Last updated: October 14, 2026
Maybe you’re trying to figure out how much a bale of hay weighs before you feed your horses, compare prices, or decide how many flakes your horse needs. The seller says, “It’s a bale,” but that doesn’t tell you much about the actual weight.
Here’s what different bales usually weigh, how much a flake weighs, how many bales make a ton, and why those numbers matter when you’re buying or feeding hay.
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Bale of Hay Weigh? Sizes and Weights at a Glance
| Bale type | Common size | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|
| Small square (2-string) | 14 x 18 x 36 in. | 40 to 75 lb |
| Small square (3-string) | 16 x 22 x 44 in. | 90 to 140 lb |
| Large square | 48 x 48 x 96 in. | 800 to 1,200+ lb |
| Round bale | 4 x 5 ft. | 500 to 800 lb |
| Round bale | 5 x 5 ft. | 880 to 1,200 lb |
| Round bale | 5 x 6 ft. | 1,000 to 1,500+ lb |
These are typical ranges, not guarantees. Wisconsin Extension educators who weighed batches of bales found that same-size bales in their weighing trials varied by about 7 percent on average, and by much more in some trials, so the only way to know for sure is to put a few on a scale.
How Much Does a Small Square Bale Weigh?
Most horse owners buy two-string square bales because one person can lift and stack them. A typical bale measures about 14 by 18 by 36 inches. In a survey of hay producers, forage specialist Dennis Hancock found the average small square bale weighed about 55.5 pounds, and more than 70 percent of producers made bales in the 40- to 60-pound range.
Three-string bales are bigger, usually about 16 by 22 by 44 inches. Grass-hay three-string bales often start around 90 pounds, while dense alfalfa bales can top 140. I learned that the first time I went to buy alfalfa on sale. The deal was only on three-string bales, and at about 110 pounds apiece, I wasn’t going to load those into a truck bed by myself.
| Hay type | Two-string | Three-string |
|---|---|---|
| Grass hay (Timothy, Bermuda, Orchard) | 40 to 55 lb | 90 to 110 lb |
| Alfalfa | 60 to 75 lb | 110 to 140 lb |
| Mixed grass and alfalfa | 50 to 65 lb | 100 to 120 lb |
Alfalfa is usually denser than grass hay, so an alfalfa bale tends to weigh more at the same size. But as that bale in the photo shows, the typical ranges are just a starting point. How tight the baler packed it can matter as much as what’s in it.
How Much Does a Flake of Hay Weigh?
A flake is one of the sections a small square bale naturally breaks into. There’s no standard flake weight, and the difference from one bale to the next can be bigger than most people expect. Penn State Extension found one batch of hay averaged about 5 pounds per flake and another about 7, and three flakes from the same bale weighed 4.57, 3.21, and 4.54 pounds. Kentucky Equine Research uses about 3 pounds a flake in its example and says some hay is light and fluffy while other hay is packed tight.
So if you feed by the flake, five flakes could add up to anywhere from about 15 to 35 pounds of hay, depending on how tightly it’s packed. That’s why “two flakes” isn’t a reliable measurement unless you know what your flakes weigh. The fix is easy. Weigh a few flakes with a luggage scale or a bucket on a bathroom scale, and recheck every time you get a new load.
How Much Does a Round Bale of Hay Weigh?
Round bales vary widely in weight, even when they’re the same size, because small differences in baler settings, moisture, and compression add up to a big difference in total weight. The size, like 4×5 or 5×6, gives the bale’s dimensions in feet and is the best starting point. Using a 5×5 bale at 1,000 pounds as the baseline, University of Florida specialists estimated these weights for other round bale sizes at the same density:
| Bale size | Estimated weight |
|---|---|
| 4 x 4 ft. | 512 lb |
| 4 x 5 ft. | 800 lb |
| 4 x 6 ft. | 1,153 lb |
| 5 x 5 ft. | 1,000 lb |
| 5 x 6 ft. | 1,441 lb |
Those are estimates at one density, not guarantees, and density moves the numbers a lot. University of Missouri Extension specialists say a 5×5 bale can hold about 880 pounds when it’s loosely packed, or nearly 1,200 pounds if it’s packed tight. If you’re buying round bales, ask the seller what they actually weigh, or ask whether they’ve had a few weighed.
How Many Square Bales Are in a Round Bale?
Divide the round bale’s weight by the weight of your square bales. A 1,200-pound round bale holds about as much hay as 30 square bales at 40 pounds each, or about 24 at 50 pounds. A 5×5 bale at 1,000 pounds works out to 20 to 25 small squares, depending on their weight. That’s hay weight, not usable hay. Waste changes the real-world comparison, especially if round bales are fed without a feeder.
How Many Pounds in a Ton of Hay?
There are 2,000 pounds in a ton of hay. That equals 40 small square bales at 50 pounds each, 20 three-string bales at 100 pounds, or two 1,000-pound round bales. Hay is often priced by the ton, so here’s how other bale weights work out:
| Bale weight | Bales per ton |
|---|---|
| 40 lb square | 50 |
| 50 lb square | 40 |
| 60 lb square | About 33 |
| 100 lb three-string | 20 |
| 1,000 lb round | 2 |
To compare deals fairly, divide the bale price by its weight. That gives you the price per pound, and multiplying that by 2,000 gives you the price per ton. You can see what hay is going for now in our breakdown of how much a bale of hay costs.
What Affects Hay Bale Weight?
Two bales the same size can weigh very different amounts. Moisture, hay type, compression, and storage are the main reasons:
| Factor | Effect on weight | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Wetter hay weighs more, but some of that weight is water | Hay baled too wet can heat, mold, or lose quality |
| Hay type | Alfalfa and other legumes are usually denser than grass hay | Compare by weight, not by bale count |
| Baler compression | A tighter bale weighs more at the same size | Ask whether the seller has weighed recent bales |
| Storage and handling | Wet or weather-damaged hay loses usable feed | Keep square bales dry and store round bales off the ground or under cover |
What Bale Weight Means for Feeding and Buying
Buying hay by the bale without knowing the weight is one of the easiest ways to overpay. If two sellers both want $8 a bale, but one bale weighs 40 pounds and the other weighs 65, they’re not the same deal:
Bale weight also tells you how long your hay will last. Penn State Extension recommends forage at about 2 percent of body weight a day for many horses, though the right amount depends on the horse’s condition, workload, pasture access, and your vet’s advice. For a 1,000-pound horse, that’s about 20 pounds a day, less if it’s on good pasture. At that rate, a 50-pound bale lasts about two and a half days, and a 100-pound three-string bale lasts about five. You can work out your own numbers with our guide to how long a bale of hay lasts one horse.
Square Bales vs. Round Bales for Horses
Round bales usually cost less per ton, but waste can eat up the savings. In a University of Minnesota study, horses wasted 57 percent of round-bale hay fed without a feeder, compared with 5 to 33 percent with one.
| Factor | Square bales | Round bales |
|---|---|---|
| Handling | One person can move them | Needs a tractor or loader |
| Cost per ton | Usually higher | Usually lower |
| Waste | Low; you feed it in measured flakes | High without a feeder |
| Tracking intake | Easy | Hard; horses compete and sort |
| Best for | Stalled horses and horses in training | Pasture groups with a good feeder |
About Miles Henry
Racehorse Owner & Author | 30+ Years in Thoroughbred Racing
Miles Henry (legal name: William Bradley) is a professional horseman based in Folsom, Louisiana. He holds Louisiana Racing License #67012 and has spent over three decades managing Thoroughbreds at premier tracks including Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, and Evangeline Downs.
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