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| Discussion on Need Advice on Selling Hay | |
| Author | Message |
| Member: Soljan |
Posted on Monday, Feb 23, 2004 - 8:29 pm: Ok, I joined the site because I was interested in stabling horses. Well due to lack of knowledge that will be put off for now. I have, however decided to plant, cut and sell horse hay for now. I need to know a few things from horse owners.1) How many bales (square ~65lbs) per year do you feed your horse? I hear 1/2 a bale a day. 2) If anyone in my area (Southern Alabama) can let me know the price they are paying for hay bales, with and without delivery charges. 3) What kind of hay do you prefer to feed your horse? 4) How hard would it be to get you to switch suppliers, especially if they were growing a newer hybrid Bermuda grass, even though he would supply sample analysis. This hybrid is actually supposed to be slightly better nutrition wise than Alicia Byhalia. Any help would be appreciated!! If possible please send replies to my home email address because I sometimes have a hard time navigating this site. soljan31@mchsi.com Thanks again Mike Soljan |
| Member: Imogen |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 2:31 pm: Dear MikeThe usual weight of small square haybales in Europe is 33-44 lbs not 65 lbs. That's about all I can contribute other than it helps, if you think about the fact that the bales will be toted largely by women, if you don't set the baler to bale too tightly so that you can't easily get your fingers under the strings. Especially as women often wear gloves to save their hands... Obviously too loose is bad too... All the best Imogen |
| Member: Dres |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 5:18 pm: Wow, Imogen, only 33-44 lbs... here in N.California our bales are anywhere from 65 lbs * which i consider to light* to 150 lbs... average bales are over 100 pounds...i buy directly from the grower and pay usually $7.25 per bale give or take .50... the hay is of great quality.. grassy/alfalfa.... my horses love it... as far as bucking the hay...i found that i use leverage and my knees a lot... not easy but has to be done... Ann |
| Member: Christos |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 5:39 pm: Thanks for the tip, Imogen,I'll bale at 30 lbs this year and have the so-supportively-watching girls carry it... 
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| Member: Warwick |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 6:04 pm: The bales I get here on the West Coast range from around 60 lbs for local grass hay to around 90 lbs for alfalfa/grass mix. You can get the really big alfalfa bales that weigh over 100 lbs but they are just too heavy to handle. The 90 lbs ones are pushing my limit!I pay $5.50 CDN per bale delivered for the grass hay. I buy it from a local farmer and he brings over 125 bales at a time on his hay wagon. He throws it down to me and I stack it. The alfalfa/grass costs $10.95 CDN per bale plus a $20.00 delivery and stacking charge. This comes via the local feed dealer as we can't grow this hay on the coast - too wet. We don't get the types of hay that you want to grow, Mike. Most common varieties up here are local grass hays, orchard grass, timothy, fescue (not too many horse folk feed this though), alfalfa/grass mix, and straight alfalfa. Imogen - I've never seen bales the size you get in Ireland. 50 lbs is about the smallest you could find here and they don't tend to sell well as everyone wants the bigger sizes. |
| Member: Kari |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 7:22 pm: I live in northwest Tennessee. Common mixed grass hay will sell at 2.00 to 2.50 a bale if picked up in the field. This hay is usually not fertilized and may contain several different types of weeds. The bales will weight from 40 to 50 pounds. Figure an additional 50 to 75 cents if you pick it up from the barn and probably another 50 to75 cents to have it delivered.My hay supplier provides me with hybrid bermuda at 3.75 per bale delivered. The bales usually weights between 60 & 75 pounds. It is weed free and fertilized. He also provides me alfalfa at 4.25 a bale delivered. These bales will weight out at approx. 50 to 65 pounds. The alfalfa is also weed free and fertilized. Prices in other parts of West Tennessee usually run anywhere from 1.00 to 2.00 more for this same quality hay. I might add that the last 100 bales seem to gain an additional 25 to 50 pounds when you are stacking them in the barn! |
| Member: Tkranch |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 8:55 pm: All the great prices for hay I am hearing is making me ill. We live in Washington State at the farthest NW part of the US you can get (besides Alaska). The best hay we can get is trucked from E.Washington at over $15.00/bale. Some bales are 70-80lb and sometimes 140lb (which cost more). Even our local orchard grass hay is $8.00/bale which is ~70lb. |
