Sources of Hay Markets

Dr. Maurice L. Eastridge, Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio State University

Several questions have been received recently about availability of and prices for hay. It’s that time of the year when livestock owners are often inquiring about sources and prices for hay as inventories may be lowered than anticipated and owners of small farms often do not have ample storage for large purchases. There are many local communities that have hay auctions and the intent of the short article is not to capture all of them; however, the sources in this article are to provide potential sources beyond the local community. Some of these sources are Ohio based, but others provide market information across the US:

  1. Kidron Livestock Market, Kidron, OH: https://www.kidronauction.com/market-reports
  2. Mt. Hope Auction, Mt. Hope, OH, https://www.mthopeauction.com/market_reports (look under livestock market reports)
  3. UDSA Reports: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/hay-reports
  4. Hay and Forage Grower sources: https://hayandforage.com/articles.sec-7-1-Markets.html
  5. A couple of websites provide avenues for the buying and selling of hay:
    1. https://agrihayexchange.com/ahe#hay-listings
    2. https://allhay.com/

Although spring is not very far away on the calendar, we have about another month of potential intense winter yet and it is certainly a while after the arrival of spring before pasture will be able to graze. Stock up on the hay to keep the animals adequately fed relative to their needs and productive stages.