Do you think the lack of rain and poor hay/hayledge crop.......

Bay_Beasty

Bay_Beasty

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........ willl have dramatic effects this winter and if so what do you think you will do??

I probably won't have Jim by then as he is only on loan til the summer, but I asked my supplier of food today (where I currently get my hayledge from) and he said he was 2000 bales down on last year and with no significant hay crop expected from the fields later this year (he takes the hayledge off first then takes a hay crop later once more grass grown).

I think it is mainly the south, esp the south east that is affected, but I just wandered what you were all thinking . I am feeding Jim pretty much what I would expect to be feeding him in the winter. maybe a little less hay as the grass is growing from the last 2 weeks of rain.

Unless we have a wet august and barmy september, I can see it being a hard year for everyone and with job losses and countrywide money worries I can see it being difficult.

So, what are your thoughts etc and what do you think you will do, will hay get shipped over from other countries?
 
I think it's pretty much everywhere, lack of rain at the right time and now hardly rain at all. If no rain Aug-Sept, I think an awfull lot of horses will be on the market come winter and they say the straw crop is going to be very short for bedding.I'm down 126 bales from last year and the farmer where I could buy to top up has just enough for himself and his lifestock. So going to be short rations haywise for my 4.:(:(:(
 
I never realised how bad it was, we are in NE Scotland, just had our fields cut for hay, so long as it doesnt get spoiled we will be ok for hay i think last yr we got 46 bales and still have some left over (we only have 3 horses and extremely good grazing). so fingers crossed. I have never struggled to get hay/haylage or straw perhaps the problem is more in england :( best of luck guys
 
The thing I worry about is the ones that are on a tight budget any way. I fear a few more horror stories may hit the news this winter, which is scary and worrying. I know that the year we had terrible rain in August a lot of the Hay that was cut and put in barns got spoiled, but that was much more localised. It has affected the crops too, its going to be interesting to see how the economy fairs through this.
 
Echo Bravo said:
I think it's pretty much everywhere, lack of rain at the right time and now hardly rain at all. If no rain Aug-Sept, I think an awfull lot of horses will be on the market come winter and they say the straw crop is going to be very short for bedding.I'm down 126 bales from last year and the farmer where I could buy to top up has just enough for himself and his lifestock. So going to be short rations haywise for my 4.:(:(:(
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Im not sure what to think we have had 3 or more wet summers and now we have had a dryer one I think we will have to wait until october to see how things are as some areas are getting rain and there is a very good chance for things to catch up.. you just have to remember the farmers glass is always half empty and dont they just love to worry and moan :D ...
 
Scaremongering. The straw crop wont be down because most farmers will remove the straw choppers off their combines and bale as much as they can ,in the hope of a good profit.It hasnt been worth the effort before now.Hay has been due a price hike for some years now ,and it may come as a shock to some . Based on the RPI as an indicator, hay at £1.00 per bale in 1977 ,is now worth £6.25.Hay has been a troublesome and profitless crop for some years now .As reflected in the quality or rather lack of it in recent years.
 
well I think this is an interesting point, and I will be following it throughout the year. Hay down here is £4.50 for a small bale. But your right, there is still some growing months left, so we shall see. I for one loved those wet summers and would not mind a wet august but I know I am in the minority.
 
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We have managed a pathetic not even quite 400 small bales from 13 acres we've cut in June and it's not really looking like 2nd crop will be coming... We tried to save another 7 acres by taking sheep off it to make some more, but we are so short of grass that we will just have to turn the stock back on it. To survive the winter I need 100 bales a month for horses alone, not to mention cattle and sheep; and we are feeding the hay we have cut already, at this rate we will be out of our own crop by November!
As to what we are going to do... probably buy as much as we can for whatever price the suppliers are asking and worry how to get some savings elsewhere.
We're running down cattle numbers to minimum before they have to come in for the winter, it will hit us financially when we need to restock, but at least we will survive the winter.
Straw is not a happy picture either - the barley straw is truly sad and pathetic this year around here, our neighbours yields in grain aren't good either. Our oats looks better, but we only have 7 acres of it.
Both barley and wheat just haven't grown - the grain looks half decent on the wheat, but the height for straw just isn't there.
I wouldn't say it's scaremongering at all, I have turned out 3 mares on a fresh 2 acre paddock that has been rested since October and they have literally obliterated every last blade of grass within a week.
 
