Potential hay shortage

CinnamonChristmasCookie

CinnamonChristmasCookie

Fais pas chier!
Joined
6 July 2010
Messages
38,242
Visit site
Copied from a local horse group by a qualified equine nutritionist.

First and foremost, please don't panic buy!

This makes the situation much worse, for everyone.
I do recommend, however, that you get organised, think ahead and get your forage suppliers in place. Don't wait until you're out and then find your normal supplier can no longer supply you and your horse.
Here's a few 'dos' (tomorrow I'll do a few 'do nots'):
>do minimise wastage by weighing what you feed - especially important if forage is included in your livery and you've never stopped to consider this before
> always, always change your horse's forage over gradually to a new type or even a new batch (this is the number 1 key for maintaining good gut health)
> mixing haylage and (feed quality) straw can be a useful alternative to hay but do take advice on how to feed straw safely if you've not fed it before
> ideally choose chopped forages as hay replacers before ground i.e. pellets and mashes to extend eating time and keep up physical form-fibre in the gut
> many feed companies have helpfully put articles on their websites about which of their products are suitable for partially or fully replacing hay so do take a look
If in any doubt about whether a chopped forage product is suitable to feed as a hay replacer, do contact the company to check. Some are, some are not.
Please help spread the word by sharing - thank
 
I don't think potential comes into the issue. The problem is very real as can be seen on the various equine groups with many people begging to buy hay. We need to have some meaningful rain to kick start the grass growth and hope for a kind winter. I think owners with long term and good relationships with their contractors will be ok although the cost will be immense. The single horse owners who buy randomly from various sources will have big problems because the suppliers will prioritise regular customers first.

It is all well and good the feed experts saying buy bagged forage or hay replacers, both products start life as standing grass and crop, all of which is 50% down in yield in many parts of the country. There are a lot of horses coming to the market as demonstrated by the numbers that went through a recent auction house and many owners are letting their oldies go. I know I sound doom and gloom but I think there will be a lot of horses that will be in trouble by January. Horses that live out and have been on bare fields with the hope that rain will get the grass growing around them are highest risk. Those with fields not eaten to oblivion but burnt off will recover and grass will come through for early winter grazing.

God help us all if we come out of winter and into another dry spring in 2026.
 
sarcasm_queen said:
We get ours from Mole Valley Stores, and they’ve started limiting how much you can buy (think it’s 2 small bales per horse)
Click to expand...
I think it must be very area specific. I bought 12 bags of haylage last week and they said they had plenty. Bought more from another firm and no problem.
I am using 1.5 bags pd for 2.5 off grass horses.

I think the grass is also area specific. I am overun with grass and am praying they are going to like foggage yet in some areas it has been a total desert. I have fields fenced into very small areas/tracks as they are getting fat even with just about no grass that I can see.

I think also that in earlier times of plenty there has been a lot of wastage of hay. Chuck another bale out and if they trample some it is cheap and plentiful so not to worry too much.
Perhaps now if a horse requires 6kg of hay overnight that is what it is going to have to have. Won't be easy in big bale in the field set ups.
 
I have got my hay but I disagree with ‘don’t panic buy.’ I’m assuming she means ‘don’t go out and buy a winter’s worth of hay now’ but I would say absolutely do, if you can afford it and find it. Even if you buy your winter’s worth from your supplier but they just bring a bale at a time.

Now is absolutely the time to plan and get yourself sorted - if you can!
 
My land is eaten down to the ground, hasn't had any significant rain for weeks and consequently is now very dusty. My hay supplier has 50% less yield this year but has only put the price up by 15% which I think is very reasonable. They've said they won't take on any new customers and I am hoping this means that there will be enough for long standing regulars like myself to get through the winter. I use 1.5 large bales a week so it's going to be an expensive winter on hay replacers if it comes to that. If it's a warm wet winter I'm also facing a sea of mud.
 
I think you’re absolutely right in saying those who buy randomly from different suppliers are really going to struggle. Or end up buying from shops which is just extortionate in some places. I have a 14.2 and a 15.2 in the same field and we’ve probably been going through a bale and a half every day this summer.

I’m very grateful to have found a brilliant local farmer last spring that a friend and I get rounds off. He delivered us a couple more last week and said he’s got 14 left and would happily put aside 10 for us to keep us going over the winter, which is a massive relief.

He said he yielded 50% less this year than last, so prices have gone up from £40 to £50, which I still think is very reasonable.
 
I’ve rented more land and I’ve got about 50 bales, I’m hoping we get the forecast rain and the fields grow, my grass usually keeps growing until November so fingers crossed for sunshine and showers
 
My hay supplier has put his round bales up to £45 but that’s delivered. He’s not taking on any new customers and is looking after his usual customers. Apparently people have offered to buy it up front but he has declined. Luckily I have 3 acres of grass left and they won’t go on that until November/ December! I have 3 good doers and are currently strip grazing them?
 
