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Post by gypsyrn on Jan 22, 2009 3:04:29 GMT -5
Can I ask those in the Bay Area what your price (range) for hay/feeds are and where you are currently purchasing your hay, supplements etc. I appreciate your info, thanks
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Post by calypso on Jan 22, 2009 4:06:45 GMT -5
I buy by the bale at Portola Valley Feed for btwn $18-20 for a 60-ish pound bale. Thankfully it's just supplement since my girls are on pasture. When I was buying in larger quantities I got is at Sam's in San Jose. Good quality and good price. Don't know what it is running there now. (sorry)
mta after Sara's post below:
I buy 3-4 bales at a time only. I have no place for large storage, nor do I have need. My horses are boarded, on pasture, and the ranch supplement-feeds once a day by dropping hay into the pasture in late summer/early fall when the pasture has dried/died off. The extra hay is for bribes and/or extra feed during extra cold weather. So, bad as the prices are - it's boutique shopping rather than bulk. But, you are right - unless you can take a trailer-load, it is very expensive here. (and, even if you can, it still is pretty spendy compared to your area, Sara)
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Post by cutiepiepmu on Jan 22, 2009 8:39:09 GMT -5
Wow- and I thought we were high up here in Washington. I am going to suggest that if you can store a large volume of hay, that you broker a full semi from Eastern Oregon. Holy smokes - you can get 110-120 bales of OUTSTANDING grass for around $9-10 per bale!! Not positive what delivery would be, but would have to figure that if you negotiate ahead of the cuttings this year you could easily negotiate your years worth of hay for around 1/2 of what you are paying!!!!!!!
Sara in WA
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Post by pnp4kidz on Jan 22, 2009 10:46:30 GMT -5
I get direct from the grower in Tracy, and with delivery I get a negotiated price of 16 a bale, 110 to 120 lb, orchard/alfalfa hay (beautiful hay btw) and that is delivered into my barn. My ranch is quite far, so he charges me a little more than the 'average' local customer but he brings it in a squeeze and has to pay for gas. It is of course stacked.
Sara, I sure wish I could do that! Delivery is a killer tho, and not many will do a single load for you over the state line! I tried futally to get that blue grass from Washington last summer... no can do.
I also don't have a driveway that can take a truck and trailer, and my driveway is a steep hill, so they can't drive up with the squeeze so they say. need the stack retriever to do that... so I can't get one... or I'd try again! I was going to deliver that other hay to my neighbor and haul it over in truckloads!
I sure want that half price thing! but my grower is adamant that this is all he can do and make a living.... sigh
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Post by piopico on Jan 22, 2009 14:36:42 GMT -5
Yes, I can confirm calypso's price, but I too, have no place to store, so buy by 4-at-a-time, from Sunol Tank and Feed. Not sure what they'd offer you in bulk.
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Post by gratefulknits on Jan 22, 2009 20:27:55 GMT -5
Wish I could help, but I board so I don't know what our ranch pays.
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Post by mkgbuegel on Jan 23, 2009 0:06:44 GMT -5
I checked into buying from the Washington area last July, it ran about 2500 for trucking only, per semi load, depending on the trucking company. A load usually runs about 500 to 520 bales, so it worked out to around 15 a bale. Which isn't horrible given the cost of hay this year. But I was able to get it a little cheaper from a local Sacramento grower that I like.
You can save a ton of money if you go in on a full or half load with other people. Last year I got 2 and half truck loads, sold the half a load to friend.
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