Hay

[iluvwalkers]

i am in northern N.Y. and i wish i could bring you all hay. i had no idea it cost that much in those parts of the country. we put in 400 bales this week. the cost off the wagon is $1.00 a bale and it is beautiful, really nice for first cut. smells and feels great. second and third will be around $1.50 before they put it in their barn. i didn't realize how lucky we are, WOW those prices are hard to believe. are these regular size bales?

 

[Mercysmom]

i am in northern N.Y. and i wish i could bring you all hay. i had no idea it cost that much in those parts of the country. we put in 400 bales this week. the cost off the wagon is $1.00 a bale and it is beautiful, really nice for first cut. smells and feels great. second and third will be around $1.50 before they put it in their barn. i didn't realize how lucky we are, WOW those prices are hard to believe. are these regular size bales?

I am also in upstate NY and am in shock at what it costs in other parts of the country! :new_shocked:

I consider myself blessed at 3.00 a bale (delivered) for excellent quality hay. I can deal with the nasty winter weather we get at that price!

: Good thing we like snow here!

My friend gets her bales at 2.00 but she has to get them herself. My hay guy has been wonderful and while he turns many potential customers away, he has kept us on for years as we are definitely loyal.

:

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[Equuisize]

We're in Western Washington .....just bought a ton of

gorgeous first cutting, Orchard grass....it was cut early, during

one of the few dry spells in May.....However I paid $260 a ton

or $11.99 a bale.

It is lovely though and the kids are licking their plates.

A lot of first cutting was lost in the rains last month......really

drove prices up.

I've got 200 bales coming in after Aug 10th at $8.00 a bale and

I'll be delighted to pay that, as will the others that will share in the

load. It's coming direct from a high quality grower.

I did hear, for others that feed Orchard grass hay, that starting

2007 that prices will be going up. They use nitrogen in the fields

where they grow Orchard grass and the price of nitrogen has

skyrocketed. Some of the growers will not grow it next season

and will plant Alfalfa instead.....creating a shortage and higher

prices for what will be available.

 

[MyBarakah]

Wow! What interesting prices for hay!

Here in Nebraska...... depends what area of Nebraska it is... some people are in severe drout and where I live in the south eastern part...... it's been really "ideal" weather for the farmers and hay! But alfalfa will run any where (small square) from $3-$4.50 a bale... I'm sure there are some city people that board horses that probally get suckered into paying more... I am paying $3 bale/delivered... and it weighs close to 80-100 bls and it's like rabbit food......extremly soft.... which means I don't have to feed but a TINY bit of it at a time.... which really makes the bale last a while... Grass hay... easiest to get/avialble is prarie or brome... I like to stick to prarie to avoid any chances of having to worry about toxic stuff with my broodmares... And the grass hay will run any where from $2.25 - $4.00....

 

[Danielle_E.]

I am in Ontario (Canada) and we have never had a problem getting hay nor the quality. It has always been excellent and I usually ask my supplier when he cuts to mix it for me, round bales and square bales. The round bales cost me $35 for approximately 600lbs bales which I feed outside and then the squares he does for me are $3.00 for the large squares. I know that there is a supplier in Carp, Ontario who hauls hay down every year in the winter to Florida because of the lack of hay and quality and he gets a pretty penny for his hay when he brings it down there.

 

[MBennettp]

Us too! bale our own but due to the drought, we only got about 30 bales off of 10 acres with the first cutting. I don't like to feed the first cutting because of the weed content but no choice this year. There is a lot of waste as the horses pick through it but at least it is something. We will be getting our 2nd cutting this week and it is a lot better as we have a little rain and hopefully we can get a third cutting and be assured of enough hay for winter. Three of the horses are on pasture so hay isn't necessary but 3 are on dry lots and have to be fed daily so we are feeding hay constantly.

Mary

 

[JSH Ponies]

Here is central Washington I am paying 110.00 a ton it is up from last year when I payed 90.00 . The hay guy is saying it is because of the price of gas . Jody

 

[lilnickers]

WOW !! Those are some high prices out there! I am truly lucky , we pay 1.50/bale(up from 1.25 last yr) for 1st cutting, and 2.00 2nd cutting(1.50 last yr) , and its beautiful hay , mixed and very green. The vet and farrier have commented on its quality. The 1st cutting this year has been fabulous . "Bumper crop" our supplier said. He always keeps us supplied , although he makes more money when he sells it down south. Some farmers were cutting hay the end of May. We're putting ours in today. I promise not to take our hay for granted anymore. I wish you all in TX some much needed rain , and others some days of sunshine to help dry things out.

 

[Steph_D]

I just have to say that I'm glad I sold all of my horses and don't have to rely on my neighbor's hay any more. Even the feed store, which is owned by his son, sells his hay. This year I spotted him cutting and baling a pasture that he's never baled before, so I'm assuming that he's short on hay, too. The problem is that his wife is very sick and he either forgot, or didn't have time, to spray for thistle. You couldn't pay me enough to reach into one of his bales! This stuff won't even be good for dog bedding

:

We're in SW Missouri and have also had horrible drought conditions this year.

