[Jacob-list] Alfalfa Hay

[Grose]

How big are your bales and what is the quality? If your bales weigh 50 pounds apiece, that would work out to $120 per ton. I would expect to pay this much plus shipping from your area, depending on quality. As a guess this hay is about 20% crude protein and 66% TDN in your area, 62% TDN in N.C. Given that 48%CP soybean oil meal is $200 per ton and corn is $71 per ton, this is expensive. Of course this [$120/T] is the same price as wheat straw sold to landscapers around here! [Perhaps I am in the wrong business.] We raise alfalfa but save it for the highest producing cows. It is in round bales which should cost somewhat less. The fineness of stems and length of cut that you end up with [the physical form of the forage] will make a lot of difference in how well the idiots clean up their feed. We spent big bucks last year to purchase a round baler that cuts the hay as it enters the bale chamber. The result is much less wasted feed and higher feed consumption.
Neal 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Spahr 
  To: Jacob List Members 
  Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 11:33 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Alfalfa Hay


  The expense of alfalfa hay in the South has been mentioned.  I am curious as to the price you have to pay.  In Ohio, we are paying $3.00/bale for good quality alfalfa hay, delivered and put in the mow.  We feel that .50 or 1.00 more for alfalfa hay is not adding to our feed bill, as they waste less.  
  Has anyone heard of the way some show lambs are being fed?  This year I was told by a woman showing at the Oh. State Fair, that some are being fed NO hay, causing them to try to eat their bedding material - straw or shavings!  Some are on a diet of Ensure.  

                                                               Mary Spahr
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20011126/573efc54/attachment.html