Hay shortages going into winter

maya2008 said:
What we need is for horse owners to take steps to mitigate the issue rather than complaining about it - on our local Fb page at least. The grass here right now is brilliant, scary green and growing. Every other animal has been chucked out onto the grass to eat that without a strand of hay in sight. Yet we still have horse owners (who have their own land and therefore could do the same) buying hay and complaining about the price. People I know, whose horses absolutely could tolerate the current grass and who absolutely do have the option to open up their track (created because it’s the done thing not for any medical reason) and just let the horse eat!

We don’t normally need hay before Christmas. There is grass growing now and grass in the rested winter fields that will last Nov and Dec. If everyone who could, held off on hay, everyone might make it through.
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Not sure where you are, but up here grass growth has stagnated!
 
My grass has taken off this last week. The sheep who were screaming for a fresh field, every time they saw me, are now happy for three days in each field and it is me moving them.
 
Exasperated said:
Can you take yours for some grass-eating hacks? As in, ride to reasonable verges, public green spaces, spend some time scrolling on your phone while the pony tucks in? as well to keep up the vit E levels this time of year.
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There is still long grass outside their paddock so they're being let out (selectively) to graze there, and yes walking to other grass too. I don't think this can be unusual up here though, it's just I haven't needed to notice as much before!
 
maya2008 said:
What we need is for horse owners to take steps to mitigate the issue rather than complaining about it - on our local Fb page at least. The grass here right now is brilliant, scary green and growing. Every other animal has been chucked out onto the grass to eat that without a strand of hay in sight. Yet we still have horse owners (who have their own land and therefore could do the same) buying hay and complaining about the price. People I know, whose horses absolutely could tolerate the current grass and who absolutely do have the option to open up their track (created because it’s the done thing not for any medical reason) and just let the horse eat!

We don’t normally need hay before Christmas. There is grass growing now and grass in the rested winter fields that will last Nov and Dec. If everyone who could, held off on hay, everyone might make it through.
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Normally I’d agree with this. But last winter was so unexpectedly wet I’m not surprised people are nervous. I’m nervous for sure. My winter grazing was like the Somme by April this year. We had to supplement heavily with hay which I’ve never done before. I’ve shut off my winter fields from March and hope to use them from November to the end of April. They took a long time to recover and despite fertiliser and overseeding they are noticeably poorer than other years.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Local big feed merchant is £9.95 small bale collected (fact check, Rokers nr Merrist Wood).
They are marking up on well travelled hay from Wales and the north.

Already seen a couple reports of hay stealing, my advice is to slice through every string as you stack and to keep rugs, barrows etc well away to prevent easy moving.
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Yikes!!! My local farms are on £8/bale and I thought that was steep. A tenner a small bale is crazy.
 
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canteron said:
Just hoping for a mild winter, if not, I think there are going to be many people who struggle and really sad welfare cases.
It’s not even a question of price here, there just isn’t enough supply.
My hay man says he has enough for a mild winter, but he will only drop off a max of 4 hestons a time to encourage all his customers to understand the problem.
He is a lovely man and really worries about some of his customers on tight budgets and limited grazing. I normally give him a tip for delivering - and he puts it in a pot to subsidise hay for some of his struggling customers!
I have a stock of grass nuts and beet pellets to help me eke out the hay.
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What a lovely man!

I too am worried for those who are going to struggle.
 
The grass round here is still struggling and after a weekend of biblical rain the mud is already starting. Just stocked up on sugar beet and grass nuts for my lad be the hay store at the farm is already looking pretty empty. Owners have a delivery coming next week thank god, but it's not the usual supplier so I'm a bit wary of the quality.
 
SEL said:
I've noticed a lot more breeders / dealers / general horse collectors putting sales ads up
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yep lots of low prices about too. If you have sufficient fodder for the winter you really could pick up a bargain or two.

Someone I know bought a pony as a 'next pony' for their daughter and had a sharer riding it all summer. It's up for sale now as 'circumstances have changed' which I think is more likely to do with the cost of keeping an extra one over winter.
 
The large 4 string bales I buy have gone up by £20 a bale since July - now £75 per bale. Small bales are approx £8-£9 per bale. I spoke with my supplier and they have said they will have enough hay but will be buying in and costs will increase. I listened to a farmer being interviewed about the lack of hay, and the impact on his herd of Highland cows, especially if we have another wet winter/dry summer. Wasn't great tbh
 
jules9203 said:
The large 4 string bales I buy have gone up by £20 a bale since July - now £75 per bale. Small bales are approx £8-£9 per bale. I spoke with my supplier and they have said they will have enough hay but will be buying in and costs will increase. I listened to a farmer being interviewed about the lack of hay, and the impact on his herd of Highland cows, especially if we have another wet winter/dry summer. Wasn't great tbh
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he must be breeding shite highland cattle or keeping them wrong they live on next to nothing the 2 herds i no well hardly feed anything
 
A neighbouring farmer has just mown all his fields again. Not got much to bale, and some of the rows are lying in/on mud after the torrential rain on Saturday.

