Standing Orders: How Monthly Hay Delivery Saves You Time and Money
If you run a boarding barn, breed dairy goats, or just have enough animals that you order hay every month, you should be on a standing order. It's not a fancy concept — it's just locking in your monthly need so you stop reordering, stop worrying about supply, and start saving real money.
Here's exactly how ours works at McDaniel Farms.
What a standing order is
A standing order is an agreement between you and us that says:
- You take X bales every Y weeks (you set X and Y)
- We deliver on a fixed day of the month
- You pay our standard price minus 5%
- You can pause or cancel with 14 days' notice
That's it. No long-term contract, no minimum commitment beyond the current cycle, no penalty if you reduce or pause.
What it costs
Standard one-time order math, for a typical 50-bale monthly buyer 75 miles out:
| Line | One-time order | Standing order |
|---|---|---|
| 50 bales @ $14 | $700 | — |
| 50 bales @ $13.30 (5% off) | — | $665 |
| Delivery (75 loaded mi × $2.50) | $187.50 | $187.50 |
| Total per month | $887.50 | $852.50 |
| Annual savings | — | $420 |
The 5% savings on the bale price is the headline, but the bigger value is the operational stuff below.
The operational benefits (what people actually love)
1. You never run out
Hay scarcity happens in the Southeast every summer — humidity ruins cuts, growers fall short, retail buyers panic. Standing-order customers have reserved bales. We hold yours before we sell to walk-ins.
2. Same delivery day every cycle
Want hay every 2nd Tuesday of the month? Done. Your trailer slot is locked. You can plan your barn staffing, your stall mucking, and your customer billing around it.
3. SMS reminder 48 hours ahead
We text you 2 days before each delivery so you have time to clear the loading area, fuel up your tractor, or change the order if your bale count needs to flex.
4. Flex window
You can adjust your bale count up or down by 20% with 48 hours' notice. Most customers run 30–60 bales on a "50 bales monthly" standing order — we accommodate the swing without paperwork.
5. Priority on premium cuts
First cuts of the season often test highest on crude protein and RFV. Standing-order customers get first pick before we publish the inventory publicly.
How to set one up
- Tell us your typical monthly bale count. Round to nearest 10.
- Pick a delivery cadence. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly are the common ones.
- Pick a delivery day. We deliver Tue / Thu / Sat. Pick whichever fits your barn schedule.
- Pay first month at standard standing-order price. Subsequent deliveries auto-bill or invoice — your choice.
- First delivery on the next scheduled day.
The whole setup takes about 10 minutes on a phone call.
Real examples (with permission)
Marianna boarding barn — 8 horses 25 bales every 4 weeks, delivered 1st Tuesday. Saves them ~$15/month and the manager said "I haven't thought about hay in a year, it just shows up."
Tallahassee dairy goat operation — 22 milkers 80 bales every 4 weeks, delivered last Saturday. Saves them ~$48/month, plus they get first call on high-CP cuts for the late-lactation does.
Crestview feed store 100 bales every 2 weeks, delivered every other Tuesday. They mark up and resell to walk-in customers. Net-30 terms, ~$70/cycle savings, predictable inventory.
What to know before signing up
- Pricing is locked per quarter, not per year. We review every 90 days. If hay market prices swing significantly, you get 30 days' written notice.
- Cancellation is 14 days. Easier than your phone plan. No hard feelings, no penalty.
- Delivery fee changes if your address changes. The destination zone's $2–$4/loaded-mile rate applies to one-way miles. Above 200 miles, contact the farm.
- Pause anytime. Going on vacation? Selling animals? Pause for a month, restart whenever.
When a standing order doesn't make sense
- If you have fewer than 4 animals and buy 10 bales every 3 months — one-time orders are fine.
- If your storage can hold 90+ days of supply and you'd rather buy in bulk twice a year — that works too (just not in Florida summer, see our storage guide).
- If you want to switch suppliers each cut — standing orders aren't for you.
Set one up
Click to set up a standing order → or call (850) 573-0470 or (850) 573-0471 and we'll set it up in 10 minutes.