Hay cost per ton in California

California's hay market is shaped by its dairy industry, which consumes the majority of supreme-grade alfalfa produced in the state. USDA AMS weekly hay reports in 2025 show premium alfalfa trading in the $260-$310 per ton range FOB stack, with supreme dairy-quality hay pushing $290-$340 per ton in Tulare, Kings, and Merced counties. Grass and mixed hay for horse and beef markets runs lower, generally $180-$260 per ton depending on bale type and delivery terms.

Cutting schedules vary dramatically by region. Imperial Valley growers routinely take 7-10 cuttings per season thanks to year-round irrigation and a long frost-free window, while Sacramento Valley and intermountain operations average 4-6 cuttings, per UC Davis alfalfa extension data. Winter rainfall in Northern California can delay first cutting into May and reduce quality through rain damage, which typically lifts prices on undamaged stacks by $20-$50 per ton in spring.

For a rancher budgeting winter feed, a 1200 lb cow eating 25 lb of hay per day for a 120-day feeding window consumes about 3,000 lb - roughly 1.5 tons per head. At the 2025 California mixed-hay midpoint near $205 per ton (USDA AMS), that works out to about $308 per cow for the winter; buying premium alfalfa at $285 per ton pushes the same cow's feed bill to roughly $428, which is why most cow-calf operators blend grass hay with a smaller alfalfa ration rather than feeding straight dairy-quality hay.