# Hay cost per ton in Virginia

> Virginia hay runs roughly $180-$260 per ton for grass and mixed large rounds, with premium alfalfa squares pushing $280-$360 per ton. Drought years and first-cutting rain damage can swing prices 20-30% higher.

**Headline:** $180-$260 per ton delivered, large round bales of grass/mixed hay (Virginia, 2024-2025)

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Premium alfalfa (small squares) | $280-$360/ton |
| Supreme alfalfa (dairy-grade) | $320-$400/ton |
| Grass hay (fescue/orchardgrass) | $160-$240/ton |
| Mixed grass-legume hay | $180-$260/ton |
| Large round bale (4x5, ~1000 lb, grass) | $80-$130 per bale ($160-$260/ton equivalent) |

## Detail

Virginia's hay market is shaped by a humid subtropical climate that delivers 40-45 inches of annual rainfall, which is a blessing for tonnage but a curse for curing. First cutting, typically taken late May through mid-June, is the largest and cheapest but also the most frequently rain-damaged; a wet week can drop a premium orchardgrass lot into 'fair' grade and knock $40-$60/ton off the price per USDA AMS Virginia weekly reports. Second and third cuttings in July and September are smaller but generally higher quality, and pricing reflects that premium.

Most Virginia cow-calf operators feed grass or mixed grass-legume round bales rather than alfalfa squares. Based on USDA AMS Virginia hay reports through 2024, large round bales of good-quality grass hay have moved in a $160-$240/ton range, with premium alfalfa squares trading $280-$360/ton and dairy-grade supreme alfalfa pushing toward $400/ton when available. The Shenandoah Valley counties (Rockingham, Augusta, Page) are the production heartland and typically set the floor; buyers in Tidewater and Southside pay a freight premium.

For a practical per-cow bill: a 1,200 lb dry beef cow consuming roughly 25 lb of hay per day over a 120-day Virginia winter feeding window eats about 3,000 lb - or 1.5 tons - of hay. At a mid-range grass-hay price of $210/ton that's about $315 per cow per winter, climbing to roughly $390 at $260/ton in a tight-supply year. Factor in 10-15% feeding waste with round bales fed without a ring and the real number is closer to $350-$450 per cow, which Virginia Cooperative Extension consistently identifies as the single largest variable cost in a cow-calf budget.

## Frequently Asked Questions

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

Directly off the field during first cutting in late May and June is typically cheapest. Prices climb 15-30% by January as barn-stored inventory tightens.

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

Most Virginia grass hay fields yield 2-3 cuttings; alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixes in the Shenandoah Valley can get 3-4 cuttings in a normal rainfall year.

### Is hay more expensive in eastern or western Virginia?

Western Virginia (Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham, Augusta) generally has lower farm-gate prices due to concentrated production; Tidewater and Southside buyers often pay $20-$40/ton more after freight.

## Sources

1. USDA AMS Virginia Weekly Hay Report (2024) — https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ams_2043.pdf
2. Virginia Cooperative Extension - Hay Production and Marketing in Virginia (2023) — https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/418/418-012/418-012.html
3. USDA NASS Virginia Agricultural Statistics - Hay (2024) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Virginia/

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