Farmers! (Small Rant)

F

Fiorano

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2008
Messages
526
Visit site
I phoned our farmer/hayman today for a delivery of hay. We have used him for quite some time. Always paid cash on delivery, made him tea and generally looked after him when he arrived.

He promised he would continue to supply us with hay and we shouldn't worry about supply and we always ordered at least 60 bales. We had even arranged to have hay straight off the field when he cuts it, approx 500 bales.

So you can imagine how I felt when I phoned him and the promised hay he said he would keep for us has been sold!!!!

I was soooo cross. His reason for selling it was a bit vague, but I'm guessing he has jumped on the bandwagon and got more for it selling it to someone else.

Loyalty? Well NO! So spent the afternoon searching for another supplier - what joy!!

Sorry for rant. Just needed to get it off my chest :)
 
You can't blame him for getting more money for the product, but its common courtesy to offer it to you at the new rate, if this is what he has done! x
 
I am in North Herts and went up to Wisbech last week 60 miles away and was shocked how lush the grass was(I know its very wet there) but I did think that its in the farmers interest to sell high/lack of hay?. Ours round here have had one cut off the fields already, although I understand its quite poor. However IF they get another cut then they May have more ??? Hearing £10 bale. About 4 years ago £2.50 last year £4 per bale

Wait and see I suppose but worrying for animal feeds etc
 
I understand your rant- it is never nice when someone goes back on their word.

He could have at least called you to see if you wanted to pay the higher price if he had been offered more £££ (and it would probably have made more business sense as well).
 
Hmm..well I thought I had ten more hay reels ..bought and paid for last year..so asked for top up when it was dry..and they`d been sold too! Anyway,it `s rained now,but another supplier methinks .
 
Sorry if this is terribly naive....BUT given we've had off-course weather for the last 3/4 years...could we not start growing a hardier breed of hay??

There are much harsher climates than ours, hot places like Australia and parts of America? Surely not all the horses starve>

Sorry if I'm being thick...
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
You do need to lay up the field tho, not graze it x
Click to expand...

Well, yes, you can't cut overgrazed grass...

But if horse owners actually understood the concept of "paddock management" they could cut hay AND graze.

Do you really think Farmers keep fields of good grass for no other reason than growing hay for horse owners???
 
Interesting...... a hardier breed of hay.... what breed do you suggest? You may be on to something???
 
tallyho! said:
Interesting...... a hardier breed of hay.... what breed do you suggest? You may be on to something???
Click to expand...

erm...God I don't know....sorry, I did say I was thick

I just mean maybe a tougher breed of haymaking grass....hay can't be the same thing the whole world over...
 
I think the farmers behaviour is disgracefull. He entered into a contract regardless of it being a verbal one. He should have stuck to his word.
 
The trouble is, to make hay you need several consecutive days of dry weather. Different varieties of grass do 'dry out' at different speeds as do light and heavy crops (amount of grass).
 
Frumpoon said:
erm...God I don't know....sorry, I did say I was thick

I just mean maybe a tougher breed of haymaking grass....hay can't be the same thing the whole world over...
Click to expand...

Not at all, it's a valid point.

The ryegrass we sow here is a very prolific breed of grass and is also the lushest. Perfect for hay-yields. Best we have.

However, there is Timothy and other types of fescues which are tough but slow growing. Farmers do grow this for hay though and it would be the most expensive hay around and you would need to lay a lot of seed down = more land. Not very profitable. Perfect for horses though...

Anyway, Rye is good for milk & meat yields as it is so high in sugar. Most farmed grass in UK is Rye.

Arid grass types don't do well here, too acidic and wet. Can't compete with established types.

There is no ONE answer - we need new ways of managing the fields we have as equestrianites so we can get a crop & graze it! The farmers have to pass on rising costs just like everyone else and we need hay, we have to pay.
 
not sure whats going on at the moment...but we have had 2 calls of hay merchants offering to buy our hay at 40.00 per bale...they are buying the lot and we aint even cut it yet !! We worked it out that he will be paying 80.00 per tonn in july ?? So imagine how much it will be in winter
 
Well, horses in UK may just have to get used to losing abit of weight in winter... as they should :D
 
Does anyone know how dense the grass needs to be for hay? We were walking through the knee high 4-5 acres we're not using atm, and some parts are as I would imagine it would need to be, and others sparser. Would it still be worth cutting and baling, or better left standing for the winter?
 
Years ago all farmers made hay now not many do as silage is easier and less weather dependent.

Started silage making today and several fields which are earmarked for hay need to grow a lot more but they are old leys and we do not put on artifical fertilizer. We probabley wont make our hay until July and this rain is most welcome. Surplus hay is sold locally to horsey people and anyone that orders hay will get it ,we would never ever go back on our word.
 
