Ouch!!! Fertilizer prices.........

[Robert_in_NY]

I wonder how corn & soybean prices are going to play into the hay market -- if at all. Ive heard that currently 'fallow' acreage is going to be converted. If that 'fallow' ground is making hay then even less will be available for deficit areas like mine. Then again w/ the cost of shipping that might not even play into the equation. Any ideas?

They are predicting possilbe $6 corn and $12 beans this year. I know I am going to plant corn and beans this year and maybe a 6 acre hay field. But with the horse market in decline and the potential prices for corn and beans it doesn't make sense for me to put any more new hay fields in just yet. I am going to put more vines in also as I make a lot more money with a vineyard then I do with hay. I will still do hay as long as I can but I will be changing to a standard rotation between corn, beans and hay.

 

[flusher]

There will be no more cheap hay in the Carolinas, KY, TN, GA & AL. Because of the drought there are not hay stocks left. Now production costs of hay has increased dramatically and demand will be at a premium you can expect 4x5 round bales to start in the $50 range for grass hay. Small square bales of grass hay will bring in the $8.00 range this summer. I have seen small square alfalfa bales sell for $20 each this winter. Fertilizer looks cheap at $660 a ton when 5x5 round bales are bring $100 each now.

Small bale alfalfa is $13 now here in the North Valley.

We've had about 9" rainfall since 1 Jan so far with more on the way this week. Good news for the hay farmers.

Although my neighbor's alfalfa is not doing so well. Talked to him yesterday. He had the Brillion seeder out and started to overseed 20 acres. That has to hurt.

 

[HayDR]

Small bale alfalfa is $13 now here in the North Valley.

We've had about 9" rainfall since 1 Jan so far with more on the way this week. Good news for the hay farmers.

Although my neighbor's alfalfa is not doing so well. Talked to him yesterday. He had the Brillion seeder out and started to overseed 20 acres. That has to hurt.

I hope your neighbor knows the effects of alfalfa autotoxicity. The mature plants put toxins in the soil will kill new seed and or reduce the plant's effectiveness when introduced into a mature stand.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/AlfalfaTox-FOF.htm

 

[flusher]

I hope your neighbor knows the effects of alfalfa autotoxicity. The mature plants put toxins in the soil will kill new seed and or reduce the plant's effectiveness when introduced into a mature stand.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/AlfalfaTox-FOF.htm

Thanks. I'll ask him, but I think he knows about that problem.

 

[Gooseneck]

I paid $120 for a 50# sack of orchard grass seed last September. That same 50# sack now costs $185.

 

[slowzuki]

I've only got about 500 squares left and about 50 4x4 rounds. People complaining at 3$ a bale delivered to their loft and can't sell the rounds at any price. The squares are good quality hay. The rounds are good dry, stored proper but lots of weeds, been giving them away to a woman feeding an old workhorse just to get rid of em.

Too much money to ship em anywhere.

There is a local retired farmer still selling hay at 1.50$ a bale. I'm thinking of buying his last few thousand out and raising the price cause everyone quotes his price when buying elsewhere. I hope he leases out his land for corn this year...

 

[jimg]

I paid $120 for a 50# sack of orchard grass seed last September. That same 50# sack now costs $185.

I pre-bought my og seed last month @ a bit under $140/50# bag and was told next crop (this fall) was going to almost dbl in price!!! Forget what I was quoted on the Teff but I think it was in the $120ish/50# range.

 

[mark.r]

I put out 175lbs. of seed today. I paid $69.99/25lb. bag. I used the following mix "Horse Paddock Mix":

27.59% Benchmark Orchardgrass
19.98% Polim Perennial Ryegrass
19.77% Kentucky Bluegrass
14.97% Select Tall Fescue
9.96% Clair Timothy
4.99% Will Landino Clover

and the following "Horse Pasture Mix":

27.80% Benchmark Plus Orchardgrass
24.97% Polim Tertaploid Perennial Ryegrass
24.81% Kentucky Bluegrass
15.00% Derby Timothy
3.26% Will Landino Clover

 

[jwcinpk]

Prices I was quoted here:
$2.99 a pound for OG. $3 a pound for red clover. $3.99 for Ledina clover. $1.21 pound for OG 31 Fescue mix (6% OG).
Looks like it's gonna cost me around $1500 for the seed I need this year.

 

[jimg]

slowzuki,
>>Too much money to ship em anywhere.
Not so long ago plenty of CDN hay was going S of the border. I think thats not so much the case anymore. With fuel prices the way they are markets have gotten a bit more local. Thats good if youre in a hay deficit area, bad otherwise.

>>There is a local retired farmer still selling hay at 1.50$ a bale. I'm thinking
>>of buying his last few thousand out and raising the price cause everyone
>>quotes his price when buying elsewhere. I hope he leases out his land for
>>corn this year...
Given input costs where you are what should the price be?