Well ...... in the years where there is nothing but rain, the farmers complain that they haven't managed to get the hay in dry enough. When it is dry - they complain that there isn't enough growth!!!

In my area of Scotland, and in 2 of my fields (which are rented out to local farmer for silage) I would say that the first crop was pretty much spot on! I have never seen it so good - but they may say different! At least my fields haven't been trashed by the tractors and balers getting bogged down in mud!

We don't make hay for our horses. We are lucky enough to have grazing for the summer on 2 small fields. We then rest those during the winter months, and the horses go on to the other two fields after the second cut of silage. We get paid for the silage fields, and buy in hay or haylage from fields that are not grazed by horses.

Was always told that it is not good to make hay for horses from pasture that is grazed by horses. Maybe I am just a bit cynical, but there is NEVER a good year for hay if you listen to farmers - it is either too wet or too dry - either way the price goes up!!!:rolleyes::)
 
I have plenty of winter grazing, mine live out and I still have too much ( 6 acres for two pnies) this year I will rent some out if there is anyone local who hasn't got any grazing left!
 
I am sick of worrying and hearing about it to be honest...3 weeks ago I bought 50 bales of last years hay from my supplier at £3 per bale and in the space of 1 week he then told me that this years and last years hay had gone up to £4 per bale and that by winter he would be charging £6 or £7 per bale!
I totally accept that crop yields are down this year...fair enough but I personally feel that this is taking the michael and profiteering. I would love to know what my boss at work would say if I told him that my council tax, bills, food and fuel prices had gone up so much recently that I would be charging him another few pounds per hour for my work in order to be able to afford to keep living!!!!!
Fine...we all need to earn xx per year to live but if I have a pay cut or loose my job I have to get off my butt and find some more work from somewhere...I worked out that my supplier is basically making up for the short fall in his hay crop by charging what he has said he will be charging...so he ends up earning the same from his hay as he did the previous year...making up for the shortfall by charging more...this is a luxury that sadly...not all of us can take advantage of.
It is not right and if the stock market traders tried to fiddle figures now in order to cover a predicted problem in the future...it would be deemed illegal!
 
I'm quite worried about it in our area (Ashdown forest/Crowborough). I think I've got my hay supply for the winter sorted, but only because I know a very generous farmer. People I know are struggling to find hay.
Last year we were paying 3.50 for a small bale; this year I'm too scared to ask. I've put aside 5 pounds per bale just in case, but even that may be short.
With the climate change, is this going to be a regular worry? I susspect so!
 
pottamus said:
I am sick of worrying and hearing about it to be honest...3 weeks ago I bought 50 bales of last years hay from my supplier at £3 per bale and in the space of 1 week he then told me that this years and last years hay had gone up to £4 per bale and that by winter he would be charging £6 or £7 per bale!
I totally accept that crop yields are down this year...fair enough but I personally feel that this is taking the michael and profiteering. I would love to know what my boss at work would say if I told him that my council tax, bills, food and fuel prices had gone up so much recently that I would be charging him another few pounds per hour for my work in order to be able to afford to keep living!!!!!
Fine...we all need to earn xx per year to live but if I have a pay cut or loose my job I have to get off my butt and find some more work from somewhere...I worked out that my supplier is basically making up for the short fall in his hay crop by charging what he has said he will be charging...so he ends up earning the same from his hay as he did the previous year...making up for the shortfall by charging more...this is a luxury that sadly...not all of us can take advantage of.
It is not right and if the stock market traders tried to fiddle figures now in order to cover a predicted problem in the future...it would be deemed illegal!
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Yes you make some good points wasn't it last year and the year before it was too wet and we were going to have to import from canada????!!!!.. you have to just accept farmers are never happy... And is there any other industry that is constantly telling their customers that they are useless at their job???? :D
 
