Hay prices

[Son of Butch]

Due to extremely low buyer turnout I bought a couple loads of 4x5 rounds of meadow hay for $10 bale at auction. Didn't weigh them, but estimate purchase at $29 ton. I wasn't there to bid, but at that price couldn't pass them by. Large sq bales of alfalfa that should have brought $70+ sold for $50.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

Still expensive in N Georgia
4x5 "fescue" roll $85
T&A squares for the hay recyclers $16

 

[SmokinM]

Sometimes you just have to take a deal because you can. That was a really good score for you. The organic matter would be worth that I would think. Any feed value is bonus. You sure can't make it for that.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Sometimes you just have to take a deal because you can. That was a really good score for you. The organic matter would be worth that I would think. Any feed value is bonus. You sure can't make it for that.

Pre 2020, nutrient value in a 4x5 was around $35 if I'm remembering right. Now that value has to be $50 to $75 bucks.

Hay here is 50-100% more than it was in 2020. A mixed grass 4x5 runs 40 to 50. No guarantee on quality.

Quality hay is 50 to 100 a roll.

I fear I'm going to run short. Going through it much faster than I anticipated. I'm not use to having so many head over winter. Would love to find some $30 rolls that fed decent, but that's asking a lot.

 

[Lucky]

I was told the guys custom baling hay in my area are going to charge a little different in 2023. If I remember right it's going to be $32 a bale for 4x6's and an hourly rate for anything less than two bales an acre. I'm guessing they need at least 2 bales an acre to be profitable. I believe they were $27-29 a bale this past hay season.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I was told the guys custom baling hay in my area are going to charge a little different in 2023. If I remember right it's going to be $32 a bale for 4x6's and an hourly rate for anything less than two bales an acre. I'm guessing they need at least 2 bales an acre to be profitable. I believe they were $27-29 a bale this past hay season.

What were they getting pre 2020?

 

[Lucky]

What were they getting pre 2020?

If I remember right prices pre 2020 were $24-27. To me hay and hay baling prices have been flat for a good time now. It's been $24-29 custom and $35-40 for rolled hay for along while now.

 

[Son of Butch]

Trucking (set by the seller) is mostly $5 mile, but ranges from low of $3 to high of $6
pre 2020 trucking was mostly $4 mile

 

[gcreekrch]

I prefer to weigh every load and pay by the ton. Too much variance in balers, operators and crops. Some guys can make 1800 lbs + 5x6 bales, others rake a huge windrow and drive 10 mph and get 1300 lbs. Truckingis a set rate, the closer you can get to legal weight the cheaper your delivered ton price is. We are getting a load of big squares tomorrow, 52 bales x1300 lbs, just shy of 34 ton. Delivered cost is $241.50 per ton.
It came from 10.5 hours away and is delivered cheaper than a lot of closer hay from sellers that still think it is last winter,

 

[Silver]

I prefer to weigh every load and pay by the ton. Too much variance in balers, operators and crops. Some guys can make 1800 lbs + 5x6 bales, others rake a huge windrow and drive 10 mph and get 1300 lbs. Truckingis a set rate, the closer you can get to legal weight the cheaper your delivered ton price is. We are getting a load of big squares tomorrow, 52 bales x1300 lbs, just shy of 34 ton. Delivered cost is $241.50 per ton.
It came from 10.5 hours away and is delivered cheaper than a lot of closer hay from sellers that still think it is last winter,

How do you feed the squares?

 

[gcreekrch]

How do you feed the squares?

Processor at low rpm. They are exact length to fit crossways when load in the back with another tractor. Cut the strings when in. Sometimes you have to carefully lift center up so ends fall down to flail. Before the processor we did it with a wagon and pitchfork.

 

[kenny thomas]

I prefer to weigh every load and pay by the ton. Too much variance in balers, operators and crops. Some guys can make 1800 lbs + 5x6 bales, others rake a huge windrow and drive 10 mph and get 1300 lbs. Truckingis a set rate, the closer you can get to legal weight the cheaper your delivered ton price is. We are getting a load of big squares tomorrow, 52 bales x1300 lbs, just shy of 34 ton. Delivered cost is $241.50 per ton.
It came from 10.5 hours away and is delivered cheaper than a lot of closer hay from sellers that still think it is last winter,

What's a legal load weight up there. That's way overweight for here.

 

[Silver]

Processor at low rpm. They are exact length to fit crossways when load in the back with another tractor. Cut the strings when in. Sometimes you have to carefully lift center up so ends fall down to flail. Before the processor we did it with a wagon and pitchfork.

If I have to buy hay again I'd like to try the squares. The bale feeder I use for the rounds would also work (probably better) with the squares.
I guess at this time of year you shouldn't have to worry about covering them.

 

[Silver]

What's a legal load weight up there. That's way overweight for here.

We tend to run more axles up here than you folks.

 

[Silver]

A tridem axle group is good for 24,000 kgs. Many trucks and most trailers are tridems

 

[kenny thomas]

A tridem axle group is good for 24,000 kgs. Many trucks and most trailers are tridems

Ok, that makes sense.
They had to add an axle on the fuel truck I drive after I got a 6000lb overweight. 12 cents per pound over.

 

[Warren Allison]

Still expensive in N Georgia
4x5 "fescue" roll $85
T&A squares for the hay recyclers $16

Yeah, with all the construction going on, the hydra-seeders keep the prices up. And they don't care if it is junk. During the boom times of the 1st six Bush years, hell, no one bothered much with fertilizing, lime, and weed control. Once the Reid-Paloosey recession hit in 2007, good hay started being made again, when construction hit the brakes HARD after the Nov 2016 election. When the Obama depression hit in 2009, there wasn't any hydra-seeding at all. Still some good hay being made, but the hydra-seeders keep the prices up. Normally good hay would be cheap, as much as was made around here, but fertilizer and fuel prices the last 2 years have kept prices above the 2019 and earlier prices.

 

[gcreekrch]

What's a legal load weight up there. That's way overweight for here.

He is a little over and said tonight they should have taken a bale off. Then said scale was closed so no big deal. Legal weight is 65000 lbs.

 

[kenny thomas]

He is a little over and said tonight they should have taken a bale off. Then said scale was closed so no big deal. Legal weight is 65000 lb.

We load calves with the idea they can loose enough weight to get over the scales ok. Not possible with hay I suppose.
I suppose that's 65,000 plus the truck and trailer weight?

 

[gcreekrch]

We load calves with the idea they can loose enough weight to get over the scales ok. Not possible with hay I suppose.
I suppose that's 65,000 plus the truck and trailer weight?

Yes.