# Sluggish Hay Sales?



## haygrl59

Anyone seeing sluggish hay sales, particularly in the small squares market? We are located in west central Illinois and comparing with last year at this time, our sales are down 70%. Our main market is small squares and most of our customers are horsey folk. We should have had a few semi loads of hay sold by now. We are selling some hay to the local customers but we haven't heard a lot from our big volume customers, like horse farms, stables and show barns. Are people procrastinating? Our prices are not far off from some of the hay auctions. Is it an economic effect or the virus? As I look outside the window there is still some green grass in the yard. We haven't seen any snow yet and that might have something to do with it too. Just wondering if anyone else is seeing a slowdown in their sales or have any thoughts on this. My bosses say its because we haven't had any real Midwestern winter weather yet. We are supposed to get back up to the 50s later this week. 2020 has definitely been a challenging year on all fronts!


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## slowzuki

Try marketing into eastern US/eastern Canada. We are seeing van trailers coming from farther away than you shipping in hay. Small squares at 3x the normal pricing now. I looked at trying to buy some small squares in Ontario near Detroit to ship here and their local pricing was over 10$ a bale for 40 lb bales.  That's Canadian $, maybe 7$ USD?

I've heard Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, NYS all having same issues.


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## Ox76

Give it a month or two, I'm sure it'll pan out for ya.


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## VA Haymaker

Here in my neck of the woods of VA, there is a glut of hay, round and squares. Our hay is moving, but slow. We are not joining the bandwagon to lower prices...


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## Vol

Rounds are slow here, but things have begun to pick up. Little square demand is still good like always.

Regards, Mike


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## r82230

I'd say an OK market here for ss bales. I only have a few years of being back in that market. So far this year sold over 80% of mine, for what I consider premium pricing (2nd and later cuttings @ $9). Have requests for RB that I don't sell, two neighbors who do are sold out. Doesn't look like a white Christmas in my area this year too.

Larry


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## mlappin

Needs to get cold with some of the white stuff on the ground then the last minute calls come in.


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## swmnhay

I've seen more hay listed on CL and FB of both sm sqrs and Rds then I can ever remember.Lower grain prices a yr ago got people shifting more acres to alfalfa.And some like to work for nothing evidently for what they are selling it for.


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## CowboyRam

I have cousin here in Wyoming that was having trouble finding hay. I sold some third cutting in October for $190 a ton, and could have sold more. I am going to hang on to the rest my hay for my needs; not going to cut myself short.


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## haygrl59

Thank you all for your insights. I guess I'm being a little impatient. I usually have at least 1/3 of the hay sold by now. Every year is a little bit different and this one is no exception. Some years the hay sells itself and some years I have to hustle a little. Hopefully next year will be a better growing season.


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## swmnhay

CowboyRam said:


> I have cousin here in Wyoming that was having trouble finding hay. I sold some third cutting in October for $190 a ton, and could have sold more. I am going to hang on to the rest my hay for my needs; not going to cut myself short.


Have a friend east of there that didn't get anything baled on his ranch in SW SD.He going to haul his cows back here to winter them vs buying hay out there.


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## somedevildawg

mlappin said:


> Needs to get cold with some of the white stuff on the ground then the last minute calls come in.


I agree, I'll begrudgingly take the cold, without the snow, but the few times it has flown, the phone starts ringing.....


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## Vol

Since this topic was started, I have had a lot of hay roll out. That is about all I have done this week is load hay. But rounds are still slow.

Regards, Mike


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## Edd in KY

I put an ad on CL December 1st to sell a little bit of my excess (small squares grass horse hay). My Phone rang off the hook. I sold more hay in 2 days than I really wanted to, and at a price higher than last year (but apparently too cheap). I deleted the ad after 2 days.


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## carcajou

I sold my 1st load of round bales today. $130/ton loaded. At this rate its gonna be a long time before 2020's crop is sold.


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## r82230

carcajou said:


> I sold my 1st load of round bales today. $130/ton loaded. At this rate its gonna be a long time before 2020's crop is sold.


When I first looked I thought, wow, that's a fair price per ton, then it hit me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,dummy he's talking Canadian ones. But at that price it would be selling like hot cakes HERE. 1st cutting 4 x 5 RB, selling for up to $75 a bale at last weeks hay auction. Figuring at 1,000# each, $150 a ton US, $190 + Canadian. 

Larry


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## slowzuki

Locally is up to 400$US a ton for horse hay. People are getting desperate. Normally struggle to get 120 USD a ton.


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## Vol

slowzuki said:


> Locally is up to 400$US a ton for horse hay. People are getting desperate. Normally struggle to get 120 USD a ton.


That's pretty strong....$10/bale on average....or more if you sell at less than 50 pound bales.

Regards, Mike


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## somedevildawg

slowzuki said:


> Locally is up to 400$US a ton for horse hay. People are getting desperate. Normally struggle to get 120 USD a ton.


Damn it man.....might pay for shipping with those kinda prices


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## Onthayman

Yup hay in Ontario is expensive too in many areas. No leftover inventory from the year past. No rain in many areas for 2nd cut. First was really good and 3rd too. I’ve had people calling me for first cut and I’ve called for guys I know and have bought from and they are completely sold out! I sold my hay loaded on wagons in the field for 7-7.50$ and was happy. Don’t have to touch it twice. These guys were selling out of the barn for 8-9 $ bale. One buddy advertised on Kijiji 200$ a bundle of 21’s . I said your crazy never happen. Gone in 30 days 1500 bales. Oh well .


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## carcajou

slowzuki said:


> Locally is up to 400$US a ton for horse hay. People are getting desperate. Normally struggle to get 120 USD a ton.


