Just thought it would be interesting to see how hay prices differ across the country.

I'm paying $3.75 a bale (alfalfa/grass) for small (75lb'ers) here in central WY...but I think the average here is in the $5 per bale range.

I'vebeen a regular customer of my supplyer for almost 20 years, so I get a slight break.

I bought a round bale of coastal hay for $50. It is huge, must weigh close to 1350 lbs. There has been rain in most of Texas and we've just been getting a little. I normally pay $40 for a Round Bale that weighs about 900 lbs.

We just bought 1000 75lb squares of first and second cutting alfalfa bales from a guy that were left overs from 2007 for $3 each. I put in my order for round bales the other day. I ordered 75 round bales of 50/50 grass and alfalfa for $40 a ton and 25 grass bales for $30 a ton. I prefer to buy hay by the ton rather than by the bale. I will also buy about 350 squares bales of grass hay from a guy for $1.50 a bale.

Well you all seem to be doing good in the hay prices. Down here on average we are paying around 40-50 for round bales and they are at 900 lbs give or take. For some square bales that I bought this week I paid 6.50 per bale. I know that out of the fields you can get them for around 4.50 to 5 a square bales. Then you have to figure out what gas prices are right now...here it is 3.97 per gallon then you have what most people make per hour here....which would be around 7 dollars an hour. Here and now I understand that the prices of everything has gone up and everyone is suffering. I have seen in the past year that some peoples live stock is looking poorer as time and prices go on. I just don't know what we will see around here in this next year. People here are not buying any type of live stock and selling is at a all time low. I have already heard from some of the hay fields that hay prices here are going to rise even more when the winter moves in. So then the hay will most likely cost as much as most people here in my town makes per hour. Why is it so high here you have to think that back when Katrina hit it took out most fields and storage barn and almost all hay was lost that year. Then the next year we had dry times not much hay that year. Last year it rained some and did better but the hay was so high then and gas prices was on the rise. The year Katrina hit hay out of the field was only 2-2.25 per bale out of the fields.....round bales where 20-30 per square bale. The hay here is growing like you wouldn't believe with it raining here in the afternoons and sun shining the rest of the day.

I'm getting mine baled for $1.25 a bale, he is the cheapest guy round here, been told some are charging 3 a bale just to bale and if you are buying the bales its 4 to 5, round bales are $20-30 a bale

We just bought last weekend 150 round bales of costal (1500 lb) for $32.50 and 100 squares of coctal for $3.50 a bale, we hauled it.

Paid $4.25/sq bale delivered last summer, expect a little more this year. The bales are huge though (100lb+), but we need to find a cheaper way to make manure.

Around here its about 4.00-5.00 a bale. (Im not sure of the weight...about 10 flakes to a bale). That is for a simple grass hay. Shavings and feed prices are increasing. Shavings are getting scarce to get and run about 5.00 a bag. Feed has jumped from 11.00 to 13.00 for a 50 lb bag.

10 flakes would only be around 50 pounds, depending on the hay itself, and how compacted it is.

In north Missouri prices are all over the place. We paid 3.25 for nice brome delivered (about 10 miles) bales averaged 50 lbs. but this was from a friend of ours. Another friend ended up paying 4.00 in the field for horse grass hay (not quite sure of the mix) and we were quoted 3.75 good brome in the field from another hay source. A friend of mine in north east OK is paying between 10.00 and 12.00 for alfalfa.

We are still trying to get our hay in (brome), but it seems like when we get 3 or 4 days without rain, something else happens, or the ground is too wet to lay hay down. We almost cut on Thursday but there was a 20% chance of rain. We got 1.1" this morning (whew, dodged another bullet!)

I'm considering feeding hay cubes this winter instead of bales as primary feed. Will keep a few round bales around for cold winter days to give the horses something to do instead of standing around.

arent hay cubes a bit more expensive? then again your in southern ab, straw and hay is not cheap and noone wants to drive down there from up here cause its just not worth it gas prices being this way and all, i think on the road in the summer we pay 3-4 a bale but at the ranch we have someone bale our own hay so I dont know the cost of rounds these days, Im talking alfalfa/grass 50/50 not just plain ol grass

I think that depends alot on if one can buy in bulk or not, and if they have decent storage for cubes.
I have a friend who buys in bulk, and she says she does'nt have as much loss as with loose hay (once a bale is open and being fed)...but she also has good storage. She has to travel 150 miles to get them though, so I don't know if she's really saving anything or not.


Next question:
Do you all prefer first or second or third cutting...and why?

Big rounds are 20 to 40 here.Depending on quality and type.

I cut my own, just grass and clover, whatever grows in the fields I get to cut. probably have about $5,000 worth in my barn, and another couple thousand worth in a borrowed barn. some from land I keep mowed for a hunting club and some cut on shares. between me and several friends that help we have around 20 horses to feed. But I think It's running about $3 a bale in the field, usually 4 delivered.

WOW! here in Tucson, Az. the average feed store price is $14-$15 a bale for both alfalfa or bermuda. Bermuda being the more expensive because it requires more water. This summer was particularly bad because of gas prices, a bale drops to about $10-$12 a bale during the summer.
I get my own hay (alfalfa/bermuda mix) from the farm directly, so I pay $8 a bale.

Most feed stores only carry alfalfa or bermuda, so I don't know the price of other types of hay.