Hay Hell

Bunty Lawless · Postby **Bunty Lawless** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:32 pm

pfrsue wrote:I have a friend in Indiana who also had her 'reserved' winter hay sold out from under her! Wonder what's up with that?! Black market? Organized crime? "Psst, hey buddy, wanna buy a flake?"

Either someone is trying to create huge profits by creating a hay shortage, much like the Hunt brothers did with Silver in the 80's, or someone offered the hay vendor more than the price was when it was "reserved".

You know what they say about money talking and that old bird-in-the hand mentality.

On the other hand, the industry has been warning of this possibility for months now. It could easily be just the result of people hoarding for the winter, out of fear.

Bedouwia · Postby **Bedouwia** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:09 pm

Well, Texas and Oklahoma were in hay hell last year. This year we had rain and things are better. However, once the price goes up, it never seems to go down to what it once was. I feel your pain. Been there.

Bedouwia

jellac · Postby **jellac** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:16 pm

Yes Texas is in Hay Heaven this year after what seems like nearly a decade of being in Hay Hell (or at least Hay Uncertainty) due to continued drought throughout the South and Southwest....but the price doesn't go down because each year there are fewer acres in hay. I drive by former hay pastures of a year to two and five years ago that could have been bought for $3500 - $5500 an/acre depending upon how many acres were bought and they are now all growing 'homes'.......and new "planned communities with amenities" that will have a population of a nice sized small town.

Today the remaining 'pastures' are up for sale at $15,500+ to 11,500/acre......and sometimes more.......so no more hay from a huge swath of land that encircles Houston from the NW Loop 610 all the way to Waller and beyond.

Cathyleabo · Postby **Cathyleabo** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:28 am

We have had to run people out of our off site barns twice this year. We grow our own and had none for sale this year. It is tight everywhere, even eastern Oregon is forecasting shortages on alfalfa.

summerhorse · Postby **summerhorse** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:02 am

On COTH I think there is a hay locater post in each forum or maybe its in off course.

It might be worth it for people in the same area to chip in together and get some semis of hay from areas that DO have plenty delivered. Even if you have so many horses you need the whole thing it might end up cheaper to get one yourself than pay premium prices closer to home (for maybe worse hay).

TB4sport · Postby **TB4sport** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:11 am

summerhorse wrote:On COTH I think there is a hay locater post in each forum or maybe its in off course.

It might be worth it for people in the same area to chip in together and get some semis of hay from areas that DO have plenty delivered. Even if you have so many horses you need the whole thing it might end up cheaper to get one yourself than pay premium prices closer to home (for maybe worse hay).

I would love to share a semi w/someone as I have limited storage space and only a handful of horses. I've been talking locally to other "small" horse owners, but for some stupid reason they're thinking that they'll just wait until winter. ?????? Blows my mind that I can't find anyone locally to share a truck load with, BEFORE it freezes here.

CS · Postby CS » Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:52 am

TB4sport wrote:I would love to share a semi w/someone as I have limited storage space and only a handful of horses. I've been talking locally to other "small" horse owners, but for some stupid reason they're thinking that they'll just wait until winter. ?????? Blows my mind that I can't find anyone locally to share a truck load with, BEFORE it freezes here.

Where are you located?

CS · Postby CS » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:03 am

We are currently hauling hay from Wisconsing to Kentucky. I can honestly say that by January prices will be at least $10/bale. Every state south of Wisconsin is stripping them of their hay - from Illinois to Louisiana. The farmers are wise to our plight - grass hay which is usually about $1.25/bale is at least $3.50 right now. Unfortunately, most of their hay is smaller bales - about 40# so the cost/ton is outrageous by the time you bring it down. But, there is nothing locally so what can we do?

Buy it now. Period. If you like the look of the hay lay down the cash now. Prices are going up about $.25/week/bale and fuel prices are rising. Hay supplies will be nil come winter.

Go for the medium bales if you can (3x3x7). If you can handle a 1200# round bale you can easily handle a 700# square bale. Plus they stack much nicer than rounds. right now you will save about $1.50/50# of hay if buying big squares.

