# Hay price arguments



## hay hauler (Feb 6, 2010)

Anyone else in there area seeing disputes over hay prices.

Seems like once or twice a year big arguemnts are started on places like Craigslist, about how much money hay growers are making...









Just wonering if it is happening in other parts of the states.


----------



## hay king (Feb 6, 2011)

You have that problem too I thought it was just around here that had this problem.
Seems like there is always somebody willing to sell hay for next to nothing (most of the time its crap) but some people dont care about the hay just the price. Then the people buying cheap hay complain about the price of other suppliers hay when there cheap guy runs out because he only makes 1000 bales a year and it all sold for $3.
now there stuck paying $5-$7 for hay and they dont see the value. Better yet they cant tell the diffrence between 30lb bales and 60lb bales. Why buy a 60lb bale of good hay for $6 when you can buy a 30lb of crap bale for $3 where is the value in that. The truth is no matter where you are there is always going to be people who do nothing but complain about the price or the quality. I try to weed these people out as fast as I can. The line I use is (mabey you would be better off looking for hay somewhere else) then I recomend a few names for them to call. Most of the time they call back in a week or two when they find out that others charge the same price for lesser quality hay. Lesson learn for them I hope but probley not


----------



## hay hauler (Feb 6, 2010)

I do the same thing. Just blows me a away their attitude and vision on the money to be made in hay. It can be done but not at the rate most would like to think....


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Most of the dairy guys around here and all of the Amish I talked to agree hay will be higher next winter. Only people I hear complaining now are the horsey folks or the people who have a few steers around, I don't say a word when I listen to em complain about $120/ton hay that the last several years would have been $200/ton hay. Most of the dairymen and Amish don't complain about the prices as most at least attempt to make some of their own hay.


----------



## hay king (Feb 6, 2011)

I live close to Vancouver so there are very few farmers left around here but the dairy farmers that do buy from me never complain at all, its just the horsey people. Nothing against them there not all bad some are great but a few bad apples spoils the bin sort of thing. I seems to be the closer to town they live the less they know about making hay. They drive by on the hottest day of the year (probly on there way to the lake) and think we have it easy, dont you know all we do is drive tractors all day. Nothing ever breaks down fuel prices so what, and weather what does that matter. There is no stress in making hay its easy just mow, tedd, rake, and bale peice of cake right. I hope for my own sanity that some of them learn more about feed and what it takes to make it but I'm probly nuts on that one. Just remember if you have good customers treat them good and they will come back. Because no one wants to sell to a bunch of ungreatfull people that know it all and do nothing but complain. Take it easy and never mind what I just typed just ranting a bit I guess. LOL


----------



## dixietank (Jan 26, 2011)

My opinion is let them complain. With fuel jumping like it has this year its either make enough $$$ to come out on the plus side or let them feed their critters rocks.


----------



## K WEST FARMS (Apr 4, 2011)

I give them the price/bale. Tell them that is cash picked up at the barn. If they want delivered, there is a delivery charge and I will tell them how much when I bring in in the yard. I tell them, if they ask about credit or time to pay (same thing, I guess) that as soom as they show me the Serial No. on the bale, we can talk, maybe about the weather, NOT CREDIT or DELAYED PAYMENT !!! John


----------



## Lazy J (Jul 18, 2008)

When I was a Senior in High School I delivered a load of straw to a customer, we agreed to a delviered price over the phone. She paid me after I unloaded the straw but shorted me $50 dollars. When I asked her she said "that is all it is worth to me". I asked her about her agreement, to which she replied I know but I changed my mind.

So I started loading all the straw out of her bar. She protested then pulled a $50 out of her pocket, I said sorry maam but the loading and unloading fee for this load is now $100 on top of our agreed to price. She thought she would pull something on a "kid" but was surprised when i called her bluff. I don't know where she ended up getting straw from but it wasn't that load from me.

Jim


----------



## K WEST FARMS (Apr 4, 2011)

Lazy J : You handled that exactly like I would have !! You certainly had your head on straight at that age !! John


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Did the same thing to a dairy farmer that like to screw you over every chance he got. Unloaded 200 idiot bricks on to his elevator at an agreed on price per ton. He took the bill to the house to get the checkbook when we were done and did some mental calcualtions and decided that the agreed on price was too much to spend per bale. He persisted to tell me I was overpriced and couldn't pay that much. I told him, it is a hot day and I really don't want to restack this load, but I have people who will pay this for the hay so you can get your ass back in the loft and start throwing bales back out. He wrote the check and never complained again about price.


----------

