The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[N F C]

The price of hay is regional and mostly depends on how much crop land an area has for growing hay. Here 3-4 dollars a bale is high, generally 1-2 a bale is a fair price. Lots of farm country where I'm at. We bale our own.

Exactly right OHLD. Around here, people mostly raise cattle instead of crops because it's just too arid here. And they have to have a lot of this scrubby land to raise the cattle. I can't complain about the few bales I have to buy when I see enormous truckloads of giant bales being delivered to nearby ranches.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm sure it helps that I get my hay from a guy that lives 3/4 mile up the road. He hays his own property and until this year some others as well. That $4/bale was delivered into my barn, he, DD1 and I stacked it. Of course 20 bales isn't too much to stack. The neighbor across the road with 3 horses and 2 alpacas picks it up right out of the field with their pickup. I think they get like 250 bales. I don't know what they pay but I ASSUME it is less than $4/ since Al never has to touch it. For obvious reasons he prefers the round bales since machinery can do all the work but I have no way to deal the rounds.

 

[ShrekDawg]

The price of hay is regional and mostly depends on how much crop land an area has for growing hay. Here 3-4 dollars a bale is high, generally 1-2 a bale is a fair price. Lots of farm country where I'm at. We bale our own.

WOW is that cheap!

It's almost crazy lol

Here most bales are between $4 and $7 with most being around $5 or $6 I think but I don't have animals that need it so idk for sure. Just what I see on Craigslist haha

And of course it depends if it was stored in the barn or outside/"off the truck" or delivered or not and stuff like that. Obviously off the truck and exposed to elements is cheaper than in the barn. And last years is cheaper than this years etc.

But you're pretty lucky if you can find it for $4 lol

 

[CapricornFarm]

I'm sure it helps that I get my hay from a guy that lives 3/4 mile up the road. He hays his own property and until this year some others as well. That $4/bale was delivered into my barn, he, DD1 and I stacked it. Of course 20 bales isn't too much to stack. The neighbor across the road with 3 horses and 2 alpacas picks it up right out of the field with their pickup. I think they get like 250 bales. I don't know what they pay but I ASSUME it is less than $4/ since Al never has to touch it. For obvious reasons he prefers the round bales since machinery can do all the work but I have no way to deal the rounds.

When i had goats i got the round bales delivered and put where i wanted them by local farmers. It was great, but the goats waste a lot. We usually got 100 square bales to put up in the barn. I used to buy from a vet that bailed his own for $2 each! Round bales were $20-30 depending on quality.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well, most around here bale in rounds....$25-35/roll depending on if it is mixed or straight bermuda, it is the most economical, but in the 2yrs having goats they may have actuallt eaten maybe 1 bale of hay....we only have 3 and they don't eat very much at all. The ducks use more than they do and I could get by with some cheaper stuff for them, but the bermuda doesn't present them any problems and it is long fibered, so it works well for bedding and nesting. There are only a few people here that bale the smaller bales, so they charge more....like everything else....it's all about the $$ these days and times....kinda funny tho, have to pay for grass, but can't give eggs away...go figure....

 

[ShrekDawg]

When i had goats i got the round bales delivered and put where i wanted them by local farmers. It was great, but the goats waste a lot. We usually got 100 square bales to put up in the barn. I used to buy from a vet that bailed his own for $2 each! Round bales were $20-30 depending on quality.

Geez, I need to move where you guys are! Lol

Here rounds are like $60 lol

 

[CapricornFarm]

Geez, I need to move where you guys are! Lol

Here rounds are like $60 lol

That was back about 4 or 5 years ago in TN. I was lucky with the square bales, other places charged more. Here the Southern States charges 8 or 9 bucks a bale whether you get alfalfa or orchard grass. So i got alfalfa for the bunnies. One bale will last a long time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We bale roughly 400-500 bales a year. We used to buy it when it was $1 a bale but when it went up to $2 a bale we decided in the long run it was cheaper to buy all the haying equipment. We already had the land. I don't think we could afford to keep so many critters at 6-7 dollars a bale.

 

[CapricornFarm]

We bale roughly 400-500 bales a year. We used to buy it when it was $1 a bale but when it went up to $2 a bale we decided in the long run it was cheaper to buy all the haying equipment. We already had the land. I don't think we could afford to keep so many critters at 6-7 dollars a bale.

That is a lot of work though. Not up for lifting all those bales any more. Once i get a hay loft i will buy truck loads for the goats i am getting. I can manage that many.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That was back about 4 or 5 years ago in TN. I was lucky with the square bales, other places charged more. Here the Southern States charges 8 or 9 bucks a bale whether you get alfalfa or orchard grass. So i got alfalfa for the bunnies. One bale will last a long time.

Wow that's expensive! But yeah, it makes sense to just get the better hay for the same price lol

We bale roughly 400-500 bales a year. We used to buy it when it was $1 a bale but when it went up to $2 a bale we decided in the long run it was cheaper to buy all the haying equipment. We already had the land. I don't think we could afford to keep so many critters at 6-7 dollars a bale.

Wow that is a lot of bales and I still can't get over how cheap that is! I know $2 is still double from $1 therefore a lot for you guys but for me.... I would love to get hay for $2/bale LOL

If I had the land I would probably make my own but we don't and also don't have any hay eating animals atm

Also I think I'd be scared. Or not scared but idk, I've never grown hay before and wouldn't want to mess it up.

That is a lot of work though. Not up for lifting all those bales any more. Once i get a hay loft i will buy truck loads for the goats i am getting. I can manage that many.

Yeah, definitely a lot of work too