# Time to raise hay prices?



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Just wondering-given the chatter on thin hay and lower yields, I am planning on raising my price 50 cents a bale to 7 even. What are others thinking? Orchard grass. around 47-50# average


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Auction prices here are up $50 a ton from a month ago.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

We raised our prices this winter $5 40lb first depends on yield this year but we are thinking $5 off the wagon $6 from the barn. 
We still have folks here selling at $3 !! Done playing the "so and so is Less than you are"

my answer now is then go to so and so.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

DSLinc1017 said:


> We raised our prices this winter $5 40lb first depends on yield this year but we are thinking $5 off the wagon $6 from the barn.
> We still have folks here selling at $3 !! Done playing the "so and so is Less than you are"
> 
> my answer now is then go to so and so.


That would be very cheap for my area. I was selling my first cut for $6. I typically sell first cut for $5 during a normal year but will do $.50 higher this year.


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## Chase72 (Nov 12, 2017)

Around here it is $9 a bale and the lowest was $8


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

we have been $5.5 off the rack and $6 out of the barn going to go to $6 and $7 4x5 rounds are $60 going to $70 our fertilizer is up and if it gets dry maybe higher see how it sells


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I’d say charge whatever the market will bring.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Been selling 4x4 dry for $45. Those are going up too! Fertilizer being up is a good point!


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Chase72 said:


> Around here it is $9 a bale and the lowest was $8


Actually, that's about what it's worth, given higher fertilizer costs and lower yields.


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## Chase72 (Nov 12, 2017)

Hayman1 said:


> Actually, that's about what it's worth, given higher fertilizer costs and lower yields.


I'm glad to see people are selling it for what it is worth, cannot say the same for rounds


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## ttazzman (Sep 29, 2019)

We were at 8-8.50 this winter brome/timthy 50# picked up .....not going down on price for sure...could have sold ours 5 times over....I would let it go to seed for under 4.00


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Chase72 said:


> I'm glad to see people are selling it for what it is worth, cannot say the same for rounds


Round bale prices continue to suffer from two phenomena-when they first started most did not focus on quality so they were "just round bales". The other is every Tom, Dick, and Harry make them and average quality bites. However, if you are serious about hay, most of your inputs are the same and 4 x 5s of high quality should be going for 80-90$


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

I'm seriously considering going to auction with it down in Colorado. As a means of hedging my gains/losses/bets, I'll probably send a load every couple months to average it out. The prices were stupid last month down there at centennial, for snowed on and less than premium hay.
I keep hearing the words shortage, so my hay isn't going anywhere until I see and gauge the market.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

We have people selling rounds of 4/5 for 15 dollars I can't compete with them.
But they haven't used a drop of any kind of inputs in 20 years they lease The ground and mine it till it's 90 percent weeds and they have had it leased for years and people fill sorry for them they ain't making any money so if you keep the fence rows sprayed they don't charge them anything..
So I don't try to sale hay I just try to feed it out is the only way I can come out.


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I had a customer today volunteer to pay me more. They brought up the subject.


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## Stxpecans123 (May 18, 2020)

Hayman1 said:


> Round bale prices continue to suffer from two phenomena-when they first started most did not focus on quality so they were "just round bales". The other is every Tom, Dick, and Harry make them and average quality bites. However, if you are serious about hay, most of your inputs are the same and 4 x 5s of high quality should be going for 80-90$


I been testing this theroy. And I find people will pay for quality. How many people is my question. I finally leased some ground on the main road so to speak. Where anyone going to the local feed/fertilizer store drives by. I planted some haygrazer on a poor pasture and it's looking good. Have had 2 or 3 people say they want some of that. Plan on putting a sign up this week as I have another 100+ acres off the main road. I too had the mindset just feed it but after running some numbers I think selling it is a more profit. But I do not sell it for $15/4x5 bale. I was selling haygrazer done right for $65/5x5.5 1600lbs average. I plan to go up to $75 as coastal (average quality 1400lbs bales) were going for $75+ if you could get any.

Sad thing is local corn farmer just sold last year's crop out of the silo for $8.35/bushel. He makes 100-110bushel corn normally and looks to be on track this year. Even my new leased ground made the comment maybe I should just lease it out for corn.

Corn farmer here got goverment money to build silos. Hard to compete.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Ran fertilizer numbers for this years, Canadian $ - 1.48$ per 45 lb bale for NPK only.

By the time I include application cost, and lime, I'm at 2$ per bale. Twine and fuel, etc I'm up into 3$ a bale before paying for any machinery to do the work. Haven't talked about cost of a barn or paying myself a profit.

I raised my local delivered price to 6.50$ a bale and it might go higher.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Swv.farmer said:


> So I don't try to sale hay I just try to feed it out is the only way I can come out.