I don't think there's any doubt forage products will be in short supply & expensive this winter. I'm lucky I have 3 on 6 acres because if its really desperate they get access to the lot rather than shutting fields off.

My supplier won't let people advance buy.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I don't think potential comes into the issue. The problem is very real as can be seen on the various equine groups with many people begging to buy hay. We need to have some meaningful rain to kick start the grass growth and hope for a kind winter. I think owners with long term and good relationships with their contractors will be ok although the cost will be immense. The single horse owners who buy randomly from various sources will have big problems because the suppliers will prioritise regular customers first.

It is all well and good the feed experts saying buy bagged forage or hay replacers, both products start life as standing grass and crop, all of which is 50% down in yield in many parts of the country. There are a lot of horses coming to the market as demonstrated by the numbers that went through a recent auction house and many owners are letting their oldies go. I know I sound doom and gloom but I think there will be a lot of horses that will be in trouble by January. Horses that live out and have been on bare fields with the hope that rain will get the grass growing around them are highest risk. Those with fields not eaten to oblivion but burnt off will recover and grass will come through for early winter grazing.

God help us all if we come out of winter and into another dry spring in 2026.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree.
paddy555 said:
I think it must be very area specific. I bought 12 bags of haylage last week and they said they had plenty. Bought more from another firm and no problem.
I am using 1.5 bags pd for 2.5 off grass horses.

I think the grass is also area specific. I am overun with grass and am praying they are going to like foggage yet in some areas it has been a total desert. I have fields fenced into very small areas/tracks as they are getting fat even with just about no grass that I can see.

I think also that in earlier times of plenty there has been a lot of wastage of hay. Chuck another bale out and if they trample some it is cheap and plentiful so not to worry too much.
Perhaps now if a horse requires 6kg of hay overnight that is what it is going to have to have. Won't be easy in big bale in the field set ups.
Click to expand...
The post is from Herefordshire but I watched a short video from a local Herts farmer this morning. He was talking about his second cut from 50 acres and showed approximately 10 big square bales, saying that’s all he got. Walking past fields in the woods, the grass looks decent but hasn’t been cut, possibly not the right stuff, no idea, but there’s a massive amount of acreage which hasn’t had livestock on it or been cut.

Given how wet it was last summer, I wonder if there was much of last year’s hay around.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
Absolutely agree.

The post is from Herefordshire but I watched a short video from a local Herts farmer this morning. He was talking about his second cut from 50 acres and showed approximately 10 big square bales, saying that’s all he got. Walking past fields in the woods, the grass looks decent but hasn’t been cut, possibly not the right stuff, no idea, but there’s a massive amount of acreage which hasn’t had livestock on it or been cut.

Given how wet it was last summer, I wonder if there was much of last year’s hay around.
Click to expand...
Anything that has grown sufficiently to be cut lately is likely to be of very poor quality due to the ground conditions but it may be for sale to horse owners - farmers will only feed this to sheep and cattle in extremism, which this winter may be...Adding in a decent mineral balancer would seem like a good idea!
 
Cinnamontoast said:
Absolutely agree.

The post is from Herefordshire but I watched a short video from a local Herts farmer this morning. He was talking about his second cut from 50 acres and showed approximately 10 big square bales, saying that’s all he got. Walking past fields in the woods, the grass looks decent but hasn’t been cut, possibly not the right stuff, no idea, but there’s a massive amount of acreage which hasn’t had livestock on it or been cut.

Given how wet it was last summer, I wonder if there was much of last year’s hay around.
Click to expand...
There is no 2024 hay available in Warwickshire/Herefordshire/Worcestershire judging by the amount of requests for it on facebook etc. that are not being responded to.
 
AdorableAlice said:
There is no 2024 hay available in Warwickshire/Herefordshire/Worcestershire judging by the amount of requests for it on facebook etc. that are not being responded to.
Click to expand...
Many local farmers are already feeding last year's hay and will not risk selling any. We usually have decent hay and silage for sale but won't sell anything this year: a hard winter and a dry Spring will bring many livestock holdings to their knees. We are, kind of, bracing ourselves tbh.
 
I'm in the SE and the situation is dire. Have one allergic to hay and straw so can only have haylage. Got 11 big bales in which will be readybto feed next month. Supplier who is a grumpy tight git at the best of times but has good quality is very doom and gloom. No new customers this year and will only deliver to those who don't make his life difficult so he said!
Mine are out 24/7 and usually have to strip graze. This year all fields are awful. Even 3 acre winter trash field hasn't recovered. Due some rain next week but it's too little too late.

I still have 50 small bales of 2023 hay which has been stored under cover and is ok if things get desperate. May sell it and make my fortune!! 😁
 
palo1 said:
Many local farmers are already feeding last year's hay and will not risk selling any. We usually have decent hay and silage for sale but won't sell anything this year: a hard winter and a dry Spring will bring many livestock holdings to their knees. We are, kind of, bracing ourselves tbh.
Click to expand...
Bales have been going into stock around me for many months now, it is a very worrying year for farmers.
 
