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10D Crack Champion
    
| Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined? Is it by weight or cubic feet? If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak? |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | I pay by weight, and I actually pretty much go by the honesty of the person selling it. When I got round bales, the people we got them from would weigh one bale and use it as the average, and then send us a bill. The small square bales there is a quite a discount to buy it by the ton. If the hay looks good and the person was accurate about it is more important to me...I also figure that he/she is pretty honest too when it comes to weight because he has been honest the rest of the time. Whether or not they weigh the bales, I don't know. But, my dad used to help my grandpa hay, and he worked haying when he was a kid, so I have had some pretty good help determining if the weight is what it is supposed to be or not.
Edited by mtcanchazer 2014-09-03 8:29 PM
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Good Ole Boys just Fine with Me
Posts: 2869
Location: SE Missouri | Jenbabe - 2014-09-03 3:55 PM We grow alfalfa, and prices have actually gotten a little softer this year. We finally got some rain and there was a lot more hay in the area. From the hay report for August 19th in southwest Kansas: alfalfa larger squares horse quality $250-300 per ton, small squares $10 per bale. Supreme dairy alfalfa $230-$260; premium alfalfa $205-$230; dry cow, good $170-$200. Not to start an argument, but as a hay farmer it frustrates me when people call me greedy. If you knew the expenses to raise a hay crop you might think twice about calling me that. We only have half a circle, which is 60 acres. Before the first cutting we had around $8,000 into spray and fertilizer. Then we have gas expenses for running our sprinkler, plus the cost of swathing and baling. We pay a custom hay company to do this for us because we don't have enough to justify owning our own equipment. That costs is between $2,500-$3,000 per cutting depending on how it is put up, large or small squares or larger rounds. Sorry for my rant, I'll get off my soapbox! I just wanted to point out some of the expenses that go into that bale of hay.
Amen on the cost to growing hay! We just have 14 acres of alfalfa and old paid for equipment but wow, it's expensive to put up the hay. Between the seed cost, fertilizer, chemicals, labor, and fuel it's crazy! I had a guy try to talk me down on price (when I know I'm lower than others) I quickly told him no way. |
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 I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
Location: Online | sodapop - 2014-09-03 7:05 PM Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined? Is it by weight or cubic feet? If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak?
Generally the farmer has a good estimate of how much the bales weigh. We buy small bales usually weighing between 80 to 100 lbs each. If the bales in a load average 100 lbs each, there are 20 bales to the ton, or 2000 lbs. So 20 bales for $200 or $10 a bale.
If we aren't sure of the weight of the bales we will go to across the scales and get a light weight with our truck and trailer then a loaded weight. Subtract the light weight from the loaded weight, then divide that number by the number of bales and that will give you the average weight per bale.
Make sense? |
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10D Crack Champion
| rodeomom13 - 2014-09-03 11:30 PM sodapop - 2014-09-03 7:05 PM Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined? Is it by weight or cubic feet? If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak? Generally the farmer has a good estimate of how much the bales weigh. We buy small bales usually weighing between 80 to 100 lbs each. If the bales in a load average 100 lbs each, there are 20 bales to the ton, or 2000 lbs. So 20 bales for $200 or $10 a bale.
If we aren't sure of the weight of the bales we will go to across the scales and get a light weight with our truck and trailer then a loaded weight. Subtract the light weight from the loaded weight, then divide that number by the number of bales and that will give you the average weight per bale.
Make sense?
Edited by sodapop 2014-09-04 12:15 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | sodapop - 2014-09-04 12:13 AM
rodeomom13 - 2014-09-03 11:30 PM sodapop - 2014-09-03 7:05 PM Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined?  Is it by weight or cubic feet?  If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak? Generally the farmer has a good estimate of how much the bales weigh. We buy small bales usually weighing between 80 to 100 lbs each. If the bales in a load average 100 lbs each, there are 20 bales to the ton, or 2000 lbs. So 20 bales for $200 or $10 a bale.Â
If we aren't sure of the weight of the bales we will go to across the scales and get a light weight with our truck and trailer then a loaded weight. Subtract the light weight from the loaded weight, then divide that number by the number of bales and that will give you the average weight per bale.
Make sense?
We've never sold it by weight. No reason but we've never been asked to. If someone want a ton and wanted it weighed we would figure an estimate amount of bales then our local Co-Op has the big scales like people use to weigh loads of peanuts or corn. So we would weigh it and add or remove bales until it weighed 1 ton. Everyone just buys it by the bale though. The more you buy the cheaper it gets. Over 100 bales we will deliver within a certain amount of miles. |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| I just paid 18.75 for 120 alfalfa.. That's down from two weeks ago it was 23 a bale for 120 lb |
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 Triple Extra-Ordinaire
Posts: 4244
Location: Okla | small square bales- clean bermuda hay (65-70#) $7.00/bale . |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| If we sell by the semi-load or full trailer we will get actual weights per load. If we are selling by the bale we will weigh enough to get an average for that cutting. |
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I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
Location: Online | TessBelle - 2014-09-03 11:29 PM sodapop - 2014-09-04 12:13 AM rodeomom13 - 2014-09-03 11:30 PM sodapop - 2014-09-03 7:05 PM Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined? Is it by weight or cubic feet? If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak? Generally the farmer has a good estimate of how much the bales weigh. We buy small bales usually weighing between 80 to 100 lbs each. If the bales in a load average 100 lbs each, there are 20 bales to the ton, or 2000 lbs. So 20 bales for $200 or $10 a bale.