 

[ionafarm]

I'm going to drive you all crazy ! A week ago I happened on a auction of farm equiptment. they also had wagons of hay. I bid and got 3 wagons of hay ( 150+ bales/wagon) at $1.5/bale. It is a real nice orchard grass clover mix hay. The horses love it. My daughter bought 1 wagon load for her farm also.

We are in Ohio. The hay crops look really nice right now, the problem is that it won't stop raining long enough for the farmers to get into the fields to cut and dry and bale. We usually pay around $3.00/bale or up to $4.00/bale for alfalfa. we lucky to live in this part of the country

 

[Pepipony]

The hay situation here is horrendous, and its hay season! Grrrrr We have lost thousands of acres of good hay pasture to gas well sites and then the pipelines. Those that may have some untouched land arent all that interested in hay because they are making a killing with the mineral or usage rights. Then there is the drought.

If you can find hay its about $7 a bale. The ones we bought out of the field from are no longer haying squares. If you find someone that is baling squares they are taking care of their long time customers.

Kinda worried what winter will bring.

 

[Pandora]

We're in central WI. My mom talked to her hay guy yesterday who said he should have no problems supplying what we need. he's makin ga delivery today (or was if it quits raining). I think my mom pays about $2/bale. :aktion033:

 

[Greystone]

We had a good first cutting in Middle TN. Not sure of the price will be buying next week. It just worked out though because we just finished a 3 week drought - most people cut right before. It started raining this weeked; amazing how it'll green right up. Hoping we will get back on schedule. We usually don't get a dry spell until August - global warming??

:

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Well, we had cut our hay Weds, and the hay guy baled it Sat while we were at the show- he ROUND BALED IT!!! Jane SPECIFICALLY TOLD him square bales. So now we have three garbonzo hay bales that we can't do a thing with, instead for the 60 squares we need desperately.

We do have about six weeks left of hay from last year. But if we don't get rain, we don't know what we'll do.

Lucy

 

[chandab]

Well, we had cut our hay Weds, and the hay guy baled it Sat while we were at the show- he ROUND BALED IT!!! Jane SPECIFICALLY TOLD him square bales. So now we have three garbonzo hay bales that we can't do a thing with, instead for the 60 squares we need desperately.

We do have about six weeks left of hay from last year. But if we don't get rain, we don't know what we'll do.

Lucy

Well, you can still feed the round bales, as long as they were put up right, but it is a pain in the rear to feed minis from round bales. I've done it, I am doing it now; but would much prefer the ease of feeding squares to get the amounts right.

 

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=18pt]I pay $3.25 off the wagon from my ex- boy friend and I also get some from another guy. I paid $2.00 a bale in March, and he said it probably will be cheaper off the wagon. I plan on getting my hay from both these guys. I just got 20 bales , I'll be getting another 30 this weekend, 50-100 in another 2 weeks. I'll need about another 100-150 to hold me until next year.[/SIZE]

Christy

 

[clpclop]

I know that most of you buy your hay in bulk, but here in Southern California, we just purchased Timothy Grass Hay for $23.00 a bale and Alfalfa for $14.25!! Luckily I only buy a few of each per month.

5 years ago when I first got my mini's, Timothy was $14 and Alfalfa was $8.

 

[chandab]

I know that most of you buy your hay in bulk, but here in Southern California, we just purchased Timothy Grass Hay for $23.00 a bale and Alfalfa for $14.25!! Luckily I only buy a few of each per month.

5 years ago when I first got my mini's, Timothy was $14 and Alfalfa was $8.

Wow, that's pretty spendy, but how big are those bales? Over 100 pounds each?

Around here small squares, when you can find them, are around 60-65# each. Most people sell by the ton and you'll rarely find hay at the feed store.

I bought some small squares in March for $70/ton, averaged to be about $2.00 per bale (give or take a little); I just talked to the supplier and due to rising fuel costs, it'll be a little higher for the new hay this spring. Which will hopefully be ready in about a week or so.

 

[chevycouple]

I hear you are having problems with hay as we were also. I decided to purchase chaffhaye (which is in Texas) I now have no worries about hay. It runs about $9.00 per 50 lbs. But you only feed 1-1.5 lbs per 100 lbs. Here is their website www.chaffhaye.com so you can read what it actually is. My mini yearling has no hay belly anymore and is looking superb.

 

[jayne]

I feel incredibly blessed to have moved to an area (western Washington, north of Seattle) where they cut a lot of local hay. My horses are all easy keepers so I do not find it necessary to supply super high quality hay, just nice green stuff from our local fields.

Since I had all my hay for the next year delivered yesterday, I can give you the specifics. 350 bales. Small squares at 50 pounds a piece. So that makes 7 tons. I paid $1.50 a bale delivered and stacked in my barn. I happily wrote a check for $525 and I'm DONE until next year this time.

I used to board and my board bill was $410 a month (stall, turnout, hay). So I bought a year's worth of hay for not much more than one month's board. Of course that doesn't count the $25,000 I spent last fall having a barn built!!

People may complain about all the rain we get here, but it does make for some nice hay. Sometimes it rains too much and it's next to impossible to get it out of the field, but we're having a three week dry spell so everyone is haying 'while the sun shines'!

I really feel for all of you who are living with drought (and overly rainy) conditions. I have lots of draft horse friends, and imagine how hard it is financially to feed that $14 a bale hay when they eat a whole bale a day!

Jayne