Hay Producers

[johnmetzger]

Started making hay this week in northern Ohio. 2 weeka ahead of last year but about 20% less in volume. We are dry with no registered rain in the last 3 weeks. I'm starting to get a bad vibe unless rains come. Are corn was planted 30 days ahead of last year (very wet spring last year) and is 3" to 4" up but could sure use some moisture. What are the rest of you folks seeing?

 

[firesweepranch]

We are really dry here already, several inches down from normal. Our hay has not been cut because of equipment failure, but waiting for someone to come out and cut. Most people out here in SW MO cut 30 days earlier than normal. Most have a first cutting done already, but we have had no rain for a week now, and none expected in the forecast (maybe Tuesday). We are having record highs, so the fields will dry up quick!

Wish it was better news....

 

[flacowman]

We're 13 inches down for the year here already, following a year we were almost 30 inches short for.  Corn is already tousled and filling out, peanuts are in the ground early, cotton is up and growing, oats and wheat are cut, and veggies are already coming in in southwest Georgia.  We are behind getting hay cut because of planting peanuts but we plan to cut next week, and it doesn't look too promising.

 

[Ohio1]

Started making hay this week in northern Ohio. 2 weeka ahead of last year but about 20% less in volume. We are dry with no registered rain in the last 3 weeks. I'm starting to get a bad vibe unless rains come. Are corn was planted 30 days ahead of last year (very wet spring last year) and is 3" to 4" up but could sure use some moisture. What are the rest of you folks seeing?

Same here in southwest Ohio

 

[husker1]

A much, much needed 1.30 of rain last night.  We are in a tough spot.  1st cutting Alfalfa went up early, but at only 30 to 60% of last year's tonnage.  So many have broken up grass for row crops this year, that the hay market could get very interesting.  The more marginal pastures look like they normally do in September due to the drought.  The 1.30 is a start, but we need much more to catch up.

Very grateful for the shower last night though!

 

[oakview]

Too dry in central Iowa.  Hay was baled almost 2 weeks ago.  Ground was torn up and  beans were planted.  They need rain to come up, I'm afraid.  Corn doesn't look too bad, considering we missed most of the rain people around us got about 2 weeks ago.  Chances for rain the next few days, but it doesn't sound like they're too high for here.  The forecasters said this morning that Northwest Iowa and Eastern Iowa will get the most rain.  Hope it spreads out a little.  We haven't had it this dry at this time of year for a long time, maybe since 1977 when we had a complete crop failure.

 

[DRB]

Dry here in SW Ontario too...  really need more rain. April was half of normal precip, and with early warm spell in March plants got going early and then froze off with frost... pastures and alfalfa took a hit, things seem to be recovering alright,  but everything seems slow this year.

 

[Shady Lane]

We have enjoyed some good rains here lately which has really brought the grass on, we had very little moisture from last July until recently. These rains have come at an excellent time for the pasture and hay crops but has delayed seeding for many guys.

It's interesting to hear comments like " 30" less rain last year than normal" etc. We only get on average 12-14" of precip a year and a bunch of that comes as snow.

We typically start cutting hay the first week of July and usually take one cutting.

 

[twistedhshowstock]

We are getting our first cuttings in around here.  Doesnt look real good, but heck we will take it over what we got around here last year, which was nothing.  I know people here in this area have been talking about all the rain lately, and it has been nice after the severe drought, but even with the muddiness we have dealt with for a while, we havent had a real shower to speak of in a few weeks, and we are already behind what our averages for the year should be around here.  Praying hard but it could be another very bad year for us here in Texas.  We were going to keep some replacement heifers this yr, then decided to sell them and by some breds, now we have decided just to flat out sell them and see what the weather does because we may need that money plus selling off some cows, in order to buy hay.

 

[ploughshare]

I'm prepping for a short hay year, so I'm selling off receips and culls deeper than usual this year.  I hate to do this knowing the cow numbers, but hay will be short for me this winter since almost all of Iowa has been planted to corn.  Hay is already harder to find and with the dry weather it will only get worse.

 

[aj]

Historically Goodland gets 3 some inches in the month of may and they have got soemthing around half a inch in May. Pastures turning brown. I heard earlier that alfalfa guys (under irrigation) were hoping to get 5 cuttings here at 3,500 feet because of the early first cutting.........but it is dry. We were in good shape last year year on moisture.

 

[rasor club calves]

For us the hay is growing so much more. We cut atleast two week early with more crop than last year. Last year we just flat out didnt get enough sunshine. We are a little dry too.

 

[johnmetzger]

The rain gods must have read my blog as we recieved 3 tenths early this evening.

 

[nate53]

Everything here is about a month ahead of schedule.  Corn planted late March early April, hay has been good quality and quantity, grass is good, wheat is already turning.  We had 3 inches of rain last of April, not much before that and not much of anything since (we need a good rain - basically 0 subsoil moisture to fall back on).  I've never seen cracks this big in May before (bad sign).  So basically things look good but they won't be pretty soon if we don't get some rain.

Seems like a bigger chunk of the country is dry this year (and the scary part is that it is only the 25th of May).  One extreme to another...........