Hay - or lack thereof

[janetn]

Here in MI first cutting was going to be bad because of the cold spring. Well usually its cut the last week of May or first week of June, but it was so cold so late most fields were not cut then. Now we have the deluge, the fields wont dry out for a couple of weeks. That puts us almost to time for second cutting.

Takling to a local farmer, he said first cutting will be hard to digest stems. The alfalfa leaves got frosted so many times his fields will be mostly headed out hard to digest grass. He is thinking about not even baleing it, he isnt sure he can get the moisture out either.

I asked him what he thought he would be selling hay for this year. Told me IF he had any to sell he would be asking 6 to 7 dollars a bale for first cutting and 10 to 11 for second. Now Im in an area where a good bale of first cutting was considered high if you had to pay 2.50 or 3 a bale

Between the horrid weather and the cost of fuel and fertiliser feeding livestock or horses is going to be a challenge

[goatlady]

I've been paying $7-$8 a bale for ANY cutting of anything with alfalfa in it since last year at this time! abd happy tio be able to get it.

[Summerthyme]

Yep... we paid over $200 a ton (which would be about $4 a bale for small, 40# square bales) last winter. Gets mighty expensive when you've got dairy cows who can eat 30# each- every day!

Our baleage yields were pitiful... we lost about half the normal yield to late frost. We have had reasonable weather so far since, although it went from way too cold to very hot almost overnight. We're hoping to get our dry hay made this week (right... the weather is NOT cooperating!) and then praying for a good second crop.

I keep telling anyone who will listen... at this rate, food prices are going to have to DOUBLE by next year, or there won't be any farmers left.

Summerthyme

[SimonJ]

Ive only seen a couple of hayfields cut. They were lucky. It rained the day after they bailed. And hasnt had enuf sun to even think of a second cut for them. Most havent had the first cut yet because of the weather. Hay, left over from last year was $11-16 a 60# bail. If you could find it. I lucked into some at $6 because they were emptying out thier barn. It was still good hay. Ive got one field that could make good hay if it ever got dry.

[Belle]

We got our first cutting off one field just a week or so ago - about a month later than usual. (I'm in Kentucky) It was much thinner than normal, for all the same reasons mentioned (unseasonably cold and wet). We still haven't cut the other 3 fields. With the price of feed and fuel, we've decided to butcher our goats, so the hay we have already cut is enough to feed the llama through the winter.

Still, I'm trying to talk hubby into cutting and baling the other fields so we can sell it. Nobody around here has enough hay this year and many are not cutting it (again, because of the price of fuel and the bad weather). Right now it's going for $8 for a square bale. I can't imagine how much it will be worth this winter.

[Filas are prima]

North Idaho's usual first cutting is around July 4th.
We've been cold and rainy for all of May, now June. Finaly, mid June, they are expecting mid 70's.
Last year's hay crops droughted out, and out hay has been very expensive.
I've prebought first cutting hay, to be delivered and stacked, for $150. per Ton.

[momof23goats]

hay here is doing pretty good. we get hay, for about 3 dollars a bale, alfalfa, that is. not grass hay.

[Stanb999]

North Idaho's usual first cutting is around July 4th.
We've been cold and rainy for all of May, now June. Finaly, mid June, they are expecting mid 70's.
Last year's hay crops droughted out, and out hay has been very expensive.
I've prebought first cutting hay, to be delivered and stacked, for $150. per Ton.

Heck, here I can get the big round bales that are around a ton for 18-20 bucks. Some times you can get it even cheaper.

[SheWoff]

Not seeing them even do a first cutting yet here in nw TN. They are just finishing up planting right now so
I would bet hay will be cut next week if the weather holds.

She

[Summerthyme]

Heck, here I can get the big round bales that are around a ton for 18-20 bucks. Some times you can get it even cheaper.

Well, if you can... grab every one you can get and/or store properly. That is about 1/2 the COST of making them... and that's not counting anything but fuel and twine... not machinery depreciation, land cost, or labor.

We used to be able to get them here for that, but farmers who are dumb enough to sell for much less than the cash cost of making anything don't stay in business long. Spotty weather, including severe drought just 100 miles north of us has really cut down the available hay supplies.

