Is Hay in Good Supply In Your Area?

[mollymckee]

We had an early first cutting but it has been hot and dry since and there is little second cutting. Good hay is in very short supply and fairly high priced. It was around $200.00 a ton in the field and $250.00 to $300.00+ now, if you can find it. Several years ago hay buyers started buying hay in our area. They haul it to the center of the state where it is compressed  or pelletized and shipped to Asia. It has made the price of hay at least double here and has priced people out of horses. I've heard it's higher in the Seattle area.

We sold all our hay before the first of May, without any advertising. People that had bought hay before called and asked for this years, at whatever the price was when it was cut. The last person wanted what ever was left. We did save enough for a few more animals, but I have a feeling there will be a lot of nice horses for sale this fall.

[WindyRidge]

I'm in northern WV and while hay in general won't be scare here, GOOD hay will be. We're not in farm country at all, so not many people around here actually know how to make good hay. But even for the few that do, the weather just has not cooperated at all. It's been so wet that last week was the first time we were able to make any dry hay. I have a friend with horses who has a really good hay guy, and she called the other day asking if she was better off to get last year's second cutting off him, or first cutting from July this year. I think a few people took chances and got a bit of dry hay in earlier, but not many.

We have a dairy and are set up to wrap hay for the cows, so much of our first cutting came off anyway by mid-May. We've done a lot of hay in a single day this year - cut it in the morning and have it baled and wrapped up that evening. Last week we did dry hay for the first time this year. We hay a neighboring farm that isn't in great shape so it always gets put off in favor of our own, better fields. Got first cutting off it and then were able to get some second cutting dry hay in. We'll definitely get a third cutting off all our main hay fields, and likely a fourth off a few. At least the rain has kept the grass growing like crazy this year for those who can get it in!

I'm lucky my horses are all draft-type air ferns and do better on lower quality hay - I'd rather let them have all they can eat through the winter of lesser stuff than just a little bit of good stuff. They'd explode on top quality second cutting.

Oh, and hay around here is fairly cheap compared to a lot of areas. Since we don't buy any hay and feed up everything we make I don't keep close track of prices. But glancing at the local market bulletin, it looks like small squares are running $2.50-$4.50 and round bales (generally around 700-800 pounds) around $30-40. I wouldn't expect to find good horse quality hay in round bales around here, but the $4.50 squares might be. I think that's around what my friend pays per bale for delivered and stacked.

[aoconnor]

We have an abundance of hay this year, but it is the first time in a long while. Big 1000 lb rounds were going for 50 a bale about 4 years ago, but the bad fire summer 4 years ago shot that cost up to 120 or even higher at times for the same bales. This year we have been blesses with drought breaking rain and our rounds are at 60 right now, have had two good cuts. We only graze our pastures, but all of our neighbors cut cow hay and have gotten on good pastures twice so far. We expect rain at the end of this week that will hopefully not be the last, if we can get a couple of good rains in August we will have a rare 3rd cut around here!

Small squares (average 50-60 lbs) are 10.50 a bale, 3 strand (average 100 lbs) is anywhere from 15 - 20 for a 100 lb bale.

[Skandi]

None here. we've not had more than 2 days with no rain all summer. This isn't uncommon though, so most people feed silage (including to horses)

[WindyRidge]

Skandi, what kind of silage? Hay? The idea of feeding silage to horses seems almost blasphemous around here, but from what research I've done there's no real risk as long as it's good silage without mold in it. I'd be curious to learn more from someone with first hand experience.

We have a retired belgian and it works out best to have him live with a group of our yearling heifer calves. We've tried to keep that group on dry hay because of him, but I think this year as wet as it's been they're going to have to get silage hay. We just haven't made enough quality dry hay to feed them. Which is the main reason the belgian is out with the calves instead of the other horses - the rest of the horse herd are all air ferns. I can get away without grain for the belgian as long as he has really good hay.

[Skandi]

FiL feeds haylage (cut, left to wilt for a day then baled and wrapped) He feeds that to both the cows and the two horses.

[mzgarden]

SW Ohio is likely to be struggling for quality hay (think goats). We are way above normal rain fall, rain comes every 2-3 days. So many hayfields have gone to seed because it's so wet.

[Deleted]

We had a great hay year. A lot of hay was made in late May when the grass was prime. Dryer winter and spring made less hay but better quality. My hay was the best in years because we could make it early, with water I got a second cutting, very nice hay.

Dad had a large quarter horse gelding that couldn't eat dry hay because of allergies, he fed him silage. Mostly grass or corn silage but sometimes Sudan grass silage. He loved the Sudan grass silage....James

[mollymckee]

There are studies from several universities about feeding horses haylege to horses, i forget which ones. We did see a lot of foundered horses and ponies in WI that got into the dairy cows silage. There are some real precautions to take but it can be done safely, but I wouldn't just go ahead and try it without studying it. Done wrong it kills.