If we aren't sure of the weight of the bales we will go to across the scales and get a light weight with our truck and trailer then a loaded weight. Subtract the light weight from the loaded weight, then divide that number by the number of bales and that will give you the average weight per bale.
Make sense? We've never sold it by weight. No reason but we've never been asked to. If someone want a ton and wanted it weighed we would figure an estimate amount of bales then our local Co-Op has the big scales like people use to weigh loads of peanuts or corn. So we would weigh it and add or remove bales until it weighed 1 ton. Everyone just buys it by the bale though. The more you buy the cheaper it gets. Over 100 bales we will deliver within a certain amount of miles.
I don't like buying by the bale. We usually buy in larger quantities, it's just easier to buy by the ton. When I find hay advertised by the bale I don't bother calling unless they state the average weight of the bale. Am I paying $10 for 60lb bales or $10 for 100 lb bales? It makes a difference. I prefer ads that say by the ton, that's the best way to get what you are paying for.
I've never heard of buying hay by the cubic foot. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Pure alfalfa or mixed alfalfa/grass - 60-70# small squares, $4.50/bale.
I'm in for some sticker shock when we get to Austin. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| It's good to be from ND....I paid $2.50 for small squares of beautiful grass bales (probably 65# a piece). They were loaded on the trailer for me and everything. 300 of them.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
| We pay $3.50 a bale for it to be delivered and stacked for a 45 lb bale of alfalfa grass mix. :) Lets say I send my hay guy a very nice Christmas card every year :) |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | HotbearLVR - 2014-09-04 9:04 AM Pure alfalfa or mixed alfalfa/grass - 60-70# small squares, $4.50/bale. I'm in for some sticker shock when we get to Austin.
Hotbear, send some to me please!!! I could afford more horses at that price, LOL.
We have never weighed the small bales to see if we get "exactly" a ton. Generally I ask about the weight per bale, and generally they have a good average. Here it is discounted if you buy by the ton versus by the bale, so it is more cost effective as you get more bales for less money. |
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I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
Location: Online | EmtRoper - 2014-09-04 9:35 AM We pay $3.50 a bale for it to be delivered and stacked for a 45 lb bale of alfalfa grass mix. :) Lets say I send my hay guy a very nice Christmas card every year :)
I wish. That's roughly $150-$160 per ton. We can get nasty rained on feeder hay here for that, and that's not delivered. We haven't seen prices like that for good hay in 10 years. If we want it delivered it will cost another $20 per ton minimum. Not counting mileage.
The smaller hay growers are more honest than the big quantity guys. They are the ones doing it as a hobby and for a little extra money, they are catering to the horse people. The bigger farmers who need to pay for their mansion on the hill and new SUV for their wives and new trucks for their kids are the ones who screw us. Then drive up the price for everyone. Yes, it happens. There's one that lives a mile away from me..... I can drive 30 miles, 60 round trip, with $4 diesel, and spend less $$ buying from a hobby farmer than buying from the guy down the road. |
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 Strong Willed Woman
Posts: 6577
Location: Prosser, WA | sodapop - 2014-09-03 10:13 PM rodeomom13 - 2014-09-03 11:30 PM sodapop - 2014-09-03 7:05 PM Those of you who purchase hay by the ton, how is the ton determined? Is it by weight or cubic feet? If by weight, do they actually weigh it before you pay to insure what you are getting? If by cubic feet, do they have specific way they measure that to ensure you get what you pay for so to speak? Generally the farmer has a good estimate of how much the bales weigh. We buy small bales usually weighing between 80 to 100 lbs each. If the bales in a load average 100 lbs each, there are 20 bales to the ton, or 2000 lbs. So 20 bales for $200 or $10 a bale.
If we aren't sure of the weight of the bales we will go to across the scales and get a light weight with our truck and trailer then a loaded weight. Subtract the light weight from the loaded weight, then divide that number by the number of bales and that will give you the average weight per bale.
Make sense?
My dad has sold quite a bit of hay throughout the years. He has a pretty good idea of how much the hay weighs. He has some customers that do weigh every time, some that weigh once to see how it matches up with what my dad says, then don't weigh the next times and others that trust him on it. I won't buy without knowing a per ton cost. How else can you compare prices from one farmer to the next? Most of my dads two string bales weigh 90 to 105 lbs. I've bought from some where their bales weigh about 50 lbs. If the hay is of equal quality I would need someway to compare the costs. So I would need to know the weight of the bales. |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | we buy ours by the bale...they average about 1300 pounds a bale and its 40 to 45 a bale..........
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| I don't have to buy because we custom hay so end up with a lot of shares hay. It is selling in our area for $175-$225 a ton there are a few places who sell by the bale for anywhere from $5-$8 per bale they are usually in the 65-70 lbs. To put it up here it cost around $120 per acre to have it cut, baled and stacked that doesn't include your fertilizer, water ect. We rarely weight anything just have a pretty good idea of what it weights. |
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10D Crack Champion
| Jenbabe - 2014-09-04 8:16 AM If we sell by the semi-load or full trailer we will get actual weights per load. If we are selling by the bale we will weigh enough to get an average for that cutting.
That makes sense to me.
I wonder about some folks estimating the weight of a bale like they do the weight of their body... until they actually step on the scale & find out the truth. LOL The could estimate too much or too little. |
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