We pulled our horses off the summer field a few weeks ago, and put them onto the autumn field, which has lots of grass. The summer field has actually grown a fair bit since they’ve been off it, so I may even throw them back on there for a bit. Just praying it doesn’t get too wet and boggy (as my land can).
 
Honey08 said:
A neighbouring farmer has just mown all his fields again. Not got much to bale, and some of the rows are lying in/on mud after the torrential rain on Saturday.

We pulled our horses off the summer field a few weeks ago, and put them onto the autumn field, which has lots of grass. The summer field has actually grown a fair bit since they’ve been off it, so I may even throw them back on there for a bit. Just praying it doesn’t get too wet and boggy (as my land can).
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We plan to reinstate a couple of fences which will create 4 smaller paddocks. Hopefully we'll be able to rotate a little to save on a bit of hay.

I've never been grateful for having 2 plump ponies before.
 
Just seen a Facebook group called hay and straw bales uk, lots of people posting wanting hay and people commenting on if they have any for sale and recommendations of who to try, if its of interest to anyone short
 
I was also thinking today that I’m always slightly careful about introducing different batches of hay from different sources - not in a completely OCD way but it’s a thought at the back of my mind. I’ve now got hay from 4 different suppliers from all over the shop 🤣.
 
Ceifer said:
I was also thinking today that I’m always slightly careful about introducing different batches of hay from different sources - not in a completely OCD way but it’s a thought at the back of my mind. I’ve now got hay from 4 different suppliers from all over the shop 🤣.
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Needs must!!
 
Stacy_W said:
I’ve already got all mine in (in August) ready for the winter. Currently have just one Shetland pony and a small flock of sheep so we’ll be ok. We have some big haylage bales and the hay is just small bales, so am worried about theft. I did consider cutting the strings but it’s all stacked now. We have several locked gates they’d have to climb over if they want to have a go, and it’s surrounded by very vigilant neighbours so they’d be really chancing it.

Yields are a third down around here (south). I buy mine in from the West Country but they’re saying existing customers only now, and they are a big supplier. Small bales locally to me are now £10 a bale.

I hope everyone manages to find enough to keep them through the winter 🤞
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Glad you are all sorted. I’m paying £6.35 a bale in the NF, and supplier says will be ok to supply for the winter they think, as they have arranged to source from various places. They are not taking on any new customers though, and are refusing to deliver extra hay to stop stockpiling. We have been able to stop feeding in the field with the autumn growth, so we will see where that gets us. Ponies not fat at all, which of course is good.
 
Time for Tea said:
Glad you are all sorted. I’m paying £6.35 a bale in the NF, and supplier says will be ok to supply for the winter they think, as they have arranged to source from various places. They are not taking on any new customers though, and are refusing to deliver extra hay to stop stockpiling. We have been able to stop feeding in the field with the autumn growth, so we will see where that gets us. Ponies not fat at all, which of course is good.
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This is my struggle! I’ve been on full livery for the past 3 years and am now on DIY…so I’ve never had to have a hay supplier! 🥺 I’m really struggling as local people are not taking on new customers.

This is why I’ve ordered a pallet of Haylage, not ideal but at least it’s something and I’ll keep looking for someone that can supply a few small bales at a time as we have minimal storage for it either at the yard 🫤
 
Bobthecob15 said:
This is my struggle! I’ve been on full livery for the past 3 years and am now on DIY…so I’ve never had to have a hay supplier! 🥺 I’m really struggling as local people are not taking on new customers.

This is why I’ve ordered a pallet of Haylage, not ideal but at least it’s something and I’ll keep looking for someone that can supply a few small bales at a time as we have minimal storage for it either at the yard 🫤
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That is awkward, what a time to start DIY! Yes, I was looking at haylage before I spoke to my hay supplier. I had decided on Mole Valley second cut. I’ve had it before, it is palatable, It doesn’t hot mine up or fatten them. But I’m leaving that for now, I have a few haylage bales left from last winter. Let’s hope we get a bit more grass growth now.
 
Time for Tea said:
That is awkward, what a time to start DIY! Yes, I was looking at haylage before I spoke to my hay supplier. I had decided on Mole Valley second cut. I’ve had it before, it is palatable, It doesn’t hot mine up or fatten them. But I’m leaving that for now, I have a few haylage bales left from last winter. Let’s hope we get a bit more grass growth now.
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I know, well I actually started in May but haven't needed much hay to be honest over summer as we were lucky and seemed to continue to get grass despite the dry spell...just bought a few bales off another livery. Now pony is in more I'm obviously needing it!

Yeah hopefully the one Ive ordered is good, it was well recommended on here. If the pallet ever arrives....!
 
Dam1 said:
Hope this is not off topic but saw someone on another thread say that as hay was short they would have to get haylage instead. Surely if there's a shortage of hay there will also be a shortage of haylage too or am I missing something ? x
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Yes there is, I tried contacting suppliers who are also restricting who they sell to, as in some are not taking new customers.

So yes you are correct in that neither will be easy this winter!
 
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