# Hay Production Makes Comeback



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

As hoped and expected, 2013 hay production made a comeback.

Regards, Mike

http://hayandforage.com/hay/hay-production-makes-comeback


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I do not ever put much faith in the usda , but with the grains going south there will be more hay planted , I only hope that it dont make the hay price to go south too ? The last few years have been outstanding for high prices. I never thought I would be selling alfalfa at 250 to 300 per ton , I hope the days of 90.00 hay are in the past .


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## TNKid (Mar 23, 2011)

This is encouraging. I am getting more involved in the commercial hay market this coming year. In the past, I have always grown for my own livestock, but with the volatility in the feeder market I am backing out of that business. We usually sold the extra round bales we expected to have about this time of year and put up a few hundred squares in the fall when we were done baling rounds. This year will be less calves and more square bales. We are also turning half of a grass hay field into a new alfalfa stand. I am looking at the rr seed. Have you noticed any push back from buyers in this area over rr?


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Volitility of the feeder market? All I have saw lately is record prices. As for the hay I think it will stay good for a while.


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## TNKid (Mar 23, 2011)

With these prices, typical death loss is a huge lick with the small profit margin. You add in the capital that is tied up out in the field and all that it takes is a small drop in in prices and a part-timer like me could go broke. I only kept about 100 head and a full-time day job. The risk/reward doesn't seem as inviting lately. I'll worry much less at night about a field of hay than I will about $1,000/head calves.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

TNKid said:


> This is encouraging. I am getting more involved in the commercial hay market this coming year. In the past, I have always grown for my own livestock, but with the volatility in the feeder market I am backing out of that business. We usually sold the extra round bales we expected to have about this time of year and put up a few hundred squares in the fall when we were done baling rounds. This year will be less calves and more square bales. We are also turning half of a grass hay field into a new alfalfa stand. I am looking at the rr seed. Have you noticed any push back from buyers in this area over rr?


I'm not encouraged by more hay production. That usually means lower hay prices. And a guy who does not have livestock lower hay prices are not wanted.


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hay prices can't really fall all that fast. In my opinion all the input costs have risen to much, especially rent. Rent in my area is 250-400 an acre for decent ground. I just don't see how quality hay prices could really dramatically fall. My customers are expecting prices to stay the same. @ $5-$6.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

TNKid said:


> This is encouraging. I am getting more involved in the commercial hay market this coming year. In the past, I have always grown for my own livestock, but with the volatility in the feeder market I am backing out of that business. We usually sold the extra round bales we expected to have about this time of year and put up a few hundred squares in the fall when we were done baling rounds. This year will be less calves and more square bales. We are also turning half of a grass hay field into a new alfalfa stand. I am looking at the rr seed. Have you noticed any push back from buyers in this area over rr?


No push back around here on Rounup Ready. at least 90% of all the corn and beans around here is RR, so its not an issue to have RR alfalfa. What part of the country are you in, TNKid, I am guessing Tennessee from your handle.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

TNKid said:


> We are also turning half of a grass hay field into a new alfalfa stand. I am looking at the rr seed. Have you noticed any push back from buyers in this area over rr?


This will be my third season of RR alfalfa. I have had only one person ask if it was RR....and I asked them what was wrong with feeding RR alfalfa to stock? I told him he ate RR corn and beans and he said he didn't. I said do you ever eat in restaurants or go to the grocery stores and buy breads items, cereals, mixes etc. He said he did and I told him 90% of the corn and soybean grown in this country was RR. He paused and then said OK. The vast majority of horse people won't even ask about RR. You need RR to grow alfalfa in my area (50+ inches of rainfall) unless you don't mind a bunch of weeds in your alfalfa.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

sethd11 said:


> Hay prices can't really fall all that fast. In my opinion all the input costs have risen to much, especially rent. Rent in my area is 250-400 an acre for decent ground. I just don't see how quality hay prices could really dramatically fall. My customers are expecting prices to stay the same. @ $5-$6.


The price of any commodity,corn,beans,hay.The market doesn't care one bit about what the land costs are.Or other costs of production.

Hay prices and demand has dropped.It has followed the grain price.I'd say down at least 1/3 of a yr ago.That is for livestock hay.

Horse hay in sm squares is totally different ball game.

Because of all the freeze out in this area last winter and drop in grain prices I am seeing a lot of interest in guys seeding alfalfa this spring.So that scares me a bit in hay prices going forward.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Hey cy I see you sell teff. How does it grow in your area? We are about the same latitude I wonder if it would grow good here?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> Because of all the freeze out in this area last winter and drop in grain prices I am seeing a lot of interest in guys seeding alfalfa this spring.So that scares me a bit in hay prices going forward.


But spring planting alfalfa won't affect this year all that much, will it? Because they won't really start to get reasonable yields until next year. (That is, if they don't get greedy and try to cut too much this year.)

