Practical guides from a working Florida hay farm
No marketing fluff. Just what we've learned in 16 years of growing, baling, and delivering perennial peanut hay to horse owners, boarding barns, goat dairies, and homesteads across the Southeast.
Behind the Scenes: A Delivery Day at McDaniel Farms
What happens between you placing an order and your hay arriving — from 4am loading to 8pm last-stop unload, told from the seat of the truck.
Buying Hay Direct From a Florida Farm: What to Ask Before You Order
A buyer's checklist for buying hay direct from a Florida farm — what to inspect, what to ask, what's a red flag, and what's a deal-breaker.
Cost Per Pound: Perennial Peanut Hay vs. Alfalfa, Delivered to Florida
Real delivered-cost math comparing perennial peanut hay vs alfalfa in the Southeast — including freight, waste, and total feed program cost.
Feeding Perennial Peanut Hay to Goats and Sheep
Why goats and sheep thrive on perennial peanut hay — protein, calcium, daily intake, and switching tips from a Florida farm.
Hay Delivery 101: Pickup vs. Delivered, and When Each Makes Sense
A clear breakdown of when to pick up hay at the farm and when to pay for delivery — with breakeven math, time costs, and trailer requirements.
How Much Perennial Peanut Hay Should I Feed Per Horse, Per Day?
A practical feeding guide for perennial peanut hay by horse weight, work level, and life stage — with the 2% body weight rule.
How to Identify High-Quality Perennial Peanut Hay (5-Minute Inspection)
The fast inspection that tells you whether a bale of perennial peanut hay is worth your money — color, smell, leaf, moisture, density.
How to Read a Forage Analysis (Without a PhD)
A plain-English guide to reading the lab report on your hay — CP, TDN, RFV, ADF, NDF, and what each number actually means for your animals.
How to Store Perennial Peanut Hay Through a Florida Summer
Practical storage rules from a working Florida hay farm: pallets, airflow, moisture, mold prevention, and the 6-inch rule that saves bales.
Perennial Peanut Hay for Goat Dairies: Why Cheesemakers Are Switching
How perennial peanut hay supports milk production, butterfat, and herd health in dairy goat operations — with feeding rates and case studies.
Perennial Peanut Hay vs. Alfalfa for Horses: An Honest Comparison
A working Florida farmer compares perennial peanut hay and alfalfa on protein, digestibility, cost, and feeding outcomes. Which is right for your horse?
Perennial Peanut Hay vs. Coastal Bermuda: Which Does More for Your Horse?
A side-by-side comparison of perennial peanut hay and coastal bermuda — protein, digestibility, palatability, cost, and ideal use cases.
Picloram, Clopyralid, and Aminopyralid: The Herbicides Every Hay Buyer Must Ask About
These three herbicides persist in baled hay and through manure. They can sicken horses and kill garden vegetables. Here's how to avoid them.
Setting Up Your Barn for Bulk Hay Storage
A practical setup guide for storing 50–500 bales — flooring, airflow, fire safety, pest control, and the rotation system that keeps oldest hay used first.
Standing Orders: How Monthly Hay Delivery Saves You Time and Money
How a standing order works at McDaniel Farms — locked price, locked delivery day, 5% discount, and zero 'did I order hay this month' anxiety.
The Cut Schedule for Perennial Peanut Hay in North Florida
When perennial peanut hay is cut, raked, baled, and stored in the Florida Panhandle — month by month, with quality expectations for each cut.
Why Moisture Matters in Baled Hay (And the Numbers to Know)
How moisture content drives hay quality, storage life, mold risk, and feed safety — with the exact thresholds we use at McDaniel Farms.
Why Perennial Peanut Hay Works for Hard Keepers and Senior Horses
Hard keepers and seniors need protein and digestibility, not bulk. Here's why perennial peanut hay outperforms coastal for both groups.
Why Your Hay Molds (And the 6-Inch Rule That Fixes It)
The three causes of hay mold in storage — and the simple 6-inch rule that prevents almost all of them.
Ready to order?
$14 per 55 lb square bale. Free pickup in Cottondale, FL or delivery at $2 to $4 per loaded mile based on distance within 200 miles.