| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
|
louisejo
Gold Member
 United Kingdom
1313 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 4:45:17 PM
|
Due to our horrendous "summer" we are having, my usual hay supply has been aborted and has been cut, baled and wrapped up as huge square bales of haylage.
There didnt seem to be any let up in the forecast so the decision was made to make haylage instead of hay bales. If it was left until the weather is supposed to improve it would have gone to seed, so now i am left with a bit of a dilema. I am sure everybody will be in the same boat and what hay is made will probably be very expensive, if you can get hold of any decent stuff.
What have you lot found...? Have you managed to get any hay off the fields yet or are you holding out..?
|
Edited by - louisejo on 11 Jul 2007 4:47:24 PM
|
|
Report to moderator
|
|
|
Sarahw
Gold Member
England
746 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 8:06:56 PM
|
We have just been told that ours has gone up to £5.50 a bale until further notice and they only have a small supply as they cannot cut their main fields.
Have to sort something out soon |
   |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
arabic
Platinum Member
England
4562 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 8:47:42 PM
|
| Im trying not to think about it, but it looks like either way it could be an expensive winter! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
rosyw
Platinum Member
England
3756 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 8:55:23 PM
|
| I haven't been able to get what I class as decent hay for years! I feed big bale haylage so shouldn't be quite so difficult, but if you only have a couple of horses this isn't an option as it will go off before you get to the end of the bale! but hay is going to be in very short supply for everyone this year, and prices will be very high. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 9:43:59 PM
|
My YO keeps saying that his supplier usually cuts 90,000 bales of hay, and has only cut 4000, not great bales this year so far. He refuses to use another supplier as he has to be loyal to him, and if he runs out of hay we will have to feed barley straw to our horses  Think I'll find my own supplier if that happens  |
  
London/Essex Border |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 10:16:55 PM
|
Please don't feed barley straw as you risk your horses getting an impaction colic. Hopefully the weather will improve soon and we can get some hay. I am lucky as my suppliers are fantastic and I am still getting it at my usual price. They deliver me a load every other week and never let me down. I am so lucky. I have enough land to get thousands of bales of my own hay but have been let down the last two years by the people who were supposed to cut it so it goes to waste and I have to buy in but at least I always have some!
Barbara |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 10:24:48 PM
|
I wouldn't feed barley straw to my horse; it's just that he refuses to find someone else if his usual supplier runs out; I would far rather buy my own hay and pay him a surcharge if he gets funny about it  |
London/Essex Border |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 10:32:39 PM
|
Have to admit I am so lucky my farmer friend who is 500 yards up the road from me supplies my hay and it is wonderful. We are waiting to get his fields cut hopefully in the next couple of weeks. He has run out of his own stuff but is calling in his contacts to keep me supplied as due to limited grazing I have to give hay all year round.
I have to admit while riding out and about I have seen several fields with hay lying which will be unusable so unless there is a drastic change in weather I also think that it may be an expensive winter
|
    
..................................................................... Photo by David Evans |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
egzotyka
Gold Member
England
1427 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 12:00:59 AM
|
| I cant get hold of any hay down here! So having to buy small bale hayledge as i dont have enough horses to eat through a big bale before it goes off... i have been told that farmers are holding on to it as worried they wont beable to make much this year... my dad has 15 acres he hopes to cut for hay... i hope he can asap!!!! |
   
*I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here
*When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with
it. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 08:31:20 AM
|
We are panicking here aswell about hay.
The usual supplier hasnt managed to get his in and no one else around here as either.
A local farmer down the road as a barn full of last years hay that
a friend was buying off him for £2.00 a bale, so she decided that
because of the weather she would buy some more of him for winter because it is still lovely hay and he has put it upto £4.00 a bale he has only let her have 40 bales and says that it will go up
again at the end of July if he cant get anymore off the fields.
The only other thing is to feed Haylage which I am not really happy
about, its scares me and mine only likes it when it has just been
opened, after the 3rd day he wont eat it
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
SueB
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 08:34:56 AM
|
I wonder if it might be a good idea to have contacts for anyone who can't get hay.
I have a number for a farmer in North Devon who does have hay from last year, it is clean and good, we have been feeding it. He also has some hayledge.
We are lucky to have this years coming already, more than enough for this winter, we may have some spare, if we do then I will advertise it on here for A/Liners.
If anyone wants last years good hay, please e.mail for the number on stockdalear@aol.com
We might have to all help each other this winter if things get very bad. You can get pure grass nuts if you are really stuck or back to small bale haylege which is expensive I know.
Try not to feed straw as this can sometimes cause impaction. Even though the weather has been bad, you are better off putting horses out in the rain rather than risk a colic. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
kimzi
Gold Member
865 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 09:21:08 AM
|
| Silvern s if you get stuck, it looks like our crop maybe ok, let me know we usually have a hundred or so bales floating each year, well to tell the truth we still have 200 of last years, but can drop to high beech if you get stuck. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 09:31:49 AM
|
| Ok, thanks I'll let you know. Where are you based? |
London/Essex Border |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Tahir
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4572 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 09:32:05 AM
|
We are also having problems with making hay, but last year was a good year and we still have about approx 200 left (which we are using sparingly). We also have big bale haylage but with only 4 horses in at night, this isn't an option!!!
Just praying for good weather so we can cut our 40+ acres for hay, luckily it's old pasture with a good mix and it looks like the weekend will be hot enough for hay, so please do a "sun dance" everyone!!!
Carla, xx. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
dassa23
Silver Member
England
261 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 10:10:41 AM
|
| Looks like we will all be making hay instead of being at Malvern at this rate! |
      |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Eeyore
Gold Member
1181 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 10:13:18 AM
|
I am really worried about where my hay is going to come from. At the moment I am struggling to find any to buy at all and haven't seen any being made
Horrible weather |
Heléna
   |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
MinHe
Platinum Member
England
2927 Posts |
|
|
nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 12:53:27 PM
|
| sorry to be dumb-but what is barley straw-don't think i've ever seen it |
pagey |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
kimzi
Gold Member
865 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 4:44:12 PM
|
| Silvern the hay is near brookmans park (land in odd places but thats just for hay and sheep)and we are in the rodings, so basicly i can come back with the load via epping way and then through the lavers. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
kimzi
Gold Member
865 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 4:45:55 PM
|
| Nikki forget about ever hearing of barley straw if doodles could she'd eat a barn full actually with her appetite she'd probably eat the barn as well. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
cassy
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 4:57:18 PM
|
| I pay 5.50 sml round bale haylage and its very good quality and much bigger than sml square bale, i buy from the yard im taking mare to on livery, they sell hay as well if anyone wants no we are east yorks though a place called little weighton |
Angie
  |
| Report to Moderator |
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked 