gonna try and hang on

[rc]

Well after buying round and square balers this year there just ain't nothing to cut. As little rain as we've had here I have gotten one cutting and unless Texas sends us some of that rain there probably won't be another. I went yesterday down the road and made a deal on buying some rolls to get me through the winter hopefully. I only have 19 head counting the bull and fear prices will be so low if I sell them, I'm better off spending money now than selling out and starting over. All are due to calf around January. Maybe nexat year will be better on everyone. There's sure a lot o' folks in worse shape than me, prayers for ya.

 

[Rustler9]

Same here. Got too much time, money and sweat invested to back out now. Gonna dig in and keep going. I keep saying that next year will be better. Hope I'm right.

 

[dun]

Another thought on drought: Sell out now and when the grass comes back really well, travel to an area that is drought stressed and buy replacments there and truck them home. If the rains come, and the eventually will, you'll kick yourself for having sold out. If the droguth continues a couple more years you'll be money ahead not feeding hay and making excuses for buying more hay to see you through the next year.
It sucks and it's hard, but sometimes biting the bullet is the only thing you cna do reasonably

 

[rc]

Good advice Dun and I've read enough of your posts to respect them. I guess I made the commitment to stick it out this year and worse comes to worse if I do sell em maybe rain'll come next time and I can recoop some from baling hay and selling it.

 

[dun]

Like the song, "you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em"

 

[rc]

In my old life a bandmate of mine sang the original demo on that song. How true!

 

[bigbull338]

Well after buying round and square balers this year there just ain't nothing to cut. As little rain as we've had here I have gotten one cutting and unless Texas sends us some of that rain there probably won't be another. I went yesterday down the road and made a deal on buying some rolls to get me through the winter hopefully. I only have 19 head counting the bull and fear prices will be so low if I sell them, I'm better off spending money now than selling out and starting over. All are due to calf around January. Maybe nexat year will be better on everyone. There's sure a lot o' folks in worse shape than me, prayers for ya.

you have 2 choices sellout or buy hay.an you choose to buy hay.an thats the choice id made.if you sell outits harder to start back.with 19hd you shouldnt need more than 60 rolls.an you can sack them 3 or 4 times a week.

 

[BC]

I would offer to sell you some hay at what I have in it, but the freight would be more than the hay @ $3.00 a loaded mile.

 

[angie1]

Quote from this weeks local paper

"the Minnesota Dept of Ag urges livestock produces struggling to provide forage for their livestock to take advantage of "Hay List" ~ an internet based service matching farmers in Mn, Il, Wi and SD needing or having forage to sell or donate. The Upper Midwest Hay List is operated by the U of Mextension service and is available at http://www.haylist.umn.edu or by telephone at 612-625-3747.

Are also staffing a Farm Information Line to address questions from individuals with questions on how best to handle a variety of situations that the conditions here have forced. That # is 800-232-9077.

Hope this helps someone.

angie

 

[arkcowman]

My last day of rain was July 3rd.... and that wasn't much.
Forcast shows no rain at all. I have a good water well so
I run some sprinklers to select pasture but its just to make
me feel better, not accomplishing much.

Its gotta rain again sometime. Today its 105 and dry.
I'm referring to my cows as "roast beef"

 

[dun]

My last day of rain was July 3rd.... and that wasn't much.
Forcast shows no rain at all. I have a good water well so
I run some sprinklers to select pasture but its just to make
me feel better, not accomplishing much.

Its gotta rain again sometime. Today its 105 and dry.
I'm referring to my cows as "roast beef"

We had a coouple of thenths on the 7th of July, that's it. But at least the high heat has broken, only 99 today. Big relief from 108-110 like it's been the past 2 weeks. But the pastures are done for. One small hay field left to graze then it will be hay feeding time

 

[Crowderfarms]

We got lucky in the hay dept. this year. I had almost thought about selling all the Cows, and just selling Hay this year, but after re-thinking, I'd hate to have to start over again. I know what we have now, and if I replaced everything in the future, I might not have luck on my side. I'm like Rustler 9. In it for the long haul, and digging in.

