Who's fixin to start feeding hay

[Hippie Rancher]

Same here.
I going to start hauling to the salebarn. I have owned cows for over fifty year's, might not have any by the end of summer. There is no substantial rain in sight, this is worse than 2011.
The two commercial hay producers in the county have hung it up one is 80 the other 76. That right there is going to put a lot of old cattlemen out as well. I have already had the NCRS out to look at put the place in pine plantation as well as the biologist about putting it in wildlife management.

you trust NRCS?

 

[cowgirl8]

Our pine plantation has taken a huge hit. We lost a thinning to beetles. The snowmagedden we had stressed the trees and the bugs hit hard. Lost a lot of almost saw timber trees. Sickening. I see some turning again, so hoping its just normal needle dropping and not more beetle damage.

 

[Mrcopier]

Our pine plantation has taken a huge hit. We lost a thinning to beetles. The snowmagedden we had stressed the trees and the bugs hit hard. Lost a lot of almost saw timber trees. Sickening. I see some turning again, so hoping its just normal needle dropping and not more beetle damage.

What part of E Texas are you?

 

[cowgirl8]

What part of E Texas are you?

Near Paris

 

[Caustic Burno]

We have had 9.35 inches of rain since January 1, that is 3 inches ahead of 2011 at this point. It took 3 weeks to catch 4 calves to sell last month, they were content, just wouldn't come up out of the shade. Last week they followed like puppy dogs hoping I would take them to something better. I still have grass, but its pretty much just standing hay at this point.

Talked with the biologists today according to their records we are 3" behind for the same time in 2011.

 

[BC]

Our pine plantation has taken a huge hit. We lost a thinning to beetles. The snowmagedden we had stressed the trees and the bugs hit hard. Lost a lot of almost saw timber trees. Sickening. I see some turning again, so hoping its just normal needle dropping and not more beetle damage.

Cowgirl8, as a fellow East Texas timber owner, I know what you are dealing with. I would strongly suggest that you get a forester out to scout your timber. If you have beetles, you can get that area cut and removed. My understanding is you need to cut the bad area and a ring of the undamaged trees to stop their movement.

 

[gherron]

Supplier I buy from went from $55 last year to $130 and only got 25% of what he produced last year. In survival mode right now just hoping I can hold onto the herd

 

[Renn]

Luckily we are surrounded by thousands of acres of alfalfa and Triticale. If I need hay I just call my neighbor and he pulls a few 1200lb bales from the barn across the road and shoves them into our hay shed. It's high desert here, so we've already been supplementing with hay.

 

[cowgirl8]

Cowgirl8, as a fellow East Texas timber owner, I know what you are dealing with. I would strongly suggest that you get a forester out to scout your timber. If you have beetles, you can get that area cut and removed. My understanding is you need to cut the bad area and a ring of the undamaged trees to stop their movement.

We did and they said we just have to let them run their course.

 

[fnfarms1]

NE Oklahoma here. I rotate pastures. Just let them back in on the south 40 July 2nd, holding them out of part of it hopefully until Aug1st. My goal usually is not to feed hay until after thanksgiving. Going to be tight this year but possible if I supplement some Sept-Nov. Just got the last of my hay bales this morning by my hay guy. Normally try for 225-250 bales of 4x6s 1200lbs prairie hay. This year I've got 70 left from last year and 140 5x6 1500lb bales. Hoping it's enough

 

[DCA farm]

I drove across four counties today Tyler, Polk, Trinity and Angelina.
Bet I didn't see a 100 head, just empty pasture after pasture. Places all my life that beautiful herds of cattle, nothing I actually saw more goats.
Lot of pastures growing up you can tell they have been empty for a year.
No money in cows with these inputs.

On my way home from
Midland Tuesday I got off I-20 on the drive through Fairfield -jasper I saw very few cattle there were some but not many then cut across through newton to bon weir to cross back in to Louisiana numbers didn't change much.

 

[fnfarms1]

A lot have sold off due to drought and cost of doing business has gone so dumb. Thing that scares me the most is all these food plants and growing facilities that have caught fire. Then the lack of animals where u normally see them. Seems like a good way to control things

 

[BC]

Every salebarn in East Texas is advertising herd sell outs every week. Cameron said they were going to have 3000 to 3200 today with over 700 cows. They had over 1100 at Winnsboro today, that nearly doubled what they have been running. Athens was tagging on 1500+ at 9 am and I haven't heard what they ended up with. I talked to the owner at Winnsboro yesterday and he said he was going to have to pick up several small herds that afternoon. Owners are in their 80's, kids not interested and they are not going to buy high priced hay.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

happened out here in a couple years ago, they were having the regular sale go for two days for quite a while. can't believe anybody was left in business.

 

[CowboyRam]

Just put the last of my first cutting in the stack yard. With that and the hay I kept from last year I will have enough for this winter. 167 tons of new hay, and 40 tons from last years second cutting. We did really well on our fields this year, got about 2.3 tons per acre. I am going to be able to sell most of our second cutting, and third if we get a third cutting.

 

[Travlr]

Cowgirl8, as a fellow East Texas timber owner, I know what you are dealing with. I would strongly suggest that you get a forester out to scout your timber. If you have beetles, you can get that area cut and removed. My understanding is you need to cut the bad area and a ring of the undamaged trees to stop their movement.

I'm no expert... But was wondering if you might have heard this.

I read an article that said the pheromones from pine beetles attracts more pine beetles... until there are so many beetles that the increased pheromones start to repel beetles. hasn't someone come up with some kind of artificial beetle pheromone yet to repel them?

 

[kenny thomas]

We did and they said we just have to let them run their course.

You need to get another forester. BC told you exactly what needs to be done or you risk loosing it all. And yes I just retired with 38 years experience so I'm not just BSing.

 

[Brute 23]

I was sitting in a little cafe today for lunch and there were two gentleman in their 70s or 80s eating beside me. One said to the other... I'm glad we don't have cattle any more. The other said... ya I'm sure hay is high if you can find it.

 

[DCA farm]

I bought some hay off a ole boy last year I was just needing some as a cushion to make it and it was setting in rows out by highway with a sign said forsale on it well he happened to be there so I stopped didn't have to call I gave him $40 a roll and went about my way. He's still got about 35 rolls of it same exact hay in same exact spot I drive by it every day it ain't moved so i called him didn't tell him who I was just told him I'd be interested in buying the whole mess of it told him to get me a price he told me $60 a roll that it was first cut hay he just ain't had time to get it put up yet…. I just told him that the quality of hay I seen wasn't $60 a roll hay and that I wouldn't be interested in it he asked me if I even knew what hay was gonna cost this year abd that I better jump on a deal like he's offering said he's gonna charge $80-$85 a roll out the barn. I've also heard from
More than one person he's the type person who will cut the string on a old wet roll let it air out and square bale it up to try and move it.

 

[TexasRancher]

you trust NRCS?

I'm not a big fan of NRCS either...bunch of know-nothing kids age 22 to 25, visiting your farm with lousy advice. They do help integrate and assist in a lot of neat projects...but sadly they mostly cater free government grant monies to the bigger corporate farmers.