Drought Observations

[Rmc]

Talked to a guy that is quite well off close to my place last summer (he owns the local farm store, has a few thousand acres at least, etc.) One of the things he did was to destock very early and then start looking for more cattle during the depth of the drought. The interestIng thing was, he had 2 years of hay on hand. How much hay he had didn't seem to affect his decision on whether or not to destock. Don't know if he's bought new cattle yet, but I feel I learned something from that conversation. I even wonder if he sold half of his hay at a good profit later. Will ask the next time I bump into him

One of the largest and most successful long time ranchers in the area does the same thing.
Years ago he started out with a small herd and not much ground. But is now one of the largest land owners and ranchers in the area. His philosophy is if everyone else is buying you want to sell.
The time to buy is when everyone else is selling.that is his philosophy with both land and animals.
He will tell you everything he owns is for sale all the time. The only thing is you have to want it more than he does. Doesn't matter what the market says it is worth if you want to buy it you have to have a higher value on it then he does.

 

[Otha]

Not here, and fuel is too expensive to truck it out of the area.

So hay prices will be low until the Feds come up with another misguided shipping subsidy.

Misguided is an understatement to me. That current FSA shipping program looks like a complete loophole. It's not even hard to squeeze a pile of money out of them.

 

[b.duke]

looks like we're in a D4 here. all farms around are bare ground. my place is really destocked so i'm doing pretty good with a lot of forage still. rain MAYBE coming mon/tues. praying we get it.

hay still available .. good stuff around 65/bale.

 

[cowgirl8]

looks like we're in a D4 here. all farms around are bare ground. my place is really destocked so i'm doing pretty good with a lot of forage still. rain MAYBE coming mon/tues. praying we get it.

hay still available .. good stuff around 65/bale.

We're getting 65 for ours and its good hay, we had some areas get some good rain after baling and it had time to grow back almost weedless. So some people are getting some good hay. Listed it a few days ago and its almost all gone. Had over 500 bales. Had a lot of people wanting just one or a few and wanted us to haul it to them....lol.... I dont know how many times i had to type... $65 in field, buyer responsible for loading and hauling. Heard a lot of sad stories. Husband offered to load a few here from the house to locals.
In 2011, we said if we had another drought and weren't prepared, we'd sell out. But, we were fortunate to get thousands of acres of land to bale. So, we've been able to grow our herd and if 2014 comes along, we'll have hundreds of cows to cull at those 2014 prices and still have our herd to sell 2014 priced calves..........if that happens. But for 3, but mostly 2 people to handle all this has been exhausting...

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

$65 in field, buyer responsible for loading and hauling.

So the buyer has to haul equipment out your field and load themselves then make a return to get their loader....?

 

[Lee VanRoss]

We're getting 65 for ours and its good hay, we had some areas get some good rain after baling and it had time to grow back almost weedless. So some people are getting some good hay. Listed it a few days ago and its almost all gone. Had over 500 bales. Had a lot of people wanting just one or a few and wanted us to haul it to them....lol.... I dont know how many times i had to type... $65 in field, buyer responsible for loading and hauling. Heard a lot of sad stories. Husband offered to load a few here from the house to locals.
In 2011, we said if we had another drought and weren't prepared, we'd sell out. But, we were fortunate to get thousands of acres of land to bale. So, we've been able to grow our herd and if 2014 comes along, we'll have hundreds of cows to cull at those 2014 prices and still have our herd to sell 2014 priced calves.......(..if that happens. But for 3, but mostly 2 people to handle all this has been exhausting...)

So you are saying, It makes you tired to watch other people work?

 

[cowgirl8]

So you are saying, It makes you tired to watch other people work?

I'm saying that 3 of us, including me, baled for the first month. We then got a rake that omitted my job as a raker, then baling only took two. We also had thousands of acres to shred, so, off came rake and on went 20 ft shredder. I spent sun up to sun down in that tractor cutting what the guys usually do, but, were out baling hay.. SO, i watched no one.... The hay took 2, but i had to take up the slack on the rest....
And yes... 65 out of field. Most ranchers are equip to do this. Its the hobby guys who dont and expect others to do it for them. They just need to go to their local farm store and buy their hay. Just loaded a guy who was ok with lesser hay if we'd load it. We have hay at the house. Then, he expected my husband to tie it down... WTH.... Its friggen 65 bucks, cheaper than anything else around and better. Luckily, most people we've sold to wanted hundreds, its the little operations that are a headache..

 

[b.duke]

i'll take my equipment to get it out of the field but I will get it for usually 20/bale cheaper.

i bale all my hay but its all me, myself, and I. the 3 of us work pretty good together but sometimes its a fist fight.

 

[cowgirl8]

i'll take my equipment to get it out of the field but I will get it for usually 20/bale cheaper.

i bale all my hay but its all me, myself, and I. the 3 of us work pretty good together but sometimes its a fist fight.

My husband worked alone for so many years. Put up on average of 1500 bales. Our son works with him now. I go in and help if they have a lot ahead of them....I'd go mow, husband and son would follow me to bale. I'd stay a few places ahead of them so no one is waiting for the hay to dry. This year though, we baled up around 10,000 bales, and for 3 people, thats a lot of running time specially when we werent making that many per acre.

 

[b.duke]

My husband worked alone for so many years. Put up on average of 1500 bales. Our son works with him now. I go in and help if they have a lot ahead of them....I'd go mow, husband and son would follow me to bale. I'd stay a few places ahead of them so no one is waiting for the hay to dry. This year though, we baled up around 10,000 bales, and for 3 people, thats a lot of running time specially when we werent making that many per acre.

wow. that is a lot of bales. i wish i had some help.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Never heard of anybody having to bring their own equipment to load hay. Different region i suppose.

