HELP!!!! NO HAY!!!!

[pasopleasure]

While south of us was devistated by hurricanes, we had all of our moisture sucked away. Last year was one of devistating DROUGHT! Most farms would get 4 or 5 cuttings of hay normally. Last year, many got only ONE! So with hay locally being in short supply, I found a place in N. Texas to bring in hay, but they suffered the prairie fires. Prices are skyrocketing IF IF IF you can even find any hay. Presently we are picking the good hay out of old, outside stored, round bales. They are half molded and sorting out the good from the bad is difficult and time consuming. And this junk is priced at 5 times what we paid for good hay last year. THe FED comes down on all other price gougers.....why not hay sales? Anyway, at any price...we need HAY! Anyone who can help...please! Pastures are not ready yet. We have 21 horses we are struggling to feed. Grain is no problem, but they need the bulk of hay to prevent cohlic.

[appyday]

Can you ship in bagged hay cubes??

[lalecl]

where exactly are you paso pleasure

[Carol Nelson]

Where are you, pasopleasure? The same thing goes here...we're 30 min. south of Austin TX. I'm gonna be needing to order more hay in the next few days and I'm scared...don't know what the outcome's going to be. :(
We got an inch and a quarter rainfall just a day or so ago, but not nearly enough to do what we need it to do. Pastures are just barely turning green.
It's going to be a tough year if things don't change pretty soon. :roll:

[jmtw]

same here. Most of our hay went to Texas and the surrounding states that had a drought. Now, we're very very short.
I did find one place. Mixed grass hay and not the best quality. But, hay nonetheless, and will do until better comes along.

We have a hay farm (small farm but excellent quality horse hay) and we have area farmers that grow very good quality horse hay that we know have some bales in storage. I would be willing to help coordinate it.
bales are mostly grass mix with a bit of alfalfa for flavor(less than 20%).
They are weighing in at 65 to 80 lbs eachand are wire tied.
How much hay do you need? If I can get you the amount of hay you need, how do you want it shipped? I feel terrible for your situation, Let me know how I can help out.

[CarolU]

I believe Pasopleasure is Jane in northern Louisiana....offered to take horses in during Katrina.

I hope she found some hay...I'd think there'd be hay just north of her - but know Texas is in bad shape for hay too.

[Linda Y]

We still don't have hay here, either. And now we are in a drought. This screwy weather is killing us!
A 300 + acre wildfire is burning up the road...the second in a week. The grass isn't growing. I don't know what we all are going to do. It is supposed to rain this week, but it was last week, too and didn't.
:cry:

[lisa l aka marci]

We have ads here for hay (Upstate NY) - I can forward info to anyone who wants it, just send me a PM.

Lisa

[Abejita]

even here in my county (York ) in Pennsylvania there is a hay shortage and its just starting.I called my farmer last week and he stopped by yesterday to tell me he has nothing.Has other area farmers who also make their own hay calling him ..no one has decent horse hay.I have to start looking and hope I find something decent.There has been no rain and no snow this winter so the pastures were not protected and we had a lot of wind the past month.Farmer said some hay fields and crops were really hurt ,with plants heaving from the ground.Things are very dry and the pastures I had horses on over the winter have lots of totally bare areas.I already cut back on hay and I just split it up more,three times a day instead of 2.My horses (most ) are in no immediate danger of being anywhere near skinny,but I hate not having someting for them to chew on. I am a little worried also. But knowing how it works out here it will start raining and not stop..and then they wont be ables to make good hay either..

[Pam M]

I've recently been able to find a little bit of hay in north FL. If any of you can make the drive (Linda, I know you're not too far!), pm me and I'll connect you to who I've been buying from. It's not the best quality but at least we're getting some. I've been feeding alfalfa cubes for 2 months - hate that!! I understand that there's some bermuda coming on line, which is much better than the rye and oat I've been getting! Good luck to all of you further away - it bites to have a bad hay year!

[PasoPerson]

Don't know if you're still in need, pasopleasure, but here's one link I found:

http://www.productionacres.com/

Hope it helps!

