Hay shortage

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Dani

Dani

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Dec 29, 2012
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In our area it has been hard to find any hay, both round and bales. All of our regular suppliers have not been able to get out and cut, dry and bale with all the rain we have been having. I heard on the news a couple days ago that some areas had 8 ft last year. Keep in mind Harvey the great flood was the year before. We have been getting some from other places though so it really hadn't been too bad of an issue, but now it is becoming so. We tried a couple feed store places yesterday but they were out. 3rd location had some but you had to buy feed and there was a 2 bale limit. Used to be we could but a bale for $6 . . . Now it is $10. Talking to the kid that worked the re said his suppliers were short by 680,000 bales and that they were only going to get two 18 wheeler truck loads until May. The one he had at the store was already the second truck load. . .and it was only Jan 2 nd. They are trying to get some shipped in from Fl and also CA.

we don't like feeding last year's hay especially stored outside to our critters. . . We will for the cows though. The goats are a little different though. They have to have hay kept inside with no mold. We have heard someone who has some about 2 hrs away. Just not sure what his price may be. It may be worth hooking up the big trailor for a road trip. Weather is supposed to be nice this weekend. Then rain starts back in Monday.
 
Several years ago I made a deal to buy hay from a local rancher. The deal was that he would store my hay for me until I could pick it up in October. When October came around I went to start hauling it home, but he informed me that due to a bad hay year he sold my hay to a another customer. That late in the season there wasn't any hay to be found locally. I ended up buying hay in BC Canada, Oregon and Washington.
We have plenty of potential hay ground here on our property, but I'm not sure that I want to take time away from fishing during summer to cut and bale it. Besides at $100/ton, why bother?
Good luck with your hay problems Danilgrl.
 
We have had a wet year here too in north Mississippi... especially in the spring and now. Raining now as I reply. I brought in 350 square bales in August and paid $7 each, which included delivery & stacking inside my upper barn. I'm not real particular on which cutting but usually get 2nd cut as it is dryer then. I refuse to take hay that has been rained on.

No issue getting hay around here but as I stated, I don't wait till I need it. I order from the same folks every year and bring it all in whenever they have some that meets my standards.
 
My hunny is the type that waits, then buys enough to last a few weeks with hay. This situation may just open his eyes to why we need to store hay to last the whole season. We have plenty of grain to supplement but that is expensive and hay would be better for them.I

We have a pole barn already in the middle pasture that Hunny made to house his equipment on one side and a goat shelter in the other, but he is wanting to make a bigger one going down the lane to the big pasture because his skid at It won't fit in the orher. The extra space could easily be converted to house enough hay for the goats. Just not both the goats and cows.
 
Danil54grl said:
My hunny is the type that waits, then buys enough to last a few weeks with hay. This situation may just open his eyes to why we need to store hay to last the whole season. We have plenty of grain to supplement but that is expensive and hay would be better for them.I

We have a pole barn already in the middle pasture that Hunny made to house his equipment on one side and a goat shelter in the other, but he is wanting to make a bigger one going down the lane to the big pasture because his skid at It won't fit in the orher. The extra space could easily be converted to house enough hay for the goats. Just not both the goats and cows.
Click to expand...
I buy enough hay to make it through the winter. I'd never be able to get a load of hay up here this time of year. We start feeding around November when the snow starts and stop feeding around May when the grass starts growing again. I've got plenty of room to store our hay in the barn, but this year I had to stack it outside because I've got a bunch of stuff in the barn that was supposed to go in the shop. Since the house is so far behind on construction the shop is being used for storage.
This summer I plan on building an equipment shed. Eventually I'd like to get everything under roof. We've got 3 feet of snow on the ground right now and it's easy to lose things until spring.
The wife wants to get a couple mini goats because she thinks they're cute. I guess I'd have to build a barn for them too. And then one for her mini donkeys.
 
There was a shortage here a few years back. Not 30 miles north of here, but no rain all summer here.

This year we had good rain all summer, but friends with cattle can’t get the hay out of the fields because they’re so wet....

Can’t win sometimes...
 
We had a problem when St. Helens blew, we could plant for two year, over half our bales was lost to ash, we started posting at the feed stores and co-ops, we had hay coming from as far as Wyoming. Maybe doing some posting at the feed stores and other type co-ops, maybe FB hay needed ad?
 
Maverick said:
We had a problem when St. Helens blew, we could plant for two year, over half our bales was lost to ash, we started posting at the feed stores and co-ops, we had hay coming from as far as Wyoming. Maybe doing some posting at the feed stores and other type co-ops, maybe FB hay needed ad?
Click to expand...

I’m pretty sure they were looking for ads at feed stores and Craigslist. Strangest thing that you could buy the round bales here for 3 times the price 30 miles away, but the. It rained 30 miles north of here....
 
Maverick said:
We had a problem when St. Helens blew, we could plant for two year, over half our bales was lost to ash, we started posting at the feed stores and co-ops, we had hay coming from as far as Wyoming. Maybe doing some posting at the feed stores and other type co-ops, maybe FB hay needed ad?
Click to expand...
I already checked fb. There is none listed. I'll check on posting at the feed store next time we make it up there. Thanks for the idea.
 
 
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