| Member: Ribbons |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 10:19 pm: I live in West Central Georgia. Coastal Bermuda is the most commonly fed hay in our area.My guess is that the bales usually weigh somewhere around 50 pounds. I have paid between $3.50 to $4.50 (weed free and fertilized) depending on the supply available-this is with out delivery.I can't speak to other varieties.One local supplier tried making small round bales as opposed to large ones and according to him they sold really well.He said a lot of women purchased them because they were easy to roll of the back of pickups. I backed my truck into barn and rolled it out by myself very easily. He charged $25.00 for the small ones and $40.00 for the normal sized bales. |
| Member: Cnichola |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 11:08 pm: I live in Idaho and I don't pay for hay by the bale. I pay for it by the ton. I pay off a weigh slip at the time of delivery. Mixed grass/alfalfa hay here runs about $120 per ton delivered. (The delivery charge if paid separately is usually $40 for a 4-ton load). Bales run 75-100 lbs. All-grass hay runs a little more and the bales are lighter. Alfalfa runs a little less and the bales are heavy. My advice to someone that wants to sell hay is to make sure your product is high quality, that you deliver what you charge for, and that you make it easy for your customer by offering delivery and stacking at reasonable fees. I used to buy my hay from the grower and then I would have to arrange for delivery by someone with one of those picker/stacker trucks -- it got to be a real pain to coordinate and a lot of growers wouldn't hold hay until your delivery person to get there. I finally found the nicest grower that also delivers, delivers when he says he will, delivers what he says he will, delivers weed and mold free hay, and calls me a week later to make sure I liked the load. I wouldn't switch from him to someone else even if I paid 1/2 the price. |
| Member: Rjbraun |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004 - 11:11 pm: Hi I stay 6 mosin WI. and 6 in so Tx. in WI. i get 75 lb. bales of grass or alfalfa for 75cents to$1.00.In tx. grass is $2.50. alafalfa $3.50 50lb bale, some dry years a lot more. |
| Member: Terrilyn |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 8:48 am: Getting your hay to the buyer in the sizes and prices they like is important, but there is an art to producing good hay...it is a subject that any hay grower will go on at length about given the opportunity! Before I thought about final product, I'd make sure I had the right equipment (for example, some back yard hay guys will cut with a bush hog causing fine little grass shreds that don't hold together well--waste!). From fertilizing, knowing when to cut, then cutting and drying to teddering (sp?) and baling, it is a science. And horse people are very, very particular...I don't know a hay guy around who thinks this job is easy, and the one I've been using for several years and who has equipment stacked to the loft is finally getting out of the business of growing because he has determined he can make as much bringing hay in from other parts of the east coast and selling it to his customers here (we're in southeast Virginia). For the past two years, weather has been too dry and then too wet...growers are "baling out" left and right....best of luck to you, but mostly what hay buyers (for horses anyway) want is hay that is soft, DRY, mold free, green, and good smelling. I don't mind paying a little extra for really nice hay. The bale size you are looking at producing, though, is very much on the small side. I don't buy anything under 45 lbs. |
| Member: Terrilyn |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 8:58 am: Oops, that wasn't your post on baling 30 lb. bales! Sorry...need to pay more attention! |
| Member: Soljan |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 11:02 am: Ok, my bales will be on average 65 lbs. I have the equipment to cut, rake (fluff) and bale the square bales. I feel safe in being able to deliver fertilized mold free hay.So are we in agreement that you feed one horse about 30-35 lbs of hay a day, and also does it increase or decrease at different times of the year? I am not looking at a huge operation to start with, probably 15 acres to start with. My line of thinking (ha ha) is if I can supply feed for 30 horses who eat 1/2 a bale a day (based on a 65 lb bale, or they eat 30-35 lbs a day) that equals out to 1/2 bale times 365 days a year = 182 bales per year per horse, so if I can supply 5400 bales a year, it should be covered. From the type of grass I am planting, I estimate getting 6750 bales a year at least. I am aware that horse owners are very particular about the hay they feed their horses. Do any of you specifically (and actually) look at the content of the grass, or do you just know that the type you use has the nutrient content that is suitable? Also what nutrient content do you look for? |
| Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 11:26 am: MikeI feed approximately 1/2 bale per horse per day 50-65lb bales in the winter. I do not feed hay during the summer as they are on pasture. So from about October to March-April (I am in TN). It also depends on how much they are eating. If there is a lot of hay left at evening feeding I dont put out anymore until morning feed. Personally Im not that picky about the hay as long as the horses like it. We have basically fescue/timothy/orchard/clover. I look at it for weeds, shafts, color, etc. and smell it. My horses are easy keepers and I dont feel the nutrient content of my hay is that important as they have good pasture and get grain and supplements as needed. I guess more picky people hold out for the bermuda or alfalfa. Colleen |
| Member: Annes |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 12:10 pm: I agree 100% with Terri. To find someone who can provide "horse quality" hay is worth his weight in gold. I currently have two cattle farmers (brothers) cut and bale the hay on my farm twice a year. I get all the bales and round rolls I need for my 4 horses and I give them the rest for their cattle. The yield is easily 100+ large rolls 2X a year. They even stack the bales in the barn for me. No money changes hands. They lease the adjoining farm for their cattle so they can move the hay without even getting on the road. Last year the yield was so great on the 1st cutting, they were able to sell the 2nd cutting. They keep the fields in good shape - spreading lime and fertilizer when needed, bushhogging along tree lines, helping clean up fallen limbs and trees, and have re-seeded the field where my horses are pastured in the winter. Now I know this sounds perfect BUT as Terri stated so well, conditions have to be just right to produce good hay. Last year the hay has just not been up to par....fine for cattle but not for horses. The weather was too rainy and difficult to get a long enough dry period to cut, rake, dry and bale without getting wet. I am having to check each bale for mold. It is also too pale and not the good green, sweet smelling hay I like for my horses. Since the hay is perfectly good for cattle, I know they think I am too picky. If I do not see an improvement this year, I am planning to find a supplier to purchase quality grass hay. This will be a shame since I have 110 acres with perfectly good pastures - mostly fescue. Thanks for listening...I don't get the opportunity often to converse with people who actually know what good quality horse hay is! - AnnP.S. - To S.T. Bruce in NW TN....I am in Clarksville and would appreciate the name of your supplier if you don't mind sharing! |
| Member: Soljan |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 12:46 pm: I have just spoken with a lady who currently raises Tennessee Walkers. She has 40 of her own and boards 22 more. She sounds like my market, because she says she rides with 15 other ladies and assures me that if I out produce her needs, she can sell the rest. She did say that she could not handle any fescue whatsoever. Her reason was that it made the placenta too hard and she would lose the baby. Just thought I would toss that in, incase it wasnt well known. I do not know that much about horses myself, I like them, but have never owned one. |
| Member: Kari |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004 - 6:25 pm: To Ann Schrichte,My supplier is Rhett McIntosh aka Lane Gin Co. He is located in Lane, Tn. a small community located approx. 8 miles north of Dyersburg, Tn. His phone is 731-538-2807. If, for any reason, the phone number is not okay, contact me at stbruce@usit.net and I'll get you a better one. I got it off a pen given me sometime ago. |
| Member: Soljan |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 12:20 pm: Can anyone give me a working definition of "fescue"? Is it a type of hay, or is it something in certain hay's? Thanks!! |
| Member: Shirl |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 12:33 pm: Mike, I'm no expert on hay, but from what I do understand, it is a type of grass, which can be cut for hay. First time I heard of it was when my son lived near Benson, AZ and the pastures around him were fescue! Horses and cows were eating it. Whether it was cut and baled I have no idea.Shirl |
