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06/22/06, 08:28 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: N.W. Ar.
Posts: 51
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Hay for boers
I've been looking for some hay around here for my boers,just big kids now.I thought about some alfalfa untill I just got a call about some small bales.They wanted $6 a bale for second cutting,kinda pricey for me right now.What would be a good grass hay??  I was told that bermuda was a good hay for goats.I tried to feed some grass hay to my little ones but they just used it for bedding.They were 3 months at the time so I figured they either didn't know what hay was or that they were suppose to eat it.Also,what is the price of small square bales going for to all of you around the N.W. corner of Ar.???One thing I am learning,raising goats is a lot different now than back when I was a kid.We just kicked them out into a field over grown with brush and tried to keep them in the fenced in area(my job).Seemed like they took care of themselves and multipled. Thanks for reading and the help.
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06/22/06, 09:40 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: heart of New Mexico
Posts: 302
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gee mine seem to eat evrything they can get in there mouth
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06/22/06, 10:36 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Washington
Posts: 726
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All my goats (one is a boer buck) eat a ton of browse right now. We hardly feed them any alfalfa at all. We just let them out of the pen and they go at it. We keep the alfalfa around if we aren't letting them out for some reason. We keep minerals available, lots of water, and they get grain on occasion when we are trimming hooves.
Now when they are milking or pregnant, that is totally different. But they eat plenty here and are very full by midafternoon! They often go into thier pen like, "hey, I'm done!"
BTW $6 is a steal for alfalfa. Last time we bought it was 11.00 a bale!
kids
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06/22/06, 10:38 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 69
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OMG!!! $6 a Bail? I pay maybe $2 to $3 for alfalfa and for grass hay $1.50 her in Western NY.
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06/22/06, 11:13 AM
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Lost in the Wiregrass
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: S.E.Alabama
Posts: 8,553
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where are you located that Alfalfa is SOO expencive? i could get Big round bales for 35 in kansas and that lasted a month or more,
squair bales were normally 2.50-3.50
Alfalfa is really the best hay for them, but they will eat prairie hay, or oat hay if they HAVE too,
also if you have access to Soybean hay that stuff is great too
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06/22/06, 11:34 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Southeast Iowa
Posts: 639
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We get between $2.50 - $3 a bale for alfalfa and $2 - $2.50 for grass hay here in Iowa. I can't imagine paying more than $3 a bale for ANY kind of hay! WOW!
On the other hand, we can also get alfalfa pellets for about $8 a bag...that might be another option and no waste involved, too...
Sarah
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06/22/06, 02:37 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Gleann Abhann (NE Louisiana)
Posts: 62
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Around here (NE Louisiana) we get bermuda or bahai hay for $2.50 from producer, over $5 from retailer. Alfalfa is hauled in and runs $12 or more a bale. Y'all are lucky!!!
__________________
Michael & Rebecca (probably Michael, the mouthy one)
parents of Caitlyn, Brendan, Keera & Alanna
keepers of goats, chickens, rabbits, cats & a dog
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06/22/06, 05:05 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: N.W. Ar.
Posts: 51
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hay for boers
Yes,my goats eat browse around here too,for now,but I'm looking for hay for later when browse goes dormant.I sure would like to find that 2.50 a bale for alfalfa.Even with my old 8 mpg one ton that would make that load cheaper for hauling to Ar. than paying $6 a bale 20 miles from my house.Thanks for all the replies. 
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06/22/06, 05:43 PM
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Lost in the Wiregrass
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: S.E.Alabama
Posts: 8,553
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if your in arkansas, try calling some of the citys extentionagents in kansas and see if there are some alfalfa farmers that could truck in by the simi load to you and some other local farmers? try Reno county, sorry i dont have the number but there are quite a few hay farmers in Reno county that the extention agent could put you into touch with,
if you and some other people in your area could split a load i am sure someone could truck it in to you, there are hay trucks going accrost Kansas all the time, alot of prairie hay went out to colorado a few summers ago,
worth a shot
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06/22/06, 05:56 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Posts: 998
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Alfalfa goes for $7 to $9 dollars a bale in California. Wish it was $2 dollars bale.
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06/23/06, 01:43 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Washington
Posts: 726
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We live in Northwest WA. $11 a bale from a Cenex. But even the guy who sells outside the auction sells it for $11.75 and folks buy it! We want to buy a massive amount this summer and it should be cheaper - but not much!
kids
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06/23/06, 02:13 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Eastman, GA - south/central
Posts: 1,337
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Can't even GET alfalfa hay here. I suppose you could get it SOMEWHERE in Georgia, but it would be shipped in from another state, and very expensive. The soil here won't grow alfalfa well here.
Not sure on all the prices yet for buying hay. I looked into it once, but forgot. I know for sure that coastal hay is $4.50 a bale at the feed store. I think I can get burmuda or peanut hay for $3.50 from the farmers.
What kills me is that wheat STRAW is $3.50 a bale at the feed store! That's not even FOOD, only bedding. It was $2.50 a bale last year, but they raised the price and said "it's because of the cost of gas". A dollar increase per bale!? Pa-leeeese!! 
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Beth
Owner of Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, dark cornish & white rock mix, Quail, and my first two young goats (buck & doe). We sell chicks, and are willing to sell fertile eggs.
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06/23/06, 03:53 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,370
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Alfalfa hay is at least $10.75 a bale here - thats a couple dollars cheaper than the feed store. Bermuda is the same. But I live in a desert where they are developing all the alfalfa fields into subdivisions - so the hay has to travel a bit. One of the reasons I want to move is so that I can cut the costs of feeding the animls - which are a lifestyle choice for me.
One thing I have done - I've started improving my pastures with legume-seed.
Niki
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