How much does hay cost?

[Greylegs]

Stupid question that I ought to know the answer to, but I've been on full livery for ages where it's included so not had to actually buy any for years. I'm now thinking of moving to a DIY yard which is much closer to home so am trying to work out my costs. Thanks for your help ...

 

[teach]

It varies a lot according to where in the country you are. In Lancs good hay is £5.50/bale.

 

[Archangel]

At the moment I am paying £4.99 - £5.25 a bale. Haylage (25kg) £5.75. This is Surrey.

 

[Greylegs]

It varies a lot according to where in the country you are. In Lancs good hay is £5.50/bale.

Never thought of it being regional! I'm in the East Midlands (Derby area) if that makes a difference. Thanks all.

 

[Echo24]

In Kent it's £3.80 a bale through a local farmer and we buy in bulk

 

[Auslander]

I buy big bales (7ft), which are £40, and last 4 horses a week fed ad lib- so would last ages for one!

 

[ihatework]

To buy good quality small bale in small volumes you are talking around £5 - £5.50 a bale.

If you can offer storage to buy in bigger loads then with a bit if searching you should get decent stuff for £3.50-4 ish.

Other option is big bales - you are looking at around £40 depending on weight. Usually offers the best value.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Aaagghh - some of you are paying a LOT of money for hay/haylage. I DO buy in bulk - my regular supplier is £28 per bale for BIG, good quality haylage bales. But just managed to buy 110 BIG bales from a local farmer (this season's) for £21 a bale - delivered and stacked.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Small bale in NW Surrey is currently £2.50 - £3.50 off the field. Mine was £3.50 delivered in & stacked in barn 2 weeks ago.
Happy to pay the extra to save my diesel, time and effort
Mid winter last, I had a top up at £5 a bale from farmer, tho feed merchants were £6 on average +/- but then they do have to arrange storage/delivery etc.

Over the winter 2011/12 feed merchants were charging around £8 a small bale round here as hay was in short supply.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I agree with Janet George here! These prices sound extortionate. I was paying high prices like this a few years ago when it rained all summer and i was buying from a feed store etc but recent years hay at local sales has gone unsold, people are clearing out last years left overs from barns to store this years crop which is also very good so will be flush with hay this year.
I could get small bales off the field this year and last for £1.50-£2.00 if i'd wanted it. OP- shop around, try local farms and just ask the other liveries when you go to yards, they will know of places to try.

 

[oldie48]

there's a bit of a glut this year compared with last. I've made double the number of haylage bales this year without fertilising but adding up all the costs of making it I don't make much profit selling at £25 for a square bale + delivery charge.So I guess hay prices will be a lot lower this year as there will be plenty about.

Aaagghh - some of you are paying a LOT of money for hay/haylage. I DO buy in bulk - my regular supplier is £28 per bale for BIG, good quality haylage bales. But just managed to buy 110 BIG bales from a local farmer (this season's) for £21 a bale - delivered and stacked.

 

[Dry Rot]

there's a bit of a glut this year compared with last. I've made double the number of haylage bales this year without fertilising but adding up all the costs of making it I don't make much profit selling at £25 for a square bale + delivery charge.So I guess hay prices will be a lot lower this year as there will be plenty about.

Yes, there is plenty about and prices at the moment are low.

BUT the weather has been very dry for most and they won't get a second cut. Also, if it is a hard winter prices could shoot up after Christmas.

Always better to have too much hay than too little. I won't be selling any of mine.

£5 for a small square bale sounds a lot. There should be at least 10 in a 4x4 round bale and even allowing for the extra labour of small bales that is expensive.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

£4/bale delivered here in Crewe - but I think that is as much because of the volume of the hay/straw the yard gets through so it's still quite low price wise. There was someone selling hay off the field for £2.50/bale.

 

[only_me]

Good quality Small bale hay is currently selling here at £2.50 to £3.00 a bale! That can include delivery as well.
Big bale hayledge is selling for £20 a bale, and is delivered.

