How do you buy your hay? Do you use a hay store? or do you buy directly from the farmer? If you buy directly from the farmer, how do you make sure the hay is good? I am having trouble with finding good hay buying from the farmers. How do you handle that?
How Do You Buy Your Hay?
- Thread starter CeeGee
- Start date
Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:
You have to find a reputable farmer. You have to go inspect the hay for yourself if need be. Usually I look for farmers that that is their only cash crop. I pay by the ton and watch what the main agricultural office (usually the university) suggests for pricing for tonage.
Then I buy a years worth at a time.
Then I buy a years worth at a time.
ruffian
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2002
- Messages
- 3,500
- Reaction score
- 17
I have a great farmer who knows what I want. When he comes across a potential field for me, he calls me to inspect it. I repay him by buying from him exclusively and taking as much hay as I can from him. I would love to have a backup, but so far this guy handles all my hay needs
If you don't have a good hay guy, I would check around and maybe buy 10-15 bales from different farmers to check the quality. Then make sure you treat the farmer right - pay immediately. I also offer lemonade or water when they deliver, and make sure that my hay storage area is ready when they bring the hay so they don't have to mess around waiting or helping get it ready.
If you don't have a good hay guy, I would check around and maybe buy 10-15 bales from different farmers to check the quality. Then make sure you treat the farmer right - pay immediately. I also offer lemonade or water when they deliver, and make sure that my hay storage area is ready when they bring the hay so they don't have to mess around waiting or helping get it ready.
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
We have found several farms that are good sources for the type of hay we like to feed our horses (orchard grass -- very soft and pretty... I'm picky!). For the last 3mos of our mares' pregnancies, we are sure to use hay that is tested fescue free. The hay we use smells so sweet and is so pretty. I swear, I could sleep on it it is so nice!
In my area, I think it's way easier than in some to find really good, nice horse hay. It's "horse country" and some of the Nation's most valuable horses live in this area. There are many farms around me that are just in the business of producing horse quality hay.
When it comes to minis, I think it's really important to use soft, leafy hays, vs. coarse, stemmy ones. We had a filly once that had an impaction colic and required surgery. She had been at a trainer's when this happened. I asked the surgeon what he think caused it and he told me "It's as if she had access to very coarse feed" and the hay there was so stemmy and stalky. So ever since, we have been really, really careful to be sure our hay is "soft".
In my area, I think it's way easier than in some to find really good, nice horse hay. It's "horse country" and some of the Nation's most valuable horses live in this area. There are many farms around me that are just in the business of producing horse quality hay.
When it comes to minis, I think it's really important to use soft, leafy hays, vs. coarse, stemmy ones. We had a filly once that had an impaction colic and required surgery. She had been at a trainer's when this happened. I asked the surgeon what he think caused it and he told me "It's as if she had access to very coarse feed" and the hay there was so stemmy and stalky. So ever since, we have been really, really careful to be sure our hay is "soft".
Last edited by a moderator:
georgiegirl
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2008
- Messages
- 247
- Reaction score
- 0
There are hay farmers and then there are hay farmers. I am lucky enough to live next door to a good hay farmer. He puts up clean, pure grass hay that has plenty of nutrition in it. He brings the hay stacker over, dumps it in front of my barn, and I hire a couple of guys to put it inside for me. I put coarse salt on it as we stack to make it finish curing. I have bought hay from this neighbor for probably 10 years now. I dont think I have had more than 2 bales of bad hay in all those years.
I would check around to see who has a reputation for putting up good hay. Ask of some of the show horse people in your area. I bet they can tell you who is putting up good hay.
It is so much cheaper to buy from a farmer vs. going to the feed store.
Good luck!!
Leeana
Well-Known Member
We buy our hay from various farmers around the area....we have learned over the years who to buy from and who not to buy from. We feed an alfalfa orchard grass mix hay that is really soft and sweet and the horses like it...we bought about 85 bales from a local guy for the first time that is mostly alfalfa that has some odd plant in it that they pick out and will not eat...will have to take photos and post and see what exactly it is.
jayne
Well-Known Member
Like Ruffian, I buy my hay directly from the farmer. He knows I'm picky too, so last year he had me out to a new field so I could check it out. I pay by the bale whatever he tells me to pay! His price is always less than anyone else and he's happy not to have to advertise and deal with customers except for what little bit is left after giving me 8 tons and putting what he needs away for his cows and horses.
