Hay-Hate telling people no

[Suzie Q]

We justify as much as you can keep. First year we lost our bore, nearly ended up losing our whole crop. Dovers came out twice and couldn't get the submersible pump up, so we had to get a crane out. It takes time to fix. We were lucky and had just enough rain to keep our crop alive, but not much else.

Second year we lost our hay shed. We don't get 'tornadoes' here, but it was a huge whirling wind that you could see the path up from the creek and knocking trees over. It went in the front, punched up through the ceiling and back then we only had small square bales, not round bales. So that was the end of all that hay, as the rain came in on them.

You never know when a drought is going to hit. A saying here is that you are only ever 10 days away from a drought. The last one was a 10 year drought.

We lost our bore again from it being hit by lightning. This time it took even longer to fix. ARGH! This time we had round bales kept but lost that hay season. We were down to 4 round bales when we were next able to make hay. Grass only, but hey we will take whatever we can get.

Then the floods turned out worse for us than a drought. As we had no grazing left for the cattle under water. Drowned our crops. Phew we had kept round bales. So missed the hay season 2 year in a row.

We have planted again now, but it won't really grow until the days warm up. Finger's crossed it gets to grow so as we can make some hay this year.

So keep as much as you can carry. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. JMHO.

 

[stocky]

FFAMom, Sounds like you did some very good planning. You cannot feel guilty about your business decisions. Every person had the same opportunity to do what you did. I buy alot of hay in March, in years when hay is plentiful, so I have alot of hay sitting there through the summer that didn't cost much. I do not sell hay. Everyone knows I do not sell any, so no one comes to ask, anymore. Once in awhile someone with just a few animals will be down on their luck and will come and desperately need to buy a bale and in that case, I give them one and tell them I don't sell hay, but this bale will help you until you find someone who does sell it. They always find someone else for the next bale. I have about 4 neighbors who sometimes run out of hay when hay is short. They help me with things, so when they need help, I never sell them hay, I just tell them to get what they need and next June when hay is cheaper, just replace the bales they got. I am not going to gouge them for money at a time when they can least afford it and I end up getting new hay instead of the year old hay that would be sitting there. Also, it makes for real good neighbors when you need help. If I started selling some bales here and there, everyone would be coming wanting to buy hay and it would cause real hard feelings.

 

[1982vett]

Sounds like a good way to handle it Stocky.

 

[spinandslide]

I am all for being compassionite.

back in 2003 or 2004..we sold some extra hay to the brother of a friend of ours who was out in the pan handle and in DESPERATE need of hay...but we had a big cushion that year.

Ive talked to many a hay producer who has very little to no extra hay to sell this year..the yield is simply BAD. I know we wont.

And I worry about hay being stolen..I keep mine back off the road behind my gates..

 

[upfrombottom]

I have a few bales of hay stolen every year. I wish I could catch the SOB. Always gets it from the same place, right after its baled. I saw a bale buggy at a sale not to long ago, and wondered if he was getting out of business. If he did, the guy that bought it took up where he left off.

 

[Suzie Q]

We have a magazine that comes here with a lot of advertisements in it. One is for a camera that will film in the night and is started by movement. It might be worth the investment upfrombottom.

 

[jedstivers]

I have a few bales of hay stolen every year. I wish I could catch the SOB. Always gets it from the same place, right after its baled. I saw a bale buggy at a sale not to long ago, and wondered if he was getting out of business. If he did, the guy that bought it took up where he left off.

Now you have two in the business.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have a few bales of hay stolen every year. I wish I could catch the SOB. Always gets it from the same place, right after its baled. I saw a bale buggy at a sale not to long ago, and wondered if he was getting out of business. If he did, the guy that bought it took up where he left off.

Now you have two in the business.

Jed Does 10-10 like Chucks hay better than what we baled for ya or can you tell any difference ;-)

 

[GMN]

Sorry, have to vent. We are not unfriendly neighbors, but we have to take care of ourselves 1st. We too could have used the money from round bale sales last year. Now that they don't have have any hay, they want us to give ours away.

We usually sell hay, but haven't the last 2 years. An old rancher once told me to keep at least 2 or 3 years worth of hay. We have the barn space, so we did. It pains us when neighbors call and want to buy hay and we have to say no. While they were bringing in money from hay sells last year, we watched and wondered if we were making the right choice to hang onto our bales. To make matters worse they want to buy it at $40 per bale. Our cost alone is $45 per bale for coastal hay. Our hay's protein level is 12 to 14%. Cost of diesel, fertilizer, land , and wear and tear on equipment adds up.

So, we are sitting around feeling awfully after telling another person no. Droughts stink and are very trying on the soul.

That is a very tough situation to be in. I have been in it, with family members, we try to get X# of bales each year, and usually a family member runs out and then just expects us to sell them some. last year we had to say no, as family never pays the going rate, puts everyone in a awkward position, and last year we didn't have any to spare, so they had to buy elsewhere, pay more than they wanted, but thats life.
Would you have sold them some at a higher price, or is it that you just don't have any to spare at all?You have to do what you have to, especially in a drought, save the hay is definetely the think to do.
One year hay around here, seems everyone ran out, but it was a bad year, and people who had extra were getting $100 a bale for it-now that I don't agree with, thats gouging-

 

[Suzie Q]

LOL I didn't have that problem. Step father wouldn't buy it off us when we started and were learning, so now I have no obligation to help him when his supplier is no longer delivering. We stick with the people who stuck by us when we were learning.

 

[msscamp]

Sorry, have to vent. We are not unfriendly neighbors, but we have to take care of ourselves 1st. We too could have used the money from round bale sales last year. Now that they don't have have any hay, they want us to give ours away.

We usually sell hay, but haven't the last 2 years. An old rancher once told me to keep at least 2 or 3 years worth of hay. We have the barn space, so we did. It pains us when neighbors call and want to buy hay and we have to say no. While they were bringing in money from hay sells last year, we watched and wondered if we were making the right choice to hang onto our bales. To make matters worse they want to buy it at $40 per bale. Our cost alone is $45 per bale for coastal hay. Our hay's protein level is 12 to 14%. Cost of diesel, fertilizer, land , and wear and tear on equipment adds up.

So, we are sitting around feeling awfully after telling another person no. Droughts stink and are very trying on the soul.

I fail to see why you are feeling awful - or even bad, for that matter - after telling people no. As a hay producer you have the right to make a profit on your hay, so why are you feeling bad? Get over it, and move on. Because you had the foresight to plan ahead for bad years does not mean that you owe anything to those that didn't.

 

[Suzie Q]

I have now had to give a half no to the people who help us with our hay. One ringing up about hay for a friend. The other coming for hay again in less than a week.

I don't want to say no, but we don't know when we will next cut again because of planting and I need to make sure that we eek out what we have until the day arrives on our farm. I can't keep 3 farms going.

 

[tsmaxx47]

I fail to see your problem, or any reason to feel bad whatsoever.

ditto!

 

[ffamom]

Wow- Today we had someone stop by and offer to pay $100 per bale. It was very tempting. We might need to cull our cattle and sell some hay while it is high.

 

[spinandslide]

Id be concerned selling my hay..in the fact of finding more to replace it!

Mine is staying put.

 

[TexasBred]

Wow- Today we had someone stop by and offer to pay $100 per bale. It was very tempting. We might need to cull our cattle and sell some hay while it is high.

This is one of those times when it might be best to sell both, make some money and relax for awhile.