Need to truck in hay.

[MFL]

Afternoon guys,

As most of you know, GA is almost to Mojave and Sahara dryness levels, and the availability of good hay is getting scarce. Myself and a few other horse owners are trying to set up a hay buy of about 1000-2000 small squares to see us through the rest of this drought. I have the transport worked out (benefit of working for a trucking co.), and I've made some contacts in Kentucky who seem to have good hay at a decent price.

What I want to know is if anyone has a personal recommendation for a grower. No matter how good a deal sounds on the phone, it's still a little bit of a pig in a poke to buy hay sight unseen. I'm hoping someone has a personal contact that would have hay in this quantity. I'm trying to stay within a 500 mile radius of Atlanta to keep my round trip costs down.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks in advance from us and about 25 hungry horses!

 

[BTDT]

Sorry no one has replied to your thread. I would think that hay from Kentucky would be good, with all the horses they have there, the Derby and all. But like you say, it would be good to have someone reliable (TBN member ) in the area to recommend someone. During the drought last year here, folks were baling and selling some awful looking stuff. Good luck with your search.

 

[DieselPower]

It's a shame your not close to the MD/PA state line. I got hay coming out of my ears this year. I have done about 500 round bails of straw and hay already this year and it's only the first cutting.

 

[MarkV]

When I saw the title of your thread I just knew you would be from Georgia. Our county is recording the worst drought it has had in 65 years. I’ve talked to several cattle men around here that are selling cattle because they can’t get hay from their fields. Everyone is very worried about feeding this winter.

Sorry I can’t help with finding a supplier but I can tell you for sure there isn’t any hay in N.W. Georgia.

MarkV

 

[Unclebuck257]

Here in N. Texas, we were where you folks are at now, for the last two years, up until this year. As a result, I can certainly sympathise with you.

Most of my contacts are on their second cutting of hay right now, and if you want to come as far as about 45 miles west of the Dallas-Ft Worth area, I can certainly make some calls for you and probably get you hay. These won't be small square bales though because everyone I know is doing round bales, but as I've learned the last two years, in a drought situation, hay is hay, and the shape of the bales really isn't important. I'll send you a PM.

 

[zzvyb6]

I was wondering if anyone else has ever turned round bales into square bales? I've used my square baler in a stationary mode to feed it round bale material. This is much more convenient to handle (sell) to horse people. Since its easier to truck round bales and if you have a square baler, would this be worth your while? If I had a 2nd tractor, I would figure out a way to suspend the round bale from a spike and let it unroll into the feeder chamber in the squarebaler.

 

[MFL]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the replies! I'm checking this board less frequently than I normally do because of other commitments, but I really appreciate the support.

As of right now my leads in Kentucky have all washed out. Most growers with quantity, have either previous commitments or no hay to sell. Time to expand the search. I have a BIL whose family farms in South Dakota, and may have hay for me there. It'll cost a fair piece, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers!

I'll PM those of you who have offered to help. Thanks again for your support and let me know if anyone hears of a good source, I guess anywhere on the East Coast/Mid-West.

MFL.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Afternoon guys,

As most of you know, GA is almost to Mojave and Sahara dryness levels, and the availability of good hay is getting scarce. Myself and a few other horse owners are trying to set up a hay buy of about 1000-2000 small squares to see us through the rest of this drought. I have the transport worked out (benefit of working for a trucking co.), and I've made some contacts in Kentucky who seem to have good hay at a decent price.

What I want to know is if anyone has a personal recommendation for a grower. No matter how good a deal sounds on the phone, it's still a little bit of a pig in a poke to buy hay sight unseen. I'm hoping someone has a personal contact that would have hay in this quantity. I'm trying to stay within a 500 mile radius of Atlanta to keep my round trip costs down.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks in advance from us and about 25 hungry horses!

I'm in Kentucky. And it's DRY here too. (8" behind for the year, and .33" so far in JUne. Officially anyway. We had a rain that brought a little more than that here a couple weeks back.) We had a record warm March. 3 weeks of 80 degree weather when 40's would have been normal. Then low 20's for 2 weeks in late April. Most hay, ESPECIALLY alfalfa was stunted. Then it got dry. That helped get in the first cutting, but it was about half a NORMAL 1st cutting. And now it's extremely dry. Fields look like late august. There's hay here, but most of it ain't goin' anywhere. I baled what I could and had it sold before it was off the ground. Next cutting will be sold, but I can't tell you when (or IF) it will happen. Stay in contact. I'll start looking around for any that is for sale. Quality hay is going to be expensive. And low quality hay will be abundant. People are baling everything standing right now.

Preferred mix? (alfalfa? Orchard grass? ect????)

Several adds in our local paper last week. I'll check them too. (comes out mondays)

Good luck.
Pray for rain.
Bill

 

[charlz]

The early hot weather here in Idaho didn't help my hay much either. Got about 1/2 of what I normally get on first cut. Luckily it cooled down and rained .75" right after I got the first cut stacked which helped get things going again. Water is not an really an issue but the heat sure seemed to slow down both the alfalfa and the grass.

Charles

 

[EarPlug]

You might try Hay For Sale - Internet Hay Exchange I used it last year here in Colorado. Ended up having grass hay trucked in from Missouri that was pretty good.

Jack