[Lesley Silvester]

For the last eight years I have bought small bales of straw and hay from a local farm, paying £1.50 for the straw and £4 for the hay. They have now decided to just make large bales, which I can't transport. I can also only store one at a time, so delivery is not an option.


I am now paying £5.95 for the hay from my local feed store and, having just run out of my supply of bedding, started looking for a supplier of small bales of straw. I've been looking for months and finally found someone who wants £4 a bale. My vet tells me this is the standard price now. How can it have gone up more than three times in price? 

[sabrina]

I buy large rounds bales of straw from our local farmer. He delivers and they cost £5 per large round bale. Small bales do cost more due to work and string I think.

[Anke]

For the last eight years I have bought small bales of straw and hay from a local farm, paying £1.50 for the straw and £4 for the hay. They have now decided to just make large bales, which I can't transport. I can also only store one at a time, so delivery is not an option.


I am now paying £5.95 for the hay from my local feed store and, having just run out of my supply of bedding, started looking for a supplier of small bales of straw. I've been looking for months and finally found someone who wants £4 a bale. My vet tells me this is the standard price now. How can it have gone up more than three times in price? 

I would change to some of the newer bedding that is available - I now use BlissBedding (developed for horses), much easier to muck out and takes up way more liquid than straw. I think it is around 7 or 8 pounds for one bale, but you probably need to get it delivered - does your local feedstore do that? The bales are quite bulky but come on plastic wrapping. One bales does my pens, they are 5 x 8 ft. You can also top up with small quantities if you have "wet" spots.

Supposed to compost quicker than straw.

[ladyK]

I can only handle small bales of straw too, and I use 2 different suppliers.
There is a farm selling straw where I can pick up for 3.25 a bale, and a more local guy who will deliver for 4.20 a bale.
The delivered bales are a lot more expensive, obviously, but as we can only get 6 bales in the car (and then have to clean the car) plus the delivered bales can be thrown over the hedge when standing high on top of his trailer (otherwise I have to drag every bale 100m across the field, and no there is no other way at all until I teach the donkeys to carry their own straw) the more expensive price is almost worth it.

[SallyintNorth]

There's straw and there's straw...

Is it oat, wheat or barley?  Long stem or sort stem?  Sprayed or not sprayed?  Crimped or not crimped?

We paid more for our straw than hay last year - but it was perfect.  Long stem barley, still got a lot of flower heads on, never seen a chemical, lots of dried grass in it, crimped in the field - well worth the extra.  We feed it to the cows, they love it.

[tizaala]

We are getting round ( 6ft ) barley straw for £15. large hestons of hay for £50.   did find some very nice small bale hay for £3 a bale , took it all off him 50 bales from a neighbour wanting to clear his barn

[plumseverywhere]

£2 a small bale straw (delivered) and £3 a small bale hay (delivered).  Daughters best friends grandad supplies them, lovely man.   In the past though other people have wanted to charge a heck of a lot more :/

[Bionic]

There is a big difference depending where you live. We buy ours for £4 a small bale but the man has to buy it in from England as there isn't much crop land around here.

[Porterlauren]

We pay £2.50 a small bale for straw, pretty much as standard.

Was getting some real good Barley straw for that price, but that supply has run out, so now we're on less good stuff, but same price.

[kelly58]

When the sheep were lambing l paid £35 for one big round bale  like you say depends were you are.

[Trixie]

We pay £1.50 for a bale of barley straw off the field or £2 through the year and £3 for hay - average price around here.

[honeyend]

There is someone on e-bay that sells by the pallet including delivery. He says someone in London is a regular buyer as its cheaper than buying it locally. I would have a look on e-bay

[Lesley Silvester]

Thanks for the suggestion, honeyend, but there's nobody within a 50 mile radius on there selling small bales. I think I'll contact my farmer and see if he will deliver a single large bales. It's worth a try.

[shygirl]

the big bales are easy to move around, not like haylage.

[Kitchen Cottage]

I bale a field and pay £2 a bale to have it baled (Essex) for Hay.... given that £4 doesn't sound unreasonable.