| Member: Suzeb |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 12:36 pm: Mike,Fescue is a type of grass and there are many different varieties. Try running a search on www.google.com and type in the word "fescue" without the quotes and see what you yield. Susan B. |
| Member: Sunny66 |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 12:38 pm: I think fescue -- like wheat hay -- is bad for breeding mares ...someone correct me if I"m wrong... |
| Member: Annes |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 1:02 pm: Mike,Fescue is a type of grass. I am in TN and my pastures are mostly fescue with some orchard grass and clover. It is very low maintenance...I do not have to fertilize and it reseeds itself when cut at the right time. Also it is very tolerant of DrOught and low ph conditions. I do not have brood mares so do not have to worry about those problems. Of course, I do take my horses off the rich fescue in the Spring to avoid any laminitis problems. I am not sure, but I think this is done in the Spring no matter what grass is grown. Hope this helps. - Ann S.T. Bruce - Thanks so much for the name of your supplier. I may be too far away for him to deliver but I am going to call. |
| Member: Beezle |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 6:29 pm: This site may be of use to you:https://www.hayexchange.com/ |
| Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2004 - 6:39 pm: I am in TN also. In TN and KY fescue is very common. It is a grass. Most of the hay you get has fescue in it unless you specifically get alfalfa or bermuda. There is a, correct if Im wrong, bacteria, that can be associated with some species of fescue that is thought to cause reproductive problems if consumed during late pregnancy. I have fescue in my pasture and in the hay I buy. It is my understanding to be safe take your preg. mare off fescue for the last 1-2 months of gestation. I had a foal last may and took my mare off pasture and purchased hay with no fescue for the last 6 week just to be safe (We had abeautiful colt). I have never had a problems with laminitis. Clover has been my problem in the spring.hope this helps Colleen |
| Member: Bonita |
Posted on Friday, Feb 27, 2004 - 9:29 am: Hi Mike! Although I am too far away to be part of your "market", as a horse breeder I have to concur with others who are advising you to do a lot more research into the different types of forage produced for horses. I personally would NEVER buy hay from any supplier who didn't know exactly what was in his hay. In fact, the folks I buy my hay from have it analyzed for nutritional content before selling. That way their customers know what they're feeding.As far as fescue goes, in hay I avoid it like the plague - not only because I already have far too much of it growing on my property, but also because I do have pregnant mares. Nearly all fescue carries an endophyte that regularly causes thickening of the placenta in pregnant mares, which in turn causes foaling difficulties in the worst way. Although several seed companies are now advertising an endophyte-free fescue, the problem with that is that the regular fescue has been proven to be a stronger & more agressive type, so if you already have fescue growing on your land or adjacent parcels, your fescue-free grass will, unfortunately, end up being overtaken by the bad stuff & you are then back where you started. To be on the safe side, I only purchase timothy/orchard grass/alfalfa mixes, or by these types individually & mix my own. |
| Member: Nightwin |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 28, 2004 - 8:39 pm: I live in s.e. Virginia and this past fall planted a pasture with a new hybrid endophyte-free fescue, sold as MaxiQue by Pennington, at the recommendation of a local extension agent. It is doing beautifully so far. I plan to keep horses off of it until this fall. However, unlike most fescues which cost about a dollar a pound of seed, Maxique costs 4 dollars a pound. The agent said that based upon the soil survey of my farm and local climate fescue is the grass of choice. Since this was formally a soybean and cotton farm, I don't have any common fescue to fend off. |
| Member: Bonita |
Posted on Sunday, Feb 29, 2004 - 8:21 am: You're so lucky Wendy! When we first bought our place 6 years ago, I spoke with our local extension agent about pasture renovation, & he told me not to bother with the endophyte-free stuff because of the fact that I am surrounded on 3 sides with properties that are nothing but the endophyte-infected fescue. He said that after going to all the time, trouble, & expense of renovation, I might get, like, a year or two of endophyte-free grass, & then the "bad" stuff would start appearing.So, I just left things like they were for now, & will probably overseed with something else once we fence off enough pasture for me to seriously rotate horses. |
