Hay Cost Per sq. Bale? (California: work, housing, suburbs)

[2beamissourian]

What is the going price there now?

We have a new neighbor here ... she has horses in California getting delivered ... and she is from there but moved to our area (that were wanting to move from)
and she told last night she was paying $13 a bale in Cali!!!
she purchased 600 bales from us last night ..no where near $13 a bale!

[firebll31]

Right now I can get grass hay for 2.00/small square bale-I haven't looked yet at round bales or my prairie hay guy. One concern I have is that a lot of the farmers in this area are selling out their land to developers for housing, and that's really going to cut into the local supply. What happens when we have to get our hay from out in Kansas or Oklahoma? Gonna get expensive fast. At least we have had plenty of rain this year, so supply should not be a problem. Last year was very dry and people were scrambling mid-winter to find any. Then the thick snow and ice hit and animals were consuming LOTS of hay because there was no foraging.

[G4inMO]

Where in CA did she live? I paid more than $13 when I was there 2 years ago. As for now we have our own hay.

[2beamissourian]

i have no idea where abouts she lived ..she purchased a farm house across the way from me ... and I am not sure but I think she purchased the bar in town that has been shut down over and over.

I live in a town that there are as many bars as churches - too many bars for me!

[Versatile]

With the past drought conditions in the south and other areas there will be more hay shortages. There is no 2 yr old hay left around thus that means none any newer. We just had costs including fertilizer of about $50-55 per round bale costs. Why would we want to sell for $60-65. Were we usin this logic; then the logic of working at something else is obvious

[ShadowCaver]

Depends upon what kind of grass/clover the bale is, along w/ market [local, regional, etc.] influences. FIL just cut his grass, but then typical spring shower dampened such yesterday. He gets ~$50's for his round bales - Phelps County, MO. Clover, etc. will gather higher prices. Square bales [the kind that I spent many blistering/stifling hot summers tossing upon wagons and into stuffy barns] are still in the $3 ballpark.

Tagging along comment made above... worrisome that with the ethanol demand for corn, suburbs creeping all over, and other demands on a limited resource [land], prices are going to get quite interesting for some of the basic commodities, even the ones that the vast majority of people don't consider or are even aware of in their daily routines.

[cmartinez1]

We have two horses right now and are paying between 16 and 18 dollars a bale for 100 pound bales of alfalfa. Between the hay and supplements we spend 120 a week to feed 2 horses. It is becoming a real problem for people and as a result, many people are simply letting their horses go (run loose). Here's a link to an article that ran in today's local newspaper.

http://www.google.com/bookmarks/url?...nD_5KsZ5w&ct=b.

Sad story but it is becoming more and more of a problem as hay prices continue to skyrocket.

[firebll31]

Is there a reason you are feeding alfalfa instead of prairie hay or fescue? I'm assuming you have high-performance horses? I was always told alfalfa was too rich to feed straight to horses, and would cause colic. I'm lucky my old gelding has always been an easy keeper-grass and salt block in summer, fescue hay and mineral block in winter. And the donkeys could practically live on vines and stick-tites alone!