[gcfpaso]

We put up our own hay and have lots available from last year's crop, pure alfalfa, no rain, wire tied, small bales, around 1,000, central Illinois. We are getting ready to put up more hay and will be also doing grass in small bales. My accountant husband says I have to sell it.

[SandyMM]

We just put up 150 bales of 1st cut Tift 44 bermuda - some of the nicest hay I've seen in a couple of years! I called the guy a month ago and reserved 100 bales out of the first cut, but we ended up getting more. Other hay is coming up to be cut around the first of June - mine is the earliest I've heard of. We were down to about 3-4 bales and bought everything he cut on this first round.
Hay should be pretty good in the N GA area this year, but a little late due to the extended cool weather...

[motorgypsy]

We finally got 50 bales of fescue. So much rain noone can cut. It's very nice hay but I don't usually feed fescue but nothing else decent in town. They won't cut coastal until July. We had drought also and nothing was growing and now they can't cut because there's rain every day. Can't win! Luckily all but 5 of our guys are on pasture but we still use 2 bales a day for them.

[DSDECKERT]

We can GET hay in Tampa (At the Hay Exchange) but Quality T&A (which is what I feed) runs me about $14.00 for a 70 lb bale! Fortunately, I only have two horses, unfortunately, we haven't had a drop of rain, so I have no grass and they are still on hay - usually they just get hay at night this time of year.

[pasopleasure]

Here we go year 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep..out of hay AGAIN.....AGAIN...suppliers contracted scewed us over. Presently feeding round bails full of thistles. JUNK!. But nothing else around here. Need to contract 1000 bales of good costal for next year. By someone who will not say yeah and then" f "us over.

[jmtw]

A couple of places to look:

http://hayexchange.com/

http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/n_library/pub_form/mkt_bulletin/index_marketbulletin.asp (Click Archived Issues, then the latest date)

[pasopleasure]

The worm has turned....past couple years and we were droughted out on hay...now we are rained out. 1st May cutting promises didn't happen. Too WET. How is that for a kick in the head? Oh, man, good thing we are having to sell out for husbands health. Anyone besides me remember years and years of stable hay production and cheap (compared to now) prices. What is going on lately? FUrther..USAG promises a 60% hike in grain costs . Seems BIO-FUEL is more important than feeding our animals. Sad thing is , even IF 100% of avalable acreage was put into biofuel, it would still be less than 10% of US fuel demands. But farmers are flocking to it....pays better than feeding animals. So how are we going to feed our animals when their chow is in the gastank? Thank you Pres. Shrub . Sure hope you ranch is Texas can feed everyones horses. I'm thinking about trailering them over there now. Anyone want to join me? ;>)

[Terry Wallace]

In Colorado....25% of alfalfa, sugar beets, and soy beans will be replaced by fuel corn this year. YES...fuel corn pays better than hay or other crops.

We better get used to high priced hay. If farmers chose to remain in the hay business....you can bet the price of hay will go up. It is $8.00 - $12.00 a bale here right now.

The price of feed has gone up three fold here in the last five years. Now ranchers and feed lots are calling out for corn they can afford to buy for feed..... fuel corn is to pricey....

Just wait.... meats, eggs, milk, and anything using corn in its production will continue to go up in price.

I sure don't blame George Bush though... I would blame our love for automobiles..our dependence on automobiles to get us to and from work.
I'm glad to become less dependant upon foreign oil...but with evrything comes a price....that price will be that many horse owners will have to let this hobby fall by the wayside.

The luxury that is "Horse"... will no longer be affordable by many.....
Lets face it...horses are not "needed" by society to survive and will always take a back seat to fuel....JMO

[Pinto Paso]

Terry, you are so right - everything at a price. but not all land is suitable nor all farmers equipped for corn so you will see some production shift - but the price will go up no doubt.... I hope those that are able ($ and storage) can get their feed up in advance because I fear if it is left till later it will be bad for a lot of owners/breeders

[Medicine Hat]

Dont know if you want to pay shipping but I have very nice alfalfa hay with very very little grass 60 lb bales for $5 per bale while it lasts