Hay Prices in your area?

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Okay--so I just found out I need to come up with about $2000 in next 6 weeks for my hay for the year!

With diesel prices approaching $5 a gallon here...hay is expected to be at LEAST $200 per ton!!

And the $2000 is ONLY IF I can sell ONE of my horses... which the horse market in general is shot to heck right now, with no one buying & everyone selling. I just saw an ad for a VERY nicely-bred QH filly (3 years old, AQHA papered) for $150! And with my "off-breed" horses being in cowboy country, no one is even LOOKING this way for horses....I listed him on dreamhorse, but no bites. I have even lowered his price by $2500 and still, nothing.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Yep, hay is expensive. We have ours running in temp. fencing in the backyard just so we don't have to hay them right now. My 1992 black mare has been for sale for a year now but people want her for nothing so I am holding on to her as long as I can. I also have a 2 year old I am needing to sale. I don't want to sale them for just $10 like they are going for at auction around here. I think it was $5.00 a bale for nasty stuff last winter. We had no choice everyone else was sold out and we had just moved to the area. This year we will be able to look around for some better quality. I sure miss our great hay guy in Nebraska but that's the only thing I miss about that state.

I need to list them online for sale but last time we got ripped off and had to go horse nap a horse that payments were not made on.

She told us he was a horrible horse and she should not have to pay even after she signed the contract for him so we had to go get him back. She lied and we found out she was a drug addict after the fact We could have sued but we wouldn't have gotten anything out of her. She just wanted a free horse.

 

[reallemons1]

Here on the east coast of VA I reciently saw an ad for grass hay in the field for $6 a bale. Southern States is $10 each for Orchard Grass. These are average sized bales. The price of horses are going down and they are not selling very well.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Yeah, mine are all out on 120 acres right now--except my 17yo mare. She founders easily (she's a very piglet, LOL) so she's in a dry lot now so I have to feed her. We have about 20 bales left & she goes through 1/2 a bale a day... but during the winter--we have to feed. We have 4+ feet of snow! And we have to fed A LOT because it's REALLY cold here...

 

[farmgirlie1031]

That's what I am dreading. I know we have to have hay but for now we are trying not to have to buy it yet. My one mare can't be out of the grass for very long as she gets fat very easy and foundered before so that is helping our grass last a little bit longer.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Yeah, I've pondered getting her a grazing muzzle...but turning her out in 120 acres with trees & brush and not visible from our house--makes me VERY nervous as is--so having something like that on her which can get her trapped or stuck--makes me even more paranoid.

 

[carugoman]

I'm paying $3/100lb bermuda bale, but I have to go pick up and load. It's no problem since it's 11 miles away, gives the neighbor boys something to do and the younger one gets to "practice" driving a flatbed dumper with manual trans. I have two mammoth jakes and they just enjoy the bermuda grass! If the costs of making biodiesel ever go up, I may just have to use those mules to go and get that hay!

 

[buc]

Quote:
I am on the other end of this issue, I am a producer.
I sell about 300 to 325 large round bales of brome hay and mixed hay a year.

Last year prices were 50 for a 1200 approx. lbs large round bale mixed (10 % alfalfa, 10 % red clover and the rest smooth brome)., Brome bales same size as above were $60 per bale.


This year --- well let us just say it is going to be a bit more.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah...I think the feedstore was selling small square bales for $15 each!!! Horses are just sitting--now.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah...we paid $125/ton last year & picked it out of the field ourselves...