Pictured above: three different pure alfalfa grades= three different prices
New Buyers Help Sheet
**** Special Note for Horse Hay Buyers***
(other species owners feel free to skip down to #1)
We are generally flooded with calls for hay thru a week by people who need/want "horse quality" hay. In the great and grand scheme of things, this tells us only that it should be non molded, free of weeds and debris and preferably bright green. However, you as the horse owner, must decide in advance how you wish to use the hay.
1.Some people believe that their horses can live comfortably on only round bales. Good round bales are a perfectly legitimate way to feed horses in large groups.
2. Other people feed some grain and lots of hay.
3.Others again, those with high grained, high performance animals need hay that is mainly for recreational chewing and colic prevention.
4. Horses on "senior" feeds or with special dental problems will need another sort of hay.
Each of these circumstances will require a DIFFERENT grade/type/breed of hay still within "horse quality" category. You will save a good bit of time and trouble for yourself and your horses by deciding about this in advance of buying hay from anyone. The round bale that is supposed to supply an idle adult horses total nutrition will be a different hay than one for an aged, lactating broodmare. It is your responsibility as the horse owner to know what your horses require in advance.
In fact, when the contracts for the hay suppliers for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were sent out, it stipulated that NO hay should be more than 7% protein. Please give some thought to what you expect from your hay supply before you call to select your hay.
*****************************************
1. Buy it by the ton ? Are you kidding? How much does it cost per bale?
The quick answers are yes, no and we don't know.
Our hay bales are weighed with on site State if Tennessee Certified trade scales and if needed, on regulation truck stop scales to double check accuracy. All orders receive invoices with the weights on delivery. Sometimes these tickets are even stamped on the hay pallets with bar coding themselves eliminating extra paperwork. Please ask before the truck leaves for the EXACT paperwork you require. Once the truck arrives at your facility , we cannot change the paperwork/invoice type.
WE do not know for certain the total weight of a load is until they are weighed on the scales and you pay only for the weight of the hay. In the same way that all meat sold in a store is not automatically the same price, nor are all cattle or horses sent thru an auction ring at the same price, hay is sold more fairly by both it's quality and quantity and weight. We can then also email the invoices in advance of the drivers if required. No one can sell a bale of hay "by the bale" and avoid cheating either themselves on heavy bales or the customer on lightweight bales. We avoid both losses by selling by the ton. Cattle growers understand this better as their end product is sold by the pound at the feedlot.
We are also capable (on request ) of actually creating a bale weight at any point in the year that suits each customer specifically. So, if you as a feed store require a 45 pound bale to resell more easily to women buyers, we can accomplish this. If you require a 75 pound bale for commercial breeding and boarding facilities and long distance hauls to FL or LA we can also do this, if REQUESTED and PAID for in advance. Tennessee State Law requires 9.75% added to all hay purchases w/o exemption certificate
2. What sort of hays do you sell??
Mixed Meadow Grass, Timothy/Orchard, Orch/Alfa and Alfalfa, and Teff are the main product line. Some special order hays like Brome, Canary, Prairie, Wheat and Oat are available on occasion. In drought years we are able to reach into the Dakotas and Wyoming and bring all the hay we need from there as well. Mixed Meadow Grass is the only hay which will contain measurable amounts of fescue. The others may be considered "mare hay" and suitable for good breeding animals. While we do have hay year round, we do not guarantee the ability to keep all the hays or even a specific hay in stock the entire year. So, we keep inventory current and listed on the inventory page.
3. How much will I need per animal ????
Buying hay by the ton is actually an easier and more fair way to purchase hay and has been a standard in the dairy industry for many years. In feeding horses, it involves a simple calculation
pounds per day (normally 20 for a 1000 pound horse)
times number of days to be fed : using broodmares 90 days
times number of 1000 pound horses.
A simple formula for two broodmares living in a dry lot before foaling and requiring a fescue free hay would be:
(90 days x 2 = 180) X (20 pound per day) =
3600 pounds / 2000 pounds in a ton =
1.8 tons for the "fescue free" period.
As an added plus our good hays generally have a zero waste percentage when fed on dry clean surfaces. So ALL the hay gets where it needs to be!! Check with your vet for specific sheep, alpaca, goat and exotic hay needs, chances are we CAN fill it.
4. What is your delivery fee and your minimum order??
We actually have neither, however, the part that normally throws new customers for a loop is how much it costs to have hay hauled. Current freight rates (5/1/08)are over $3.75 a mile one way and we have been quoted as high as $4.25 a mile from our farm to your barn...this is a rate charged by the trucking companies and it can and does change every day and we have no control over this. The major companies also require a one hour turn around for an unloaded truck.