Wanna be a hay dealer? I have lots of 3x4's that can come your way if i can get sea cans....


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## Vol

It is good to hear of folks getting a great price for their hay crop. It happens here every now and then when we have a early persistent drought. I usually don't raise my price much in those instances for my regulars as I want to keep them for the bountiful crop years also. But I don't mind others profiting as I use them to remind my regulars that working together on a regular basis is a two way street.

Regards, Mike


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## Uphayman

We've been moving a huge amount of rounds and squares. Getting between $140-170/ ton. Recently finished hauling an order (66 ton) , to remote area. Directions would be: when you hit "no mans land", it's another 30 miles.........always makes you nervous.......No Service......and your in the middle of nothing.


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## IH 1586

Sales not sluggish here. All sold out of squares and 4x4 rounds. Have couple 4x5 and fair amount of baleage left.

A recent local death has brought on new customers as they try to fill their hay needs. Last month we got one of them and purchased every last bale of 1st and 2nd cutting.

My cousin bought my last 70 bales of 4x4's for putting into his dairy rations. That was new.

Next year is going to be interesting with how this year ending.


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## slowzuki

If my day job wasn't so busy I'd look into it. Friend is taking his tractor trailer to get a load of second cut.

Because of the dry year last year folks were in a scramble this summer and I pre-sold all my hay. Sucks now, I'm out delivering loads getting paid 1/2 what others are getting. They will pour that money into barns and fertilizer next year and I suspect we will have a normal year with big crop and my regulars I "helped" by holding prices will not stick with me when these guys need to empty their barns.



carcajou said:


> Wanna be a hay dealer? I have lots of 3x4's that can come your way if i can get sea cans....


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## slowzuki

Yeah I was at 5$ a bale delivered up to 20 km away. Folks complaining about the price earlier in summer, then see them posting on local hay groups agreeing to buy hay for 12$ a bale that they have to go pick up off a semi near the highway.



Onthayman said:


> Yup hay in Ontario is expensive too in many areas. No leftover inventory from the year past. No rain in many areas for 2nd cut. First was really good and 3rd too. I've had people calling me for first cut and I've called for guys I know and have bought from and they are completely sold out! I sold my hay loaded on wagons in the field for 7-7.50$ and was happy. Don't have to touch it twice. These guys were selling out of the barn for 8-9 $ bale. One buddy advertised on Kijiji 200$ a bundle of 21's . I said your crazy never happen. Gone in 30 days 1500 bales. Oh well .


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## somedevildawg

Uphayman said:


> We've been moving a huge amount of rounds and squares. Getting between $140-170/ ton. Recently finished hauling an order (66 ton) , to remote area. Directions would be: when you hit "no mans land", it's another 30 miles.........always makes you nervous.......No Service......and your in the middle of nothing.


Up at least you must be deemed "essential" or surely the power that be would have you burned and staked. Can't believe they would let y'all spread Covid all over the UP.....disgusting


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## endrow

Uphayman said:


> We've been moving a huge amount of rounds and squares. Getting between $140-170/ ton. Recently finished hauling an order (66 ton) , to remote area. Directions would be: when you hit "no mans land", it's another 30 miles.........always makes you nervous.......No Service......and your in the middle of nothing.


Hay is down a bit from last year ,but if it was in that price range $140-170. I could sell that hay day and night ,all day long $170 in big squares .There is nothing wrong with selling at tyhat price either if you make money


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## Jefferson

Ox76 said:


> Give it a month or two, I'm sure it'll pan out for ya.


Wow


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## Ox76

Jefferson said:


> Wow


Wow what?


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## Tx Jim

It sure would be nice if threads were locked so nobody could reply after a few months.


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## Ox76

How would we keep posting on an evolving repair project or update others on field conditions this year, etc.? I'm sure there's lots of other topics that wouldn't benefit from being locked but I'm not nearly smart enough (and a little lazy this AM) to think of them.


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## Tx Jim

I guess you've never heard of ""exceptions to the rule""??? 

I guess my old age has caused me to be more grouchy but I really dislike reading a reply then notice thread has just now been replied to after many months/ even years since last reply.


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## Ox76

Who would decide the exceptions to the rule? Who would deem certain threads worthy of being locked and others to remain unlocked? It's a very slippery slope towards censorship, no?


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## Tx Jim

Ox76
I guess it boils down to opinions are similar to navels & everyone has one.
From my observation threads that have been replied to that are several months even years since initiated were replied to a majority by ""new members"" that reply to old thread rather than initiate their own "new topic"
IMHO if repair takes longer than a few months a new thread should be initiated anyway.
Mike10 has posted several times asking people to not to reply to his excellent NH repair procedures that are pinned at the top of machinery forum. Locking this thread to all but Mike10 would solve that problem.
Jim


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## BisonMan

In SW Ontario

My squares are flying, almost out. Next year I'll do more. I did 1000 this year.

Round 4x5's are moving slow. Selling at $0.08-0.09/lb for decent hay for guys who pick up large loads.

300 Bales left to sell.


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## Ray 54

One of the bigger in town horsey feed stores $30 for a 100 lbs 3 string bale of oat,barley, wheat mixed forage hay. I was told one of the bigger growers that will sell by the bale in the country is $25 a bale. This is our rainy season in California grain hay should thinking of tillering and be at least a foot tall. None over 4 inchses that I have seen, we our 45 days or more without rain. There is a 40% chance tonight but not looking good. We will be done if no rain soon.

I can see it now Soccer moms in a Tahoe and 3 horse trailer caravanning east to stock up on hay.


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