Bales of hay vary in size from 40 to 2,000 pounds. A three-string bale weighs around 100 pounds, and there are approximately 20 three-string
bales in a ton. Round bales weigh 850 to 1,100 pounds, and there are 2.4 to 1.8 round bales per ton. Hay is also sold in 1-ton bales, with a single bale per ton. A standard three-string bale weighs around 140 pounds and breaks into 17 flakes, each weighing about 8 pounds. Small bales, called two-string bales, weigh only 40 to 75 pounds each. The best quality hay is baled into three-string bales, and over-mature hay is baled as round bales. MORE FROM
REFERENCE.COM
Joined
Aug 14, 2005 · 641 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Jul 6, 2007 All these price quotes for so much money per ton is confusing b/c I don't really know the approx. weights for small squares or large rounds. Can anyone help me? Also, how long could I expect a round bale to last me in the winter with 30 goats eating on it? Thanks for your help!! Joined
Jul 31, 2006 · 309 Posts
I know this is not what you want to hear but it all depends on the bailer setting it can range from light 45 50 lbs to a heavy setting 80 lbs. Joined Apr 11, 2006 · 2,113 Posts
It depends on the weight of each bale. Plus, around here, what we call "local" grass hay the bales weigh 50 to 60 pounds, which would put 40 bales to a ton (if they weigh 50 #). If you're talking alfalfa, then the bales can weigh around 100 pounds (it can vary, too). If they're 100 pounds, then you're talking 20 bales to a ton. When I
moved, someone was taking care of my goats for me until I could get them moved, too. Her feeling was they should get a bale a day. It didn't matter if it was an 80 pound bale or 120 pound bale (which, when you're buying "by the bale," the heavier the bale, the more it will cost) and, since I was paying for that hay, if she was feeding the big bales, it was costing me way more money than when she was feeding the 80 pounders. When you buy by the ton, make sure you know what those bales
weigh and then count the bales to make sure you get what you pay for. I used to work in a feed store and each load was different. One week we might have those 80-pounders; the next week might be the heavier ones. Janis Joined Aug 14, 2005
·
641 Posts
Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 6, 2007
I guess, more importantly, I could figure how many lbs my 30 goats should eat each day and figure how long a ton will last me. Thanks for the input. I knew it depended on how it was wrapped. I didn't consider the different substances though. 50-100 lbs is quite a wide range.
Joined May 28, 2006
·
920 Posts
On average goats eat about 4 lbs a day per head. That is what I use to figure how much hay I need for the winter. Good luck!
Joined May 13, 2002
·
1,082 Posts
When I was a kid we bailed at 65 lbs per square bale and a ton was 30 bales. A long ton was 32 bales. Since 65 pounds is a bit short, everyone sold by the long ton.
- Home
- About Us
- What are Compact Hay Bales?
- Deliveries
- Hay For Sale
- Lucerne Hay
- Grass Hay
- Oaten Hay
- Straw Bale
- All Products
- Contact Us
Hay Bale Weight & Dimensions
We have a range of hay bale styles available here at Forbes Lucerne, not just our compact bales. As well as normal small square bales, we also have big squares (8’ x 4’ x 3’) for people wanting bulk hay (contact us for wholesale enquiries by the semi-load or b-double load).Standard Small Square
Bales
Compact Hay Bales
Big Square Bale (or Jumbo Bale)
- Used for bulk feeding
- Weigh around 600kg
- Dimensions vary, but standard Jumbo Bales are 8’ x 4’ x 3’ (that’s 2.4m x 1.2m x 900mm in metric)
- If you’re interested in Jumbo Bales, please Contact Mark Forbes for pricing and availability