Colorado

[Percheron chick]

It is Centennial Livestock so N Fort Collins at I-25 and Hwy 14. I need to add $10/t for fuel but even $60/t is mid 70's California hay prices. I know people that come up from Black Forest and Kiowa so it must be worth the drive. The sale is the last Sat of the month. You can go to their website and follow the auction online (the cattle USA link). Normally they post the sale bill by Friday night. They haven't lately. The person that did that must of quit. I use that to determine when I need to be there because it is usually a 4-5 hour sale. Last year I bought some oat hay that was less than stellar. It was loaded with oats so I ended up just plopping the bale (1300#) where the chickens could get to it without wandering too far from the coop. It lasted them most of the winter/spring. I used the oat straw for bedding so nothing went to waste. They had triticale last month for $30/1200#. I'd like to pick one of these up for this winter.

 

[Pozees]

Hay prices

So those of you that have livestock, what are you paying and where do you need prices to be (what's fair for what you are getting)? I feed about 100T of hay a year. I shop around and have typically paid no more than $125/ton but these past few years was happy with anything under $200/ton. WELL, the hay gods were kind to me today. I went up to Centennial to just pick up a couple big bales. Everyone wants big bales because they don't have to load them themselves. No one was bidding on small bales. I walked out of there with some decent grass hay for $1.25 and $1.40 a bale or about $50/ton. One lot had been rained on after baling so it is bleached but the other looks like it was just put up. I ended up with 6.5T of hay for under $325. If you like feeding rounds, there was really nice grass going for $35. Same hay we were paying $135 for 3 months ago. You don't have to pay what they want on CL or the Fence Post. If buying hay at an auction scares you, don't be. Many of the brokers buy their hay this way and turn around and double their $$. I'll be heading back to the Aug sale if anyone want's to go.

It is Centennial Livestock so N Fort Collins at I-25 and Hwy 14. I need to add $10/t for fuel but even $60/t is mid 70's California hay prices. I know people that come up from Black Forest and Kiowa so it must be worth the drive. The sale is the last Sat of the month. You can go to their website and follow the auction online (the cattle USA link). Normally they post the sale bill by Friday night. They haven't lately. The person that did that must of quit. I use that to determine when I need to be there because it is usually a 4-5 hour sale. Last year I bought some oat hay that was less than stellar. It was loaded with oats so I ended up just plopping the bale (1300#) where the chickens could get to it without wandering too far from the coop. It lasted them most of the winter/spring. I used the oat straw for bedding so nothing went to waste. They had triticale last month for $30/1200#. I'd like to pick one of these up for this winter.

Wow, that sounds like excellent prices! I haven't bought hay in a long time but am aware of how expensive it has gotten, I have friends with horses, and you did well!

If they usually have straw and anyone from Colorado Springs or Pueblo goes, I would gladly pay cost plus some gas money for a half dozen to a dozen bales of nice straw. I like to use it for winter bedding for the birds, and because I only use a bale at a time wind up paying $6-$7/bale, which just seems dumb. If I could get enough for winter all at once I could just put it on a tarp to keep the bindweed and bugs from invading and cover it with another to keep it dry.

I've heard from others they also like to use hay for bedding, but I've never been able to make myself use what should be food for a grazer, as bedding. Am I wrong? Is it better?

 

[Mtn Margie]

I've heard from others they also like to use hay for bedding, but I've never been able to make myself use what should be food for a grazer, as bedding. Am I wrong? Is it better?

I use the hay scraps in the nest boxes and will toss it in the coop in winter to play in and it seems like they find a way to eat most of it eventually.

I have discovered that the number one rule is that "There are no rules!"

 

[Percheron chick]

There is going to be a ton of wheat straw this year. The winter wheat crop is the best I have ever seen. "Normal" ss straw prices run $1-2 a bale. We should probably enjoy $.50 bales. Maybe I should pick up a load and take it to a bird swap.

 

[maggiemo]

I have never seen straw or hay that cheap, I want to be your friend!
I would love to get 25 or 30 bales of hay. Keep us posted Percheron chick. How are your broodies doing?

 

[wsmith]

Looking forward to lower straw prices.

 

[COChix]

Just bought two bales of straw, I use it as bedding for coop & nest boxes. Picked it up at Niwot feed and paid $6 something a bale. I would be interested in lower straw prices. What about all of us pooling money and buying a larger order and then dividing it out? That way people get to put in as little or as much as they want. Just a thought, gotta save money and pool resources where we can!

 

[samsr]

Just bought two bales of straw, I use it as bedding for coop & nest boxes. Picked it up at Niwot feed and paid $6 something a bale. I would be interested in lower straw prices. What about all of us pooling money and buying a larger order and then dividing it out? That way people get to put in as little or as much as they want. Just a thought, gotta save money and pool resources where we can!

Definitely agree we need to pool our resources to get better prices on , feed and straw. My neighbors and I generally buy enough feed for the winter all at once so we can reduce the prices. I believe we paid about $9.00 a bag for 22% feed this spring. I am hoping that it will go down again after a good harvest this fall.
Im in for 10 bales of straw if someone is going after it, or maybe I will go after it, Just let me know where!

 

[Pozees]

Just bought two bales of straw, I use it as bedding for coop & nest boxes. Picked it up at Niwot feed and paid $6 something a bale. I would be interested in lower straw prices. What about all of us pooling money and buying a larger order and then dividing it out? That way people get to put in as little or as much as they want. Just a thought, gotta save money and pool resources where we can!

I'm all for that, if there's someone in the group who has the means to travel to the sale Percheron Chick mentioned, or another similar sale, and transport a good amount back south.

 

[ColoradoPeeps]

I need help from experienced Coloradian (if that's even a word

) chicken raisers!

I am a total newbie. In fact, I won't even have any chicks for a few weeks (a friend is still incubating some eggs for me). I live in Colorado Springs. Elevation 6500 ft. I am wondering how much time the chickens will spend in the coop during the winter. The reason I ask is I'm trying to determine coop size. My understanding is the coop needs to be more spacious if your birds will be spending extended amount of time in there. So that is where your help will come in. My space will be limited, unfortunately, so I may need to limit the number of chickens I can house. I am thinking somewhere between 6-10 full size hens.

I hope that I am making myself clear. I'm probably forgetting to give you some pertinent information, so if I have, please feel free to ask.

Should I post this anywhere else? Thank you in advance for your help!