buying hay and flax/shavings in bulk

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kombikids

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has anyone done this and knows anywhere to get some? i am based in n herts but thinking of filling up a lorry with some hay and possibly flax or shavings for the winter. Am prepared to travel to cambs/essex/beds s lincs if anyone knows anywhere?? please! spotted last week that someone was buying and selling hay for £2 a bale so would make it worthwhile for me. thanks for any help.
Or has anyone got the local feed supplier to discount shavings/flax what sort of quantity do you need to buy and how much do you get off?
 
I have tended to buy bedding in bulk - 100 bales at a time and hay off the field in the summer (300 bales upwards but you have to go out and collect it yourself!) - much cheaper.

Phone round all of the local suppliers and get a feel for prices - the differences can be enormous, and if you have farmers making hay/hage, try and speak to them direct if you are game on to pick up off the field. It's a bit of a trog but well worth it and once you have a relationship with a supplier, it is easier to get a good price for next time.

Last year I ordered 100 bales of flax from a new supplier, but prices rose over the autumn and on the day they delivered it (having agreed a price), we unloaded their lorry, then they said that the price had had to go up.....so we refused the delivery and had to re-load their lorry - I still think that they were pulling a fast one and thought that I'd just pay up the extra as we'd off loaded. In the end, I got my old supplier to haul me 100 bales of Bedmax flippin' miles for me, bless them, as we'd done business for years and it was enough quantiity to make it worth their while. Moral of story....choose suppliers carefully!

Good luck! no idea what hay prices are going to be like this year? we haven't made ours yet.....but £2 a bale is going to be last year/year before hay, so check out quality. Cheapest isn't always the best etc....

Here endeth the first lesson!

Catherine
 
Hi

With the price of tractor diesel more than doubling in the last 12 months (32p-68p!!!) hay will be a bit more expensive than last year due to the sheer cost of making the stuff, however as the weather is not as dreadful as last year yet hopefully quality will be better.
The plastic for haylage has also gone up 25%-30% due to oil price.
Don't forget to cost out the fuel for running around getting something which is only a few pence cheaper. I know lots of people who travel 25 miles to get 10 bales of shavings because they are 25p cheaper than down the road. Maddness. Your average 4x4 will cost 25p per mile in fuel and a 7.5 tonner 40p
 
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