Wisconsin Hay Prices Rise As Demand Increases

There have been more hay buyers than sellers in recent weeks at Tim Slack Auction and Realty in Lancaster, WI.

That means prices are starting to creep up, especially on the higher-quality hay, reports its owner and auctioneer, Tim Slack.

At his Oct. 17 sale, large squares of third-cutting alfalfa, at 20.9% protein and 160 relative feed value (RFV), sold for $205/ton. Large squares of second-crop alfalfa, at 21.9% protein and 146 RFV, fetched $185/ton.

Large squares and large rounds of fair-quality, first-crop grass hay went for $110-127/ton, and large squares of straw, $40-45/bale.

Because more hay is available throughout Wisconsin this year vs. last year, prices have lowered, Slack reports. Top-quality alfalfa is currently priced about $50-60/ton less and grass hay slightly lower than what was paid last year at this time.

“There’s a lot of hay that’s been made, but I’m not going to say there’s a lot of high-quality hay made,” he says. “There’s a lot of 130-140 relative feed value around here.” Last year’s hay crop averaged 155-170 RFV, he says.

“For a while we couldn’t hardly give some of that stuff away. But now that fellas are starting to bring their cattle in from pasture, the grassy rounds and squares are selling fairly well.”