But as others have said, there will be lots of hay cut this year thanks to lovely weather

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I think some of you are paying a very high price for your small bale hay. Around my area they are selling for around £3 -£4. At our yard we are selling small bale hay, cut, turned, baled & barn stored week commencing 21 July so all nice & dry @ £2.75 per bale. At that price the buyer collects. We've sold 120 & will be selling about 300 more.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

£4 a bale (not delivered). Its always excellent quality-have not had to throw any away in 4 years plus my hay guy keeps hay for his regular customers. This year I'll be able to keep 100-120 bales stored. I've been quoted £35 for a round bale delivered and could take 2 at a time, but tbh, I'd rather stick to the supplier who's never let me down. Others I know in the area (Central Scotland) are paying £5-7 per bale and I've paid £6 (when trying out other suppliers) that was just awful. There's alot of sheep hay about-absolutely no good for my lot.

 

[xgemmax]

I'm Kent and pay £34.00 for a heston bale or £3.50 a small bale

 

[Pinkvboots]

Am paying between £4 and £4.50 for regular hay bales in Hertfordshire.

 

[Springate11]

Im buying it off the field at £3 a bale, meadow hay delivered..Stansted area..

 

[Houndman]

£28 for large (square) bale delivered (from farm up the road). Does about 3 weeks.

Don't waste your time with small bales unless you absolutely cannot manage larger ones.

£4.50 a small bale is unbelievable! This must be people buying and selling them on.

 

[Tern]

Gloucestershire it is 3.50/4.00 last year - can not remember so will need to see what price it is this year.

Houndman - We would use big bales if we could get them through out lane as I live in a village and the horses live in the garden..

 

[Borderreiver]

Anybody who has ever tried to make hay will never think it expensive. Blooming hard work for little profit. Be thankful!

 

[Honey08]

We pay £5 for small bales or £35 for large bales, the large bales work out much cheaper. The prices are high, but we don't live in a good hay making area, so our supplier buys it from 30-50 miles away. I have friends in hay making areas that buy it for cheaper, but we haven't the transport or the storage to get it off the field ourselves. Our supplier always brings good quality hay, is reliable, never runs out, and is a nice bloke (and far from rich). I don't begrudge his prices.

 

[pinball]

small bales of hay £2.50 large round bales £25 straight in the barn in the Staffordshire area

 

[Ladyinred]

Here in Kent, £35 for a very large bale from farmer delivered to the exact spot we need it. Two smallish horses and it lasts five weeks this time of year and four in winter.

Works out, in summer, at 50p each per horse and you won't hear me grumble at that!

Before anyone asks we feed hay in summer even though out 24/7 to stop the fatty gorging too much grass, means they stay on a barer paddock and seems to work well.

 

[spacefaer]

Just paid £15/big round bale off the field and delivered.

Small bales are about £4.50 - can't justify using small bales - we have big horses, and one horse = one bale/day in the winter, so each horse would eat £31.50/week, ie £189/week for 6 horses :O . One big bale lasts 6 horses 5 days @£15 bale - no brainer!!

 

[The_snoopster]

I pay £3 a bale I have 50 delivered at a time and pay £10 delivery, he can carry 150 a time but I cannot store that ammount. Last year I tried large haylage off him which cost £30 per bale and they last ages as he bales them fairly dry and would easily go 2 weeks and still be fresh, so this year I will defo be having haylage as it can be stored outside and I can order the whole winters fodder in one go.

 

[HollyWoozle]

We pay £5 per small square bale, delivered, here in Bedfordshire. Having said that we are only able to store a small amount at a time so the farmer comes quite often, the bales are very heavy and tightly packed (there is significantly more hay in them than many small bales I've seen), it's excellent quality and our horses love it. We've had big round bales before but we don't have a feeder for them and I found it very fiddly to peel bits off.