Re: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
Had to take what I could findI'm always asking people where they get their hay and finally found this guy who trucks in clean hay. I have a connection in Ohio and could get a truckload of really nice hay if anyone wants to go in together to get a full semi load - I haven't checked into prices yet but would do that if there was serious interest - email me off-list if you want me to check into it. Laree
Re: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
hay guys are like farriers. Sigh. They come around driving you crazy to use them, then when you do and find out they are good, they start getting so many customers they dump you because they find its easier and more profitable for them to take on a whole boarding barn where they go and make one trip, etc. I have a farrier like that but he lives very near me and I have enough horses where it is worthwhile for him. But I have gone through so many hay men. We finally got this one, I just pray he continues with us. he started growing another type hay and no one would buy from him unless desperate. See, Tifton 9 hay was developed by the U of Fla as being the perfect forage for horses. Unfortunately they did not take into consideration that no horse will eat it except desperate and some, like my jaspar, would rather starve first. So when you'd hear oh theres a new hay man, and he has tifton 9, people would roll their eyes and go "my cows wont even eat that" so then they came out with Tifton 85. So the Tifton name put everybody off. So we went to see his hay cause it was cheap, he delivers at the same price as most pay to pick up. His rolls were bigger for the same price. We saw his rolls were beautiful, heavy, but i was still put off that it was Tifton. Then he brings out all these magazine articles about Tifton 85 and then LAB REPORTS showing us the actual sample reports breaking down his hay quality, the percentage of protein and sugar analysis, all that. He was the most sophisticated hay man we had run across. So we did something I dont like to do but hey I finally got hip. WE DON'T TELL ANYONE where we get our hay. And each time we see him we try to work into the conversation how we are regular customers. Now he is getting popular but he seems true to us, but we buy eight 2000 pound rolls at a time. Yes, you have to woo and romance your hay guy! if i told you his phone number i would have to kill you... janice-- yipie tie yie yo
RE: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
>>> but I'm not a big buyer (only 2 horses) and limited storage so even if I'm a steady customer, I'm not buying the quantity that you are. A couple of things to try: ask your neighbors about sharing a truckload if you can't use or store a full truckload yourself, assuming you can find a farmer who will cut you a deal if you buy a full load. Also, hay does lose nutritional value if stored too long, but it can easily be fed for over a year without sacrificing too much - especially for easy keepers who have some access to pasture. Many times in the past we weren't exactly sure if we needed, for instance, one truckload or two, so we'd go ahead and get two loads. If there was any left over, we could sell a few bales with folks who ran short during the winter. Other times we'd have a partial load leftover in the spring. We just made sure to feed that hay early the following fall, so it wouldn't be stored for TOO long. And, if you have limited hay storage room, you might ask around to see if any neighbors have an extra stall or loft space they'd loan/lease/or trade for some other favor. Also, picking up your own hay in the field won't be quite the daunting task if you're just buying for two horses. We've had times when we've had over 500 bales of fescue on our field to pick up in a window of just a few hours...and invariably, there seems to be a thunderstorm looming on the horizon on hay pick-up afternoon! (They never bale until after lunch, to be sure the dew is fully dry, so that limits the time to pick it up.) That's a daunting task, trying to race the storm to be sure all the hay is put up dry, so it won't mold! It's hard work at best, but racing a storm always adds some more excitement to the job. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/779 - Release Date: 4/28/2007 3:32 PM
Re: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
Karen Thomas wrote: > You must be buying your hay from the feed store, not from the farmers > directly. Oh, wait - you weren't here last year in hay-cutting season, were > you? That's right! Had to take what I could findI'm always asking people where they get their hay and finally found this guy who trucks in clean hay. I hope to find a farmer this year that I can buy directly from...but I'm not a big buyer (only 2 horses) and limited storage so even if I'm a steady customer, I'm not buying the quantity that you are. Trish
RE: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
>>> They are about 80#, compressed, maybe more as I found them very heavy. The local fescue bales were about 30#, $4.25 each and filled with briars, leaves and twigs. You must be buying your hay from the feed store, not from the farmers directly. Oh, wait - you weren't here last year in hay-cutting season, were you? I don't think I've ever paid over $3 per bale for fescue, with the bales weighing about 40-45 pounds probably. If you have a truck and are not opposed to working, you may be able to go pick it up in the field. Most farmers charge a lot less for hay if they don't have to stack it in the barn, and store it. I've paid as little as $1.50 per bale in the field - maybe $2 the last time I bought any in the field. It's hard, hot work, but you can see the quality you're getting and you can save some money. It is possible to find good, clean fescue, but you need to know the farmer - and the farmer needs to know that you need "horse quality hay". Fescue can be very good hay - but some farmers bale weeds and call it fescue. Those same farmers may not be careful to ensure that the hay doesn't mold. We pay about $3.50 per bale for our beautiful, clean Bermuda, with the bales probably weighing about 50 pounds each I think, maybe a little more. For that, the farmer delivers it and puts it in the barn loft for us. Oh course, we have to buy a full truckload to get that price - his truck holds about 205 bales. (No problem since we have 25 horses - last year, I think we bought four truckloads.) We've been buying from the same guy for about 15 years. In that time, I don't think we've ever thrown away a full bale - there's never any trash in it either, so they eat every morsel. You need to find a good local farmer to buy your hay from - and be good to him! Our guy sells all the hay he can bale, but we've stayed on his list. Farmers tend to give their steady customers first pick, and everyone else gets any that's leftover. Karen Thomas, NC
Re: [IceHorses] Re: First Cutting
robyn_schulze wrote: I paid $10/bale for my timothy (still a bargain compared to CA where it was up to $25/bale)! > Just curious--how big are these bales that cost you $10? Are they the > standard small bales, about 60-70#? > They are about 80#, compressed, maybe more as I found them very heavy. The local fescue bales were about 30#, $4.25 each and filled with briars, leaves and twigs. Trish