I always have the area where I want my hay placed totally swept out and pallets down so the stacking can begin as soon as the hay wagon gets here. I always have lemonade, soda and snacks for them on the bench in the barn. Last year they brought a load in about 8pm and when it was unloaded we were standing around and we saw a lightening strike off in the distance! Everyone got nervous for the hay still out in the field, so my hubby went back to the field with them and drove the truck so they could load the rest. Well, I found out they hadn't even had dinner yet! So while they were out getting the last load, I made a quick macaroni salad, cut up a watermelon and as soon as they got here, I put hamburgers on the grill. (Thank goodness I keep my pantry and freezer well stocked!) Boy could those hay guys put away the food! I swear they ate 4 cheeseburgers apiece! I was so happy to have it for them, and we all have wonderful memories of our midnight work party and cookout!
I always have the area where I want my hay placed totally swept out and pallets down so the stacking can begin as soon as the hay wagon gets here. I always have lemonade, soda and snacks for them on the bench in the barn. Last year they brought a load in about 8pm and when it was unloaded we were standing around and we saw a lightening strike off in the distance! Everyone got nervous for the hay still out in the field, so my hubby went back to the field with them and drove the truck so they could load the rest. Well, I found out they hadn't even had dinner yet! So while they were out getting the last load, I made a quick macaroni salad, cut up a watermelon and as soon as they got here, I put hamburgers on the grill. (Thank goodness I keep my pantry and freezer well stocked!) Boy could those hay guys put away the food! I swear they ate 4 cheeseburgers apiece! I was so happy to have it for them, and we all have wonderful memories of our midnight work party and cookout!
Genie
Well-Known Member
We buy from a neighbour. Alfalfa timothy mix. The hay is always excellent and so is the price!
Sounds like Jayne is the place to go for the "after haying" party
Sounds like Jayne is the place to go for the "after haying" party
Cathy_H
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2002
- Messages
- 2,113
- Reaction score
- 0
We use to buy hay from almost anyone that had any. Thing was we got some really bad & sometimes moldy hay and some good hay - never knew about the quality...... Found someone that grew & cut their own hay so have been getting from them for the last several years. We use to get our 100- 150 bales around October but we had a skunk in the barn last fall so we just got a load at a time in case the skunk sprayed the barn.
Last edited by a moderator:
Marnie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2002
- Messages
- 2,341
- Reaction score
- 0
I see you're in Wisconsin, if you're on the west side, I can recommend good and tell you who's bad with their hay. Also, in WI, you can't look at a field and tell if it'll be good because it all depends on the weather and how the farmer puts it up. Weather is a biggie here as it's hard to get 4 or 5 days with no rain and theirs a lot of old beef farmers around here, anything goes.
I'm lucky, I buy from one guy who happens to be my cousin, I come first on his list, he know's what I want and has the most beautiful hay, I almost want to eat it myself it looks so good. But I went through a few bad experiences before I found him. Good hay is like gold around here.
I'm lucky, I buy from one guy who happens to be my cousin, I come first on his list, he know's what I want and has the most beautiful hay, I almost want to eat it myself it looks so good. But I went through a few bad experiences before I found him. Good hay is like gold around here.
Minimor
Well-Known Member
We buy direct from a farmer--here the feed stores don't sell hay, so that wouldn't be an option for anyone anyway--and it can be hard to find a good supplier.
Over the years we've looked at a lot of really bad hay--absolutely do not take anyone's word for how wonderful their hay is--go and look at it for yourself! So often when someone says "oh yes, it's wonderful horse hay" it actually is NOT fit for horses...around here this is especially true of round bales but it happens with the small squares too. "Horse hay, oh yes, I'm feeding it to my own horses" is no guarantee, because some people will feed some very bad hay to their horses!
The hay guy we have now is good--he knows how to bale hay so that it will keep in good shape, and he has good quality hay (in terms of type of grass). Up until now he's had mostly alfalfa mix, but this year he says he is going to seed some straight timothy, so we'll be able to get our grass hay from him too.
