Kansas hay prices held generally steady in the week ending October 10, even as heavy rainfall across much of the state slowed hay movement, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture-USDA Market News Service. Demand stayed strong. Warmer temperatures and improved moisture have producers anticipating another alfalfa cutting.

The hardest number in the report sits in the southwest district: feedlots there paid an average of $225.94 per ton for alfalfa ground and delivered as of September 1, up $16.28 from the previous month. That's the price signal cattle feeders actually felt, not a quoted board. Usage told a different story — 439 tons per day, down 8.05% from last month, for total September usage of 13,613 tons.

What moved and what didn't?

Regional markets reported mostly steady prices. The exceptions: south central Kansas, where ground and delivered alfalfa gained $5 and brome hay added $5, while large round prairie hay dropped $10.

The volume picture for the week of Oct. 4-10:

• Southwest: 8,258 tons of grinding alfalfa, zero tons of dairy alfalfa, 100 tons of grass hay bought or sold
• South central: 8,052 tons of grinding alfalfa, 150 tons of dairy alfalfa, 736 tons of grass hay
• Southeast: 1,670 tons of grass hay, 350 tons of grinding alfalfa, 175 tons of dairy alfalfa
• North central/northeast (week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3): 882 tons of grinding alfalfa, 200 tons of dairy alfalfa, 1,038 tons of grass hay

South central feedlots paid $204.06 per ton for ground and delivered alfalfa on September 1, up $6.98 month over month. Their usage fell hard — 51 tons per day, down 63% from August, totaling 1,540 tons for the month.

Where the regional prices landed

Southwest — Dairy alfalfa traded at $1.10-$1.20 per point RFV. Good stock cow alfalfa brought $265-$275; fair/good grinding alfalfa in large rounds and large squares 3×4 fetched $240-$250. Ground and delivered to feedlots and dairies: $260-$270. Sun-cured 15% and 17% protein pellets ran $280-$290. Teff, large round, made $195-$205. Wheat straw, small square, $5 per bale. No bluestem or brome trades were reported.

South central — Dairy alfalfa at $1.10-$1.15 per point RFV. Horse hay, small square, $18 per bale. Medium square 3×3 alfalfa, $250. Good stock cow, $225-$235. Grinding alfalfa, $235-$245. Ground and delivered, $260-$270. Pellets: sun-cured 15% protein $290-$300, 17% dehydrated $355. Brome ran $135-$145 large round, $175-$185 large square 3×4, $245-$255 medium square 3×3, $14 small square. Bluestem, large round, $130-$140.

Southeast — Dairy alfalfa topped the state at $1.20-$1.30 per point RFV. Grinding alfalfa, large square 3×4, $195-$205. Bluestem, large round, $95-$105. Brome, large square 3×4, $185-$195. Wheat straw, round, $70-$80.

Northwest — Dairy alfalfa at $1.10-$1.20 per point RFV. Premium/supreme large square 3×4 alfalfa, $220-$230. Grinding alfalfa, $205-$215. The report listed no volume figures for the district.

North central/northeast — Dairy alfalfa, $1.20-$1.30 per point RFV. Grinding alfalfa, $215-$225. Ground and delivered, $185-$195 — the cheapest delivered alfalfa in the state. Sudan, large round, $75-$85. Brome, large round, $145-$155.

What does this change for buyers?

Not much on price, more on logistics. Feedlots needing ground and delivered alfalfa in the southwest are paying $16 more per ton than a month ago, while south central usage collapsed 63% — a spread that suggests buyers there have cover or are waiting on the anticipated extra cutting. All published prices are averages; the service notes higher and lower trades occur. Traders can track the full set of hay markets at www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/hay-reports. With rain improving moisture and another alfalfa cutting in play, the next report will show whether added supply bends the delivered price or whether demand absorbs it.