State-By-State Hay Summary
Colorado—In the March 4 report, compared to last week, trade activity light on good demand for feedlot and dairy hay. Trade activity light on good demand for stable and farm/ranch quality hay. Northeast Colorado trade activity light on good demand for dairy and stable hay. Southeast Colorado trade activity light on good demand for stable and retail hay. Trade inactive in the San Luis Valley. Trade activity light on good demand for retail hay in the mountains and northwest Colorado areas. Southwest Colorado trade activity light on good demand for horse and retail hay.
Missouri—In the March 4 report, compared to last report, prices are steady and demand is moderate. Weather has many feeling like spring as arrived with songs of peeper frogs in the evening and enough sun to bring on a sunburn in the day. Fertilizer buggies are soon to be high demand and short supply. Filling them however will come with some serious sticker shock for those producers that didn’t prepay for their needs this year as prices have climbed sharply since the first of the year.
Nebraska—In the March 4 report, compared to last week alfalfa sold fully steady to $5 higher. Ground and delivered cornstalks steady to $10 higher. Ground and delivered alfalfa and grass/meadow hay sold steady. All contacts stated the phones have been busy this week Especially, for alfalfa hay. Some contacts said prospective buyers are looking for some large quantities of dairy and lesser quality hay. Some talk of producers are going to bale cornstalks when fields get dried out. Bulk of the snow has melted and ran off or some may have soaked into the topsoil. But, overall moisture is still down for the year and we all know the best time for a drought is in the winter. As spring begins in a couple of weeks, hopefully the old saying April showers brings May flowers comes through.
Oklahoma—In the Feb. 18 report, compared to the last report Feb. 4, hay trade remains slow, with arctic temperatures and heavy snowfall over the trade area has hampered movement. No trades of ground alfalfa yet demand remains moderate to good as most feed yards and dairies seem to be current as of now. Demand remains moderate for farmers and ranchers.
Texas—In the March 5 report, compared to the last report hay prices are firm to $10 higher per ton in the Panhandle, west, north, and central Texas. Hay prices are mostly steady to firm in south and east Texas. Hay supplies continue to tighten across all regions. Producers fed more than expected last week as a winter storm bringing snow and record breaking cold reeked havoc across the state. A lot of hay producers are sold out or near sold out as livestock producers are still stocking up preparing for drought conditions to continue throughout the spring. Next report release will be March 19.
Kansas—In the March 9 report, compared to last report, hay market prices were steady for all hay types; demand remains strong for alfalfa with supplies extremely limited in the southwest. Most producers agree that hay supplies will be greatly depleted come first cutting with very little carry-over. With the sunny and warm weather, the state has been experiencing, there have been lots of anhydrous tanks and fertilizer buggies out and about over the past week.
New Mexico—This report will resume in the spring of 2021.
South Dakota—In the March 4 report, compared to last week, alfalfa mostly steady, other classes not well compared. Good demand remains for dairy quality hay, best demand is coming from out of state dairies. Very light demand for straw as the winter has been very mild with little snow decreasing the need for as much bedding as the last few year’s required. A large amount of corn stalks were baled last fall which also lessened the need for cattle producers to purchase stalks as they had a lot of their own to go through. Large volumes of hay continue to be offered in the regional hay auctions. Much above normal temps this week, with more in the forecast for next week, has created muddy conditions making it difficult to get hay loaded out of fields as the ground doesn’t freeze very hard overnight. Western SD experienced a very mild winter, with little snow, which greatly lessened the need for supplemental feeding of beef cattle which has created a large supply of grass hay available.
Wyoming—In the March 4 report, compared to last week large and small squares of alfalfa and alfalfa/orchard mixed and timothy hay sold steady. Sun-cured alfalfa pellets and hay cubes steady. Contacts in the Riverton area said they are thinking of starting to farm next week. Rolling sod and getting ready to plant barley. Up in the Powell area, that same thought popped in their minds but after recent snow melting area fields are muddy and tillage will have to wait.
Montana—In the March 5 report, compared to the last week, hay sold fully steady. Supplies of hay continue to be very light and are selling on good to very good demand. Many producers are almost completely sold out of hay. Some producers have decided to hold on to available supplies for emergencies as it is still 6 to 10 weeks before turnout. Drought concerns continue to play a big role too as over half of the state is still considered in some form of a drought. Much of the hay that is moving is higher quality or dairy quality hay. Most of this hay is moving at or near $1 per relative feed value point.