Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest – for February 28, 2022
Data Compiled by Richard Halopka Senior Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Division of Extension Clark County Crops & Soils Educator
All hay prices quoted are dollars per ton FOB point of origin for alfalfa hay unless otherwise noted.
The information presented in this report is compiled from public and private quality tested sales and reports in the Midwest.
Previous hay reports can be viewed on the archive.
Hay auction data is collected on the first and third week of the month and posted by or before Tuesday. Prices quoted in this report are for “as fed” alfalfa hay.
Demand and Sales Comments
Prices are steady to a touch stronger. Comments from auction sites is farmers are counting days and bales to see if they can make spring green up. Dairy quality hay is supporting the market with low quality hay being discounted. If you have questions on this report contact richard.halopka@wisc.edu . If you need forage or have forage to sell or straw, connect to the Farmer-to-Farmer website. You may contact your local county agriculture educator if you need help placing an ad. There is no charge for the service.
Upper Midwest Hay Price Summary by Quality Grade
| Hay Grade | Bale type | ———- Price ($/ton) ———- | ||
| Average | Minimum | Maximum | ||
| Prime (> 151 RFV/RFQ) | Small Square | $281.00 | $220.00 | $400.00 |
| Large Square | $222.00 | $160.00 | $300.00 | |
| Large Round | $196.00 | $132.00 | $232.00 | |
| Grade 1 (125 to 150 RFV/RFQ) | Small Square | $216.00 | $160.00 | $240.00 |
| Large Square | $176.00 | $115.00 | $210.00 | |
| Large Round | $155.00 | $80.00 | $220.00 | |
| Grade 2 (103 to 124 RFV/RFQ) | Small Square | No Reported Sales | ||
| Large Square | $145.00 | $100.00 | $190.00 | |
| Large Round | $137.00 | $80.00 | $165.00 | |
| Grade 3 (87 to 102 RFV/RFQ) | Small Square | No Reported Sales | ||
| Large Square | No Reported Sales | |||
| Large Round | $99.00 | $65.00 | $125.00 | |
Straw prices are for oat, barley, or wheat straw. Straw prices are steady to strong. Small square bales averaged $4.90 a bale (range of $3.00 to $6.00). Large square bale straw averaged $40.00 per bale (a range of $25.00 to $65.00). Large round bale straw averaged $48.00 per bale (range of $23.00 – $75.00).
In Nebraska, good quality hay sold steady with grinding hay of fair quality is showing signs of weaker prices. Hay demand has increased as cattlemen have taken cows off winter range and put them in calving lots. In Iowa, no report.
In South Dakota, all classes of hay had steady prices with good demand. Yet hay market activity is very slow and supplies are limited, which is supporting the market.
In Missouri, hay supply is moderate and demand is light to moderate with prices mostly steady. Many farmers are looking at the calendar and county the bales in the hay pile.
In Southwest Minnesota, no report. In Kansas, hay market prices remain steady, movement remains slow, but have picked up a bit. Despite snow the drought monitor has changed little in the state.
In Wisconsin, prices are strong for dairy quality hay.
The next Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest will be posted by Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
The following links are included in this report allowing producers to obtain some state and nearby state prices, (these may not be quality-tested auctions, if quality, they are included in this report). The Equity Cooperative market report is at http://livestock.equitycoop.com/market_reports/. Go to the Lomira, Reedsville, and Stratford locations for their reports on untested hay and straw prices.
The Reynolds Feed & Supply, LLC of Dodgeville is at http://www.reynoldslivestock.com/what1snew/.
The Tim Slack Auction and Realty, LLC of Fennimore is at http://www.timslackauctionrealty.com/market%20report.html.
The Dyersville Sales Company of Dyersville, Iowa is at http://dyersvillesales.com/hay-auction/hay-auction-results/. Fort Atkinson auction is at http://www.fortatkinsonhay.com/
The Farmer-to-Farmer website is an electronic neighborhood bulletin board that allows local farmers to get in touch with one another to facilitate the marketing of feed commodities. It also connects those with productive pastures to those producers who are in need of pastures. If you would like assistance posting to this web site, contact your county’s University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension agriculture agent.
