To Keep or Not To Keep

[jka300]

I took a drive around our area the other day and notice that a lot of farmers actually got a pretty good stock pile of feed this year considering the way the year went. But there were also some farmers that have next to nothing for feed including pasture. One of these farmers is our neighbour. He only has 400 bales of feed and no pasture for his 120 cows. Most farmers that face this sad reality, will either sell all the cattle or at least sell enough to make it the winter or buy feed. Well he has a different idea, keep all the cows, let them graze on no pasture for about 2 months, then feed them straw. You probably asking your self right now what happened to his hay? Well when you can sell it for $90 a bale, why not right? So right now his has nothing worth value to feed his cows.

I just can't see what's the use of keep the cows if all your going to do is run them straight into the ground. I know its hard to sell them but if that's the only way, then you have to. That's what we had to do, sold about 1/4 of our herd in order for us to make it.

 

[grannysoo]

If he sold hay for $90.00 a bale, then he's making more off of it than he would the cows. Time for him to downsize, cull, or get out.

Nothing much worse than someone that starves an animal.

 

[bigbull338]

his only choice is to feed the cows an cull his herd down.never say youll wont give $90 a bale for hay because youll eat your words.we got caught 1 year an had to give $35 a bale delivered.an thats the most weve ever paid for hay in a drought.the only reason we got the hay that cheap is because the guy was a friend.otherwise the hay wouldve cost $60 a bale.

 

[jka300]

If he sold hay for $90.00 a bale, then he's making more off of it than he would the cows. Time for him to downsize, cull, or get out.

Nothing much worse than someone that starves an animal.

Agreed. Hed get laughed at if he asked that much for hay around here.

Since last spring hay here in Alberta has been around $70 - $120 a bale. Even straw some places is going around $20 - $40 a bale. It just nuts.

 

[dun]

If he sold hay for $90.00 a bale, then he's making more off of it than he would the cows. Time for him to downsize, cull, or get out.

Nothing much worse than someone that starves an animal.

Agreed. Hed get laughed at if he asked that much for hay around here.

Since last spring hay here in Alberta has been around $70 - $120 a bale. Even straw some places is going around $20 - $40 a bale. It just nuts.

What's nuts is selling hay you're going to need no matter how high you can get paid for it.
Penny wise and pound foolish!

 

[jka300]

What's nuts is selling hay you're going to need no matter how high you can get paid for it.
Penny wise and pound foolish!

Agree. :nod:

Well I got an update about his cows. They all broke out of the pasture and got into crown land (gov't owned). I figure that they were in there for about a week. So now they are all locked up and he is feeding them. He told me today that he wished he never sold his hay because now he can't find any hay or straw to buy back. But he is still going to keep the cows and I don't know how he's going to do it besides starving them.

 

[Cowdirt]

What's nuts is selling hay you're going to need no matter how high you can get paid for it.
Penny wise and pound foolish!

Agree. :nod:

Well I got an update about his cows. They all broke out of the pasture and got into crown land (gov't owned). I figure that they were in there for about a week. So now they are all locked up and he is feeding them. He told me today that he wished he never sold his hay because now he can't find any hay or straw to buy back. But he is still going to keep the cows and I don't know how he's going to do it besides starving them.

My guess is that they are going to "accidental" spend alot of time on crown land this winter. ;-)

 

[jka300]

My guess is that they are going to "accidental" spend alot of time on crown land this winter. ;-)

I hope that's not the case, hunting season just opened yesterday.

 

[Cowdirt]

My guess is that they are going to "accidental" spend alot of time on crown land this winter. ;-)

I hope that's not the case, hunting season just opened yesterday.

Uh Oh, but that would be one way to get his herd size in line with his feed wouldn't it!

 

[kickinbull]

we have a neighbor that does the same thing. Only he doesn't even give them straw. He bales hay off his place and a few more in the community, then sells every bit. We drove by his place last spring, those cows were sorry.

 

[dun]

The farm we just bought is knwn as "the place where all the cows starved last winter". Every where I go I find bones. Sad part is that there are a lot of calf skulls included in the mix.