Just had a thought anyone on a livery yard could all get together and purchase some grass keep and employ a contractor to make it for you. Any surplus could be sold off and it would pay for itself you would never then be in a position of being charged exhorbitant prices.
 
Or on the otherhand ,go and call on farmers and ask if they have hay for sale. The trouble with making your own is that you are stuck with it regardless of how crap it is.
 
mystiandsunny said:
Does anyone know how dense the grass needs to be for hay? We were walking through the knee high 4-5 acres we're not using atm, and some parts are as I would imagine it would need to be, and others sparser. Would it still be worth cutting and baling, or better left standing for the winter?
Click to expand...

Knee high???? Flippin 'eck, where are you? Cut it!!! Now!!! Then let it grow and cut it AGAIN!! Then sell it us for dead cheap :D:D:D
 
mystiandsunny said:
Does anyone know how dense the grass needs to be for hay? We were walking through the knee high 4-5 acres we're not using atm, and some parts are as I would imagine it would need to be, and others sparser. Would it still be worth cutting and baling, or better left standing for the winter?
Click to expand...

You have to look at the bottom & see if there's any growth so that's reasonably dense to get a good yield. As I understand, you can cut it when its sparser but obviously you get a lot less. Possibly worth seeing if you can get it cut & baled otherwise it will probably go to seed & be naff.. (I hope that made sense, hard to describe over the internet :o )
 
tallyho! said:
Not at all, it's a valid point.

The ryegrass we sow here is a very prolific breed of grass and is also the lushest. Perfect for hay-yields. Best we have.

However, there is Timothy and other types of fescues which are tough but slow growing. Farmers do grow this for hay though and it would be the most expensive hay around and you would need to lay a lot of seed down = more land. Not very profitable. Perfect for horses though...

Anyway, Rye is good for milk & meat yields as it is so high in sugar. Most farmed grass in UK is Rye.

Arid grass types don't do well here, too acidic and wet. Can't compete with established types.

There is no ONE answer - we need new ways of managing the fields we have as equestrianites so we can get a crop & graze it! The farmers have to pass on rising costs just like everyone else and we need hay, we have to pay.
Click to expand...

I didn't know about the difference in growing times for grasses. We have good old Meadow hay, mixture of Timothy, red clover, meadow fescue & the like.. & unfortunately some buttercup (but not as bad as last year).

Maybe that's why we can cut into late July. Proper old British grass is obviously best ;)
 
mystiandsunny said:
Does anyone know how dense the grass needs to be for hay? We were walking through the knee high 4-5 acres we're not using atm, and some parts are as I would imagine it would need to be, and others sparser. Would it still be worth cutting and baling, or better left standing for the winter?
Click to expand...
You should get it cut regardless of thick and thin parts, as it encourages growth, one person suggested getting a farmer in, allowing him half the crop, this is ideal as you get your hay baled for free, and the farmer will make all the bales a decent size and quality as he is using the rest himself.
Re types of grass fields:
1)There is permanent pasture ....old meadow hay, from field which have not been ploughed for ten years or more, the hay or haylage is cut and is a fine mix of various species, not ryegrass
2)There are leys, ploughed and seeded with either ryegrass or with Timothy and Meadow Fescue.
Grass varieties:
1)Ryegrass is rather lush for horses but beloved of farmers due to its yield, good for racehorses who get limited amounts of it.
2)Timothy and meadow Fescue is the best for horses, timothy is that grass with a short fat seed head, about two inches long, it can be stalky.
Hay is generally cut in June, cut and left to dry for a day or so then fluffed up and baled.
Haylage is cut in May/June and is quickly dried, baled and wrapped, a second cut can be taken in August/September but it will be less nutritious.
I seem to remember that the Dry Matter and therefore the nutritive value of grass drops off from 22nd June onwards, maybe earlier now we have global warming, but horse diets are fibre based, one can adjust with concentrates even if the hay is late cut.
If you have too much land [wow], you could ask the farmer to graze a few sheep and or cattle on it from May to June to clean up the pasture as horses make a mess of pasture due to being very picky, and it will also reduce worm burden, farmer will be happy too.
I had a problem with farmers selling to others when I expected to get some, so if you need a lot, make sure you agree a price and pay at least half of it before the grass is cut, it becomes a saleable commodity the moment it is baled. Get a bill of sale/receipt, noting this is a deposit!
 
Last edited:
jenki13 said:
I didn't know about the difference in growing times for grasses. We have good old Meadow hay, mixture of Timothy, red clover, meadow fescue & the like.. & unfortunately some buttercup (but not as bad as last year).

Maybe that's why we can cut into late July. Proper old British grass is obviously best ;)
Click to expand...

Yes I think old fashioned meadow grass is best too - for pleasure horses at the very least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top