Hay/Haylage/Grass Panic?

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Clippy

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Just wondering how you're managing.

We have no grass. Nothing more than just something to pick at at the moment. Throughout the winter our usual supplier kept us going with haylage until the end of January when he ran out. I was able to take the trailer to a farm 3 miles away and buy 2 round bales at a time which have kept us going - until now! Unfortunately, he's run out too. All the local farmers will only sell to their regulars now so i'm in a bit of a panic.

Common sense tells me it's the same every year and with this spring coming late, it's just causing a panic, farmers are holding on to their hay and putting prices up. Once the grass starts growing they'll want to sell it to make room for the new crop! I hope!

It's not fun trying to locate haylage at the moment. Our neighbour has some small bales which aren't top quality and we're buying that so our horses have something but i've never know it like this and i'm not happy :'(
 
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If you're worried about quality then you could use something like horsehage - expensive but I've never had a problem with it. I recently ordered from Equidiner - very reasonable rates for delivery and free over a certain amount, when I ran out and the local feed merchants didn't have any.

I'm sure the grass will be through before long, my electric fence is out now. :)
 
I very much doubt farmers are 'holding on to it to put prices up later' All those round here just have none left!

Our haylege supplier bought in 150 extra bales from the other side of the country to meet demand. They charged £ 10 extra per bale to cover the cost yet the were all snapped up within days.

There are pockets of the UK with extra hay/haylege but not much help to most!

I've just bought 2 months worth in small square bales (cost a fortune!) and an very pleased I did!
 
There seems to be a surplus in the Inverness/Easter Ross area up here in the Highlands as I still have both hay and haylage for sale and it is excellent quality.

If unsold, I shall just keep it and probably make more over the summer! There's no such thing as having too much with feed and fertiliser prices as high as they are.
 
Clippy said:
Common sense tells me it's the same every year and with this spring coming late, it's just causing a panic, farmers are holding on to their hay and putting prices up. Once the grass starts growing they'll want to sell it to make room for the new crop! I hope!
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I doubt any farmers will be holding onto haylage, most of us do not have summer storage space to keep anything back.

Grass is coming slowly, I suspect we won't get as much hay as we should, but enough to keep us up.
 
I bought mine at the ned of April last year as part of a clearance stock. It's very dry haylage, so has lasted well. I've still got it coming out of my ears!

Grass is my panic. I do love the Spring, but both ponies are already muzzled during the day and are stabled at night, unheard of for me to stable for so long, but I need to control their intake and they keep getting the ruddy muzzles off!!!!! It's definitely greening up, here.
 
My YO has a surplus of large baled haylage - he made around 100 bales of the stuff and nobody on the yard feeds it :confused:

He hasn't run out of hay but is very nearly out of straw (again), he had to buy some straw in and the nearest place he could find any was Cambrigeshire and it was mega expensive! Thankfully my two are back out 24/7 now.
 
RunToEarth said:
I doubt any farmers will be holding onto haylage, most of us do not have summer storage space to keep anything back.

Grass is coming slowly, I suspect we won't get as much hay as we should, but enough to keep us up.
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What space do you need? Just fence off a corner of a field and stack 2 or 3 high.
 
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