# Chase the hay market?



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Hate chasing markets in any commodity but bean price is crap.Corn not much better.And I said to myself I'd never go back to as many hay acres as I used to do.BUT I can make $200 acre more with growing a annual grass hay.Hmm what to do.Well I'm doing some but how much?Realy cuts into the fishing time!

Also have a place to haul manure late summer and fall seed alfalfa.

Hmmm what to do,or how many acres.Decisions,decisions.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

When I look at the situation here in the east hay is just a tiny bit short , no major shortage all hay auctions still running fairly full , . Prices are strong lotsof rainy weather last year .IMO supply and demand are not massivly out of kilter . Wont take much for Low 2017 hay prices again ..


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

endrow said:


> When I look at the situation here in the east hay is just a tiny bit short , no major shortage all hay auctions still running fairly full , . Prices are strong lotsof rainy weather last year .IMO supply and demand are not massivly out of kilter . Wont take much for Low 2017 hay prices again ..


Worst case scenario I figure I'll make as much as beans.Best case $400+ more.My $200 figure was middle of the road and I expect it to be there or better after seeing all the winter kill in the area.


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

You want to chase the market? Why don't you jump on the hog bandwagon? We were just talking about that at church this morning. Now that hog prices are good, you'll see an increase in production. What do *YOU* think will happen to prices a year from now? Farmers are their own worst enemy.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

PaulN said:


> You want to chase the market? Why don't you jump on the hog bandwagon? We were just talking about that at church this morning. Now that hog prices are good, you'll see an increase in production. What do *YOU* think will happen to prices a year from now? Farmers are their own worst enemy.


Idk if they can expand any faster then they have been around here in the hogs.The one dirt contractor that does a lot of pits had 38 holes to dig last yr.2400-4000 hd barns.Nope not going to chase any hogs!And I'm not going to be a hired man and spend $1,000,000 to feed hogs for someone else.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

If you have the equipment and storage for hay it is a little easier to increase your hay acres some but think back to when you had more hay acres, a wet year when it was hard to make high quality dry hay and you were telling yourself you need to cut back on hay. We do have better equipment that helps make dry hay faster and there are some markets for haylage and baleage that gives a little more flexibility.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Here you can't hardly even give grass hay away, so by time I get a good crop of alfalfa coming, so will everybody else. I don't chase the hay market anymore. If I had people clamoring for an annual grass that might be different.


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