Because most of this region received substantial rainfall in June, July, and August, hay supplies in this part of the state are as good as it’s been in a while. However, September has been hot and dry so far and we all know that winter is just around the corner, so folks should soon be making plans for supplemental hay feeding. While a lot of cattle producers put up their own hay supply, many rely solely on buying hay to fill that need.
Let’s take some time and put hay purchasing decisions on equal footing. We’ll examine how to price hay equally by weight. When buying hay, too many producers only ask about the price per bale without knowing anything about the weight or quantity.
It should be stated that folks that buy hay “by the ton” are already where we should be. When you purchase hay by the ton, then one really does not care what size the bale is. If you stack a flatbed trailer with 4X4’s or 5X6’s, purchasing by weight is the smartest way to go.