This translates to you having ONE hour to unload the entire load of hay from the truck or they charge a fee for sitting still. We have found a way around this problem with our unique packing systems and unloading service that allow a full semi truck to be unloaded in less than one hour. Our delivery fee includes unloading from the trucks to the ground with our machines generally. We are unable to hand stack unless by special request. The same delivery fee buys one bale delivered or as much as a truck can legally haul.
So, you can feel free to order just one ton of hay. But, let's crunch some numbers first.
You’d like 2000 pounds of hay...one ton of "x" hay is $300 and you live 300 miles away from us...300 x 3.75 is $1,125
1,125+300=1425 divided by 40 bales (at 50lbs each) is $35.62 a bale (before any hand stacking fees)
It's a bit stunning I'll agree...however, the way that the local feed stores sell hay to you at the prices that they can is because they buy about 650 plus or minus at a time and the freight rate is exactly the same as on your 40 bales. Getting together with your neighbors or riding club can get you a much better deal as you get more hay for less "gas money".... think of it as hay bale car pooling!
5. I'm ready to get a load of hay...what now??
Just call or email us ... We can sometimes have a load of hay on the road within 48 hours depending on weather and crop availability and the trucking company. Four business days is our normal turnaround The key will be when you place your order and the line in front of you.
Please be aware that we require cash on arrival for all new customers paid to the drivers and from all FL and TX customers. Sadly this year, on all new farm accounts, whomever orders the hay MUST be onsite when the hay is delivered. Not barn managers, not stall cleaners, not riding lesson instructors, NO ONE MAY STAND IN THE PLACE OF THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE HAY. Otherwise we will bring it back home, regardless of delivery distance and you will still be responsible for the delivery fee.. Sorry.
6. We need less than a full semi, can we pick it up ourselves??
Of course ! We started selling commercial quality hay nearly a decade ago and we have never forgotten the 100 bale a year regular customers. Please ring or email for an appointment time (required from April to Nov) and we will be happy to show you the stockpiles and help you pick a hay that fits your budget and needs. As an added bonus, our mountain views make for nice eye candy once you arrive as well !! Loading hours can be arranged from 8 am to 5 pm Monday- Friday and Saturday 8am til 3 eastern, but you MUST HAVE AN APPOINTMENT !!!
7. Do you reserve hay ??
no, nor do we stockpile sold orders
8. How do we "lock in a price"
not available 08/09 season
9.Refunds and replacements
All hay unless noted at time of sale is sold as "guarenteed". This means in simplest terms if the hay is defective (mold, dead critters, wrong type) we will replace the hay or credit the next purchase for the damaged hay dollar amount, So,$400 of grass hay can be replaced with $400 of another hay, but only if the hay is returned and the damage has been reported to us immediately. Exchanges are based solely on dollar amount not tonnage.
We are not responsible for poor storage at your farm. If your barn leaks on the hay or molds from the bottom from ground storage, we will not be responsible. If your storage trailer has a leak, we are not responsible. If you have covered your hay with a tarp and it has molded we are not responsible. The easiest way to determine this, is that hay that molds from the inside out is the fault of the grower and hay that molds from the outside in are an end user fault. Likewise, if your horse simply "won't eat it" and you spread it on your pasture as mulch, give it to your farrier for his cattle or likewise, we will not be interested in refunding money a year later.
10.What about commercial trucking??
Unless customers are lucky enough to have their own semi trucks, we depend a good deal on the large trucking companies to haul our semi loads out. In the past, most trucking companies (Schneider Company excluded as they are wonderful to work with) HATE to haul hay into muddy barn lots and many would not even give quotes to move it. As there is a shortage this year, they have become more agreeable to this cargo, but historically you could not even get a return phone call.
Now a bit about commercial carriers ,if you get the rate quote, it is only for about two days. Meaning, if we get a rate on Friday for a delivery to Ocala FL, and the customer does not agree to purchase the load until Tuesday next, the trucking company will charge a different fee/rate for the delivery as the two business days have expired. We will have to re-negotiate the rate with the company.
We look forward to meeting you !!!
Calvin and Tamara Howard
423 346 7909
calling hours 9am til 4 eastern and none on Sunday
please leave your message speaking slowly and with entire phone number and time zone
you may email but the phone is considered the main contact point