Price of hay where you live.

[WVaHillbilly]

Here in the West Virginia Ohio Valley River area we have been experincing a moderate drought and the price of hay has sky rocketed , with some square bales going as high as $5.00 + a bale.
There are even reports of some farmers doing what the old timers did in the 1930's when there was severe droughts here in this area and that is chopping a tree down so the cows could eat the leaves due to lack of pasture. Some farmers here have been feeding hay since July to supplement the pasture grazing of the cattle.
How is the hay prices and growing conditions doing in your locality ?

 

[Soundguy]

(florida) My heart bleeds for ya.. We've never really had square bales go for less than 5-6$ a bale.. except for sometimes being able to buy quantities of 100 or more for 3.50 or 4.$ a few -years- ago.

About 6$ a bale right now ( coastal bermuda )

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hay has been selling for above $5 since mid summer here. (good hay anyway) It's not unheard of for hay of good quality to be selling above $10 (small squares) IF you can even find it. 2 weekends ago, I baled some of the poorest looking alfalfa I've ever seen. I had people knocking my door down to get at it. It was sold (sight unseen) before I even had it cut.

I've noticed folks around here baling anything they can get a string wrapped around. Several locals are even baling corn stalks behind the combines. We got .66" of rain this morning. It's PROBABLY too little, too late, but hopefully pastures will at least green up a bit before going into winter dormancy. (We're around 12" behind on rain for the year)

 

[jinman]

We just bought 6 nice round bales of coastal delivered 18 miles to our house @ $35 per bale. Hay is plentiful here as you can tell by that price.

Next year it may be us beggin' and you with the smile on your face.

 

[Soundguy]

Last year and early this year florida was in a hay crisis.. and GA wasn't sending much down du to rain and army worms.

people were cutting and bailing any kind of fallow pasture. that had any grass in it.. plus all the weeds. Anything for the animals to chew on.

In many cases i saw pastures cut and balled in large rounds that were bought and paid for befor ethe tractor ever rolled out there. people would be lined up in the field to get theirs early in the morning before the tractor ever pulle dup ( it was pretty bad ) I lucked up
and found some older bahia round bales that got my horses and cows thru the winter.. but it got scary for a while.

Forced me to move a few animals out to a pasture i had been renovating that wasn't quite ready yet.. had to make due... worked out ok.. was plenty of grass for the animals imoved out there..

Soundguy

Hay has been selling for above $5 since mid summer here. (good hay anyway) It's not unheard of for hay of good quality to be selling above $10 (small squares) IF you can even find it. 2 weekends ago, I baled some of the poorest looking alfalfa I've ever seen. I had people knocking my door down to get at it. It was sold (sight unseen) before I even had it cut.

I've noticed folks around here baling anything they can get a string wrapped around. Several locals are even baling corn stalks behind the combines. We got .66" of rain this morning. It's PROBABLY too little, too late, but hopefully pastures will at least green up a bit before going into winter dormancy. (We're around 12" behind on rain for the year)

 

[schmism]

neighbor to the west said sm sq bales for his pasture pet were getting hard to find for $4... likely going to be $5 and this winter was expecting $8


Neighbor to the east uses round bails... picked up 12 for the winter at $45 a piece i think.... 6x6 i think?

they cut the feild down the road into sm sq bails this weekend, i was hopeing they would take the front yard also, so it was short for the winter..... but i dont think they are going to get to it before it turns to cold....

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon HillBilly,
We usually do two cuts a year, everybody wants the second cut ! You can buy squares all day up here for $2.00, maybe even cheaper if you give the farmer a song and a dance !

 

[MrJimi]

$12.95 for one small bale at front door of our local TSC about 2 weeks ago

 

[riptides]

I just put up 200 bales in my barn. That's 4800 less than we normally do.

We have mandatory water restrictions in several surrounding juristrictions. We have not had a significant rain since March. My area is -12 inches.

I have not priced hay, and quite frankly am scared too.

-Mike Z.

 

[jimg]

I would expect prices to be as much or more next year esp if it continues to be dry. According to the ag forecasts next year hay land is going to be converted to wheat, corn or beans.