Buy hay now

2035 Views 24 Replies 17 Participants Last post by ksalvagno, Sep 6, 2013

GTAllen

Discussion Starter · Sep 4, 2013

It's time to buy while the price is good. Don't wait until winter when you have to have it and the price is high. This winter maybe a bad one. I am going to get more hay so I can make sure to have plenty.

Right now a lot of hay is coming off the fields. There is an abundance of inexpensive 2nd and 3rd cut native grass hay and bermuda. Also, 2nd cut sudan crosses are abundant. Alfalfa has done good this year so far, and more cuts should happen with another reinforcing rain.

Check your hay close and be picky. Watch out for excess johnson grass, broom weed, cow catchers, milk weed, and other weeds in native grass hay.

GT

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liz

· #2 · Sep 4, 2013

I'm in west central PA and having a hard time finding anyone who has any hay available! My usual source doesn't have any extra and a few numbers I've called have none or they haven't called back

most ads for hay around here are for mulch hay...which could mean anything from 2 year old hay, half rotted hay or rained on hay

Jessica84

· #3 · Sep 4, 2013

Good advise not many people think about that. Hay here is already cut but should be cheaper in the next month because they will want to have it out by the time it rains so no chance of getting wet and also to make room to plant more.

ptgoats45

· #4 · Sep 4, 2013

We're baling a bunch right now. All little squares :/ We already have over 200 bales in the barn and are mowing down 20 more acres today with 40 more to go after that. People around here definitely aren't thinking about buying hay, but they should be especially when most of it goes south and west to the areas that are still drought stricken.

toth boer goats

· #5 · Sep 4, 2013

Very good advice, I already have my winter Alfalfa stacked in the barn. Alfalfa is high as it is and you are correct in saying, it will get higher closer to winter.

We are going to have a super cold winter I heard.

GTAllen

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 4, 2013

Saw bales 4x4 square bales approx 1500lb to 1800lbs of tall sweet sorghum X sudan being baled the other day. Also a large amount of assorted sizes of round bales from little 4x4 to big 5x6. 5x6 bales of second cut haygrazers going for $80 a bales delivered.

Check craigslist, ebay and facebook. You will be suprised at how much hay is around you.

eqstrnathlete

· #7 · Sep 4, 2013

I'm glad I already have mine in the barn and round bales on hold.

NubianFan

· #8 · Sep 4, 2013

Got mine, had it for about 2 weeks, got good hay cheap this year, cheaper than the stuff I bought last year that I thought was subpar at best. However, last year was a terrible droubt year here and this year has been rainy and milder than normal. Lots of hay here this year.

GTAllen

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 4, 2013

Most 5x6 tight, net wrapped, heavy bales of good native grass are going for $40-$50 here now. 5x6 tight, net wrapped, heavy bales of second cut alfalfa are going for $120. All kinds of other stuff is $35 to $85 depending on size and content.

A lot of good hay choices right now.

ptgoats45

· #10 · Sep 4, 2013

Also check the Hay Exchange www.hayexchange.com lots of hay for sale on there.

mmiller

· #11 · Sep 4, 2013

I have also heard its gonna be a very cold winter. Not real excited about that. Very good advice on getting your hay stocked up now. I feed round bales an I trade hay for hay storage with a friend who cuts my hay fields. For the time being my goats don't eat anywhere near what my fields can make so I sell an trade with it.

LamanchaAcres

· #12 · Sep 5, 2013

We have 1 of the 3 stacks for winter of alfalfa. Thinking about buying a bunch of straw bales in the next few months and start getting prepared.

liz

· #13 · Sep 5, 2013

Just checked out the hay exchange listing for PA.... All the good stuff is waaaaaay far east of me

GTAllen

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 5, 2013

liz said:
Just checked out the hay exchange listing for PA.... All the good stuff is waaaaaay far east of me

Bad hay year where you are?

liz

· #15 · Sep 5, 2013

Apparently.... it's been so wet here that by the time the fields are cut they don't have time to dry properly as well as the weeds taking over

Cali2013

· #16 · Sep 5, 2013

Being a newbie, it didn't even cross my mind to stock up on hay for the winter. I bought sudan grass hay, 2 strand, for $10 a few weeks ago. I'm thinking I should get more after seeing your post.

ksalvagno

· #17 · Sep 5, 2013

I have to buy my hay for the year. All the farmers around here send it south if it doesn't sell quickly. So there is nothing available till first cut hay which is usually not good.

WillowGem

· #18 · Sep 5, 2013 (Edited)

liz said:
I'm in west central PA and having a hard time finding anyone who has any hay available! My usual source doesn't have any extra and a few numbers I've called have none or they haven't called back most ads for hay around here are for mulch hay...which could mean anything from 2 year old hay, half rotted hay or rained on hay

I'm having that same problem here, Liz.

I did pick up a few bales of grass hay recently, and only found that after calling everyone I knew.
Grass hay is going anywhere from $5.00 a bale up to $10!!

I've been feeding my boys browse all summer long, but really need to find some hay soon!

kidsnchicks

· #19 · Sep 5, 2013

GTAllen said:
Bad hay year where you are?

I'm in SE PA. Guess I better stock up!

SunnydaleBoers

· #20 · Sep 5, 2013

We've had very good weather for baling here the last couple of weeks, and had nearly 10 inches of rain in July so the prairie hay that's coming off now has a lot of nice, new growth grass in it. I'd look over bales from earlier cuttings this year (especially big squares) pretty carefully- it nearly took an act of God to put up bales without them getting rained on, sometimes multiple times over. Some people avoided the rain, but baled too soon, before stuff had a chance to dry down. Trust your nose- moldy hay has a pretty distinctive smell.

We've been selling 80 pound small squares off the field for 2 bucks a bale, mainly so we don't have to deal with it, and to hopefully move the weed seeds off our fields. It's not the nicest hay (you won't be feeding it to your dressage horses anytime soon), and we've been upfront that it IS weedy- but I've still been surprised at how quickly it's moved. Still trying to decide if we want to suck it up and no-till in more round-up ready alfalfa this fall (sounds like a great idea until you start pricing out bags of seed!), or just inter-seed some clover/legumes/etc and turn it into more pasture.

Still, this is a very nice change from the last few years, this is the first time we've had extra hay to sell in 2 years.

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