Hay yields and price

[B&L Equine Services]

What’s everyone getting this year. From what Iv done for haylage and hay I’m between 30-50% down to average. Yes put less fert on this year but not that much to have the affect as rest is due to weather. But been taking to others in area and from what seen on fb there yields are down. But one thing that I’m confused about is people seem to be selling hay and haylage cheap when if it’s lower yield then surely price should be higher?!

 

[davidroberts30]

Hold it for a few months till all the dusty shyte is sold off then set your own price

 

[Goweresque]

Similar yield figures here. Crops looked OK, just had no body to them. My contractor just made about 90 acres here this week, a load of that is off to a local buyer to feed cattle already. I can't see it being cheap if you can hang on to it until the 'Its sunny lets make some hay and sell it for cash' brigade have sold out.

 

[Wellytrack]

Yields of everything grass related are down anything from 30-50%. Later season grass from now on is doing well.

Quality will be variable and in places poor.

 

[B&L Equine Services]

Hold it for a few months till all the dusty shyte is sold off then set your own price

Hehe yes that’s all I can think of as lot people rushing it. People round me cut there’s after me and baled it before me so??

 

[B&L Equine Services]

Similar yield figures here. Crops looked OK, just had no body to them. My contractor just made about 90 acres here this week, a load of that is off to a local buyer to feed cattle already. I can't see it being cheap if you can hang on to it until the 'Its sunny lets make some hay and sell it for cash' brigade have sold out.

Yes my home field is only foot or so tall and no body and that yielded worst but old school grass I rent has done better. Sold most that from field at £4.5/bale. Not the £3 I keep seeing.

 

[B&L Equine Services]

Ye

Yields of everything grass related are down anything from 30-50%. Later season grass from now on is doing well.

Quality will be variable and in places poor.

Yes I banged fert on some i baled few week ago and with the rain we had it’s doing well. Like u say first cut is suffering but hopefully 2nd will be ok.

 

[DieselRob]

Yes my home field is only foot or so tall and no body and that yielded worst but old school grass I rent has done better. Sold most that from field at £4.5/bale. Not the £3 I keep seeing.

Last year you could've filled up with any amount at £2/bale but as my neighbour found out it was still expensive dusty shite, haven't seen any advertised at less than £3/bale yet round here. I have still got a good carry over of 2019 stuff that I keep chipping away at to regulars, I don't think I'll have a problem moving it

 

[glasshouse]

Hay yield about down a third.
Going to be very shortt when the straw shortage hits home

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Glut of fodder here. One swallow dont make a summer

 

[B&L Equine Services]

Last year you could've filled up with any amount at £2/bale but as my neighbour found out it was still expensive dusty shite, haven't seen any advertised at less than £3/bale yet round here. I have still got a good carry over of 2019 stuff that I keep chipping away at to regulars, I don't think I'll have a problem moving it

Yes think sold fir £3 from field last year but this year should be at least £4 minimum but loads selling for £3 round me and round bales £20 but should be £30+ I recon. But time will tell.

 

[glasshouse]

Glut of fodder here. One swallow dont make a summer

Your area must be the only one

 

[Wellytrack]

Yes think sold fir £3 from field last year but this year should be at least £4 minimum but loads selling for £3 round me and round bales £20 but should be £30+ I recon. But time will tell.

How do you handle the horse pansies?

 

[robs1]

How do you handle the horse pansies?

99% Are fine but like farmers some will always be slow paying or want it cheaper for a one off purchase than regulars pay.

 

[Goweresque]

99% Are fine but like farmers some will always be slow paying or want it cheaper for a one off purchase than regulars pay.

Surely that should be the other way around? One off purchases should be dearer than a regular customer?

 

[robs1]

Surely that should be the other way around? One off purchases should be dearer than a regular customer?

Yes that's what I meant, odd one will always want it cheaper than you charge your regulars

 

[andybk]

yeilds may be down , but light crops been easy to make so everyone with a few acres has dragged the haybob and baler out ,seen endless pictures on FB of small fields with old kit . blowing the dust out , Most grass due to early drought is young leafy good stuff too , after recent rains put some bottom into it . Cant see price moving anywhere soon there just isnt the real demand any more for hay other than horses .

 

[suffolksmallholder]

THE HORSE PANSIES will always be there but the proper horse owners get pretty hacked off with endless shyte from the farmers who sell total carp only fit for coos and if that. If you can't make good hay then please, please just don't. Don't mention it, don't try to fob it off as food, just burn it.

I'll and others will always be happy to pay good prices for good dust free, hawthorn/blackthorn free feed, it is really that simple!
There's a place for carp hay and it does have value but that's my secret.

SS

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

Hay is still ridiculously cheap for the amount of work that goes into it, not to mention buying the kit to help make the bloody stuff. I'm nowhere near grumpy old man age yet but it is getting a bit daunting pricing up new tractors, kit, etc and still getting returns not too far from what they were 20 years ago.

We've got quite a bit of ground that we 'look after' and if we can make hay we will, however the most I will go to 'maintaining' it is harrowing it and that is very reluctantly. I should be spraying some of it but I'm not going to get anymore money for it so I can't see a lot of point.

Farming needs a humongous boot up the ass at some point because the returns for some of it are simply beyond pathetic.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Little bit on price

Early may was a glutt of hay . You could hardly give away

Late May job cought fire ,orders flying in , hay price shoots up , lot of suppliers refuse to load as they think they sitting on the Kings Gold

Early June it Rains and Rains , Grass starts to grow like it's out to win the Cheltenham Cup
Suddenly the phones busy again , not to order hay but cancel what's already ordered

If someone offered be hay for a pittance today I'm not sure if I could shift it

What's happened to the hay trade in West Wales , it's like this . Two years ago we had a sharp severe drought , there was a desperate shortage of fodder in the a autumn right through till spring . Hay making up to a £100 / Bale in sales . A lot who relied on bought in hay around here got there figures burnt . No ones fault that's how it was, but those came out of Auctions with a big grin on their face will probably lose ten times over in the following year,
Buyers have long memories, not to be cought again they have made other arrangements. Grow their own ,sold some horses , cut their stock , anything to avoid being cought again .
Sorry for the long sermon but you wont be selling much hay in these parts