Hay Prices

MurphysMinder

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We got far less off my field this year. Yes the weather has been good for making the hay but the lack of rain meant it hadn't grown very much (not fertilised). The chap who makes the hay said the price of haylage/silage wrap had gone up ridiculously so he was making less haylage and more hay. The other issue is that the grass round here has totally burned off so some people are already feeding hay so there may be a demand going into winter.
 

Surbie

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The other issue is that the grass round here has totally burned off so some people are already feeding hay so there may be a demand going into winter.

There may well be. But last year winter was warmer and wet enough that the grass perked up and kept growing throughout and there was no need to feed hay in the field. Lots of us ended up using less than we thought we'd have to. Personally I am crossing fingers that that happens again!
 

Squeak

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There may well be. But last year winter was warmer and wet enough that the grass perked up and kept growing throughout and there was no need to feed hay in the field. Lots of us ended up using less than we thought we'd have to. Personally I am crossing fingers that that happens again!

Last year was a lovely/ easy year for the horses - far more grass and far less mud. I think we've paid for it ground wise though as it went like concrete very early on and it sounds like some of the water reserves are starting to get low.
 

MurphysMinder

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There may well be. But last year winter was warmer and wet enough that the grass perked up and kept growing throughout and there was no need to feed hay in the field. Lots of us ended up using less than we thought we'd have to. Personally I am crossing fingers that that happens again!

Can’t argue with that . Mine only had hay when there was a heavy frost , they lived out all winter and put weight on !
 

ameeyal

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We make hay and haylage to sell on, our hay isn’t going up ,still £4 for a conventional bale, not sure if our haylage will be going up normally £30 a bale.
 

Apercrumbie

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We've had a pretty good crop this year in Somerset - it would have been bumper but we don't fertilise. I imagine increases will come from fuel prices and fertiliser prices.

It's been a great year for it though, I can't remember the last time we had it this bone dry. Far less stressful than last year when I was really worried about the stack going up in flames as some bales were a bit damp!
 

Bellalily

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Last year was a lovely/ easy year for the horses - far more grass and far less mud. I think we've paid for it ground wise though as it went like concrete very early on and it sounds like some of the water reserves are starting to get low.
You must be in a different area from me. My poor chaps’ field was submerged for weeks on end. I’m still trying to sort the feet of one of them after throwing the biggest abscess you’ve ever seen. ?
 

Toby_Zaphod

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We're in North Warwickshire & buy in large haylage bales at £30 delivered, I order 3 at a time. Hay is more costly, I think it's £40 for a huge bale but not sure as I use haylage. Whatever the price goes up to it doesn't really matter, we own horses & they need feeding so we have to pay.
 

eggs

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Lots of hay being sold off the field round here for between £3 and £3.50 a bale Oxon/bucks borders.

I get large round bales delivered for £35. I spoke to my hay guy recently and he said they had plenty of hay being made this year and are still selling last year's hay.
 

Carlosmum

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If you can get hold of hay at a good price at the moment I would, The price will go up. Whilst last year was a good crop and this year has been fair, the current state of the weather means some of us farmers who make later hay are having to use the grass for grazing or feed the current years bales to keep stock fed,
 

HappyHollyDays

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I am paying £4.80 for last years small bale meadow hay delivered and stacked. Supplier is in the village but he buys in and makes his own on a huge scale. In the winter I have his large bales at £30-45 depending on size, again delivered and stacked. I could go and buy straight off the field in summer but the convenience of having his delivered to my door outweighs my fuel costs.
 

Midlifecrisis

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I asked my small rectangle hay supplier if his price would go up yesterday….he said “why do you want it to?”..me “no”…”well then I ll look after you”….so £4 a bale it is….small victories…
 

milliepops

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we're down about a third in yield, it's really nice hay as the weather was brilliant but not so much of it. so has cost comparatively more because you can't economise on the diesel used to cut, turn and bale it. tho OH is hoping to get a second cut off the field that was cut first so we will hopefully end up with plenty of it.

I'm glad i don't have to buy it in, i haven't stopped feeding hay in the field, my grass is totally burnt off so i'm going to get through loads this winter.
 

Nasicus

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My supplier is charging me £4 per small bale + £20 delivery, so works out as £5 a bale for 20 delivered (I had 40 last time so it was £4.50 a bale delivered, but don't have the space for more now).
It's perhaps £10 more than I was being charged with a previous supplier, but the hay I get now is absolutely perfect for the girls, stalky meadow hay that's great quality but not so tasty that they guzzle it all down in one go like the previous suppliers was (lovely stuff, soft green meadow hay that they absolutely coveted and devoured!).
Over the past 5 years, the price doesn't seem to have changed much around here for small bales, which is nice. Bigger bales are a different story, but I lack the storage and ability to move the bigger stuff around so small bales it is.
 

ElleSkywalker

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Had 200 bales of 2nd cut hayledge delivered yesterday, little bales well wrapped but approx 35kgs each, £8 a bale including delivery as had a trailer load straight off the field so they didn't need to take it off and store it before bringing it back out. Thrilled with it as paid £8 + £2 each delivery for 35kgs small bales of hay a few years ago and been paying £6 for approx 25kgs of badly made small round bales the last few years ? Did get a few bales of hay from a friend straight off field collected myself for £4 each so think there are still bargins to be had.
 

exracehorse

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Good crop in Suffolk. My hay supplier is only charging an extra five pounds for his big round bales to cover fuel increase. And lots of last years hay and Haylage for sale.
 
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