Here it's gotten very hard to find good grass hay. I was getting some timothy that was nice hay except that it had thistle in it. Then the last load had 20 rotten bales in it. The seller had given a quality guarantee but got mad when I told him there were 20 bales that were no good--said that wasn't possible because another person had bought 500 bales and had only 3 rotten ones...I told him whatever, I know how little some people care about what they feed their horses and perhaps the guy just wasn't too particular, or perhaps he was lucky & didn't get any spoiled ones, but in any case I had 20 that were no good & he was welcome to stop in & look at them & even take them back home--but he didn't want to do that. Of course not, he knew very well I was telling the truth, he just didn't like it!! I didn't pay for those 20 bales but also won't be getting the last 140 bales we were supposed to get from that guy. Which is okay....I did find other grass hay so we will be okay until the new hay crop is ready.
Another thing I have learned is that "not much alfalfa" may mean as much as 50 to 70% alfalfa to some people, while I'll be thinking it means 25% or less....and "mostly brome grass" may very well mean that a few bales have a bit of brome in them while the majority of the bales are 100% fine prairie grass....
Yep, unless you know you can trust the hay supplier to know and be honest about what his hay is really like, don't take his word for it. Go and look for yourself. Even bring a few bales home and open them and try them before committing to buying your year's supply. If the bales are being delivered, inspect each load as it comes--it's quite possible to get a good batch of bales in one delivery and then a later delivery from a different part of the stack could be poorer quality. Perhaps it was baled earlier and was a bit tough at time of baling, or maybe it was from a different field that was cut & baled at a different time. If you're hauling the hay yourself, be vigilant when you're loading bales--again, the entire stack may not be the same quality.
Sometimes it's hard to tell what the hay is like without opening the bale, but if you've gotten some good hay and then come to a section that hasn't kept you'll often notice that the bales are off colored, or they are suddenly extremely heavy or you might notice an off smell--any of these things can indicate that the hay isn't in good shape inside the bales.
Over the years we've looked at a lot of really bad hay--absolutely do not take anyone's word for how wonderful their hay is--go and look at it for yourself! So often when someone says "oh yes, it's wonderful horse hay" it actually is NOT fit for horses...around here this is especially true of round bales but it happens with the small squares too. "Horse hay, oh yes, I'm feeding it to my own horses" is no guarantee, because some people will feed some very bad hay to their horses!
The hay guy we have now is good--he knows how to bale hay so that it will keep in good shape, and he has good quality hay (in terms of type of grass). Up until now he's had mostly alfalfa mix, but this year he says he is going to seed some straight timothy, so we'll be able to get our grass hay from him too.
Here it's gotten very hard to find good grass hay. I was getting some timothy that was nice hay except that it had thistle in it. Then the last load had 20 rotten bales in it. The seller had given a quality guarantee but got mad when I told him there were 20 bales that were no good--said that wasn't possible because another person had bought 500 bales and had only 3 rotten ones...I told him whatever, I know how little some people care about what they feed their horses and perhaps the guy just wasn't too particular, or perhaps he was lucky & didn't get any spoiled ones, but in any case I had 20 that were no good & he was welcome to stop in & look at them & even take them back home--but he didn't want to do that. Of course not, he knew very well I was telling the truth, he just didn't like it!! I didn't pay for those 20 bales but also won't be getting the last 140 bales we were supposed to get from that guy. Which is okay....I did find other grass hay so we will be okay until the new hay crop is ready.
Another thing I have learned is that "not much alfalfa" may mean as much as 50 to 70% alfalfa to some people, while I'll be thinking it means 25% or less....and "mostly brome grass" may very well mean that a few bales have a bit of brome in them while the majority of the bales are 100% fine prairie grass....
Yep, unless you know you can trust the hay supplier to know and be honest about what his hay is really like, don't take his word for it. Go and look for yourself. Even bring a few bales home and open them and try them before committing to buying your year's supply. If the bales are being delivered, inspect each load as it comes--it's quite possible to get a good batch of bales in one delivery and then a later delivery from a different part of the stack could be poorer quality. Perhaps it was baled earlier and was a bit tough at time of baling, or maybe it was from a different field that was cut & baled at a different time. If you're hauling the hay yourself, be vigilant when you're loading bales--again, the entire stack may not be the same quality.
