Price for hay off the field?

[JillA]

Any ideas - I know it varies from area to area, but what price would you think was low enough to generate a lot of interest but not too low, so I can make some profit to cover Her Ladyship's expensive medication?
I have enough haylage left from last year to feed my lot and although people were interested in buying some the transport and handling was a problem. But the hay field needs mowing, so I am going to have small bale hay, weather permitting. It needs to go off the field, sharpish because I haven't got storage space for it, except a hundred or so I might hang on to.
What price is anyone paying for hay anyway in the Midlands - I can pitch it below that to make sure it is attractive to people to stock up?

 

[Stroppy Mare]

Depends on the price of fertiliser and baling. It costs us about £1.50 max per bale to grow our own. That's going to vary depending on the farmer you use to cut, turn and bale plus the fertiliser. The fertiliser cost is what'll bump your price up.

The price for off the field will also depend on what the normal current price for hay is. Around here it's about £4.50-5.50 depending on seller. Sometimes more if you get the wrong person! We sold some hay last year from the stable for £3.75 a bale.

 

[JillA]

Depends on the price of fertiliser and baling. It costs us about £1.50 max per bale to grow our own. That's going to vary depending on the farmer you use to cut, turn and bale plus the fertiliser. The fertiliser cost is what'll bump your price up.

The price for off the field will also depend on what the normal current price for hay is. Around here it's about £4.50-5.50 depending on seller. Sometimes more if you get the wrong person! We sold some hay last year from the stable for £3.75 a bale.

I would have thought it depends more on what people are willing to pay - that's why I posted. I didn't use any fertiliser so my ingoings won't be too bad but I need to know what people are currently paying.

 

[JustKickOn]

Selling £4/£4.50 that I know if per bale in warwickshire.

 

[3Beasties]

I'd also be interested in the answer to this as will be cutting my own hay for the first time this year. I'll have some small bales left over but will need to shift them quickly as I have very limited storage. Obviously they need to be priced accordingly!

 

[hayinamanger]

We paid £2.50 per bale off the field two years ago.

 

[lamlyn2012]

I'm paying £3:50 for decent hay. Staffs/Shrops border.

 

[debsandpets]

I pay £3 per bale off the field in Warwickshire for very nice quality hay, my horses have gone mad for it 3 years running now

 

[smudge99]

I pay £3 per bale including delivery and its lovely hay.

 

[clippi]

When we had our own it cost about £1.50 to make then when I ran out I paid £3.50 for small bale good quality hay and a fiver delivery, so if I was buying off the field I would want it somewhere between the 2

 

[JillA]

When we had our own it cost about £1.50 to make then when I ran out I paid £3.50 for small bale good quality hay and a fiver delivery, so if I was buying off the field I would want it somewhere between the 2

Did you include the cost of the crop in that - i.e. loss of use of the field for 3 months? Or was that just the contractor? Did you use fertiliser? That seems quite expensive for just contractor but I haven't had small bales made for over 15 years so I imagine just the baling would be 50p a bale or more?

 

[3Beasties]

I've just been quoted 35p per bale for baling by a local farmer.

 

[Penny Eater]

I've been paying £5 a bale in Warks - quite steep but it's organic, good quality and from a wildflower meadow so lots of horse-friendly herbs.
Has to be very good quality for that price though, someone on Preloved was advertising their 'amazing organic hay' also for £5 a bale - went to see it and it was practically 100% ryegrass and dusty as hell

 

[clippi]

Did you include the cost of the crop in that - i.e. loss of use of the field for 3 months? Or was that just the contractor? Did you use fertiliser? That seems quite expensive for just contractor but I haven't had small bales made for over 15 years so I imagine just the baling would be 50p a bale or more?

That was just the contractor, I know it was turned twice. We had it done mainly to clear the fields when we moved in as it was above waist height. We were probably taken for a ride by the sounds of things