Hay Shortage and Surplus

[JSchroeder]

With the extreme demand for hay out East, why haven't cattlemen out there been buying hay from Texas and surrounding states where we can barely give it away this year?  I personally know of about 1,000 Tifton-85 round bales that aren't getting a sniff at $40 when last year they were turning down $100.

I remember hauling alfalfa in from Wyoming to South Texas just one year ago when we were in a similar situation.  It was absolutely poor grade alfalfa but it kept the cows alive.

 

[Will]

I have wondered the same thing.  Last year guys around here were hauling hay in from Iowa and Illinois.  This year we have an abundance of hay and no one is hauling much out.  I just saw an ad in the paper last night for Bermuda grass hay for $30 a 1200# bales.  We have sold most of our real high quality hay, but alot of our neighbors still have some.  Just remember to be careful when buying hay from a long way off, it may not be as good as promised.  We test all of our hay and give the test results to our customer so they know exactly what they are getting.

 

[DL]

Not much hay in MI - many of the hay fields were turned into corn - with the drought people were feeding hay in July - we did get pasture back in late August -- I am getting my hay from Wisconsin....and compared to what the price/quality is here I got a good deal

 

[NHR]

I am buying excellent quality Sudan hay down here in TX for very little money

 

[ba]

I am trying to get corn shucks in big rounds straight drop out the back of the combine.
then feeding wet distillers with top dressing feed lime for calcium
We have milo stalks/leaves big bale im looking at too and older dairy
man says almost as Good as alfalfa . any more ideas that might help
as im looking at the cost but the y tell me im to picky about the cattle

 

[Joe Boy]

I know that a lot of people feel that all of Texas is wet and has been all summer.  My last good rain was the first week of August.  I usually am grazing wheat by now and I have not even planted.  I have my fertilizer plowed in and need rain.  I have already fed 1/4 of my hay I put up for the year.  I fertilized my grass in August and it did not rain and the grass is gone and never put out.  My calves have a little pop belly look from eating the round bales of millet.  They are fat and I have been thinking about weaning them and feeding them creep feed in the lot, put out tubs of protein and let the cows clean up the rough pasture.  There was plenty of hay made in parts of the county, but it is terribly dry in north Wilbarger county.  We got good moisture starting the end of the second week of June until the end of the first week of July and since then we have only had one rain.  Last year the local feedlot had alfalfa shipped by train from Canada.

I have wondered why there is not more hay shipped by rail to the south east USA from south Texas.  I have seen hay running out people's ears down there.

 

[Joe Boy]

I failed to say, "It is dryer than an old maid's kiss."

Please don't ask how I know.... I just heard it in the show barn.....ha....

And no, I do not want to sample any volunteers..... he he...