Ralph


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## TNKid (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm a little east (60mi) of Vol. I have had a few acres of Evermore alfalfa for a few years. The weeds have been a problem but I can keep it fairly clean with Butyrac. It's not easy though. Especially last year. I round baled the first 2 cuttings. I don't drop my prices that much unless they want a semi load (which has always been rounds). I figure I'll keep it and feed it before I give it away. I'm not looking at a lot of production. Just cutting back the calves and in turn, I don't need as much of my hay ground for myself. I have one buyer that asked if my alfalfa was rr. I didn't know what to expect the response to be if I had to answer yes. Horse owners can be a different bunch.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> But spring planting alfalfa won't affect this year all that much, will it? Because they won't really start to get reasonable yields until next year. (That is, if they don't get greedy and try to cut too much this year.)
> 
> Ralph


Agree,2015 there maybe a glut of alfalfa.

With $7 corn everyone was looking to cut costs and one of the easiest thing was to cut the alfalfa out and add poorer roughage and DDG's to cut costs.So are they going to switch back to alfalfa or keep feeding stalks??


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

ontario hay man said:


> Hey cy I see you sell teff. How does it grow in your area? We are about the same latitude I wonder if it would grow good here?


Yea it should be about the same weather there as here.Just remember it dies at 32 degrees.The farther south the longer growing season = more cuttings,tonnage.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

How many cuttings do guys get there a year and roughly how many tons?


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Swmn hay, I was strictly thinking horse hay, what do you think about horse hay then? I'm in a heavy horse area and have gotten good prices for years( well dad has and I have so far). I bought cows a few years back as a backup plan if hay prices drop too far to small square and sell. Im renting forty more acres in the spring to put into alfalfa/ grass mix specifically for horsey people. Maybe I should consider solid alfalfa. Which I hate


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

swmnhay said:


> Yea it should be about the same weather there as here.Just remember it dies at 32 degrees.The farther south the longer growing season = more cuttings,tonnage.


Don't doubt that it dies at 32 degrees. It really does! Turns white that very day.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

sethd11 said:


> Swmn hay, I was strictly thinking horse hay, what do you think about horse hay then? I'm in a heavy horse area and have gotten good prices for years( well dad has and I have so far). I bought cows a few years back as a backup plan if hay prices drop too far to small square and sell. Im renting forty more acres in the spring to put into alfalfa/ grass mix specifically for horsey people. Maybe I should consider solid alfalfa. Which I hate


I think you will be good with horse hay. I just got a contract for 10000 bales at $8 a bale. The previous supplier put round bales through a balebuster twine and all and rebaled it. These guys have EXPENSIVE horses. They had to pick every flake apart to get the twine out. His stupidity is my gain. We have a big horse market that never seems to get enough hay.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ontario hay man said:


> I think you will be good with horse hay. I just got a contract for 10000 bales at $8 a bale. The previous supplier put round bales through a balebuster twine and all and rebaled it. These guys have EXPENSIVE horses. They had to pick every flake apart to get the twine out. His stupidity is my gain.* We have a big horse market that never seems to get enough hay*.


I am guessing what you are really saying is that they never get enough good hay. Those people know what they want and what they don't want. Is it alfalfa that you have a contract for 8 a bale or grass. if its grass, you're going to make me feel bad. Just got to the point where I am at 6 a bale at the barn with delivery extra on time mileage and any other costs like paying someone to load. But, no one is complaining. Still would love for someone to pull a semi into my field in June and back up to a kicker wagon and take the day's bales for 8/per. Now that would be worth a stiff drink


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

There is nothing better than having semis in the field. I love straw season just for that...unfortunately the stiff drink would make me fall asleep. =)


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

They want about half and half alfalfa and timothy.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

sethd11 said:


> Swmn hay, I was strictly thinking horse hay, what do you think about horse hay then? I'm in a heavy horse area and have gotten good prices for years( well dad has and I have so far). I bought cows a few years back as a backup plan if hay prices drop too far to small square and sell. Im renting forty more acres in the spring to put into alfalfa/ grass mix specifically for horsey people. Maybe I should consider solid alfalfa. Which I hate


I'd find out what they want for their horses.It seems like they all want something different.You get out east and they want Timothy.Around here it is Orchard or Brome.And some buyers don't know one grass from another.A grass mix may give you better production.

Some might like alf/grass but alot prefer straight grass.

Karens horse loves 2nd cut Reedcanary grass.It will pick it out of mixed grass.

So I guess there is no correct answer!!!


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Is it possible to plant a good mix of orchard,alfalfa and Timothy? Especially if the orchard is late maturing. On that note. You sell anything like that?

Did not hijack thread on purpose!! Sorry


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

The only thing I have to do is bale green hay, tight bales and deliver. With those three I'll never run out of customers.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

sethd11 said:


> Is it possible to plant a good mix of orchard,alfalfa and Timothy? Especially if the orchard is late maturing. On that note. You sell anything like that?
> 
> Did not hijack thread on purpose!! Sorry


Yes,Usually just get each ingriedient separate,and put alf in alf box and grasses in grain box on drill.Or have had guys just take it to Co-op and have it mixed with some dry fert and blow on with aiiirflow,drag in and pack.


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