I've just moved mine to a different yard where hay is included, and made/baled on site. Although I needed to move anyway this was a fairly big positive for me. When I walk past the barn and see it stacked full with hay I feel so relieved and grateful that I won't be having to try and find hay towards the end of winter. Hay has been getting scarce by Feb/March time for the last couple of years, and this year my usual two suppliers warned me they were down alot on what they managed to bale so I imagine its going to be even worse finding hay this winter.
 
Patterdale said:
Now is absolutely the time to plan and get yourself sorted - if you can!
Click to expand...
I agree. I think everyone has to work out their own situation and area and decide what they can do and how they are going to manage their own situation, it may be a case of altering your horse arrangements for the next winter if that would help.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Bales have been going into stock around me for many months now, it is a very worrying year for farmers.
Click to expand...
And of course this is going to have a huuge knock on effect cost wise to everything. So not only big increases in horse feed but also the cost of living prices. I have noticed just lately that there has been little increases here and there and recently a £1 per jar on the coffee that I buy.
 
Last edited:
We bought 5 large bales this week. Usually cost £30 a bale and this year it’s £50. Farmer normally does 150 bales but hit 57 this year. He’s put us aside another 10 bales but that won’t get us through winter
 
Patterdale said:
I have got my hay but I disagree with ‘don’t panic buy.’ I’m assuming she means ‘don’t go out and buy a winter’s worth of hay now’ but I would say absolutely do, if you can afford it and find it. Even if you buy your winter’s worth from your supplier but they just bring a bale at a time.

Now is absolutely the time to plan and get yourself sorted - if you can!
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree…..it would be the really sensible thing to if you can afford to….
I am really concerned that there will be far more welfare issues for all animals, and as for rescues/welfare shelters they must be so concerned…..
 
I've got 75 small bales stashed away that we managed to get cut from our hardly ever grazed paddock (horses have to be led along the road to get to it so I tend to leave it for insects/birds). We've never had it baled before but this year it seemed prudent.
There's about 30 acres opposite our bedroom window that for some reason has not been cut at all this year - It's usually cut for silage or haylage for cattle, but it's still standing. It seems such a terrible waste!
 
Landcruiser said:
I've got 75 small bales stashed away that we managed to get cut from our hardly ever grazed paddock (horses have to be led along the road to get to it so I tend to leave it for insects/birds). We've never had it baled before but this year it seemed prudent.
There's about 30 acres opposite our bedroom window that for some reason has not been cut at all this year - It's usually cut for silage or haylage for cattle, but it's still standing. It seems such a terrible waste!
Click to expand...
Offer to have it cut and baled? Will still be cheaper than buying in…probably something you have already thought about
 
Patterdale said:
I have got my hay but I disagree with ‘don’t panic buy.’ I’m assuming she means ‘don’t go out and buy a winter’s worth of hay now’ but I would say absolutely do, if you can afford it and find it. Even if you buy your winter’s worth from your supplier but they just bring a bale at a time.

Now is absolutely the time to plan and get yourself sorted - if you can!
Click to expand...

There's a dealer I follow who posted that it's people panic buying and pushing the price up with suppliers cashing in, she likened it to panic buying loo roll and said that there was plenty of hay in other parts of the country.

A few of us posted that the shortage is real and that hay from other parts of the country will cost more because it will have to be transported. Lots of people buy their winter hay in one go regardless. I think she's the one panicking because she buys hay all year round (moaning that her supplier has put the price up) because she lacks storage.

Call me selfish but I am half heartedly looking for another ATM and thinking if I hang on I might actually find myself a nice riding horse instead of a youngster or an oldie.
 
Last edited:
If anyone is absolutely desperate, and willing to drive to West Wales, I do have rounds and small bales that I can spare to sell. I know it's far, but I also know how dire it is looking for some people
 
My 2 cobs escaped onto a field which is standing hay (too much hassle to cut) & brought themselves off it they were so underwhelmed. There's really nothing juicy at the base of the grass so its all stalk.

I keep telling them that at least its food and they'll be grateful in Feb
 
Patterdale said:
I have got my hay but I disagree with ‘don’t panic buy.’ I’m assuming she means ‘don’t go out and buy a winter’s worth of hay now’ but I would say absolutely do, if you can afford it and find it.
Click to expand...
Marshpiper said:
Absolutely agree…..it would be the really sensible thing to if you can afford to….
Click to expand...

I agree. I buy in small squares and my supplier bales these to order, otherwise only makes big bales. I ordered 110 at the start of the year, which turned out to be more than I needed because I’d overestimated how much I’d use before it was ready to collect.

I didn’t actually have space for 110 (had room to stack 70) but given we were already well into the dry spell and I also didn’t want to mess him about given he’d baled them specifically for me, I re-jigged my barn and the extra 40 are crammed in by hook or by crook!

I feel far better knowing I’ve got a good supply in ahead of winter, and am fortunate that buying in bulk once a year is my usual pattern anyway (finance wise).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top