Lady called for some grass hay sounded real fussy.Told her I had some 2nd cutting Orchard/bluegrass.Ex hay,no rain,fine hay.She didn't know what Orchard or bluegrass was she only wanted Brome nothing else.Jeeezz I guess customer is always rite
__________________ Vermeer 605 Super M Baler,1030 DiscPro mower conditioner,WRX 12 wheel V rake,Highline 1200 bale retriever,ReCon 300 hay conditioner.Massey tractors 8150,3505,1135,1105,399,175.Dodge pickups
Forget about her. Thier is plenty of other sales out there. I have people that move here from out of state ask me for timothy hay. Here in Oklahoma timothy won't survive the hot summers. They can look around till they find somebody that's imported it. Not my problem.
If I think I can pick up a new customer I'll cut a bale open, (a ground bale) let them decide. Sometimes we tell them too much. LOL. If they see pretty green inside and it is a fairly hefty bale I can usually make the sale. I push the things like we keep the hay covered, (In the west most hay gets stored outside) they don't have to take ground bales, hay in the stack is better than ground bale I cut open. If I think I'm almost making a sale but not quite I'll just give them 1 bale and tell them to feed it side by side with their other hay they have. I've picked up several customers because their horses preferred my hay to the other hay they have. Sometimes it is tough because I'm asking about $30 a ton more than market in the area this year.
We have nutrition tests done on all our hay, it make a great sales tool. Part of the marketing is to engage and educate the Customer. Keep articles about Horse Nutrition, on hand, and pass it along to the Customer to read. Generally they appreciate this and will buy our hay. I kind of like the fussy Customers they are generally easier to inform and educate than the person that just wants a cheap bale of hay.
__________________ Tickridge Ranch & Hay Co., LLC
NH TD95D, NH TC45D, NH 479 Haybine, Vicon 248 Disc Mower, NH 256 Rake, NH 644 Round Baler, NH 273 Square Baler, JD 336 Square Baler, Haymaster 8-bale Accum. & Grapple, Altec Bale Un-Winder and still looking for more.
Generally I have the same experience with horse folks, fussy, want the best for nothing, insufferable.
This year haying in our area was an unmitigated disaster. There is not much to be had and that which is available is generally not top quality, too much rain too old before cutting, you name it. The horse folks have changed their tune. Just give me some hay, whatever the price, don't care too much about the quality, can wash the dust off with snow ...
I have to take a second look to see if they are the same people. .... unbelievable!
Take care
__________________ Bring everything that you are to all that you do!
When horsemen are asked for a definition of good hay, they often list:
•* The hay must be green.
•* There should be no dust or mold.
•* There must be fine stems and lots of leaves.
•* There can be no weeds.
•* It must not have blister beetles.
•* The hay cannot have been rained upon.
•* There has to be at least 70 percent alfalfa.
•* Hay must be less than $1.50 a bale
Clipped from Purdue Forage Information By:
Mark A. Russell, Department of Animal Sciences and
Keith D. Johnson, Department of Agronomy
Cooperative Extension Service
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907
__________________ Tickridge Ranch & Hay Co., LLC
NH TD95D, NH TC45D, NH 479 Haybine, Vicon 248 Disc Mower, NH 256 Rake, NH 644 Round Baler, NH 273 Square Baler, JD 336 Square Baler, Haymaster 8-bale Accum. & Grapple, Altec Bale Un-Winder and still looking for more.
I have noticed more and more of the horse hay is being priced out per bale in the hay reports around here. We started pricing it by the bale a few years ago since we don't have a scale and we started to see trucks and trailers gaining weight from month to month. I would ask them to leave their weight tickets when they bought hay. A month or two later when they came back the same empty truck or trailer gained quite a bit of weight.
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