Hay and straw prices

We are charging £4.50 for small bales of hay and £30 for round bales.
Straw is £3 for small bales and £25 for round bales.

We did half or our haymaking in June but got still got about 64 acres left to do. We are hoping to get that done next week. Harvest is the priority though.
 
We pay £5.75 for a small bale of hay here in Central Beds, but as far as small bales go they are big and heavy and they deliver us 21 bales at a time included in the price. We are steeling ourselves for an increase in prices.
 
Mine are £30 for a big round bale of hay (farmer has already got loads in ready for the winter) and £20 for a big rectangle of straw. I realise I’m lucky as a lot of others pay a lot more in the area and a supplier I tried before I found this one quoted me £60 for a bale of hay!!
 
We cut one field at the end of May lovey haylege but reduced yield we have another to cut and just waiting waiting waiting getting quite concerned as the window of dry weather next week is reducing every time I check the forecast.
Looks like it will be haylege as not looking like we could cut hay anytime soon.
Prices rising all the time that's if you can find any it's like gold!!!.Still have 10 big bales of last year's hay to keep us going.
Quite a worry.
 
I'm on £6.75/bale for 2022 hay - it's good quality and the bales are heavy. I am hoping that people who haven't been able to cut their hay yet will be able to use the warm dry window that's due from this week coming.
 
Really worrying about the window of dry as it's forecast good Sunday and Monday but showers Tuesday then dry Wednesday and Thursday so not sure whether to go for it or not it will have to be haylege if we do decide to cut.
Such a worry.
 
We had our mower booked for next Wednesday, but weather has changed so we had to cancel him.
We are tempted to graze our hay fields with sheep instead and just hope our June made hay is enough to do us this winter.
Straw prices may rise, a couple of our arable farmer friends have chopped their straw instead of baling it as it's too wet.
 
I don't bed on straw but was considering feeding some this year and have been looking out. As far as I can see all our local farmers have concentrated on getting the grain in and left the straw behind (understandable).

The one I drive past every day left it lying for weeks but did eventually bale it, I imagine that'll be pretty poor. It's a livery yard so I wonder whether he is just trying to get in enough for his clients.

Farmers are having a terrible time of it. Around here we all baled hay at the end of June and got huge yields but not twice as much, and now they're struggling with grains and looking unlikely to get a 2nd cut of hay. It must be so awful.
 
I can only store small bales as my hay is stored in a spare stable so couldn't get a big bale through the door. Most suppliers are out as they either haven't been able to make any or their first and only cut has sold out.
Massaged to find a guy who brought me 40 bales at £4 per bale when others were £5-5.50 a bale.
It's first cut hay which scares me feeding my cob (I'm soaking it) but at least the field it comes from has had little or no fertiliser.
 
Straw quality isn't going to be so good this year, especially if, like me you prefer the long stuff!
It's also looking as though there may be a shortage of chopped rape straw bedding. We make and bag this at home and we've seen the big brands advertising for rape straw wanted.
I hate the stuff but it's very popular round here.
 
setterlover said:
Really worrying about the window of dry as it's forecast good Sunday and Monday but showers Tuesday then dry Wednesday and Thursday so not sure whether to go for it or not it will have to be haylege if we do decide to cut.
Such a worry.
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Nightmare isn't it!! We currently have a window Wednesday to Sunday so I think we are going to go for it.
 
My first year with no horses and I have been clearing out all my leftover hay. Some went for £1.00 a bale earlier in the year and the rest on a contra to a friend. I just wanted it gone. Maybe I should have waited!
 
I was told on Friday about someone round here who is going to disc all his rape (80 acres) as growth from both the bottom of the plants and the pods have made it an unviable crop this year.
 
Baling and wrapping late afternoon evening today .Dried nicely looks like a good volume so should be good haylege looks like we have just got it done in the window of dry weather .
Relieved beginning to think we would never get it done.
 
Someone I know has let local dairy farm take their hay crop as silage as they don't think they will be able to make hay from it this year.
 
Phew!! Haylege done!!!
Not a bad amount plenty for us but will have none to sell this year I think a lot of people will be the same.
Showers forecast for tomorrow so glad that's done really began to think we wouldn't cut anything the way things were going.
 
Must admit ours was fairly green looking when we first cut .and when we baled was only a day or so off being hay.
We did cut it slightly high as we were a bit worried about the base being a bit yellow as it was quite thick at the base .
With the first cut in May and this cut we have enough for our own use .
We usually have about 20 to 30 big bales to sell but there won't be any to sell this year I don't think.
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
My first year with no horses and I have been clearing out all my leftover hay. Some went for £1.00 a bale earlier in the year and the rest on a contra to a friend. I just wanted it gone. Maybe I should have waited!
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I let a livery have mine when mine went to retirement, it was probably two thirds of a bale, never even got a text to say thank you.
Lesson learnt! Thought they would have been grateful.
 
Cortez said:
Fervently glad that I no longer have a horse, or other hay-eating beasties. Buckle up, unless the weather does an extremely quick volte-face it's going to get (even more) expensive......
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Me too, on horse duty this week for a friend and can't begin to imagine how I used to afford it - let alone now!
 
Tarragon said:
Someone I know has let local dairy farm take their hay crop as silage as they don't think they will be able to make hay from it this year.
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I can see two enormous hay fields being cut for silage yesterday/ today near me. It's not "my" hay farmer so I'm hoping he's got a decent stash
 
Birker2020 said:
I let a livery have mine when mine went to retirement, it was probably two thirds of a bale, never even got a text to say thank you.
Lesson learnt! Thought they would have been grateful.
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I took a load of stuff down the tip on a recent shed clear out- gave some rugs to a friend who was delighted but saddles etc are a nightmare to sell and being wintecs I just binned them as can't be bothered with rude people on marketplace etc...how rude to not text a thankyou though
 
maisie06 said:
I took a load of stuff down the tip on a recent shed clear out- gave some rugs to a friend who was delighted but saddles etc are a nightmare to sell and being wintecs I just binned them as can't be bothered with rude people on marketplace etc...how rude to not text a thankyou though
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I totally agree. My friend has had some stuff mainly on a contra sold a couple of bits but cba to advertise majority. I have 40 years of stuff mainly quality hunting tack so English, Havana and plain. Not finding it easy at all. May do an equine car boot but finding it quite hard and emotional. Said friend very grateful and says thanks.
 
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