Hay cost per ton in New Hampshire

New Hampshire's short growing season typically yields two hay cuttings per year, with a possible light third cutting in southern counties in favorable years. First cutting usually comes off in mid-to-late June and is the bulk of the state's tonnage, while second cutting in August tends to be leafier, higher in protein, and commands a $30-$60 per ton premium for horse and dairy buyers, according to UNH Cooperative Extension forage guidance.

Rainfall is the single biggest swing factor on NH hay prices. The state averages 40-50 inches of precipitation annually, and wet Junes routinely force growers to bale rained-on first cutting that drops to mulch-grade pricing, while dry windows produce the $300+ per ton dairy-quality lots tracked in the USDA AMS Northeast hay reports. In drought years like 2022, round bale prices across New England spiked 20-30% above the five-year average as supply tightened.

For a working budget, a 1,200 lb beef cow consuming roughly 25 lb of hay per day over a 120-day NH winter feeding window eats about 3,000 lb (1.5 tons) of hay, per UNH Extension feeding recommendations. At the current $185-$260 per ton large-round-bale range reported in USDA AMS weekly summaries, that pencils out to roughly $280-$390 per cow per winter before waste, plus another 10-15% for feeding losses on unprotected round bales fed in the field.