Small Bale Straw Price, Bromsgrove area

[chrissie1]

Not for me as we have enough straw, but a friend is being asked £3.50 a bale for straw in the Bromsgrove/Barnt Green area. The yard is short on dry storage so she has to buy in small quantities from the farmer who makes the yard's hay.

She's considering switching to pellets but meanwhile I said I'd ask roughly what is being paid in the area.

Thanks.

 

[FairyLights]

I pay £1.40 a bale off the field Shropshire

 

[Orangehorse]

That does seem a bit high! But I suppose he charges what he thinks he can get. He has had to get it off the field and store it for the winter. Also last year there was a big shortage of decent straw due to the relentless rain. There is a lot of labour involved with making and handling small bales. Does he deliver, or is that price for collecting?

For that price, you friend will have to do her sums to see if an alternative would be better. It can be that bedding costs more than feeding if you are not careful. I think that if straw is expensive there are alternatives, like rubber matting where you only need a small amount of bedding. High outlay, but long term payback, although nothing looks nicer than a nice deep straw bed!

 

[JillA]

Small bales are getting really scarce - my contractor was deliberating getting a small baler to feed into the horse market because he could get a premium for small bales, but they take a lot of maintenance for their value. Supply and demand - can't they manage the occasional round bale?

 

[patchandloopy]

We buy large square bales now - cost effect too!

 

[chrissie1]

These were large bales that have been opened out and rebaled for the equine market. Friend has only just moved to this private yard as her previous one closed down. I have been and inside storage is very limited, I think she wants to get established before asking about outside storge for a big bale with waterproof cover.

Mats with pellets are under consideration, I have that with straw on top, works well, best of both worlds.

The price is collected!

 

[Neburu]

£1.60 in redditch.