Define "conventional." There are many types of bales that are considered conventional from small squares to large round.
50 bales
26 and 2/3 A ton is equal to 2000lbs, so 2000 / 75 = the number of 75lb bales in a ton.
One ton = 2200 lbs (A long ton is 2200 lbs whereas a short ton is 2000 lbs.) A ton of hay is usually one large round bale of hay. Large square bales are often 1000 lbs, so a ton could mean 2 of these bales. Furthermore, small square bales weigh around 75 lbs, so a ton of small squares could equal around 27 to 30 bales of hay.
When you buy by the ton, pounds per bale do not matter, because you are buying weight and not number of bales. The number of bales will vary on a load, but pounds are pounds. The trucks are weighed before and after loading to establish the tons delivered.
1 ton of hay is about 2 round bales 5' x 5' (diameter x thickness) [1000 lbs/bale] 1 ton of hay is 20 rectangular bales 4' x 2' x 1.5' (length x width x height) [100 lbs/bale] So for the rectangular bales, a stack of hay 4' x 8' x 7.5' (length x width x height) would do it. Not much barn space. Rick
4.5 ton of hay
It depends on how big a bale gets. Some large round bales can weigh up to a ton (2000 lbs), others a little lighter, like around 1200 lbs.
It would depend on what type of hay how much it would cost, also whether it was a small square, a large square, a soft core bale or a hardcore bale. Small square weigh between 75 & 100 lbs, large square are around 800 lbs but can be heavier, soft core around 1200 lbs and large core up to 1800 lbs. It will also depend on whether there is a drought in the area where you want to buy bales.
Since the size of hay bales varies so greatly, this question must be answered by weight. Current prices of quality alfalfa hay in the western U.S. range from $70 to $110 US per ton (US ton = 2,000 pounds). In other parts of the U.S., hay types, qualities, and prices can vary greatly from this. In the U.S., your local county extension agent should be able to give you a reasonably unbiased value for the hay available locally.
The price of alfalfa hay in Idaho per ton can be as high as $265.00 a ton. The price depends on the quality of the hay.
A ton!
Typical square bale will weigh between 60 to 120 pounds depending on moisture content and density of material in the bale. Yields of hay very greatly from .05 to 6 ton per acre. Given an average weight of 80 lbs. per bale and average yield of 2.0 ton per acre, one could expect to yield 20-25 square bales per acre.