# Hay cost per ton in Indiana

> In Indiana, grass and mixed hay typically runs $160-$240 per ton while premium and supreme alfalfa ranges $220-$320 per ton delivered from the farm, with large round bales priced $55-$95 apiece depending on quality and cutting.

**Headline:** $160-$240 per ton for grass hay; $220-$320 per ton for premium alfalfa (large round bales, FOB farm, Indiana)

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Premium alfalfa (small square, RFV 170+) | $260-$320 per ton |
| Supreme alfalfa (dairy quality, RFV 185+) | $280-$340 per ton |
| Grass hay (timothy/orchardgrass, good) | $160-$220 per ton |
| Mixed grass-legume hay (good) | $180-$240 per ton |
| Large round bale (4x5, grass, ~900 lb) | $55-$95 per bale ($120-$210/ton) |

## Detail

Indiana's hay market is shaped by a humid continental climate that delivers 40-45 inches of annual rainfall, concentrated heavily in May and June. That timing routinely complicates first cutting, pushing quality-conscious buyers toward second and third cuttings where leaf retention and relative feed value climb. USDA AMS weekly hay reports through 2025 place good-to-premium grass hay in the Eastern Corn Belt between roughly $160 and $240 per ton FOB farm, with premium and supreme alfalfa carrying a $60-$100 per ton premium over grass.

Most Indiana alfalfa stands produce three to four cuttings per year according to Purdue Extension forage guidance, while grass and mixed stands typically deliver two to three. Rainfall-driven delays on first cutting often mean the highest-RFV hay in the state comes from second cutting in July, which is when dairy buyers from Michigan and Ohio frequently enter the Indiana market and pull premium alfalfa prices toward the upper end of the $280-$340 per ton supreme range reported by USDA AMS in 2025.

For a cow-calf operator, the per-head math is what matters. A 1,200 lb beef cow eating roughly 25 lb of hay per day through a 120-day Indiana winter consumes about 3,000 lb, or 1.5 tons. At a midpoint grass hay price of $200 per ton from the 2025 USDA AMS summary, that is $300 per cow per winter before waste. Factoring a realistic 15-20% feeding loss on round bales pushes the real bill to roughly $345-$360 per cow, which is why bale rings and limit-feeding strategies from Purdue Extension pay for themselves in a single season.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### When is hay cheapest to buy in Indiana?

Prices typically bottom out in June and July right after first cutting when supply peaks, and climb through winter into March when carryover stocks tighten.

### How many cuttings do Indiana hay producers get per year?

Most Indiana alfalfa stands yield 3-4 cuttings per season, with grass hay fields commonly cut 2-3 times between late May and September depending on rainfall.

### Is Indiana hay cheaper than neighboring states?

Indiana hay generally runs $10-$30 per ton below Ohio and Michigan premium alfalfa but tracks close to Illinois grass hay prices, per USDA AMS regional reports.

## Sources

1. USDA AMS National Hay, Feed & Seed Weekly Summary (2025) — https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/hay-reports
2. Purdue Extension Indiana Forage Report - Hay Market Update (2024) — https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AY/AY-253-W.pdf
3. USDA NASS Indiana Crop Production - Hay (2024) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana/

---

Source: Vellum — https://vellum.app/hay-cost-per-ton/indiana