We managed to.take 51 bales from turned rent fields which fingers crossed should last us the winter with Rowan . However we have been looking round now for hayledge now for my other mare and everywhere scythe same thing,get it early while u can. The prices havent gone really up barely at all up here (east midland) but have only been able to get half amount off. Our grass Isnt really growing at all either but we have 6 acres for 2 horses which should b enough as ling as we don't get a wet winter and we are just going to try and keep them out for as ling as possible to save the hay.
 
misterjay said:
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With the climate change, is this going to be a regular worry? I susspect so!
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Having studied climate change at uni and since then, because basically I am a geek, it will depend on what happens, I think if Greenland Ice sheet melts then we shall be plunged back into another serious ice age, due to the vanishing of the thermohaline current in the sea that causes us to be warmer. look at out latitude, we are the same as the Hudson Bay in Canada, somewhere that is pretty inhospitable in winter. So if this happens, then we wont be having horses at all, or really much of anything. But it this does not happen, then we are expected weather more like that of America, v hot summers, v cold winters an barely nothing imbetween. either way it doesn't look good. However this is totally off topic. :D
 
if you looked at farmers forums it is full of farmers moaning about the way horsey customers behave. I think this is inevitable in a market where weather plays a role and there is either a glut or a famine of the product. Not like other products where quality can be 100% consistent and supply can increase to match increased demand.

Farmers main moans are re: the harvesting of hay more than the buying, mainly about non payment for their services. They also dont like horses much because they see them as ruiing perfectly good land and also their owners as being too rich and too clueless.

Now as a small farmer AND a horse lover and owner and NOT rich I sit on the fence firmly! But I dont think we can slag off farmers for the fact that the price of hay goes up when supply is low; they arent a charity for our well being, they are in business, and thats what business is!

Of course if the price is too high you can go elsewhere, so it may not be in their best interest but its a free choice.

NB I dont sell hay so not speaking from a vested interest.
 
The farmer who's my next door neighbour has only enough for his cattle this winter, he usually sells 2/3 of his hay crop each year as it's very good quality and he does my hay at same time. But this year we are both down and I know he hasn't got anything like he had last year and his cattle come first.
 
My hay and straw supplier is well down on last year and has put up his prices and has decided not to supply all those who were poor payers last year. As I'm one of his originals and a good payer he's said I won't have a problem but I'm still going to look out for the individuals who are selling off odd bales.
 
I'm terrified. I have 4 horses and NO grass so they are still getting half a bale of hay a day each. I have 5 bales left and my local feed shop is selling hay at the moment for £7.50 a bale!!! I'm buying gold horseage instead at £6.30. My local farmer who normally supplies me is not selling any at all this year. EeeeeeeK!
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
But I dont think we can slag off farmers for the fact that the price of hay goes up when supply is low; they arent a charity for our well being, they are in business, and thats what business is!

Of course if the price is too high you can go elsewhere, so it may not be in their best interest but its a free choice.
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quite. equestrian-associated businesses do not exist to subsidise people's hobbies. don't have more than you can afford to feed/look after.

in scotland we've been lucky to have had regular rain the last 3 weeks or so and the grass is now growing again. most of the hay crop round here is still in the field though as its now too wet to cut.
 
I feel I need to mention to all the people on here that think it is all greediness and people scaremongering.

We cut our own hay and sell what we don't use, last year off one particular field we cut 540 bales, this year off the same field only 305 due to the fact we have had no rain so the grass never reached the height it usually reaches and was no where near as thick as previous years.

We are over 1/3rd down but luckily have managed to acquire more land to cut this year so in fact are only 60 bales down.

As far as people saying that we say it is short when it is a wet year is due to the fact that alot of hay gets spoilt when it has been cut, turned and rowed up ready for baling and then gets rained on, it spoils the hay and in some case makes it of insufficient quality to bother baling and trying to sell. One year ours was that bad we sold it for less than baling costs to one person for cattle as I was not happy selling it for horses. As horse owners I am sure you would be the first to moan about dusty grey hay but that is how it is when it is a wet year.

