(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

January Hay Update

B

Bill VA

Well-known Member
As was mentioned in a thread earlier by TF, there is a glut of hay in VA. None the less, we have been moving hay and holding the line on our pricing, but it’s slow. Mild winter so far. What is the saying about winter, “In like a lamb, out like a lion.” Perhaps sales will pickup in February.

I try to to do a hay update video once a month depending on what I’m wrestling with at the time...

The link below is to a video I put up about a week ago - Hay Update January 2021.
Hay Update January 2021
 
I've always heard it said about March, if March comes in like a lion , it goes out like a lamb and vise versa.
 

That is good that you can hold your price. This last summer I got $6.00 a bale picked up in the field. What are you getting down there.
 
We got 22 inches of snow here in NE Ohio on December 2nd so I guess we are opposite of what you are experiencing for winter. I would expect that with the milder weather delivery is easier. Good Luck with the hay sales.
 
I live in central Virginia, and around here it is said nothing improves hay sales like the first good snow!
 
True but the Valley Trader had about a full page of hay ads this past week plus what is on CL and FB Marketplace.I'll be middle of Feb until I feed all the hay from 2019.Seems like many farms quit cattle and went to making hay to sell.And everyone I know that has cattle is about in the same place I am plenty of hay on hand.
 
“That is good that you can hold your price. This last summer I got $6.00 a bale picked up in the field. What are you getting down there. ”

We get $6 per bale first cut and $7 per bale second cut for our horse quality hay. Cow/goat hay and bottom bales lower priced.
 
Horse people are always looking for hay year round.

Only people feeding hay to beef cows this time of year is guys that did not plant enough rye grass.

Dairy farmers still using hay because it is so cool.
If they leave the cows on the rye grass all day they will fill up on grass and will not eat any grain.
In the summer time they do not have this problem because it is so hot the cows will go lay down in the shade during the middle of the day.
 
Here's some more sayings:
"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered".
"Hope is not a strategy".
We are about 45% of the way thru our "winter", meaning the time interval that the grass is not growing. Hay sales and prices were pretty good in Nov and December, but at the moment the near term weather forecast is for better than average weather. I lowered my hay prices about a week and half ago to get things moving a little. I think there are alot of farmers holding hay back so I prefer not to get caught up in the March/april rush when everyone is cleaning out their barns and prices erode further. If Im wrong and February and March are rough, cold months, so be it. Its not worth it trying to "give" hay away in the spring. There is one anomaly that Ive noticed locally tho, 1st crop rounds seem to selling for a premium.
 
Cost way more to tear up ground and plant anything than it does to make hay,plus fescue will grow anytime rye grass will grow.Most hay fields and pastures in my area haven't been torn up in 40 or 50 years any seeding is done with pasture or sold drills.
 
Got $1.25 and $1.50 for my small squares bales this week. High I saw was $3 for one bundle, most went $1.50-2.

Hay is typically pretty cheap around here, pretty amazing to see $4 a bale it’s like a jackpot win.

About the same for all crops here, we typically get 30 tp 110 cents less than CBOT published prices.

We have to raise a lot on a little here to pencil out, man if I could get $6 a bale year in and out the whole farm would go in grass.

Paul
 
[b:654c4848f0]Cost way more to tear up ground and plant anything than it does to make hay[/b:654c4848f0]

When measured on a cost per pounds gained; I have never seen one Ag station research paper that agrees with that statement.
Yes hay may work out; or be easier; when you are carrying over brood cows threw the winter.
But if you are trying to pack pounds on stocker calves nothing beats annual rye grass or a rye grass/clover mix at a stocking rate of about 600 lbs per acre.
 

Come on up and plow up a few acres around here and you'll see what I'm talking about,you'll spend a few days picking rocks,cost of seed is thru the roof,erosion on hills,plus when the ground freezes nothing grows anyway.Then there is the part of the fields no tractor can go on without turning over.There is a reason the gov't ag folks are gov't employees and not farmers.
 
We had 8000 bales this year all is gone except 100 bales that is spoken for all went to horse people.This was the first time I was sold out before the first of the year.Many of them were afraid that there would be a shortage like last year
 
Traditional Farmer
That is like saying I bought a palm tree from Florida.
Why did it die when I planted it in my yard in Iowa.

Of coarse I was talking "My Area" of the country where we have the climate and conditions to support green grass 12 months out of the year.
 
Enjoyed your hay video! I remember I watched another of your hay videos months ago, and enjoyed that one also. I'd better subscribe.
Everything you said for your area is about the same as here, WI. Mild winter and plenty of good hay compared to last year when there was somewhat of a shortage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

2
2-105 MFWD axle update
Replies
8
Views
507
AB Jonny
A
B
Hay Update for February
Replies
8
Views
499
showcrop
showcrop
B
Correct Video - Baling Hay in a Blizzard...
Replies
9
Views
2K
Roger in Iowa
R
B
Baling Hay In A Blizzard
Replies
5
Views
620
RJKeith
R
B
Freeze Dried Hay
Replies
5
Views
873
Part Time Pete
P
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top