# Hay cost per ton in Montana

> Montana hay prices in 2024-2025 generally run $160-$240 per ton for large round bales, with premium and supreme alfalfa trading $200-$280/ton and grass hay $140-$190/ton depending on cutting quality and freight.

**Headline:** $160-$240 per ton, large round bales delivered (Montana, 2024-2025)

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Premium alfalfa (small square/large square) | $220-$280 per ton |
| Supreme alfalfa (dairy quality) | $240-$300 per ton |
| Grass hay (timothy/brome) | $140-$190 per ton |
| Mixed alfalfa-grass hay | $170-$220 per ton |
| Large round bale (grass, 1,200-1,500 lb) | $90-$160 per bale ($160-$240/ton equivalent) |

## Detail

Montana hay markets in 2024-2025 have settled into a range of roughly $160-$240 per ton for large round bales, with premium alfalfa trading $220-$280/ton and supreme dairy-quality alfalfa reaching $240-$300/ton according to USDA AMS Billings Direct Hay reports. Grass hay such as timothy and smooth brome runs $140-$190/ton, and mixed alfalfa-grass splits the difference at $170-$220/ton. Freight is the wild card: trucking from eastern Montana to the Bitterroot Valley can add $30-$60 per ton on top of the farm-gate price.

Most Montana producers harvest two cuttings per year, with irrigated alfalfa stands in the Yellowstone, Gallatin, and Bitterroot valleys occasionally squeezing in a third cutting in a wet year. Dryland grass hay on the Hi-Line and in eastern counties depends almost entirely on May and June rainfall, and Montana State University Extension notes that a 2-3 inch deficit during that window can cut yields by 30-50% and push statewide prices up sharply. The 2021 drought is the reference point ranchers still use when negotiating long-term supply contracts.

For a practical per-cow bill, a 1,200 lb dry cow eating 25 lb of hay per day through a 150-day Montana winter consumes about 3,750 lb, or 1.875 tons per cow. At a mid-range grass hay price of $175/ton that works out to roughly $328 per cow per winter, while a premium alfalfa ration at $250/ton pushes the same cow's hay bill to about $469. A 200-head cow-calf operation therefore budgets somewhere between $65,000 and $94,000 in winter hay alone, which is why even a $20/ton swing in the USDA AMS weekly report materially changes a Montana ranch's break-even calf price.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why do Montana hay prices swing so much year to year?

Montana's hay market is tightly coupled to drought cycles and export demand to Washington and Idaho dairies. A dry summer on the Hi-Line can cut second-cutting yields in half and push prices up $40-$80/ton within weeks.

### Is it cheaper to buy hay in eastern or western Montana?

Eastern Montana (Glendive, Miles City) typically offers lower farm-gate prices on grass and mixed hay, while western valleys (Bitterroot, Gallatin) command premiums due to irrigated alfalfa quality and closer proximity to horse markets.

### When is the best time to buy hay in Montana?

Prices are usually lowest right after first cutting in late June through July. Buying in October or later after ranchers assess winter stocks typically adds $20-$50/ton.

## Sources

1. USDA AMS Billings Montana Direct Hay Report (2025) — https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_2741.pdf
2. Montana State University Extension - Hay Market and Forage Economics (2024) — https://www.montana.edu/extension/ag/hay-forage.html
3. USDA NASS Montana Agricultural Statistics - Hay Production (2024) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Montana/

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