Sometimes it's hard to tell what the hay is like without opening the bale, but if you've gotten some good hay and then come to a section that hasn't kept you'll often notice that the bales are off colored, or they are suddenly extremely heavy or you might notice an off smell--any of these things can indicate that the hay isn't in good shape inside the bales.
Shari
Well-Known Member
The last few years we have been haying our own Farm.
Before that, we either had to buy from a Feed store...or the rare times I could find a hay supplier that would deliver, we would use them.
One thing I tell all of them up front, is I will pick through each and every bale even if it takes all day and reject any not up to my standards,, they either have to give me replacement bales or my money back. That normally gets them to be honest.
I will also weigh each and every bale when I order a Ton. A True ton is 2,000 pounds... not 18 small bales of hay. A lot of suppliers and feed stores have gotten in the habit of cheating people because city folks move to the country and do not know what a true ton of hay is. So I re educated them.
Those above issues is why I like haying my own place..don't have to deal with cheats and I know the quality of the hay.
Before that, we either had to buy from a Feed store...or the rare times I could find a hay supplier that would deliver, we would use them.
One thing I tell all of them up front, is I will pick through each and every bale even if it takes all day and reject any not up to my standards,, they either have to give me replacement bales or my money back. That normally gets them to be honest.
I will also weigh each and every bale when I order a Ton. A True ton is 2,000 pounds... not 18 small bales of hay. A lot of suppliers and feed stores have gotten in the habit of cheating people because city folks move to the country and do not know what a true ton of hay is. So I re educated them.
Those above issues is why I like haying my own place..don't have to deal with cheats and I know the quality of the hay.
Here in ID it is hard to find good hay cause a lot of people sell it out of state or in those big 1 ton bales.
Last year I started buying thru a local hay broker lucked out and found her last winter when I ran low and she had some really nice timothy. In the spring I got 4 tons of really nice orchard/alfalfa and still have about 20 bales of that and got one more ton to get me thru till 2nd cutting. I also got a few bales of Teff to feed to my couple of horses that get extra hay at night.
I can get any kind of hay from her she always has timothy,orchard- those 2 mixed with alfalfa- oat alfalfa ( I love this hay for ravens 13.2 hand pony)-teff, alfalfa and even clover which I have never fed - The farmer I get my orchard/Alf from is the one that delivers it and I have already reserved with them my 6 tons to get me thru the year
the great thing is if I find a bad bale I call her up and she replaces it no questions asked I do pay a bit more buying thru her but the guarantee of clean good quality hay is worth it to me.
Last year I started buying thru a local hay broker lucked out and found her last winter when I ran low and she had some really nice timothy. In the spring I got 4 tons of really nice orchard/alfalfa and still have about 20 bales of that and got one more ton to get me thru till 2nd cutting. I also got a few bales of Teff to feed to my couple of horses that get extra hay at night.
I can get any kind of hay from her she always has timothy,orchard- those 2 mixed with alfalfa- oat alfalfa ( I love this hay for ravens 13.2 hand pony)-teff, alfalfa and even clover which I have never fed - The farmer I get my orchard/Alf from is the one that delivers it and I have already reserved with them my 6 tons to get me thru the year
the great thing is if I find a bad bale I call her up and she replaces it no questions asked I do pay a bit more buying thru her but the guarantee of clean good quality hay is worth it to me.
Last edited by a moderator:
We do alot of our own hay in round bales BUT we also buy square bales from several people in the area.. The most important thing I have found is that if you stick with the same people you know what you are getting and they know that they can count on you as well so we always get calls when people have hay that they know is good for what we want. We have 3 people that we buy from each year and only a couple times have we gotten a few bales that werent up to our standards -- occasionally they will even have some bales that may not be the best that they will throw in for FREE if we want them for our goats as they know we wont buy if it isnt good.. But that has been the best for us is to stick with the people we know and we havent been disappointed....
