We have all our hay! This year we found a new hay farmer just a few miles from our ranch. He has a beautiful 8 acres of timothy/alfalfa mix that was just planted last year and this was the first cut on the field. What beautiful hay. Young, green, leafy and so sweet smelling. He got 398 bales (30-40lbs) off the field and be bought them all.
The farmer had 2 wagons so we’d take one as they kicked up bales to the 2nd. It’s a slow go on hilly roads with full wagon. But 3 trips and some fancy packing all the hay is in without so much as an inch to spare! The bales are stacked within foot of the ceiling and I can barely make it through the door. Thankfully my barn breathes very well and there is good air circulation up and over and under the stack.
1st hay wagon
1st wagon unloaded, 157 bales in the barn. There was no point in taking a completed photo because it was just a dark wall of hay. We managed to fit 398 bales in there.
Note: Timothy hay is not recommended for alpacas. It tends to be stalky if cut too late and can give alpacas ulsers. This hayis for the horses however it is young and leafy enough that the alpaces do like it too. I will be purchasing a 2nd cut orchard grass mix for the alpaca’s main diet.