Summerthyme

[Stanb999]

Well, if you can... grab every one you can get and/or store properly. That is about 1/2 the COST of making them... and that's not counting anything but fuel and twine... not machinery depreciation, land cost, or labor.

We used to be able to get them here for that, but farmers who are dumb enough to sell for much less than the cash cost of making anything don't stay in business long. Spotty weather, including severe drought just 100 miles north of us has really cut down the available hay supplies.

Summerthyme

I have a to agree to a point. But where I'm at their are alot of hobby/horse ect. farms. They have the fields cut so it looks nice. So the hay is for the most part a waste product. Even in dry years I can get it for 2.00 for a normal bale and like I said around 20 for a large round. But I don't store more than I need as this is a pretty wet climate so it goes bad after a year if it's not used. In fact the guy I generally buy it from had advertised to ship it down south buy the train load. He got no takers. But he did get one guy to come up with a trailer a few times from virginia that was glad to get it for 2.25 a bale and haul it to sell at 8 bucks. But today the fuel would push that price to 10 maybe 12 bucks.

With the way things are going I'm cutting and storing my hay as I see the people around here just leaving it get over grown if the price of cutting goes to high. So this year I bought a Scythe and have cut about 25% of the hay I need so far. So i'm very happy.

[Homesteader1]

Well our hay is late this years as well, due to cold and rainy weather it's going to be another few weeks before swathing too. The one good point is that the alfalfa hasn't flowered and the grass( 70% grass/30 alfalfa mix) is about 31/2 feet tall and thick like no other year since we planted it 5 yrs ago. Last season we only took one cutting and pastured the rest of the year and we got 3-1/2 ton on not quite two acres.

Last night we did get a frost, but it doesn't appear it hurt anything, thanks be to God!

[SimonJ]

Now that is some choice hay Homesteader. Whats the secret ingrediant?
Im going to get a new mower and a new rake. Not going to bail, just put it up in Haystacks.

[just me]

Here in Iowa there are fields ready to be cut, but with the rain, no one can get into the fields. I don't know what we are going to do for hay this winter. We turned our hay field into pasture after losing most of it to freezing last year.

[ChiliPalmer]

We've finally been getting some rain, so I'm hopeful the haying will be good come July. Last night I paid 7.50 for 50# bales of alfalfa/grass mix, and the straw was 5.

[momof23goats]

we are having problems getting into the fields, they are wet .way to wet to get the hay cut, so , it hasn't been cut once yet. sad really sad, and about a month late. for first cutting. might not get but 2 cuttings this year if this keeps up.

[Filas are prima]

I just read today on craigslist for Spokane/Coeur d'Alene, that farmers are preselling hay at $270. for alfalfa, and $245. for grass.
And, here I kinda wondered if I was taking a risk to pre buy at $150. delivered and stacked!

[Summerthyme]

The biggest problem with the first cutting of hay getting this late is that you lose so much of the quality. Protein is dropping by the day now, and protein (AND energy, which also drops quickly once it's past it's prime- which is "pre-bloom" stage on alfalfa and clover and "boot" (before the seed heads show) on grasses) is going to be insanely expensive this year. Soybeans are over $15 a bushel now... I don't know how ANYone is going to be in business with livestock if this keeps up.

I just bought half a ton of cracked corn and layer mash... 300# of layer, 700# of cracked corn. Ran me just about $16 a hundred. OUCH! That's going in galvanized garbage cans, with diatomaceous earth on top to keep the bugs out. At least I'll be able to feed my laying hens and the three breeder turkeys I'm keeping.

All the storms which hit NY state today went AROUND us! I don't know that it was a direct answer to prayer... but it sure was an answer to prayer! We've got a few acres of some really beautiful alfalfa/grass hay down, and almost ready to bale. Rain today would have really damaged it. We put most of our earliest first cut up in baleage, which allows us to cut far earlier than we usually can- we just don't get good drying hay weather in late May or early June around here. But yields were about HALF normal, thanks to the severe freezes in May. We're just trying to get it all cut and off the fields so second crop can come on... what was cut 2 weeks ago is growing like crazy... some of the fields of second crop are almost knee high already!

Summerthyme

[Filas are prima]

No, here in this climate, our first cutting is about July 4th.
The farmer said he thought his wheat would harvest about August 16.