I have said it before and I will say it again, before you slate the farmers or people making the hay - rent your own field one year, look after the grass, make sure there is no ragwort on it, pray for rain before it is cut, pray it doesn't rain when it has been cut, make sure you have lots fo friends to fetch it all in with you and a big trailer to put it on and then a big enough barn to store it in and keep it nice and dry until it is sold.

Thats after BTW you have paid alot of cash out to the contractor to cut, turn and bale it until you get your money back when you sell it.

Not an easy job, anybody want to know how much hard work it is, you would be more than wlecome to help us next year!!

I do agree though that some farmers can be greedy charging £5 a bale - it's not that much work!!
 
peteralfred said:
quite. equestrian-associated businesses do not exist to subsidise people's hobbies. don't have more than you can afford to feed/look after.
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Couldn't agree more with the first bit, farmers have a hard enough time without being expected to sell hay at cost price! As for the second bit, I could afford to feed my horses when my hay bill was £50 a week. Now that it is over £100 a week I'm really struggling.
 
I was on here only a few weeks ago complaining about a sudden hike in my hay costs and the farmer claiming he was well down. Have to say I was forced to well and truly eat my words. That was about 6-7 weeks ago and I am now feeding MORE than winter rations. Thankfully with the first hint of hay trouble, I bought extra and accounted for feeding this summer AND for another harsh winter. Needless to say, it's all under lock and key as I've heard people are stealing it, round here!
 
we have nothing on our fields but sand yet ours are fat! goodness only knows how, they have bales of round hay but it's not great quality either.

I know our livery has gone up to reflect the hay price our YM has secured for this coming winter so I think we'll be ok. Indie is a poor doer in winter so i'm allowing her to get a little fat now and will just have to up her feed intake.
 
I rang my hay supplier this morning to put my order in, I asked how is crop had done and he said he had bought aroung the same as every other year and it had not gone up it is still £3.50 a bale delivered and put in my feed shed.
Admittedly he keeps most of his hay for himself but supplies to a group of us each year with hay and haylage, maybe it really does depend where in the country you are and how much rain you had.
 
pottamus said:
this is a luxury that sadly...not all of us can take advantage of.
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And owning a horse is a luxury that, sadly, not all of us can take advantage of. As for increasing the price when supply is short - that really is nothing new. The fact is, farmers have to cover their costs and make a living as well. Their yield may be down due to the weather, but that doesn't mean their costs went down proportionally so they have to charge more for what they do have to sell.
 
It all depends how hard the winter is ..... last year was exceptional (I hope). If it is as bad this year as last year then I think we will all be struggling, but if it is a normal winter then that will take a lot of pressure off.
 
peteralfred said:
quite. equestrian-associated businesses do not exist to subsidise people's hobbies. don't have more than you can afford to feed/look after.

in scotland we've been lucky to have had regular rain the last 3 weeks or so and the grass is now growing again. most of the hay crop round here is still in the field though as its now too wet to cut.
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equestian bussinesses exist to make a profit from customers no one objects to that bit, but they do need to be customer focused and supply a product at a reasonoble market price and not give a childish negative attitude because like every years weather is different whilst trying to talk up prices, the growing season is far from over yes i know the first cut is the best but a lot of grass can grow in two monthes...and no wonder food manufactures and supermarkets import so much if they get the same cr*p attitude from there suppliers as us horse owners...
 
Hay seems to be in really short supply around here - I've just left a livery yard and gone it alone, the supplier to my old yard says he has none left, so today I rang around 7 farmers and local suppliers, each said they have either sold out or are keeping what they have for existing customers! so regardless of price there is simply none out there to buy!! same goes for haylage. so horse hage is my only option right now, but at over £7 per bag and not sure if I can afford to do it :S
 
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Have to say I haven't read past page one! BUT, we have had a bumper year here in Devon. My friend has taken over 300 large (D100?) bales off her fields in June and has cut one lot of haylage with the second cut well on they way. Can't understand what the problem is, the best hay is made in June and we had a beautiful June! Last year we had taken no hay at all until around now and the haylage was so late it was pitiful.
 
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