Hay cost per ton in Arkansas

Arkansas hay pricing in 2025 sits in a $120-$220/ton band for the bermudagrass and mixed-grass round bales that dominate the state's forage market, according to USDA AMS Arkansas weekly hay summaries. Premium and supreme alfalfa, almost entirely imported from Oklahoma and Kansas, trades $280-$360/ton delivered because Arkansas's humid summers make on-farm alfalfa curing unreliable, per University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension forage guidance.

Most Arkansas producers take two to three bermudagrass cuttings between late May and early September, with a possible fourth cutting in the southern tier when rainfall cooperates. The state averages 48-55 inches of annual rainfall, concentrated in spring and fall, which is excellent for grass tonnage but punishes hay quality when rain hits windrows - Extension data shows a single rain event on cut hay can knock 15-20% off relative feed value and push a lot from 'good' to 'fair' pricing tiers.

Translating these prices to a real winter bill: a 1,200 lb cow consumes roughly 2-2.5% of body weight in dry matter, or about 25 lb of hay per day. Over a typical 120-day Arkansas winter feeding window (mid-November through mid-March), that is 3,000 lb - roughly 1.5 tons - per cow. At the midpoint grass hay price of $150/ton, winter hay alone runs about $225 per head, and a 50-cow operation is looking at an $11,000-$13,500 hay bill before factoring in waste, which Extension trials show ranges from 6% with ring feeders to over 40% with unrolled bales.