Vrginians! - How is the Hay Crop?

[MossflowerWoods]

In my driving around (like to annapolis junction via 301 yesterday) I'm seeing large stacks of bales under huge tarps at some of the bigger fields.

There is a guy with "hay for sale" sign out by my Lake Anna rental I am going to check out.

Be well,
David

 

[fosterchild420]

We have been feeding hay since july 1 in central va and nothing is growing right now. When we get a shower of rain it has been so spotty that it doesn't help.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Places here in the valley are going to have some good second cuttings, the hay auction ought to have a good amount.

 

[bucktaker]

Here in South west Ohio hay is hard to come by quality is way down and prices are going up. We got in 1100 bales before memorial day, same fields gave 150 second cut..... that got rained on and was sold for 1 per bale... Looking for rounds as the pasture is dry having a hard time with that .

 

[thatguy]

Im in Bedford (between roanoke and Lynchburg) and a neighbor hays my fields and some empty lots in your neighborhood (we are in the country).. Last year (2011) he got about 15 round bales off of my land only (about 6 or 7 acres, not much more than that) - This year (2012) is only got 15 round bales on all the land (~14ish acres)

This year the hot weather and no rain for 3 wks in march (~90 degrees for several wks) really stunted the growth. Even when we got plenty of rain in April and May..

So far the fall cutting doesnt look much better than the spring cutting..

Brian

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I picked up the first 50 of ~200 bales from my guy near Lake Anna Saturday. They are from his second cutting. They are very dry, but mostly green (a little brown mixed in). I have not busted one open yet, the horses loved the scraps I fed them from what fell out on the trailer. He says there will be some clover and other "stuff" mixed in and that he did not get to cut when he wished so it is very dry.

I am going to check out another guy nearby Lake Anna in the next week or so.

Anybody else got good/bad news on our Hay crop?

Be well,
David

 

[riptides]

Anybody else got good/bad news on our Hay crop?

Be well,
David

Worst year ever. One cutting. We just finished bush hogging the remainder. Between the monsoons in the Spring and the excessive summer heat, it remains to be seen what conditions the fields will be in come next year. We will get the soils tested before we do anything next year.

 

[fosterchild420]

as i previously stated, we have been feeding hay already. We picked up 56 rolls of hay a neighbor had left over from his last fall cutting. (He has since cut his herd and did not need.) Been working on hauling it back home after work the last few nights. It is not a1 grade hay but the cows jumped right in the first roll we put out like it was. We got 1/2 in of rain sunday, so if we get a few more of those it would really help. Also we will be selling about 12 of the larger calves this week to thin our herd down. (We only have 46 total including the bull.)

 

[Grateful11]

We're a little south of VA but here in NC they rolled 120 bales last week of Soybean and Millet Hay. Couple fields got some rain on them after they were mowed and the hay doesn't look as nice but it's fine all the same. That makes, I think my wife said, 380 bales so far this year. She's hoping to get another 120.

 

[DKCDKC]

Hay now reported doing extremely well across much of the central Shenandoah Valley. You can tell when more farmers don't move it out of the fields as fast because they don't have the time or interest. Local paper hay report.