Anyone else having serious hay buying problems?

Laura+Phantom

Active Member
Jan 25, 2004
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There is none, I repeat NONE left anywhere to buy, I don't what we're going to do, i'm not going to be able to stable Saphy at all as she'll have nothing to eat..i'm leaving her out at the moment but it's been lovely weather this weekend at long last.

Anywhere else having this problem? I assume it's from everyone using more in the bad weather we've had :(
 
not yet but I can see it becoming a problem come winter. the farmers round us still seem to be making hay although i cant imagine it being too good as we've only had 2 fully dry days since all the floods started
 
I don't know why we've run out already...no one around here has cuts theirs yet either, we certainly haven't.
 
Not yet, but I have ordered 25 bales from a farmer which I think has cut his hay already, just waiting for it to dry out, and have the option of some hayledge instead.
 
its going to be bad this year. My friends haven't cut theirs yet and its begiining to turn brown at the bottom. Not good.

About 6 years ago we had a real pronlem round here and I can remember one bloke was asking £7.50 a bale which is more than haylage.

If you can find it and store it buy it now.

also potatoes and peas are going to be affected by weather !
 
Its not that much of a problem yet, my dad thinks were going to get nearly 1000 bales this year we only got 800 last. We usually cut 2nd or 3rd week of july, so are not worried yet even tho the forecast isnt great. We however will have pretty much all of our hay sold right away which is good for us :) Were just planning on cutting when the weather changes so not panicking yet as the horses have plenty of grass, its times like these when you wish YOs wouldnt overgraze their fields and use better pasture management!
 
It's bad here now. There's a few people cut, but I think a lot of it's likely to be rubbish. The rest of July is supposed to be wet, so it all depends if it will dry up before the grass starts rotting. No idea yet if food this winter will be bad or very bad.
 
The farmer who owns my yard knows someone, who knows someone who has actually imported hay from france!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All through last night and today he has been cutting his fields...and its not looking nice, but better than nothing i suppose. Im buggered, alex cant have haylage!
 
We've still got hay on our yard, and the YO is just waiting for some decent weather to cut this year's.

We're lucky, they rotate the grazing as much as poss to rest the pasture, but this weather really hasn't helped.

But for some reason, there is just no grass in the field. Havin to bring Etta in cos she's starvin
 
Hay is going to be an issue, our chap that does the straw has saved about 300 bales for his regulars EACH for the entire winter, unless they managed to make more (doubtful). He also said that his hay has gone over and so is useless as they can't cut it, YO has a hayfield that is okay at the moment (touch wood) so we should be okay for a bit but to be honest it looks like it's going to be an expensive winter.
 
I have recenlty switched to haylage but I know the hay is starting to run short, the yard normally have 2000 bales in by now but none as yet.
This threatens to send the cost of hay sky high, just hoping it doesn't have a knock on effect on haylage etc
 
starting to struggle bit by us i think i have just bought 50 bales in and that was last from my supplier he says unless weather changes and in winter i have haylage from local farmer and he says should be ok! i know local feed shops charging 4.75 bale hay at mo i just paid 2.00
 
Laura, they have just be bailing up loads of hay in a field near us in Mt Hawke, dont think that helps you though?
 
it's very bad here where I am in australia, it's very very expencive and we are quickly running out because of the drout. it's so bad that people are steeling bails of hay from peoples property.
 
Can't feed haylage to my lot or they will explode with fattiness :eek:

Thanks Kate, i'm hoping ours will get cut soon, i'd really like some of last years if there you hear of any, as my ponies need as little goodness as possible!
 
Laura, I have seen several lots advertised over the last two weeks in the West Briton and Cornwall farmers, Threemilestone. Prices range from £1.50 to £6.50
I have notice farmers all over cutting, turning and baling over the last three days.
 
huh, I must have missed that in the West Briton! Thanks, will have a look! (never go to Cornwall Farmers so haven't seen the notices, will pop in if I have no joy).

No one has cut any in my village and I haven't been anywhere for a while so haven't seen anymore cut that is for sale...my usual suppliers are all out and my farrier is from porthleven and said they are having problems getting hold of any too. Polstrong is completely out too. Hopefully ours will be cut in the next few weeks, hasn't grown as much as it did last year though.
 
we have had a real problem here in north london/herts with lack of haylage. the stuff i usually buy is nowhere to be found so i am buying horsehage at £6.50 a bale. my supplier says this should always be available and the word here is that hay will be in short supply. it has scared me! looks like i will be paying out a fair bit of extra money for the next few months.
 
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