I sell a lot of hay to a broker and he comes and will load himself with my equipment if I'm not around. But if I told him to bring his own loader he would surely dock me 10-20 bucks a bale.

 

[TCRanch]

Well, my area just got downgraded from Extreme Drought to Exceptional Drought. And hello, 40 mph gusts and dangerous fire hazards. But we did buy some small, 65 lb bales of brome from a neighbor for $10 a bale. We'll take what we can get because unless we get a shyt ton of rain, next year's hay crop is GONE. And we'll be hauling water if the wells run dry. It's that bad.

 

[Rmc]

Even those buying semiloads of hay in the field expect to be loaded . No way anyone would bring their own equipment to load hay.

 

[rocfarm]

Well, my area just got downgraded from Extreme Drought to Exceptional Drought. And hello, 40 mph gusts and dangerous fire hazards. But we did buy some small, 65 lb bales of brome from a neighbor for $10 a bale. We'll take what we can get because unless we get a shyt ton of rain, next year's hay crop is GONE. And we'll be hauling water if the wells run dry. It's that bad.

We all need rain. Hope spring is better. Hang in there.

 

[cowgirl8]

Even those buying semiloads of hay in the field expect to be loaded . No way anyone would bring their own equipment to load hay.

Havent had any trouble. Its been mostly locals buying. Between the people who have their own way to load and are happy to have found hay that is not over 100 bucks, we get a few who want one or two that wants us to haul. Dont really want to sell all or a lot, but if it helps out people around us thats good. Not close to our place, so someone has to take a tractor there. Getting it cheap enough its worth someone hauling their tractor. Bales are heavy and 99% grass, asking 65. SO if a person who is close and needs it, its a great deal. It basically sold in a day. Had one guy who wanted hay, said he'd take stuff we dont want for that price if we'd load it. He got some first cutting hay which is not as good as the second cutting and he was ok with that. Then, they wanted us to strap it down.... We're all out for helping people out, but dang... We work hard, some dont seem to understand that.

 

[callmefence]

Even those buying semiloads of hay in the field expect to be loaded . No way anyone would bring their own equipment to load hay.

It's done all the time. Very common practice

 

[cowgirl8]

It's done all the time. Very common practice

But, we arent in the hay business. We baled this to help out locals. Just asking 65, most of it made only one bale to the acre. Its basically all sold and did in one day. If someone comes to us needing just a few bales loaded, we offer the first baled bales which are more like 70% grass. We're offering it at the same price even though they arent as good of quality but we did haul it and will load. We brought it to the house because we were going to feed it, but then got a rain on other areas and got better hay. We'll part with some of the first baled, but, at the house the better stuff stays..... Loaded 30 to a guy yesterday, the one who expected us to tie down...lol.. He saw the other stacks of hay we've brought in for our cows and wanted it. Either you bring something you can load with in the fields, or you get the lesser stuff.

 

[RNW]

looks like we're in a D4 here. all farms around are bare ground. my place is really destocked so i'm doing pretty good with a lot of forage still. rain MAYBE coming mon/tues. praying we get it.

hay still available .. good stuff around 65/bale.

having another drought here in Tula, MS...but it is harvest season, which is good for harvestors...i had 3 nites in a row.. frost, along with drought, so my grazing is done..put out hay yesterday (which was one third less harvest than last year.. (187 big bales last year-137 this year)...sometimes i think i am getting too old for this...(62) with no real interest from younger generation but it has been a good run and i have enjoyed until recently...good to have a forum to listen to other farmers/cattlemen

 

[rocfarm]

Havent had any trouble. Its been mostly locals buying. Between the people who have their own way to load and are happy to have found hay that is not over 100 bucks, we get a few who want one or two that wants us to haul. Dont really want to sell all or a lot, but if it helps out people around us thats good. Not close to our place, so someone has to take a tractor there. Getting it cheap enough its worth someone hauling their tractor. Bales are heavy and 99% grass, asking 65. SO if a person who is close and needs it, its a great deal. It basically sold in a day. Had one guy who wanted hay, said he'd take stuff we dont want for that price if we'd load it. He got some first cutting hay which is not as good as the second cutting and he was ok with that. Then, they wanted us to strap it down.... We're all out for helping people out, but dang... We work hard, some dont seem to understand that.

Seems like many central Texas folks would have loved to load their own bales at that price last summer when I was there, especially if you live close. Not a big deal to move a tractor back and forth within 20 miles or so.

Often see ads where I'm at that say you have to haul your own. Not sure about loading it, but in a drought year not out of the question I'd imagine.

 

[farmerjan]

Big rolls of hay here are priced with the loading included. I do not know of hardly anyone that sells hay and expects the buyer to bring a tractor and load their own. Sometimes if we buy some "leftover" last years hay at a field that the owner wants to get moved, we will have to deal with loading, but again, most of the farmers will bring their tractor and spear to load any hay sold. Same with big squares, they are nearly all loaded out of the barn because they cannot be stored outside without a good tarp/roof to cover; with all the rain we get compared to western states that get very little moisture... so a tractor with forks is available to load out.
Most small sq bales are either right out of the field, or if out of the barn, the buyer always hauls their own. We do have a couple of customers that we haul to and they pay more for the hay delivered and put in their barn. Had them for 20 years or more. They help unload and always have money right there... on the odd time they are not there, they will call and say how much and send a check right away. The nice thing about regular customers that you can trust.