Hay cost per ton in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's hay market is among the most active in the Northeast, with USDA AMS publishing weekly price reports from auction barns including New Holland, Dewart, Greencastle, and Middleburg. In 2025, large round bales of grass and mixed hay consistently traded in the $185-$245 per ton range, while premium small-square alfalfa destined for horse owners reached $280-$340 per ton, and supreme dairy-quality alfalfa cleared $320-$400 per ton at the top end.

Pennsylvania typically receives 40-46 inches of annual rainfall, which supports 3 cuttings per season on most alfalfa and mixed stands - first cutting in late May, second in early July, and third in mid-August, per Penn State Extension. Wet springs routinely delay first cutting and knock quality down a grade (from Supreme to Premium, or Premium to Good), which is the single biggest driver of year-over-year price swings at PA auction barns. Southeastern counties like Lancaster, Lebanon, and Berks see the highest yields and the deepest buyer pool.

For a 1,200 lb beef cow eating roughly 25 lb of hay per day through a 150-day Pennsylvania winter (roughly November through March), that works out to 3,750 lb - just under 1.9 tons per cow per winter. At the 2025 midpoint of $215 per ton for round-bale grass hay reported by USDA AMS, that is approximately $405 per cow per winter in hay cost alone, before accounting for 10-15% feeding waste with ring feeders which pushes the real bill closer to $450-$465 per head.