Hay Price Outlook: Bermuda vs Coastal vs Alfalfa in Spring 2026

If you’re budgeting hay for the 2026 winter, the short version is: coastal bermudagrass is holding steady, alfalfa keeps climbing, and square-bale mixed grass has finally eased. The longer version — what drove each line and what it means for your herd — is below.

These are the April 2026 averages we’re seeing across Central and East Texas markets — pulled from USDA AMS reports and confirmed with direct quotes from two dozen ranches we talk to weekly. Prices on a single load can swing ±15% depending on cut, cure, haul distance, and whether the seller will deliver.

Coastal bermuda: the workhorse is stable

Coastal bermudagrass sits where it usually does in spring — $120 to $155 per ton for cow-quality round bales. Spring rains held through March across most of the state, so first-cutting yield is tracking near the five-year average. Ranches with barn storage locked prices in November at the low end of this range and are feeling smart right now.

If you’re buying fresh each month, expect the number to tick down slightly through May as new cuttings hit. The play is to buy one month at a time through June, then lock in a winter commitment by August — that’s historically been the sweet spot.

Alfalfa: up again, and probably up more

Premium alfalfa is $290 to $360 per ton right now — up roughly 8-12% year-over-year. Drought conditions across the New Mexico and West Texas production belt dragged alfalfa yields down in 2025, and the hangover is still working through supply.

If you’re running a small herd and use alfalfa as a conditioning hay for show animals, bred heifers, or fresh cows, budget 15-20% more than last year for the same tonnage. For most Highland and Dexter operations, alfalfa is a supplement rather than a base — substituting premium bermudagrass can cut a big chunk off the annual hay bill without meaningfully hurting body condition.

“I used to run 30% alfalfa in the winter ration. This year it’s 15% and I’m topping with a good mineral — cows look the same going into calving.”

— Central Texas breeder, April 2026

Mixed grass square bales: finally some relief

Square bales of mixed grass have dropped from last year’s $12-18 range down to $9-14. This is unusual — square bales typically track alfalfa because the same buyers (small operations, show barns, horse owners) compete for both. What happened is a bunch of East Texas operations scaled up their small-bale production in 2025 chasing the high prices, and now there’s supply overhang.

If you’ve been buying round bales purely for cost, take another look at squares this spring. Easier to handle, less waste, and if you’re running fewer than 10 head the storage difference is negligible.

What to do about it

Three moves, in order of impact:

1. Lock your winter tonnage by late August. Prices historically bottom in July-August and climb steadily from September on. Waiting until November to order winter hay has cost Texas ranchers 20-30% premiums for three years running.
2. Run a forage analysis on anything premium-priced.Alfalfa at $340/ton with 18% crude protein is different from $340/ton alfalfa with 22%. You’re paying for protein — verify it.
3. Build cold-storage capacity if you don’t have it.Even a simple 3-sided pole shed pays back in 2-3 years by letting you buy at summer lows and eliminating outdoor-storage spoilage (which runs 10-15% of total bale weight on exposed rounds).

Prices sourced from USDA AMS weekly hay reports (Central, East, and South Texas regions) plus direct quotes from producer contacts in Burnet, Lampasas, and Washington counties. Figures update monthly on Ranch Intel.