Hay Hell

[Karie]

Right by the farm I am at there is a hay auction.
The farmers or hoarders (ha ha) bring it in in stacks 20-50 bales a stack
or so.. I have been paying $3.50 a bale for 2-3rd cutting Alfalfa mix (beautiful)
Anyone with the room should start a hay auction at your farm (if there aren't any in the area) It really could work out well for you.

Not sure what the auctioneer would cost for 30 mins of work..
I don't know how much the auction house charges for bringing hay..
But you guys should really do it!! Or find another place close to have an auction!

[AscotStud]

my brother went to an auction recently, a dealer who jacks the prices way up bought almost all of it. We should let the air out of tires the night before the next one

[Karie]

ha ha .. I agree!!
When the farm manager goes to the auction people just leave.. He will buy 300-500 at a time depending on price....
I just buy for my own (12) and cant buy more than what will fit in my trailer.

There has been an increse in the amount of hay over the last couple weeks. The amount of hay at the auction has doubled.

We had a guy approach us with 1000 bales of 2nd for $4.00 delivered and stacked. The roof of his barn blew off and he needed the hay gone.
It was good for us..
and 2 months ago we had a semi load sold out from underneath us also.
It sucked.

[Dave C]

I'll offer my opinion on the hay situation. We make about 3000 tons per year, all big round, in our local market they're only worth about $25/bale for the better quality bales. Unfortunately for most everyone on the board here shipping hay out of Alberta is prohibitively expensive. At $25/bale it isn't worth growing and consequently we've begun plowing fields under to grow more profitable crops. You will find this trend is widespread across NA and consequently you can expect the price of hay to start following the price of other crops such as corn and wheat. At current crop prices I would need $10/small square bale for hay to be competitive with what I can make from growing other crops. Other people will pencil it out differently but I think within two years you are unlikely to find anyone selling for less than $8. JMHO

[MINNOW]

We took action last year as we were warned about a shortage,We had to stock pile it into the arena.I have been thinking about hay cubes,any one use them? I am hoping it wont come to that.but if it dose like to be prepared.
Do you soak it ? looks dry to me would not want to cause impaction.

[Jenny]

We are paying 8 cents a lbs right now.
If this is the trend and the price stays the same, you are going to see a lot of hungry horses. It will effect everyone. Board will have to go up dramatically. The price of beef will also go way up. We are already feeling the crunch. Corn and oats is up to $200 a ton unprocessed. Feed (pelleted) just went up again by 20%. How do they expect anyone to make any money?

[AscotStud]

Just like anything, thet are trying to bend the consumer as much as they can without breaking them. Like how vet bills seemed to climb along with the purses, or stall doors doubled within 2 years.

[Dave C]

Feed is a commodity subject to the international supply/demand situation. Vet or training bills are services and prices become a function of what the market will bare. The consumer has been getting a break on feed costs for the past 10 years or so as the market has toyed with how tight it can push carry over stocks without raising prices. Consequently, for 7 of the last 8 years the world has consumed more wheat than it has grown and the ending stocks at the end of this crop year are so low that if there are any production problems anywhere in the world, there could be bread rationing on a global scale. To try to prevent this the market has begun to raise prices to encourage producers to grow more wheat. Wheat prices have doubled in the past year as has the price of soybeans and other food oil crops, hay and oat buyers have to compete for acres against the demand for human food production. Cattle, hog, and poultry producers are in the same squeeze as horsemen except they tend to have less room to tighten their belts.

[Jenny]

Ascot
Are you running out of hay? Where was the auction? I have the name and number of the guy I told your brother about it a while ago and he said he would get a hold of me if you needed any. I even told him I would lend you guys my Kubota to unload it!! lol

[AscotStud]

I think my brother is afraid he's running out of hay every day of the year. That's why I'm glad I'm down here in Arkansas, I don't have to hear the crying. The auction was somewhere near Cayuga. He got some of the big square bails. Every year it's the same crap and there is always hay come May, until I see the day there isn't I don't bother listening to the old boys.

[Jenny]

That is where mine came from. I am getting some more delivered soon.

[hemphill]

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, this summer will be much the same as last with less than normal rainfall. I'll be stocking up as much hay as I can find.

[spex4me]

I love the OFA. I scoffed at it when my mom showed it to me years ago, now I find it hits more than it misses.

I paid $5.50 for 70# coastal grass hay bales
$7.00 and $7.50 for 50# alfalfa hay (very nice stuff) bales
$7.50 for Timothy #40 bales

Guess I will be paying the same this year too as now I will be placing the order next month.

[Jenny]

spex
I wish I could talk in quantities like you. 70 or so small squares etc. I have been though over 200 4x5 round this year already and we are still 4 months off till new stuff. I also bought 160 4x4x7 big straw that will last till they cut more. and 100 3x3x7.5 big hay. I which I will be getting another delivery next week. Just Shoot me!!!!!

[Gerry]

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, this summer will be much the same as last with less than normal rainfall. I'll be stocking up as much hay as I can find.

We have been talking about that as well and plan to build a barn just to hold approximately 10,000 bales of hay and about 300 sq bales and then will watch it rain and prices tumble isnt that the way it normally goes?