The place I buy alfalfa from (to scare off the deer ) went to selling short, more compressed alfalfa bales: about 1/2 the size of regular bales. They claim it's the same amount hay is a smaller package and sell them as the same price of regular sized bales they don't carr anymore. It seems like less hay to me when I set it out. Is it my imagination?

Some people cut the bales and reprocess them into smaller bales so they can get more money out of the same hay. If it looks smaller it probably is. You can only put so much hay into a bale no matter how you pack it. The balers now days usually don't pack it very tight anyways. I am talking about the 50-100 lb bales. The larger ones are a different story, i can pack lots of hay in a 6x6.

Sounds like the line of stuff the dems are selling.

I was hoping some balers would chime on this. Looks like it might be time to find a new supplier.

Those bales typically weigh 55-60 lbs compared to regular bales @ 60-70 lbs. Not much diff but some. I keep some around for hauling to horse show because they take up less room.

60-75 pounds on regular bales... depending on mositure.

breaking coastal round bales and re-baling them isn't that bad... Alfalfa no so easy. Plus most now bale the large square bales not round any more

The smaller bales actually have more hay in them there just packed tighter and better so they flank easier. Just weigh the bales.... I feed alfalfa daily to my horse's, and my cousins bail their own in Colorado on a 6,000 acres ranch.