# Horse Hay customers become friends?



## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

I have a few customers that range from 4 to 10 bale a couple times a year to the one that gets maybe 10 bales every month or two, Any way 2 years ago I was glad to have them but this last spring hay price more then doubled up to $100 TO $120 PER 3X3X8 and it seems hard to raise the price from $40 or $50 dollars a bale although I was able to push it up a little. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it was just 1 or 2 bales but when you do the math on 50 bales at an extra $50 it helps pay the bills. We even went to Thanks-giving at the one couple he likes the same brand antique tractors as me. Talking with my large baler guy and he said it should be no different then when you rent land and the land owner raises your rent because some one else in the neighborhood gets more.It looks like this year the hay price should be good but you get that price swing from when everyone has hay in August to when people are running out in March thru May


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Same way here. You hate to increase price but when inputs rise so should the prices. The first cuttings are easy to make but the last one is always a challenge and more costly. In the South we battle weather and hurricanes and also army worms and stem maggots. The stem maggots just keep coming. The customer only sees the hay sitting in the barn and think it just appears there with no issues.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

All of my hay customers started out as existing friends. Really good friends, mostly coworkers. Almost the worst kind of customer to have because you hate to charge them what you really should be.

So then I started looking forward to branching out and getting additional customers that were strangers. Shouldn't feel bad about charging them market price, right? Well, when people really like your product they become loyal to you. When they become loyal to you, they become your friends. So my 'stranger' hay customers then became my friends.

This year was really the first year when I set the guilt aside and charged what I should be to everybody. Once you finally do that is when you realize they appreciate the service and quality of product and they're happy to pay it.

Each year I get more buyers that want to get hay from me for the following year too. They complain about their current supplier and how much better my hay is, or how much better their horses love it. It's really reassuring to hear. That again reaffirms that they're happy to pay the price if they're getting good service and quality. They already knew the price of the hay when they responded to my ad.

First year selling hay at a price guilt free, and it's felt really good.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

My main income is in insurance. Having to explain the every increasing price of health insurance especially to a business is never fun. However when you have the facts to back up the amount of claims a group has or the amount medical charges have increased it helps.

Was told years ago have the reasons for the increase in pricing in writing and people will trust the reason of the increase much better. If you had a simple form showing what percentage say fertilizer cost or herbicide increased it reinforces why the price is increasing. It also moves you from being a selfish person to a business owner is being fair.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Palmettokat said:


> My main income is in insurance. Having to explain the every increasing price of health insurance especially to a business is never fun. However when you have the facts to back up the amount of claims a group has or the amount medical charges have increased it helps.
> 
> Was told years ago have the reasons for the increase in pricing in writing and people will trust the reason of the increase much better. If you had a simple form showing what percentage say fertilizer cost or herbicide increased it reinforces why the price is increasing. It also moves you from being a selfish person to a business owner is being fair.


Case in point, when Netflix raised their prices substantially without explanation and it backfired big time on them.


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Same here Hayjosh


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

When costs rise you can explain and justify it, but its a little different with a supply and demand market, sure I can tell them that I didn't get as much hay this year because of the weather and I need to keep enough to feed our own animals and I could explain that because I got one less big bale per acre that should raise the price on the other bales, but like other commodity markets such as when the price of corn goes up a dollar you like to cash in on it even thou the price it cost you to raise your bushels doesn't change


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Sometimes people surprise you, Don 't know if she shopped around or talked to someone, but the one gal called today for hay. So I told her face book marketplace and craigslist were around $80 to $90 and I told her I would deliver a load to her for $80 a bale so she was good with that.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Hay auctions have alot to do with price setting . And its not always the best because so much is bought by order buyers , who sometimes stick together


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

endrow said:


> Hay auctions have alot to do with price setting . And its not always the best because so much is bought by order buyers , who sometimes stick together


I use hay auctions as a guide but in years with a low price I'm priced over the auction.In yrs with high prices I price under to regular customers.High priced years I'm prly short of hay like everyone else so don't take on any new customers.

If price is crap in middle of summer it's not for sale and give away prices that the auctions may have.Just because I have it doesn't mean I have to sell it at current price,just like corn or beans.Had a guy try telling me I had to sell him hay at the summer low for the yr,NOPE.He asked to rent a farm from me also,lol.NOPE


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Lately alfalfa has been in demand and I had to wonder if farmers would not look around . A Jockey we deal with has been buying a lot of alfalfa in from Kansas and Nebraska. And It has changed the markets a bit .


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I have two couples that will be going on the annual VFW hayride with us, they've been buying hay from us forever.

I usually set prices as I start to make the first hay of the year, they know if I'm a little high they more than equaled out when by those springs when price has doubled or tripled I'm still charging the same per bale for long time customers.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Yuppers, my bestest farm hand is a hay customer and a darned good one too! He has "one of the boys"(thats the same as saying he's a son)stature at the farm!


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

What is it when a hay customer gives you 2 horses,friend or enemy.  But I did have the option to say no. And I did hem and haw for week before I said yes.

No I have had horses on the ranch always,just not a horse crazy. Now 4 grandkids from 9 to 2, and the 2 boys are somewhat interested in riding. These are older horses and suitable for the kids to ride. Not like one my son has that is just obnoxious.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Right on with the selling at your time. Grain can be sold whenever based on market, why not hay? Granted the buyer prolly needs it, but is it wrong to sell above a lulled market price mid summer? I'd like to think I can set my price, but still be fair to both buyer and seller (me). And I let them know that. Makes a difference if it is stored away or still on the wagon. 
Lotsa variables to consider.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

My hay is all under cover and I sell at MY price, market or no market price! People around me are selling at a way lower price too right now, its the same every year, they sell out by September at $3 a bale and I start sell at $6 for first and $7 for second.
And usually sell out by the end of February. I used to get hay from NY but folks complained their horses wouldn't eat it so I stopped. Now I stash some "reserve" hay for this occasion lol to keep my regulars held over till new stuff is ready. 
Lately I have seen a huge increase in "goat hay" seems folks with goats want the cheapest stuff there is? Ok construction hay for them I guess? That sells for $4-5 a bale.depends if it a year old or fresh made lol.


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## Draft Horse Hay (May 15, 2014)

Wow -- we had goats that would hardly touch pretty nice grass hay and even some alfalfa hay. They do llke brush so maybe it was too good for them?

Pricing hay for me depends on: 1) if the customer can come pick it out of the field before I handle it 2) if I had to move it from the field stack to permanent cover 3) quality and yield for the year (we get one cutting/yr).

I have one loyal customer that calls me a month ahead of time wanting to schedule a time to pickup hay that isn't near ready to cut yet. She ends up buying 1 or 2 T max but damned if she doesn't drive well over an hour one way to get it and there's lots of hay between me and her.

Also --- got my the best new hay customer this year, although she was a bit late in contacting me. Once we agreed on price and I told her where the stack was, she contacted me to tell me when she was planning to come pick up AND she showed up like clockwork! Even folded my tarp. Oh --- and she brought no help and loaded her trailer 4X ...... before heading for her day job. No nonsense and reliable. Love it.


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