Tri-County Hay & Straw Auction (Metcalfe, Monroe & Barren Counties) has become an annual event that both buyers and sellers of hay and straw have come to depend on.  Less than desirable weather conditions for 2 consecutive years brought about a forage supply shortage.  The auction system of selling hay allows the supply and demand to accurately drive the market.   In fact, the Tri County Hay & Straw Auction allows all producers to get an idea of the value of their forage.  

 In the fourth year of the sale, twenty-five different consigners (increase of 52% over 2019) offered over 1300 (increase of 38% over 2019) rolls of dry grass or legume hay.  Nearly 80 large square bales were placed in the auction, as well as, over 3,300 small square bales.  Rolled balage, rolled corn stalks, rolled straw, and large squares of straw rounded out the forage that was available.

The average weight of all dry rolled hay was 966 pounds.  The heaviest dry rolls were 5’ X 6’ of alfalfa were 1348 pound average and the lightest dry grass rolls were 4’ X 5’ rolls averaging 642.   Small square bales average weight was 44 pounds.   Thirty-seven different buyers purchased just shy of $60,000 (increase of 72% over 2019) was sold through the auction.  Numerous buyers and sellers have made contacts and have begun business relationships.   

The real question everyone seems to be asking is, “what did hay bring?”   An analysis of the sales data shows that for dry grass hay, stored inside, averaged 862 pounds per roll with an average price of $51.00 per roll.

One very interesting fact that presented itself after looking at the sales data, was that the average roll of grass hay stored inside weighed 862 pounds and average weight of hay stored outside was 1190 pounds.  One can assume that the much of the 328 difference is simply water.  However the hay stored inside had no spoilage around the roll, where outside stored hay always has some spoilage.  So even though a rolled stored outside weights more, when you subtract the water and spoilage you get significantly less hay that livestock can eat.  Being able to share information with the data from the sale to back it up leads producers to make informed decision on care of forage once harvested.

                Livestock and forage producers in South Central Kentucky look forward to last Saturday in January when hay and straw go on the auction block at the Tri-County Hay & Straw Auction.  What started a way to simply get buyer and sellers together, has growing into an economic development opportunity and a teachable moment.