[goatlady]

Prices here are pretty close to your's st. I made a run Fri to the feed store for 300# cracked corn and 300# sweet chop/all grain; the cracked corn was $15.50 per 100 and the sc was $18 per hundred. Took me a couple hours to unload the stuff - bucket by bucket to the garbage cans! Never thought to use DE - haven't had any bug problems here for 2 years, so far. had 1/2 can corn go moldy but found out that can was right under a roof leak in the back of the feed area! No problems since I move the can.

[Hardpan]

The hay looks to be about a month late here too, cold spring followed by wet conditions. As Summerthyme said the protein is dropping daily now, not that big of concern in normal times as you would just feed them a little more grain concentrate to make up for the nutrient needs, probably not this year though.

[Homesteader1]

Now that is some choice hay Homesteader. Whats the secret ingrediant?
Im going to get a new mower and a new rake. Not going to bail, just put it up in Haystacks.


No secret ingredient, just composte manure added in the early spring and plenty of water( irrigated) in summer through late Fall, we have sandy soil, so water doesn't hold well.:-( We grow everything naturally, so never sprayed for weeds, instead we hand picked and dug weeds, this year is the first year we had less than 10% weeds. Now cheat grass is another story, it's been a thorn in all of our sides. It's mainly in the bottom of our front pasture, not on the hay field side. We simply have been keeping it pulled and try to get it before it drops it's seeds.

I'm going to get pictures of our hay today, we had to use the hay rake and roll the windrows, they are to thick to dry throughly enough to bale this evening or tomorrow morning. It's awful pretty, like gold in the safe, notice I didn't say money in the bank :-| I'll try to post a picture here before we bale and after we bale.

[Homesteader1]

Forgot to add to previous post, we picked up 10 acres of pasture to hay. It has thistle in one corner, so we'll cut but pile it to dry and burn it later this Fall. Otherwise it's a nice grass afalfa blend. We usually have to suppliment our hay with an additional 3-5 ton of hay. Last year it increases from $70 a ton to $100 and this year it's going to be around $135-$140 a ton. With this added ground we may not need to purchase any, or we we may buy 2-3 ton as a savings account to add to in 2009.;-)

[cleosbcs]

Alfalfa here (Nevada), in 110-120 pound bales is up to $260 a ton and that is as good as it's going to get. Grass hay is $18 a bale. I sold a good filly and I have a bred broodmare for sale but not much hope of selling her. Trying to get down to three horses as this is becoming a serious drain and will be much worse in the fall. Pasture is just not available and when it is, you have to put your horse in with a bunch of others and hope it gets enough to eat. It's getting ugly.

[Filas are prima]

Farmers are baleing like crazy our first cutting of the normaly two we get here.
Brag on my neighbor--at 66, she stacked 4 1/2 T hay in her barn today.
Sure glad I'm no longer in NV! Praise GOD!
Yes, horses hard to sell, even give away sometimes.
I finaly, maybe, found my new "commuter car", who is a tall gelding who completed the Tevis Cup in '04. Good prospect to motivate up to town and back. Clean legged, but a real pill on the ground. Am told he's a dream, once on him. hobbles might just change his reality there.

[Filas are prima]

So the farmer delivered part of my order of hay with his bale wagon.
He commented that he had to replace a rear tire on his bale wagon = $1,300. for (1) 14 ply tire.
No wonder the hay is sky high.

[Hardpan]

A lot of hay got baled here in the last week and there is a lot for sale although it is poor quality and high prices.

In the two years prior we were in drought conditions and hay was hard to come by even though there was a fair first cutting. I'm thinking that with the amount of hay for sale here this year the cattle numbers must be way down.

[Micah68]

YAY - my husband is out baling right now! Normally the first cutting would have been done two weeks ago.

There is a man following the baler loading bales onto his trailer....$6 a small square and he is grateful to get it as many are asking $7. (Having it picked up out of the field is well worth $1 a bale to us.)

[Freeholder]

I'd be glad to pick my hay up out of the field -- if I could lift the bales high enough to get them into my pickup! The grass hay I've been getting weighs around a hundred pounds a bale; the alfalfa is about 25 lbs. heavier. I can lift the grass hay and move it; can barely lift the alfalfa. I wish they still made human-sized bales that didn't require either a big husky man or else expensive equipment to move it.

Kathleen