 

[Wewild]

Like the song, "you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em"

There are ways to stack the deck when raising cattle without getting shot. It takes more than a little while to get it done though.

 

[Susie David]

We lucked out and got some good first cut in the barn for the third trimesters and have a friend that has a couple of new fields that made OK feeder hay and was able to pick up 30 ton from him...will see if I can get more. We were making the cull list when we got our hay and looks like we may even be able to but some cows this December when the market is real low.
Dmc

 

[Caustic Burno]

Well after buying round and square balers this year there just ain't nothing to cut. As little rain as we've had here I have gotten one cutting and unless Texas sends us some of that rain there probably won't be another. I went yesterday down the road and made a deal on buying some rolls to get me through the winter hopefully. I only have 19 head counting the bull and fear prices will be so low if I sell them, I'm better off spending money now than selling out and starting over. All are due to calf around January. Maybe nexat year will be better on everyone. There's sure a lot o' folks in worse shape than me, prayers for ya.

This is one of the reasons I don't sell hay. We eat all we can and store the rest. I have become anal in my senior years about having two years hay in reserve. Droughts are funny in the way they effect areas, last year the whole state was burning up and my little area was getting rain. I gave 50 rolls to a friend that lives 45 miles as the crow flies to the west so he could hang on. This year we have had so much rain we have only produced half our normal hay.

 

[tom4018]

Well after buying round and square balers this year there just ain't nothing to cut. As little rain as we've had here I have gotten one cutting and unless Texas sends us some of that rain there probably won't be another. I went yesterday down the road and made a deal on buying some rolls to get me through the winter hopefully. I only have 19 head counting the bull and fear prices will be so low if I sell them, I'm better off spending money now than selling out and starting over. All are due to calf around January. Maybe nexat year will be better on everyone. There's sure a lot o' folks in worse shape than me, prayers for ya.

This is one of the reasons I don't sell hay. We eat all we can and store the rest. I have become anal in my senior years about having two years hay in reserve. Droughts are funny in the way they effect areas, last year the whole state was burning up and my little area was getting rain. I gave 50 rolls to a friend that lives 45 miles as the crow flies to the west so he could hang on. This year we have had so much rain we have only produced half our normal hay.

CB,
On the 2 years of hay on hand, curious as to your storage method. Barn, tarp or outside?

 

[rc]

Caustic, I think I'll follow your advice and do the same on the 2 year thing. One thing about old hay is that cows seem to love it. It's probably lost a lot of nutrional value but still beats a snowball. We did get a small amount of rain here saturday. Enough to keep pastures alive in places.

 

[Brandonm2]

When hay was $18-25 a roll I could see leaving AT LEAST the fall cutting outside. It lost some quality but you just fed more to make up for it. Now that hay is $30, 35, 40, $50 a roll (in places) and it seems like a lot less people are in the hay business I don't see how you can economically justify NOT putting it in a barn.

 

[Rob Johnson]

Have been feeding hay since early july when the pastures gave up. Got one cutting of hay, but will be a little short this winter.
Going to sell off 4 calfs and my wife sold two horses, so maybe we will make it.
At least I did have some drought stressed corn standing, untill the hail came last week.
Around here they say,"What you going to do?" or "That's Farming". Hope for better weather next year.

Rob Johnson
Foley, Mn.

 

[backhoeboogie]

When hay was $18-25 a roll I could see leaving AT LEAST the fall cutting outside. It lost some quality but you just fed more to make up for it. Now that hay is $30, 35, 40, $50 a roll (in places) and it seems like a lot less people are in the hay business I don't see how you can economically justify NOT putting it in a barn.

The prices you are citing are normal here every year. If I could buy it for "$18 to $25 a roll", I would never make my own hay. If hay doesn't cost atleast $50, I assume it is trash.