# Hay cost per ton in Nebraska

> In Nebraska, large round bales of grass and mixed hay typically run $160-$230 per ton, while premium and supreme dairy-quality alfalfa trades $220-$300 per ton delivered, per USDA AMS Nebraska Hay Summary reporting.

**Headline:** $160-$230 per ton for large round bales; premium alfalfa $220-$280 per ton delivered

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Premium alfalfa (large square) | $220-$280/ton |
| Supreme alfalfa (dairy) | $260-$310/ton |
| Grass hay (round bale) | $140-$200/ton |
| Mixed grass/alfalfa | $170-$230/ton |
| Large round bale, good quality | $160-$230/ton |

## Detail

Nebraska is one of the top five hay-producing states in the country, and the USDA AMS Nebraska Hay Summary tracks weekly trades out of Kearney covering both the Sandhills alfalfa belt and the eastern grass-hay regions. As of 2025 reporting, large round bales of good-quality grass and mixed hay typically move at $160-$230 per ton, while premium large-square alfalfa runs $220-$280 per ton and supreme dairy-quality alfalfa can reach $260-$310 per ton delivered to feedlots and dairies.

Nebraska alfalfa stands generally deliver 3-4 cuttings per year, with irrigated Panhandle fields achieving a fourth cutting in favorable years and dryland eastern fields settling for three, according to UNL Extension agronomy guidance. Rainfall patterns drive the spread: the semi-arid western third averages 16-20 inches annually and relies on irrigation for alfalfa, while the wetter east receives 28-34 inches and leans on cool-season grass meadows and brome, which keeps eastern grass-hay pricing structurally below western alfalfa.

For a 1,200 lb beef cow consuming roughly 25 lb of hay per day through a 120-day Nebraska winter feeding period, total intake works out to about 3,000 lb, or 1.5 tons per cow. At a mid-range $190/ton for good round-bale grass hay, that is roughly $285 per cow per winter in hay alone before waste; factoring the 15-20% feeding waste UNL Extension documents for unrolled bales pushes the true delivered cost closer to $330-$345 per cow per winter.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where are Nebraska hay prices reported?

USDA AMS publishes the Nebraska Hay Summary weekly out of the Kearney, Nebraska market news office, covering auction and direct trade across the Sandhills, Platte Valley, and eastern Nebraska.

### Why do western Nebraska hay prices differ from eastern?

Western Nebraska (Sandhills, Panhandle) produces more alfalfa under irrigation and exports to dairies in Colorado and Texas, often pricing $20-$40/ton above eastern grass-hay regions where rainfed meadow hay dominates.

### How many cuttings of alfalfa does Nebraska get per year?

Most Nebraska alfalfa stands yield 3-4 cuttings per season, with irrigated Panhandle fields hitting 4 and dryland eastern fields typically 3, per UNL Extension agronomy guidance.

## Sources

1. USDA AMS Nebraska Hay Summary (2025) — https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_2250.pdf
2. UNL Extension - Hay Pricing and Cow Winter Feed Costs (2024) — https://beef.unl.edu/hay-pricing-winter-cow-costs

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