Same here. If my price for rounds was at break even, it would still be higher than most would pay.
Just wish cattle prices were better.


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## ClinchValley86 (May 9, 2021)

Swv.farmer said:


> We have people selling rounds of 4/5 for 15 dollars I can't compete with them.
> But they haven't used a drop of any kind of inputs in 20 years they lease The ground and mine it till it's 90 percent weeds and they have had it leased for years and people fill sorry for them they ain't making any money so if you keep the fence rows sprayed they don't charge them anything..
> So I don't try to sale hay I just try to feed it out is the only way I can come out.


Same here. I buy 4x4.5 from 15 minutes away. They deliver them for $20. Was telling my Pops we should buy a bunch this year and put in the barn. Come winter could possibly double up on them no problem.

Yields are horrible right now here in East tn.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Cut the third batch this am. Much better than before. The second batch I cut dismayed me no end. Been making notes to try to figure out what the differences may or may not be in prior treatments. As I noted in early spring in another thread-I noticed a big reduction in Winter annuals in an area I sprayed in August with Quinstar. Someone else-PA Outdoorsman? noted the same. Now winter annuals have not emerged in August so there must be a residual effect. Did not seem to impact germination of OG


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## BisonMan (Apr 27, 2020)

I'm in SW Ontario.

Quoting $0.10/lb on round bales. There seems to be alot of buyers.

$5 straight off the field for small squares.

It's been dry here so far this year, so I'm re thinking my pricing. I'd like to get the first cut sold in rounds and then do the second cut in small squares and keep them on hand for a squeeze. I was selling them for $10/bale deliverd last winter for small deliveries, $5 out of the barn for large orders.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

broadriverhay said:


> I had a customer today volunteer to pay me more. They brought up the subject.


That happened to me this winter too. Good loyal customer of mine so I like to take care of him. Told him $5/bale for first cut and he said that was too low and gave me $6. He said even at that he was getting a good price.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

There are some good costumers but for the most part they are looking for a deal.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

It is kind of interesting that it is understood that the vet, farrier, feed, and tack dealers are going to routinely raise prices but that hay is just hay and should stay at the price forever.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

So I just calculated that my yields this year are running 63% of last year with fuel and fertilizer inputs running higher. Based on last year's price of 6.50 per bale that makes this year's worth $10.15. That's what would happen to grain based horse feed if we had a critical drought in the corn belt.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Yes and if hay farmers would stick together they could get the worth out of there hay.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Swv.farmer said:


> Yes and if hay farmers would stick together they could get the worth out of there hay.


I agree, but waiting for that is worse than waiting for Godot!


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Hayman1 said:


> I agree, but waiting for that is worse than waiting for Godot!


. Yep you are 100 percent right always a few that want stick together.


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## mstuck21 (Oct 4, 2019)

I'm bumping my prices.. like everyone we spend a lot of T&E to make nice hay and are going to charge to do so.. a couple customers have called so far bc they knew I cut and wanted to make plans for the yr.. I told them upfront my costs were up so my price was too.. no pushback so far

I don't get in too big of a hurry to sell first cutting bc everyone else and their brother just got done too. There's ads popping up on Facebook and CL every hr.. I've seen prices from $4-$8 depending on what it is, followed by an army of guys selling waterway hay for $3 and even someone ready to undercut them all at $2.95 lol.. I think I'll wait awhile before I jump in that mix


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

In the past I've been too nice and too cheap. Another hay producer in my area, who's also been like a mentor to me, told me I was selling too cheap this year and needed to do $6/bale for first cut. He was right though. This is the first year I've done what I always should have, and charged what my hay is worth. I've held the line with everybody and have had no problems. So it's been $6/bale for me. But I fertilize my fields, the hay is soft, it's put up right and dry, fertilizer costs are about 50% higher and my yields are exactly 60% of what they were last year from drought.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

On Facebook I seen a seller from Olathe Colorado selling 3x4 bales for $350 per ton and the other day I seen someone for Gillette Wyoming selling small squares for $16 per bale.


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## blb078 (Feb 4, 2019)

CowboyRam said:


> On Facebook I seen a seller from Olathe Colorado selling 3x4 bales for $350 per ton and the other day I seen someone for Gillette Wyoming selling small squares for $16 per bale.


All over out west it's been like that. NM, CO, WY, MT, UT, ID. Cost a little more to make hay out there running pivots, paying for water, etc. People complaining that they aren't getting hay for $130/ton or less like they use to.


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## KS John (Aug 6, 2018)

Latest hay market prices in Kansas.


https://www.hpj.com/hay_range_pasture/hay-demand-remains-good/article_de9d8b7a-de98-11eb-9c40-8f2a43a511ef.html


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