Good luck to everyone in the hay crunch. I only have 100 bales in the barn for the winter myself!

TB4sport · Postby **TB4sport** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:19 am

I'm in KY, Oldham County area. I only need about 300 sq. bales (depending on bale size of course) to get through winter, allowing time for spring grass to come up. The hay dealers I have talked with say 600-700 bales per load. I cannot store that much, just do not have the space for it. The best price I've got so far for the quality I want is $230/ton, which is outrageous, but it is what it is. Everyone I have talked with as far as sharing a load refuses to pay that price and don't believe me when I try to tell them that it's only going to get more expensive come Dec/Jan. I'm stuck in the land of backyard horse people that think they're still going to find OG/Alf mix for $3 instead of $6-7 :roll:

There are plenty of bigger barns here, but they don't want to share, can't really blame them as they can handle an entire truck load by themselves.

KamiBrooks · Postby **KamiBrooks** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:30 am

I'm actually debating exactly that! Also, sending broodmares to PA for PA babies (in part to reduce numbers that I'm feeding)

Roguelet wrote:Maybe it would be cheaper to send all the babies out to be broke during the worst winter months and let someone else feed them!
.

KamiBrooks · Postby **KamiBrooks** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:38 am

I'm near mountaineer and will go in to share a truck load if someone wants to. I can store it on the farm. I'm looking for a good timothy (not alfalfa).

Postby **Roguelet** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:49 am

Dredging this back up again. We prepaid for several ton and have been picking it up all winter as we need it, but we're down to our last load now and we're looking once again.

I made a list of several places to call when this thread started, but so far I'm not having much luck finding places that still have hay or that are willing to sell to new customers at this point. However, I think some of the PMs I received got bumped out of my inbox before I added them to my hard copy list of hay suppliers.

So... if anyone knows of any hay that's available, please let me know. I'm looking for a grass mix or all grass, but containing NO fescue. The closer to Indiana the better, and the more reasonably priced the better.

And I'm still willing to trade a proven pair of Blue and Gold macaws for hay. Seriously. Cage and nesting box, too.

robbinsapple · Postby **robbinsapple** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:01 am

I wish you luck Rogue!!!!!!!!!!!!! We've had people stealing our hay. Yeah, roundbales, right out of the field.... WTF?????Lol. My 3 girls should be set until we can start making again. If you were closer I'd sell you some!!!!!30 horses?? Wow. Glad I'm not feeding that many, I'd be out of house and home, course I don't make my living on horses like you folks do. Wish my horses would be able to pay for their own feed though, maybe I can teach them to plow fields and rake hay like the amish?Eh? :lol:

yeah right, I can see sweetie giving me that "dont' think about it " look. We need to buy a new baler, ugh there's always something, Sorry I'm ranting. Well rogue at least winters almost over if you can make it a couple of months you'll be alright. If you were willing to travel there are quite a lot of farms that still have quite a lot left, a friend of mine sells his squares for $3.50 a bale, and his rounds for $60?(somewhere in that neighborhood, I know it's not over.) Seriously though, let me know, That goes for anyone on here, if you are in or near pa or want to drive to get some I'll find you some hay!

Gerry · Postby **Gerry** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:01 am

Rogue..I feel your pain and we are feeding about 75 horses at the moment. The round bales we were getting were junk so that stopped so now I am feeding about 60-70 sqaures a day! YIKES!!! I got a nice load of hay the 5th of January 660 bales of good (not great) hay for about $2200 and I will be out this weekend. And that is with feeding hay stretcher ect to stretch as far as I can. The strange thing is that I am starting to see many ads for hay locally...wonder if the hay hoarders realize its the end of january and people arent paying their crazy prices! And I have more mares coming in for foaling this week...These are the days I wish we were a small farm with only a mare or two to feed

AscotStud · Postby **AscotStud** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:45 am

it's always funny when there's no hay left anywhere or the prices keep climbing, but then in May everyone is trying to unload their last years cut on you before they start sending the new stuff over. If only we could rub out the hay mafia, life would be better for us all.