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Post by katec on Aug 9, 2010 13:01:34 GMT 1
I am baffled by the reports I read currently about the weather, as it must refer to somewhere I don't live — we have had a dry summer — yet it has rained here every day for six weeks! I'm with Catrin on this one - it's been equally foul in Lancs for the last few months. And we still have a hose pipe ban in place. Our yards first hay cut was down on last year, but hopefully the fields still to be cut and a second take on the other fields might mean we get lucky. Hope so - the Large Orange One will not be pleased if he's lacking in hay for the winter.
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Post by lawyerbunny on Aug 9, 2010 13:24:40 GMT 1
Tend to agree that it's well night impossible to judge at this stage what the winter will be like, but then again it's sensible to start thinking about what we'd all do if we had another bad one. I certainly made a 'to-do' list of stuff to get sorted out in case of bad weather again - salt bin to stop yard turning into ice rink, snow socks for car, better insulation round tap, etc... May as well get on with some of that - if I don't need it, great, if I do I'm all set Re. hay shortage, round here the price has gone up but not as dramatically as it might have done as it's been a very bad year IMHO. Sadly there will always be some who try to make a quick buck, but it really has been a genuinely bad year for a lot of folks I've spoken to.
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chloe
Grand Prix Poster
Kai's Mum
Posts: 2,609
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Post by chloe on Aug 9, 2010 14:08:51 GMT 1
Katec and Catrin, very jealous. Much as I hate the rain it's been very dry in Bristol this year. It's only in the last few weeks that we've seen rain and even then probably only once or twice a week and not heavy enough to keep the ground damp for longer than a day.
My YO's already feeding hay to his cows - 1 big bale a week which means our winter home-grown-hay-supply is dwindling rapidly.
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Post by cbc on Aug 9, 2010 14:43:21 GMT 1
Our hay crop is reduced this year, and I doubt we will get a second cut like we did last year. It was of lower nutritional value, but came in handy nonetheless. This spring was cold for quite a long time even when the snow had gone and grass/crops around here had a slow start in a dryish spring. Straw is in short supply in this area too, we have a dry spring and early summer. I was told by a farming neighbour that East Anglia has only had a few mm of rain over spring and the price of barley straw is almost as good as the price of barley. ( That is hearsay though ). A lot of straw goes to livestock farmers in the west so a tight supply does strengthen prices. I am very sceptical about long range weather forecasts. Cant be doing with them
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Post by rosemaryhannah on Aug 9, 2010 16:34:58 GMT 1
I have one who simply cannot manage hay - he has grass nuts (the kind that are grass, not the kind that you feed to compliment grass) and beet pulp and oil, and some of one of the chaff mixes as well - he does fine on this. So for an oldie who is not good with hay, that might be the answer.
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
Posts: 3,866
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Post by Amanda Seater on Aug 9, 2010 17:48:06 GMT 1
I hada farmer lady staying from Somerset and the first thing she said as she got out the car was OMG isn't it green here! I have managed to bag some late cut ) still to be cut ) hay straight off teh field for £2.50 and have some put by by another farmer for £3 per bale. I have 3 acres of fogage. To be honest since June when the weather broke here the rain has been intermitent with the odd VERY heavy down pour but on the whole just cloud with sunny spells - guess I have got the best of both worlds at the moment! Nice to have a bit of luck on my side at the moment to be honest
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big e
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Post by big e on Aug 9, 2010 20:27:06 GMT 1
Well i am really lucky as i have just secured 30 big bales of lovely hay for £15 per bale i paid £25 per bale last year and have already bought 2 bales in the last 3 weeks at £30 a bale i was wondering how i was going to feed my 9 all winter. Last year i bought 45 bales and left it in the field so they had them adlib but so much got trodden in that this year i will be putting it out every night. Plus i'll get some straw in to for them to munch on inbetween hay meals.
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Post by Teeni on Aug 9, 2010 20:42:19 GMT 1
Well down South it has been really dry One field we normally get 700 bales off, we only managed to get 200 bales off it this year So i think it is going to be a tought winter for getting hay and the prices have already shot right up so i dread to think what the price will be by Xmas time.
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