Is this just a bad time to buy hay or what?

[valmom]

Spring is a terrible time to buy hay! Only the crappy stuff is left and it is expensive! First cut is coming, even up here.

 

[Wifezilla]

I don't use hay but I do use straw for bedding. Not the same, I know, but even with my limited space I can store 4-6 bales on old pallets and covered with a tarp. Would that work for hay?

 

[ksalvagno]

Hay needs air around it. It can get moldy quickly if wrapped up in something. That is the nice thing about the straw. Unfortunately, some type of storage barn or hay loft in current barn would be in order.

 

[savingdogs]

I don't use hay but I do use straw for bedding. Not the same, I know, but even with my limited space I can store 4-6 bales on old pallets and covered with a tarp. Would that work for hay?

I live in what is practically rain forest, everything is wet here. I cannot afford to invest in hay and have it go bad, buying it individually until I have better hay shelter is really the cheapest. We do have plans for a small hay shed in the very near future.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Hay was selling for $35/round bale last year (2008-2009) This past year I had to pay $60/round bale. Ouch!
Putting alfalfa down this year. Hope to get enough from that to satisfy my needs. One piece I farm will yield about 14 round bales of hay...which should be good enough. I also get about 60 square bales from the other field I hay. Square bales are easier for me to handle although my JD 5425 will life a full size round bale when I need to do so.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Hay was selling for $35/round bale last year (2008-2009) This past year I had to pay $60/round bale. Ouch!
Putting alfalfa down this year. Hope to get enough from that to satisfy my needs. One piece I farm will yield about 14 round bales of hay...which should be good enough. I also get about 60 square bales from the other field I hay. Square bales are easier for me to handle although my JD 5425 will life a full size round bale when I need to do so.

Our rounds are as high as $150
And those guys are not organic! They use junk on their fields.
Thankfully, we can buy the giant squares for about $90.

We bought as we needed it over the winter, 12-16 bales at a time, but hope to buy all we need this summer for the year.
The farmers have a deal, where you can go out in the fields and pick your own small squares for $4 each.
We have also been given the option of working for a couple of the farmers and being paid in hay for helping get the bales into the barns.
Then we could get the giant squares, which I really prefer now.

 

[Denim Deb]

SD, you can store hay outside on a pallet under a tarp-if you have boards on the top. I've never done this myself, but have heard of others doing so and not having a problem w/it. This allows the air to still circulate, so it doesn't go moldy.

 

[Henrietta23]

Hay storage will be a priority here too this summer. We can buy 12 bales at a time but two of our sources are now out and we're having to find someone else. No one will divulge where their hay comes from because they're worried that source will dry up for them! I'm trying not to get frantic about it but I hate this!!

 

[savingdogs]

I've been forced to make the goats forage more than before, but that is probably good. I notice they forage better when they haven't been given 24/7 hay!

 

[big brown horse]

SD, I know a hay guy that delivers micro condensed timmothy hay bales. They are quite heavy, but they are only the size of about 2 cinderblocks. I don't think he will deliver down there, but someone else might. Or you can pick them up. Either way, they don't take up much space. You might want to look into that.

At Dells they sell condensed alfalfa and sometimes timmothy grass. Bring your back brace though!

And yes, this last shipment of eastern WA hay that I got recently was from last year, but it still looks/smells good and the horses dig it.