# belt tightening ahead for hay markets



## lcjaynes (Jul 25, 2014)

http://www.progressiveforage.com/news/industry-news/belt-tightening-ahead-for-hay-markets-november-2015


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

If I could "unlike" that post, I would!


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Can't see how the hay markets can drop much here, everyone I've talked to said their short of hay compared to normal.

Not sure if it was the cold and wet spring followed by cool and wet right thru June/July but as late as the first was made wasn't very heavy and didn't get better on later cuttings either.


----------



## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Weather issues cut yields in eastern Ohio too. Prices should stay strong. Though a warm winter could influence it some.


----------



## haygrl59 (May 19, 2014)

I agree with mlappin and OhioHay. A stronger market in regions that had major weather problems earlier this year. 50 miles south of us and beyond is a whole other world when it comes to available hay (lots and lots of rain). I've had horse customers drive an hour or two to pick up hay as there isn't any available in their area. Also, have had producers contact me from IN and OH as they ended up short with their contracts for this year. I try not to put much stock in media reports. One needs to keep their ear to the ground and analyze their regional hay situation. The hay market seems to be more on a roller coaster ride and a lot of it depends on where you're at. Once the snow starts to fall, I think prices will pick up. People are still using their pastures for feeding right now and just starting to realize that winter is coming soon.


----------



## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

Hay production is like a poker game and each year is like a new hand.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Waterway64 said:


> Hay production is like a poker game and each year is like a new hand.


That's all businesses nowadays! Especially with all the governing bodies "helping" us.

Ever get the feeling the deck is stacked against us? And they hold all the wild cards and aces? While dealing from the bottom?

Ralph


----------



## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

I have been going to hay sales and also selling out of barn. As usual good hay is bringing good money but mediocre to fair hay is all over the place. The big problem is I have alot more mediocre hay than good hay. Snow and cold weather will help. As always this seems the way it works. Next year may be different. Still not changing my operation. Have 400 acres of hay now and planning to be at 500 in two years.


----------



## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

If these reports are anything like the hay reports in Alberta, my response to them is that the boys writing the report need to get out of the office get out into the field and see what is really going on. Dont just rely on what a few sources tell you.

Just like last year the reports said yeilds were average and total hay stock will end up being the same as the year before. Granted yields were average but they didnt consider that about 20% of the hay land had been worked up.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Here where I'm at in central Pennsylvania we had a dry spell from about the end of July to about the end of September as far as Hay and alfalfa 2015 will be an average year for us not a terrible year but not a bumper year in the Hay business


----------



## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

I like the fact that hay is a local market. If it is a poor crop locally, the price goes up. If it is a good crop, the price goes down, but you have good volume to sell. This is unlike my poor corn crop that is getting a low price because of good production other places. Though we have a very diversified operation, we will still keep a large portion in hay production for this reason. I should point out that we have a large local demand, and this may not be true for someone trying to grow hay in a location with out that.


----------



## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Neighbor told my wife and son that it looked like they made more hay than anyone around here but she had to tell that 60 of the 4x5's were bought and brought in. Just about everyone around here is short on hay. Wife and son have the hay rationed out down the last bale and they should be ok until mid-May. Got plenty of moisture now but not enough sun for the pastures to come back out and it looks like a pretty hard freeze coming next week. She was wanting to keep them on pasture until the end of Nov. but not sure now.


----------



## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

I is very difficult to write an article on hay prices in only a few paragraphs and one graph. Broad brush analysis simply won't tell the true picture as previously stated, hay is a local market. We had wet and cold weather which slowed down hay production in late spring. After a fairly good first cutting the rain spigot shut off and we had almost zero rain from the end of June until October so it was a rough and marginalized non-irrigated hay season. I only got two cuttings from one ranch and three from another ranch, rather than the normal 4 cuttings per season. Oct thru Nov has been extremely wet, with 22 inches in a 10 day period in late Oct. I could get another cutting now on the first ranch but can't get enough dry days to start cutting. I'm selling my best horse hay for the same price as last year. Hay production is not for the faint of heart.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Local conditions dictate the market more than anything else. I had to go up on squares this year, just couldn't make enough due to narrow windows. Lots of hay here in South Georgia, but as usual, not a lot of quality squares.


----------



## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

I got all my hay up this year without any prewashing so I only have premium quality for sale. I got two calls yesterday trying to get me to sell some in the 4-5 dollar arena. Believe they were wholesalers or hay jockeys. It was a short conversation. I did give a small discount last week to a member of our antique tractor club as he has to come about 45 miles and we are good friends.


----------



## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Market around here is same as usual. Lots of tons made just not a lot of excellent hay. At the sales really nice hay brings good money, but fair to mediocre hay is stuck in 60-90 dollar range. I get calls every day from horse people looking for hay. Usually first question is price. I then know it will be a very short conversation. These people usually squeak by and find enough hay from the guys who make under 50 acres and are willing to sell cheap because they have off farm jobs and turn in no income on their taxes. WE also have a local white trash sale barn that these people go to buy and sell. Thought about taking a few hundred bales of rough squares just to prove a point but cant bring myself to deal with these type of people.


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

steve IN said:


> WE also have a local white trash sale barn that these people go to buy and sell. Thought about taking a few hundred bales of rough squares just to prove a point but cant bring myself to deal with these type of people.


HAHA, wouldn't be the same sale barn that spent all that money on new livestock buildings only to end up having flea markets, consignment auctions and a piss poor hay sale once a week but not a real livestock auction in over a decade?


----------



## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Could be. Still waiting for a check in the mail from ten years ago. tried to help a local business out and kept getting story from owner. Finally after about two weeks I threatened him with a lawyer and got a hand delivered check from owner and was asked to please bring the other check back when it arrived in mail. Still waiting.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

steve IN said:


> Market around here is same as usual. Lots of tons made just not a lot of excellent hay. At the sales really nice hay brings good money, but fair to mediocre hay is stuck in 60-90 dollar range. I get calls every day from horse people looking for hay. Usually first question is price. I then know it will be a very short conversation. These people usually squeak by and find enough hay from the guys who make under 50 acres and are willing to sell cheap because they have off farm jobs and turn in no income on their taxes. WE also have a local white trash sale barn that these people go to buy and sell. Thought about taking a few hundred bales of rough squares just to prove a point but cant bring myself to deal with these type of people.


Steve I'm just curious......y'all have any spooks up there?


----------



## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

somedevildawg said:


> Steve I'm just curious......y'all have any spooks up there?


DONT KNOW OF A PLACE WERE YOU WONT FIND ANY!

OVER SOLD HAY THIS YEAR. NEXT YEAR WILL FILL MY NEEDS FIRST.


----------