| Member: Soljan |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2004 - 11:43 am: I would like to thank everyone for their help and input. I will gladly keep you posted as to how things turn out, if anyone is intrested that is, heh but you probally arent. : ) Thanks againMike Soljan |
| Member: Juliem |
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004 - 2:39 pm: I need some input from members aboutyour hay preference. I manage (in exchange for board) about 40 acres of very nice grass that I market and sell as top quality horse hay. The fields were planted and are maintained specifically for this. We spray for weeds, fertilize and irrigate. The mix we planted was mostly Timothy and Orchard Grass with some Brome--a mix touted by our University of Idaho ag department. Horse people love this hay as it's hard to find quality grass hay. Most hay grown in Idaho is alfalfa and what grass hay is available is usually just whatever happens to be growing in the field--mostly cheat grass and fox tail with thistles and milkweed mixed in. Now my question--would the addition of some clover--the pink stuff horses love that doesn't cause excess salivation--be a plus or a minus in your opinion? Would certainly appreciate your feedback, Julie |
| Member: Goolsby |
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004 - 4:06 pm: A plus for me. |
| Member: Eoeo |
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004 - 4:42 pm: While some would probably like having clover mixed, I personally have never used any. We raise top quality alfalfa but do buy grass to keep on hand for horses that have just come back from the track, an overweight one, or for one that gets sick. The problem would be on your end, the fact that when you put clover into your mix, you have to cure it different, I would believe. Grass is put up dry. I am not sure how you put up clover, I know you have to have dew (moisture) to put up alfalfa, does clover need moisture? I personally wouldn't mess with your end product if it is top quality. EO |
| Member: Imogen |
Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2004 - 5:21 am: I personally like some weeds in my hay (except thistles and docks and nettles of course) as I think it makes the hay more palatable. I did some research on horse pasture mixes before reseeding a field this year which we will graze and take hay off. A lot of the UK suppliers offer herb seed mixes to add in - I didn't do this since I figured we will get plenty of natural weeds quick enough but it might be a thought/add value/provide you with an increased end price.All the best Imogen |
| Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2004 - 8:09 pm: Maybe Ireland has some succulent weeds but here in the bad old USA most weeds decrease palatibility. Pluses of using clover:
Minuses::
Have you inquired at your local extension about birdsfoot trefoil? A clover-like plant it does a little better in the middle of the summer when the grass lags the worse. DrO |
| Member: Imogen |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 1:28 am: Dr O - I was suggesting suitable herbs not weeds actually be added to the mixture! By the way, we have lots of natural birdsfoot trefoil in our fields here and the horses don't like eating it. I've always wondered why since they love the clover.All the best Imogen |
| Member: Cara2 |
Posted on Friday, Jul 23, 2004 - 11:19 am: Hi Imogen,My mare goes out of her way to munch on nettles and thistles, fresh (well wilted in the case of nettles) or dried and she has been known to chew thoughtfully on the stems of dead docks as though they were gum! I think she likes a bit of variety so I never remove them. |
| Member: Imogen |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 1:45 am: Helen, I agreed - I often go out on a summer evening with an old sickle and slash the nettles/thistles/docks to stop them seeding. The horses absolutely relish the slightly wilted weeds and the access to small pockets of previously unaccessible grass and they follow me around the field. But since these weeds are invasive plants, you don't want them in your hayfield if you can avoid it...All the best Imogen |
| Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 10:04 am: Over here it is often recommended by extension and horse nutritionist for some situations. Though accepted as the least favorite legumes of horses the only reason I can figure your horses don't eat it is they have things they like better. But to have horses that perfer nettles and thistle over trefoil... DrO
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