What's your Hay situation?

[Anonymous Poster]

What\'s your Hay situation?

Here in NY's Hudson Valley area all the rain has just klled hay production. Seems like almost nothing has been cut and July is right around the corner.

It seems the entire Northeast could be experiencing the same, with the long winter followed by constant rain.

My problem is that most of the hay producers here are dairy farmers and if the yield is so low they won't be able to sell if the only have enough for their own needs. I am not looking foward to high prices come winter if things don't change.

It might be wothwhile for me to take a roadtrip with the F350 dually and a gooseneck flatbed trailer come fall?? Could probably bring back a large ammount especially the large square bales if needed. The guys who deliver are already pretty high$, I can only imagine what the prices will be if this weather continues.

Wonder where the nearest area is that has had a decent season so far?

 

[cowboydoc]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

Ours hasn't been too bad. I had about three weeks here that interrupted my first cutting. I got 250 acres done and still have another 150 to finish. Had all but about the last three rows done on a 100 acre field and the pickup chain on the round baler broke last night. I got the chain today and will put it on when I get home and finish that field. Then I have the 50 acres of alfalfa to finish the first cutting. I'm going to try and cut that after I finish round baling tonight.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

Wow, tha'ts a lot of cutting. Around here most of the diary farms might be 100-200 acres so if things aren't good they won't have much surplus.

I know I am gettig way ahead of myself but if things remain bad I was thinking of getting those large square bales. I guess they are about 3' x 4' x 6'. The seem to be easier to transport and store than the round bales. Any idea what those large square bales weigh???

Figure anything under 1000 lbs is manageable and I can get a nice stack on a heavy trailer.

I ahve grown accustomed to going for hay every coulpr of weeks to alocal guy but this year I am thinking of stockpiling.

Thanks

 

[JTD]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

It seems like we've had constant rain/thundershowers almost every day for two months now. We cut & baled only 20 acres once and still haven't been able to take our first cutting on another 60 acres. Everyone's in the same situation here in SC.

 

[gerard]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

<font color="blue">Any idea what those large square bales weigh??? </font> Just talking to a friend who hays yesterday. Said the big square bales are around 650 lbs.

 

[Justaplain]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

Head out the Mohawk Valley, there are lot of hay farmers out there with any amount and quality you need. bcs

 

[RichZ]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

We're having a terrible time here in the upstate New York capital district. It's been raining so much, the hay is growing like crazy, and we've never had a window to cut, rake and bale hay. Most of the dairy farmers around here feed their cows haylage during the winter, and since haylage doesn't require the hay to be dried and baled, that's what all my dairy farmer friends are doing with all of their hay right now. Most of them around here mostly bale hay to sell.

I just had to brush hog down one of our hayfields. The hay was so far past it's prime, I know that our horses and goats would have had to be starving to touch it. It had already started dropping it's seeds, and the stems were so big it would have been tough hay. That was our wettest hayfield, the others aren't growing quite as fast, but if we don't have a window soon, I may have to brush hog more down. So much for this year's first cutting! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[poorboy]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

Six acres down and baled too green with mushrooms. Another 60 of clover and orchard grass past prime but I don't have to worry about it catching on fire because it is under muddy water. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif With another 100 past prime and no weather in sight, would have to wait till water recedes to get to it anyway. Weather has not been to hot though and no breakdowns to contend with /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Patrick

 

[PondKeeper]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

I haven't seen a field cut around my part of Sullivan County. Mine is already past and the ground won't dry much for a few more days.

Going to be some fawns lost in the cutting this year, you can only see the does heads when their standing.

 

[fenneran]

Re: What\'s your Hay situation?

About 5 feet high, wet, droopy and beginning to fall over. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I guess I'll have to brush-hog it (if it ever stops raining) and let it grow again. We've not had three days of sun in a row since the beginning of May.
Frank