Hay: how worried should we all be?

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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As title really.

Here, like (I guess) everywhere else; none of the farmers have been able to make any hay (small OR large bale) - tho' they did manage to make some large bale haylage earlier in the year.

I'm in East Devon - and around us there are loads of hayfields standing, uncut, and spoiling. Wind & rain has flattened a lot of what were intended to be "hayfields" around here.

Had a chat with a local farmer while out riding today: he can't see anyone making any hay this year :(

I've got some good hay in the barn, but it won't be enough to last the whole winter, especially if we get another freeze-up like last year.

WTF are we all gonna do??
 
Have to say I'm starting to get a bit twitchy about this! If there is any,it's gonna cost a fortune & everyone will be wanting it:(
 
we are in cornwall and OH has managed to sneak some in, as have some of the clients he cuts and bales for... I do think that we will get at least one period when we can manage a good cut, but theoretically that should half the years yield, agree that its a worry. Luckily the yard that I am moving to has enough for the winter and its included in livery price.
 
A few summers ago we had a severe drought which prevented farmers getting a second cut - hay was really scarce and the price sky rocketted.

We bought whatever we could whenever we could - our local feed merchants ended up rationing hay and baylage as people were driving 100+kms just to buy hay. They were great and ensured that their regular customers were looked after.

It was hard. I fed bran for the first time in many decades to bulk up feed. Some people started sprouting grain to provide additional bulk. I was lucky to have aquired some grazing that had been left ungrazed for several months - it helped see me through the winter.

Hopefully the weather will improve for you all as you have had a couple of awful years - with the snow the winter before last.
 
The weather guru on a farming forum predicts the weather will improve during the last 1/3rd of July, even so, many farmers haven't got a first cut yet, let alone a second cut. My hay is cut but rotting in the field. Fortunately, I should have enough haylage left over from last year.

We got weather like this about 30 years ago. I mentioned to a neighbour that if we got a hard winter, there would be a lot of broke farmers. He replied that it always evened out and it would be a mild winter. He was right. So keep smiling!
 
My first cut is still standing, waiting.. It's very frustrating..

Red Post between Newton
Abbot and Totnes has run out of straw and can't source any currently..

And I am told Marksway, who make horsehage in Paignton, have usually cut more than 10k bales by now but have only done about 1500 so far..

I'm concerned..
 
Very worried, we have about 15 acres here ready to be cut, no one in our area has managed to do any so if we do get some good weather all the contractors will be working 24 hours a day. We normally have wrapped round bales done for us but have the equipment to do small bales ourselves if we have to so we are in a better position than a lot of people. We really need some good weather and soon.
 
Very worried.... we're farmers and our hay yield this year I reckon will be 1/3 or less than previous years, it's not a good year for it!!
 
I'm very worried & hugely frustrated as i've put aside nearly 8 acres for hay that has been ready to cut for about 3 weeks now. What happens to it if it's left? It's now going to seed, is it going to be worth cutting?
The local farmer that's going to do it has said that we'll have a better chance of making it into haylage.
 
KSR said:
My first cut is still standing, waiting.. It's very frustrating..

Red Post between Newton
Abbot and Totnes has run out of straw and can't source any currently..

And I am told Marksway, who make horsehage in Paignton, have usually cut more than 10k bales by now but have only done about 1500 so far..

I'm concerned..
Click to expand...

i wouldnt panick yet, farm im on cuts hay and silage, and they are not panicking just yet, were still using last years hay at the moment and theres a fair bit left.

general thoughts are, they want the first cut off asap and hope to do a later 2nd cut. the positive is that the tempretures are set to continue to help the grass grow allowing a later cut.
 
Not worried yet - our yard makes its own. They did the haylage much earlier in the year before it was so wet so that is all baled.

Not cut for hay yet and they are only expecting to get one lot baled at this rate as it is so wet but still optimistic that we will get some. We still have plenty of last years so should be able to last until late Oct.

Really don't want to feed haylage to my very, very good doer but if it comes to it she will live out 24/7 over winter and just get small amount of haylage twice a day, instead of coming in overnight for hay.
 
The last 2 out of 3 years we've had to make haylage in Sept. Ok, the quality isn't as good, but it was good enough. After weeks of wet weather we are bound to have a dry period soon, so I'm not worrying about it.
 
There have been many times in the past when this has happened. We will end up with poorer quality late cut haylage instead of hay. But I'm not panicing yet. Our yard did cut small amounts a few weeks ago.

