forever to dry, thin ones dry fast. Getting it out of the field saves the farmer a LOT of time and labor which is why you are being offered the good price.

You won't know if you want it or not until you go look.
 
shorthorsemom, what cutting timothy are you feeding? I got some second cutting, and some third cutting this year, and its the softest hay I have ever felt, granted I have only had horses for about 14 years, and only started being a "hay snob" a few years back. I went to get all alfalfa hay, but HAD to get some timothy too because it was so soft, with no stems. Im wondering if its just the cutting, or if this is really exceptional timothy.

Hi, probably had to do with my supplier. Might also be local type. I am in SE Pa. and the Timothy my guy was getting was rough. I am a total hay snob (I love that term) and my hay supplier saves me the super fine really clean grass hay.

I think if you have really fine timothy, that is terrific, you have exceptional stuff. My horses go nuts on alfalfa, very moody and crabby and eating like hoover vacuums, it is like little alfalfa drug addicts. I think if they were worked more often I wouldn;t have that problem with the alfalfa. I had a warzone at the feeder when even a tiny bit creeped into my hay so I changed to all grass hay and pay through the nose for it.. My boys tend to be very easy keepers and I have to watch their weight. Even 25% alfalfa in the grass hay was too much for my guys. Kind of a bummer because I live on a farm and we put up alfalfa mixed hay and I can't feed any of it, I buy outside of the farm. I am trying to get my husband to someday plant a grass hay field for me to grow and bale exclusively for my boys. For now, I just buy the hay I want. Just call me picky.
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We put up tons and tons of hay here for our cows. Lets hope for a late frost so we can get another cutting. Endless rain from two hurricanes has us very hay short. Crickets are chirping, frost is around the corner... ugh.
 
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LOTS of good advice! Thank you!

I like the idea to go to several different places before we stock up.

I had a place tell us they would meet us 5 miles down the road from their farm with our load.. and I'd rather go and see how they have the hay stored myself.

My husband talked to several of the people and of course he told them we are new at this and I gave him the "what are you THINKING?!" face
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I guess I need to be doing the talking now.

This next week there is a chance of rain every day. So I don't know if the out of the field is going to work out.

Thanks for all the advice and info, everyone!
 

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