DD1 bought some hay on Tuesday. She has some goats, three right now. One buck (male) and two does (female). One of the does is of breeding age, and the other will be in about six months. Our objective is that she breed her own goats for the fair, and, over time, perhaps build the herd to have some goats to sell.
It really doesn't make financial sense - there just isn't enough money in goats. But, it's a great learning experience for her, and she is responsible for the daily chores associated with her small herd.
For the past year and a half or so her grandfather has been giving her the hay from his own dairy cow herd. We've been buying the grain. We decided it was time to be big boys and girls, and purchase the hay ourselves.
There's a livestock auction about 20 miles south of us, and on Tuesdays there is a hay auction. Hay producers bring in lots of 20-30 bales, and interested buyers bid on the lots. Fortunately my brother-in-law had a couple of cows he needed to sell from the dairy, and we was at the auction yard, too. Their farm is about 20 miles to the south of the yard.
DD1 bid on the hay, but her uncle nudged her when it was time to stop bidding. She bid on the first two lots, until she received the nudge. She had success with the third and fourth lots. She ended up with 46 bales of a grass/clover mixed hay for $259.60, or $5.64 per bale. That will be enough hay for about 9 months.
I'm not sure how many of you are up on the current hay markets, but I'm guessing at least a few have no idea whether that is a good price or a bad price.
2012 was a drought year in the mid west. If she had bought that same hay a year ago, she would probably paid $7-$8 per bale. Hay was in short supply. If she had bought that same hay 5 or six years ago, she probably would have paid $2.25-$2.75 per bale. Hay has been steadily going up in price over the past several years. A lot of previous hay ground is growing corn or soybeans now, because of the increase in price for those commodities.
Based on current hay markets, I think she paid a good price for the hay. And, because her uncle was there, I'm sure of it.
DD1 helped me unload and stack the hay in our barn Tuesday evening.
The Hay Purchase
September 18th, 2013 at 01:51 pm
September 18th, 2013 at 02:26 pm 1379514364
September 18th, 2013 at 05:28 pm 1379525284
I wish your daughter's goat could visit my little orchard. I'm trying to beat back some Asian bush honeysuckle and have read that goats would take care of it!
September 18th, 2013 at 06:02 pm 1379527329
I'm sure DD1 would be more than willing to rent her younger doe for your weed problems, and she'd rent it out cheap! But I'm sure the trucking would kill the deal.
September 18th, 2013 at 09:54 pm 1379541268
That is a great price for hay. Even though there is a lot of hay produced here on the west coast, there is a lot of demand. The best price I've ever gotten was $8/bale for a very nice alfalfa. But that was years ago and the price has been going up. Last I looked $15 - $18 per bale was the going rate at the feed store, but that is not as low as you'll get when you buy in quantity from a dealer.
September 18th, 2013 at 10:44 pm 1379544245
September 19th, 2013 at 12:39 am 1379551163