Many people consider feeding hay to be a necessary cost in any livestock operation. But do they really know the actual cost of substituting hay when there's an absence of forage in their pastures? Figure 1 is a chart showing the primary nutrients needed to supply 1 ton of bermudagrass hay and the cost or value of these nutrients. And this cost doesn't include the time, labor and money you spend to move this hay to the stack lot and then back out to the cow. Other factors can make it difficult to estimate the price too.
Climate, location, and hay type all affect the exact cost for a bale of hay. If you want to learn about the average price for a bale of hay, as well as factors that affect hay bale price, keep reading. As you can see, the price for a bale of hay is kind of all over the board.
Above, we primarily only mentioned the differences in price based on hay type. There are other factors that impact cost too. Once again, the biggest factor that will impact hay bale cost is the hay type. For example, Bermudagrass Hay tends to be the most affordable, whereas Alfalfa Hay and Timothy Hay are much more expensive. Timothy Hay is by far the most expensive option, and not just for horses. Many other animals eat Timothy Hay, such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Because of the quality and quantity of animals that need Timothy Hay, its price is much more expensive than other hay varieties.
Interestingly, the best hay for horses is Alfalfa Hay. It has a high protein count, nearly double that of Timothy Hay and Bermudagrass Hay. In addition to hay type, hay quality matters a lot. Hay quality is measured in grades. It ranges from Grade 1 to grade 3.
Although there is no standard measurement for grading hay quality, it does give you a general idea of the quality of the hay you are buying. And even if you prefer to purchase hay every month, you still need to buy large amounts at once for your horses. But how much does a bale of hay cost? As a horse owner, you are responsible for keeping your animals at their optimal health. That is where hay comes to play. It is widely available in the United States and is a good choice of feed throughout the year.
If you want hay to contain alfalfa or Bermuda grass, then it will be more expensive. However, the majority of farmers will sell their hay by the ton.
Besides the type of hay affecting the price, the grade of the crop is also an important factor, with the first variety being the most expensive among other varieties of the same plant. If you want to know the prices for each type of hay and variety, you can visit a website of any company in the area and get a rough estimate. However, if you do this, keep in mind that this is just an estimate and the actual price might differ.
Prices of hay fluctuate all the time. In fact, you may notice that even within a single year, the prices might change. If you want to estimate your spending, you need to know on average how much your horses eat during the day. Typically, adult horses consume around 25 pounds in a day.
If you are from Arizona , here are two suppliers and their respective hay prices per bale, including alfalfa hay prices :. How much does hay cost per bale if you are living in Utah? Here are a couple of sources with their respective hay prices.
If you are somewhere in Florida , this is the current hay prices from one company.
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