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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.
AHHH! Most of our hay is all alfalfa--but I perfer to give my horses grass hay (which is very hard to find in my area). I settled on a mix of grass/alalfa. One of my horses gets protein bumps if it's too rich.
I sell almost all of my mixed hay to horse people and almost all of my pure brome to cow people.
I know I have to increase my price, but by how much I am unsure until I get a handle on fuel cost. I already have my fert. price and it was 33 % more then last year.
The price of horses in part are being effected by the closing of the US Slaughter houses.
off the field is going for $4 to $5 per bale
Delivered $5.50 per bale.
I was expecting higher to tell ya the truth. My BO just had her hay field cut this morning. No idea what it cost her to have it done(maybe some chickens) But I am hoping to buy some off her.
I was hoping to have room to store my own by now, but they havent gotten around to cleaning out the truck trailer they "gave" me for hay/shavings/grain storage yet.
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As much as I hated seeing horses slaughtered I agree that is one of the things affecting the price. Some poor horses are just going to starve to death now because people will not take care of them and can't sale them either to slaughter. I hope this idea does not start a war.
I also feel that with the prices of feed people can't afford it and so they are offering horses dirt cheap to get rid of them and that is also bringing prices down. I've had people tell me they can go get a $100 horse and I tell them good but I won't sale you mine for that.
Hay in NW Florida has gone up this year. Last fall we bought our hay (a coastal mix) for $4.50 a bale. I think I will pay $1.00 - $2.00 more per bale this fall.
We are lucky here...the winters are shorter and grass grows for a longer period of time.
We have a friend that if you buy it right off the rack it is $1.50 per small bale or if you get it out of his barn it is $2.00 a bale. This year my hubby and his son are going to do the loading and stacking so I hope we can get it for less.
We need about 300 bales for our horse and alpacas this winter. The worst thing is that with all of this rain they cant even get into the fields to cut. You just cant win for lose with the weather getting so screwy the last few years. We are haveing the worst flooding then in the last 15 to 20 years. I am glad we are out in the middle of nothing so no flooding problems for us but to get to most towns takes twice as long. Good luck to all whether you are in a flood or a dry spell. Jenn
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WOW!!!!!! Looks like I need to go to Pensicola for hay!!! Down here in SW Fl a bale of T&A or orchard grass is 13.50 and I have paid as much as 17.50!!!
I don't shop in Pcola thankfully, because the price per bale for June 2008 is $3 per 100 lbs and I bought 250 bales one week ago on the 4th of June. With it being so hot and dry this spring it's been tough to grow enough fescues and grains in the pastures to cover my horses, mules and goats. Dairy goats, unlike other types of goat, are quite finicky eaters and will not eat everything in sight or reach. In fact, if they have to stand on their hind legs to eat they would rather starve.