Stocking up for winter - who does it - best prices

W

Winklepoker

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 June 2009
Messages
1,212
Visit site
I would like to get stocked up for winter on Bedding (Wood pellets) and Haylage (smaller bales 45kg or Horsehage size). What are the best prices you have found?

Do you find it cheaper to stock up or do you buy in as you use?
 
We've just ordered Liverpool wood pellets again they worked out the cheaper of the 3 companies we compared by about £60 per pallet incl delivery.
 
Well, I buy most things in bulk, but don't stock up as such as it would present quite a bit of a cashflow challenge ;) 50kg bales of haylage cost me £6.50, I ordered them all, but haven't bought them as such, just pay as I pick them up. I buy bedding by a pallet, this time the cheapest option was Littlemax for £6 per bale delivered (I don't do pellets - they would be even cheaper, though :)) I have some own hay, will be buying in more, but I don't know how much it will cost me yet.
 
My farmer saves enough hay for winter for me, but as I used large square bales he bring one up to me each time I need one (by bringing it up I mean he puts it on a spike on his tractor and moves it to the next field which is mine!) I don't have enough storage for large bales nor the means to move them.

Am picking up my bedding for the winter on Sunday - I use small bale straw. Normally would use same farmer for large bale straw and manage in same way, but the small bales are working out cheaper collected off field this year.

I have used small bale haylage before and it worked out so expensive. I ended up going back to big bales and splitting cost with others to share the bale/having a bale to myslef and opening it up allowing it all to dry so it didn't go mouldy before I used it.
 
I use small bales because i find i over feed when it comes off round ones so i dont save money there.

I buy hay bales back from the farmer who cuts our field. There is enough bales normally for at least us and spare for him to sell.

I then buy some barley straw and haylage bales as my poor doers get the haylage and hay mixed and the fatties get straw hay mixed. I have a bit of grass so thankfully only need to feed at night when they are in.

I will be ordering 1 ton of liverpool which will last me as long as they are in (working off 1 bag per week per horse) unfortunately the cheaper pellets which are the ones i use come in a slightly bigger bag so i have to work out how many bags to use (as the one bag per week is based off the 10kg bags not the 15kg bags)

I am grateful we have storage for hay/haylage/straw/bedding so i can stock up to last me the winter. Last year i was at a different place and i didnt have any storage at all except for one small feed shed.

I had to buy as i used (and fed large bales of haylage) i ran out much faster than anticipated and got stung with £30 bales and £35 bales where i had been paying £20 and £25 per bale.

if you have space its cheaper to stock up i think. Before things get scarce and prices rise.

Im lucky we have found extra hay (not enough this year) at £4.50 per bale and i only need another 20. Also haylage at £4.50 per bale too. Going to pick it up ourselves in a couple weeks. These are the cheapest prices i have found round here! I can get straw at £4 per bale but i have heard i can find it for slightly cheaper so have a few numbers to ring first before i commit to £4.

Hope this helps.
 
I just ordered a pallet of haylage (small bales of EH haylage) and it works out that they are just under £1 cheaper per bale than when I buy a few at a time. There are 40 on a pallet so got a good saving there!!

I have also moved from shavings to straw this winter and get in 5 big bales at a time. £50 and the 5 bales last me near on three weeks compared to the £50 per week I was spending on shavings last year.

So all in all, people may be getting xmas presents this year with the extra penny's I'm saving!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top