When I used have room to make my own I would sometimes change my mind and strip graze the field instead if we couldn't get it cut. Meant more grass for winter and less hay used.
 
I'm not worried yet. If it's still this wet in a month I'll probably be starting to panic though! We grow our own and are happy to wait until august (or even early sept) to get it cut, as long as we get the weather. *crosses fingers* At least all this warm, wet weather has meant we have tons of grass so should get more in than last year.
 
RM I'm in the same kind of mindset as you, particularly about grazing instead if need be..

Quality doesn't bother me as long as its good enough as apart from my DWb my other four are UK natives and are better off on poorer quality hay and haylage..

JH not panicking, just the landlord keeps calling about having it cut.. Nothing I can do if it keeps raining like it has since April..
 
I'm not worried yet....give it a couple more weeks :) think the worst thing will be if the prices go up yet again because of it, I remember paying £2.75 a bale of the best quality hay, now it's more like £4.50 for stuff you have to soak, very much debating the idea of haylage again this winter although would be handy to convince some people on the yard to join in so can get big (better value) bales.
 
I'm mildly concerned but hoping for the best. my farmer hasn't cut anything yet and I guess there is a point where it will go over (am no hay expert) at the yard, they have haylage, I saw a field full of wrapped bales a few weeks ago, I hope they won't be rotten inside because of the damp. We use straw bedding too, so I am not sure if that will be ok .
 
I can't deny the lack of hay making is in the back of my mind.

The grass is long and the fields look a mess, and unwanted 'weeds' have come through because the conditions are ideal for them.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed for sun.
 
KSR said:
My first cut is still standing, waiting.. It's very frustrating..

Red Post between Newton
Abbot and Totnes has run out of straw and can't source any currently..

And I am told Marksway, who make horsehage in Paignton, have usually cut more than 10k bales by now but have only done about 1500 so far..

I'm concerned..
Click to expand...

God I remember redpost, used to go to shows there and got my first pair of full length chaps from there aged 13!
 
We haven't cut anything yet, some will be suitable for later cut, some will stay standing as foggage and about 11 acres or so we will try to make haylage from, with a view that it might have to be silage :o
The sparce grass on sandy soil will be fine - it is easy to dry, the ground is holding up and as there is no thick sward, it isn't rotting away.
The thick sward old meadow stuff, on clay is an issue, even if we have a week of dry weather, it will take 3-4 days for the ground to drain enough to get the machinery on...

Haylage is less of an issue, but I am rapidly running out of hay and a few of my liveries ''can't have'' haylage, might have to feed them straw... if we ever get harvest :rolleyes:
 
We have quite a bit set aside and we will get it off at some point I am sure, it is the time to dry the land enough that we are worrying about as we are on clay. The crop is still looking good but it won't be the same quality as normally comes off those fields, we may have to go with haylage rather than small hay bales. Our worst fear is that our place is up for sale and it may sell before we get the cut off, I would imagine that our right to cut will be covered in the sale and I can't see it completing so quickly but it is a bit scary!
 
Spoke to my supplier last night, he reckons there will be far more big bale haylage then hay made.

Nature is putting herself right after the dry winter, can someone send her a note explaining the hay making procedure !!
 
The farming community get use to this. For years now the harvest has been unpredictable due to the weather. I can remember a few years ago not getting my hay until September because of the weather. I would say the biggest problem is going to be getting a second crop because it just wont have long enough to grow.
 
We shouldnt worry at all! It wont help the situation. Transcend above it! And theres plenty of time yet for hay to made and the crop should be huge its growing so well.
 
Was talking to my YO about it today, (farmer/wife) and they aren't happy but they aren't panicing either. They cut quite a lot of haylage before all this weather, and if it continued to be really wet the rest could really be haylage too (although they won't). We've got some hay left over from last year still too. Basically, if worst came to worst we'd have to change how we feed but I don't think there's any need to panic. Remember they can cut into October if they really need to - they can cut hay until the days become short enough that it becomes a problem because it won't dry out and there's too much dew.
 
I am starting to worry I have all my winter grazing down to hay which was ready 3 weeks ago, luckily my horses are good doers so not bothered if its a bit straw like but do need it, Otherwise was also thinking of strip grazing instead, until a hunt friend told me about the grass going black and rotten underneath thus rendereing it usless, hopefully that wont happen, he also told me he has done no work as yet, works for a hay contractor and has usually made 20,000 bales by now, so abit worrying with 5 horses to see thru the winter.
 
Its a matter of cost rather than availability . I will continue to be able to sell hay but it may well have to come from Alberta Canada.
 
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