# mulch hay



## FranchiseFarms

Trying to get a price per ton range on much hay. I've heard native grass (weeds) are starting to repla e straw for reclaim / erosion control. I also hear the mushroom plants also are buying much hay instead of straw


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## hillside hay

I get 70 per ton on mulch hay. Right around cost of production


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## JD3430

105/ton.


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## FranchiseFarms

What are your markets for it. There are a few mushroom plants out my way but that's about it. Just trying to find new ways to diversify the farm


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## JD3430

I wouldn't be in the hay business if it weren't for the mushroom companies. Neither would the most of the BTO's in my area. We'd all be farming 30 acre plots with JD 336 square balers for old blue hairs with horses.


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## FranchiseFarms

Well 105/ ton sounds pretty good to me for scrub hay. Are your clients at all picky or will they talk anything you can bale


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## JD3430

Nope, gotta be decent, dry hay. They probe incoming bales for moisture. Some weeds OK. Wont accept anything with multiflora rose, stickers, or lots of leaves. If you bring in hi moisture or noticeable trash, they dock your paycheck.

The problem with mushroom hay is, you lose 100% of your transportation costs. Unlike "horse hay", where you can charge for delivery. So its best to be very close and own your own truck/trailer.


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## RockmartGA

JD3430 said:


> I wouldn't be in the hay business if it weren't for the mushroom companies. Neither would the most of the BTO's in my area. We'd all be farming 30 acre plots with JD 336 square balers for old blue hairs with horses.


I had never heard of a mushroom farm until I got on this site. I would love to have a market such as that for mulch hay.


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## FranchiseFarms

Thanks for the info jd....will def be looking into this further


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## Tim/South

RockmartGA said:


> I had never heard of a mushroom farm until I got on this site. I would love to have a market such as that for mulch hay.


Same here on both accounts.


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## OhioHay

I would like to have the mushroom market around here too. If anything it puts a floor in the hay price. Possibly making the higher quality hay more valuable


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## PaMike

I hear there is a big mulch hay market around the strip mine areas. Apparently they use it somehow when they reclaim mine land. I don't know how it works...


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## Tim/South

We have a reclaim market for the strip mines. They do not pay very well. Too many people baling junk for beer money.


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## FranchiseFarms

Plants around here only want long stem straw....won't use mulch hay


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## JD3430

My guy takes hay, straw or corn cobs!


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## OhioHay

Local elevator used to buy ear corn, shell it and send the cobs east to mushroom market. They quit doing it about 10 years ago.


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## Rodney R

Local Mill used to shell cob corn and give it to 1 of 2 guys, till they got in a fight over the cobs! Now the mill truck the cobs themselves. I guess the cobs are worth as much as the grain - another guy here would shell your corn in the field for free, if he could have the cobs.

Rodney


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## endrow

When I hauled much hay in the past had to be grass no broadleaf or alfalfa Grass only .. Is that still the case .


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## mlappin

RockmartGA said:


> I had never heard of a mushroom farm until I got on this site. I would love to have a market such as that for mulch hay.


One decent bale of hay, one junk/mulch bale of hay, one bale of fermented cornstalks all ground together in the vertical TMR, add some glycerin and maybe some fines from the grain cleaner and it supplements the pastures for the beef cows in the summer.


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## PaCustomBaler

Usually around $100/ton or so if it's decent...meaning big-stemmed, 1st cut OG or Tim or Brome. None of that fine-grass native hay....stuff doesn't hold any stem moisture for the mushrooms.


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