Hay Crop

[MountainFarmChar]

The first cutting of hay in my area seems to be about 25-30% below normal volumes, the quality is good... just not as much. We are very dry for May and no rain in the 7-day forecast!

How are other areas?

 

[cfpinz]

About 75% of an average year, half of an exceptional one! Lots of stalk, little leaf, OG has started dropping seeds. Very mature for this time of year. Very cool spring after the March teaser.

cfpinz

 

[dun]

Weight wise we're running about a third of normal.

 

[MarshallForage]

Well up here in Manitoba it's a story only the hay sellers with leftover hay (read: nobody) are going to like. Most of Manitoba had severe winterkill and most other growers are saying they have lost 50% of their stands. My 800 acres started growing furiously with little winterkill but just a couple days ago I woke up to -6 degrees C. It's all now white on top and not growing anymore. Good God she's gonna be a tough year... Forcasts for -1C tonight and -2C tomorrow.

If you're looking to Canada for forage, we don't have a bale to spare in my whole area right now and this area is gonna need all we can grow to keep our own cows fed. I'm sold out to my last 6 bales from over 6000 in the shed last summer.

Jason
http://www.marshallforage.com

 

[stocky]

Around here, hay is running around 50-75 percent of normal, with fewer stems and more foliage than normal. People are cutting their grass hay earlier than normal because of the threat of army worms. If people waited another 2-3 weeks before cutting it like they normally do, it would probably be a normal hay crop, unless the army worms get it all.

 

[Campground Cattle]

To wet to bale here won't stop raining long enough to cut and bale. Just one cutting early with above average yields and the grass is knee deep now.

 

[certherfbeef]

Just ran across a twenty acre field and only got 30 bale. Down more than half from last year. Grass is thin. Rain is scarce and sunshine is few and far between.

Expensive 30 bale too...cost me over $300 in a new tongue and gear box on the haybine after I come near rolling it off the hillside.

Hopefully the rest of the season will go better.

 

[USMCRanchGirl]

Around here, hay is running around 50-75 percent of normal, with fewer stems and more foliage than normal. People are cutting their grass hay earlier than normal because of the threat of army worms. If people waited another 2-3 weeks before cutting it like they normally do, it would probably be a normal hay crop, unless the army worms get it all.

Stocky, I'm in West Central Missouri and around here they're charging $110 per ton for remaining bales from last season. No one really has hay ready yet so people are paying it. Hard freeze and three inches of snow after some really warm weather at the beginning of April killed a lot off ... and a lot more got drowned with too much rains from the storms a few weeks back. Early cutters that managed to cut anything are getting $100 per bale locally and it's snapped up quick.

I got a guy that gave me a "deal" on last year's for $65 - and it wasn't great quality. Just found someone south of here that will have his ready in about another week and he'll charge me $50 plus delivery (one-ton, net wrapped). I'm thinking I may buy extra and resell it locally!

 

[rmcva]

The first cutting of hay in my area seems to be about 25-30% below normal volumes, the quality is good... just not as much. We are very dry for May and no rain in the 7-day forecast!

How are other areas?

Finished rolling the last of the hay here today. I'm very happy. Last year (drought) I made the worst hay crop ever which was 80 rolls. This year it's 221 rolls. That's still down about 80 rolls from normal. But I'm very thankful.

It's dry here. Been 4 weeks since we had a good rain. The wind blows hard after each rain so it doesn't last long.

Lots of folks cut way back on fertilizer in this area and it shows. That 3 cold nights at Easter put a hurt on the grass.

I changed my fertilizer habits this spring because I use wood ash. It really paid off too. I used straight phosphate and 34% N and no potash because the ash took care of that. Just hope we all get some rain soon. May be feeding hay in the next 4 weeks if it keeps this up.