How this calculator works
Hay price per pound is bale price divided by bale weight; multiply by 2,000 for price per ton. Bale weights vary widely—a small square can run 40-70 lb and a round bale 700-1,200+ lb—so prices quoted per bale are not directly comparable.
A $6 square bale can sound cheaper than a $100 round bale even when the square is $240/ton and the round $200/ton. Sellers traditionally quote per bale, so buyers need to convert. The round-vs-square calculator adds feeding waste and whole-season cost when bale format is also part of the decision.
Dry matter removes water weight from the comparison. Enter the percentage from a forage test and the calculator multiplies bale weight by that share to find dry pounds per bale, then divides price by those dry pounds. A $100/ton offer at 90% dry matter costs about $111.11 per dry-matter ton; a $90/ton offer at 75% costs $120 per dry-matter ton, so the higher sticker price is the cheaper dry feed. This is an economic comparison only: it does not say whether either hay has enough protein, energy, or digestibility for an animal.
Use this before you commit to a load, not after. Start with the target quantity from the winter hay calculator. Ask the seller for bale weight, or weigh a representative bale if you're picking up in person, rather than trusting a nominal figure. Actual weight varies with moisture, cutting, and baler settings; even a modest difference can flip which offer is cheaper once both are converted to price per ton. Leave Offer B blank for a single conversion, or enter both complete offers for a comparison. The default target remains as-fed hay weight. If you choose dry-matter weight, every active offer needs a forage-test percentage and the tool rounds up the bales needed to deliver that same dry-feed target.
Delivery can reverse that invoice comparison. Enter a flat charge, a mileage rate with its distance, or both for each offer. The calculator adds those user-entered charges to each rounded invoice, then divides the landed total by the actual tons and bales purchased. Taxes, unloading, minimum-order fees, and return mileage are included only if you add them to the charge quoted by the seller. Before accepting the load, check its floor-space requirement in the hay storage calculator.
Method: price per bale ÷ bale weight × 2,000 = as-fed price per ton; as-fed price per ton ÷ entered dry-matter share = price per dry-matter ton; landed total = rounded whole-bale invoice + flat delivery + (rate per mile × miles). Mississippi State University Extension recommends comparing hay values on a dry-matter, per-ton basis, and NDSU Extension publishes the same dry-matter price adjustment. No dry-matter default is assumed. Estimates only — confirm actual bale weight, lab result, quality, order terms, and delivery charges with the seller.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert hay price per bale to price per ton?
Divide the bale price by the bale weight to get price per pound, then multiply by 2,000. A 50 lb bale at $6 is $0.12/lb, or $240/ton.
Why compare hay prices per ton instead of per bale?
Bale weights vary widely by type and even by field, so a lower price per bale can actually be more expensive hay. Price per ton (or per pound) is the only fair way to compare two different offers.
How many bales should I order for a target amount of hay?
Enter the same target in pounds or tons. The calculator divides it by each offer's bale weight and rounds up to whole bales, then shows invoice total, leftover hay, and which complete order costs less.
Plan the rest of the barn
BaleMath is free to use. Numbers are planning estimates, not a purchase guarantee — confirm actual weight and price with the seller.