Third cutting concerns

[EddieWalker]

Our last cutting of the year be it the 3rd or 4th is usually shorter grass and therefore not stemmy which is what I have always found that horses like best, also don't be afraid of hay with a little native grass mixed in such as crabgrass, most horse people will turn their noses up at it but put a roll of all coastal and one with some crabgrass mix in the lot and see which roll they stay at, it won't be the coastal till the other roll is gone. Good luck. Charlie.

Thank you, I hadn't thought of that!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Hay is gold up here because of our weather problems this year. $100 per bale is considered cheap. Two weeks ago there was still hay being cut.

Good luck.

 

[AllDodge]

Hay is gold up here because of our weather problems this year. $100 per bale is considered cheap. Two weeks ago there was still hay being cut.

Good luck.

A fella with a big rig might be able to make some good money at that price hauling it in, not round ones though, to hard to transport in bulk

 

[ovrszd]

A fella with a big rig might be able to make some good money at that price hauling it in, not round ones though, to hard to transport in bulk

Yep, you can get a lot more tonnage with large squares.

 

[prof fate]

It's often better to feed first cutting..stemmy keeps horses busier longer with chewing.

When you need hay here it's often easiest to go to the auction. it's weekly.

But yeah, I feel your pain on suppliers..we need sawdust for our stalls. $200 a load, $100 a load for trucking and we pay for the sawdust, the cheapest guy only brings a full load on a very large trailer that is more than we can fit in the barn. Seems everytime we find an affordable easy solution they quit the business.

We can borrow a dump trailer, but no sides on it (extended sides) so a load won't be much..probably need 3 loads..our time/gas has value too.
Problem now is saw mills are shutting down for the winter...buying bagged shavings at TSC is pricey

 

[ovrszd]

The trucker's time and fuel has value too. He needs to be generating at least $150 per hour on the truck to survive.
If he only gets paid $100 per load he has to turn a round in 45 minutes. That's measured by when he dumped the previous load til he dumps the load of sawdust. Probly ain't gonna happen. He'll spend 20 minutes at the mill. It's just not feasible.....

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm seeing 18 wheelers hauling hay almost every day. Sometimes there is three of them on a row going down the highway. I've been tempted to follow them, but so far, I haven't, but if it gets any worse, I just might!!!!

 

[K5lwq]

My neighbor just picked up a nice bale of horse quality hay. I will find out tomorrow where he got it and let you know. Had to be close to Mineola because he normally won't venture to far from home.

 

[K5lwq]

Eddie sent you a PM.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was talking with horse friends in Washington State when Texas had the drought... full rigs leaving WA for TX... seems a very long way to go but what can you do.

My brother buys bales of Orchard Grass and it adds up.

To minimize labor I have been looking for a dedicated trailer he can use just for hay... missed one that would have done the job for $600...