# Hay cost per ton in West Virginia

> West Virginia hay prices typically run $160-$245 per ton for grass-based large round bales, while premium and supreme alfalfa (mostly trucked in from the Midwest) lands between $260 and $320 per ton delivered to the farm.

**Headline:** $160-$245 per ton for large round bales, with premium alfalfa reaching $280-$320 per ton delivered

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Premium alfalfa (delivered) | $260-$300 per ton |
| Supreme alfalfa (dairy quality, delivered) | $290-$320 per ton |
| Grass hay (timothy/orchardgrass) | $150-$220 per ton |
| Mixed grass-legume hay | $180-$240 per ton |
| Large round bale (4x5, ~900 lb, grass) | $70-$110 per bale (~$160-$245/ton) |

## Detail

West Virginia's hay market is shaped by its geography: narrow river-bottom fields, steep hillsides, and a humid continental climate that averages 42-46 inches of rainfall per year. Most producers get two cuttings of cool-season grasses (orchardgrass, timothy, fescue) with a possible light third cutting in favorable years, and first cutting quality is frequently downgraded by June rain events that delay baling past optimal maturity.

According to USDA AMS weekly hay reports, large round bales of grass hay in the Mid-Atlantic region have traded in the $160-$245 per ton range through 2025, while supreme and premium alfalfa - nearly all of it trucked in from outside the state - routinely clears $290-$320 per ton delivered. WVU Extension notes that freight from Midwest alfalfa suppliers can add $30-$60 per ton to landed cost, which is why most WV cow-calf operations feed grass or mixed hay and reserve alfalfa for creep or backgrounding rations.

For a typical 1,200 lb beef cow consuming about 25 lb of hay per day (roughly 2 percent of body weight as-fed), a 180-day West Virginia winter feeding window works out to 4,500 lb, or 2.25 tons per cow. At the midpoint grass hay price of about $200 per ton that is roughly $450 per cow in winter hay alone - before accounting for 10-15 percent feeding waste on unrolled round bales, which WVU Extension flags as the single biggest lever most ranchers can pull to lower their real per-cow hay bill.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is alfalfa more expensive in West Virginia than in neighboring states?

West Virginia's humid climate and steep terrain make high-quality alfalfa hard to cure, so most supreme and premium alfalfa is trucked in from Pennsylvania, Ohio, or the Midwest, adding $30-$60 per ton in freight.

### When are hay prices lowest in WV?

Prices are typically lowest in late June and July right after first cutting, when supply peaks. They climb steadily through fall and hit annual highs in February and March as winter stockpiles run thin.

### How much hay does one beef cow need for a WV winter?

A 1,200 lb cow eating roughly 25 lb of hay per day needs about 2.3 tons across a 180-day winter feeding period, translating to $370-$560 per cow at current grass hay prices.

## Sources

1. USDA AMS National Hay, Feed & Seed Weekly Summary (2025) — https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov/viewReport/2051
2. WVU Extension - Hay Quality and Winter Feeding Beef Cattle (2024) — https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/beef/hay-quality
3. USDA NASS Agricultural Prices - Hay (2025) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/agpr0125.pdf

---

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