[Jacob-list] Hay

[Linda]

Here in NE Georgia, we are on the border of an exceptional drought situation. I think Cathy's area is in the same drought area. Exceptional meaning that this is a drought that we would expect to see once in a hundred years. We are over 15" behind in rainfall and 20+ behind in the number of rainfall days from last year - when we were in a extreme drought. The number of rainfall days really hurts the pasture. When we moved here, 18 years ago, the average rainfall was over 70 inches.  The most we saw was over 90 inches.  So far, it's 35 inches for this year.  The good news is that if this in a once in a 100 years drought, next year should be better!

For some undeserved and fortuitous reason, the desperate hay situation here has really eased off.  The rain came at the right time and the dry came at the right time.  There will be a third cutting in our county.  The first cutting was really dismal.  The second cutting was really good. We picked up a few square bales out of the field today from our round bale supplier.  He doesn't do square bales unless he has someone wanting to get them from the field.  Today, there were trucks and tractor trailers waiting in line for the square bales.  We snuck in for our two loads in our little Ford Ranger :-) to supplement the round bales. 

We have a bit over 200 square bales stored, two round bales (about 900 lbs each) tucked in the barn, and hopefully a supply of round bales available if we need them. We don't have much space to store  round bales, but every time we have a space to fit one,  we go get one. 

Linda


 
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn


> I also have wondered how widespread  the hay shortage is--where are

> the critical areas and where is hay available?

>

> We are located just east of the western NC mountain region; there

> is no local hay available here and there hasn't been any for a

> couple of months.  Most of North Carolina is in the "extreme

> drought" category. Here we are at least 15" behind in rainfall.

>

> There are some people starting to bring hay in from other

> places...most common sources are Pennsylvania and New York thus

> far.  I made lots of calls last week from numbers I obtained from

> area ad paper and the NC Dept. of Ag. website.  Average price for

> this "imported" hay is currently $8-$12 a bale (50-55# only) but

> that is if you are close enough to the supplier and/or order enough

> that they will deliver. Most people anticipate that price will go

> even higher as we enter the fall and winter months.  I called one

> place that had been recommended to me...they were an hour away and

> would deliver if we ordered a minimum of  250 bales.  It's pretty

> grim.

>

> Cathy

> Perfect Spot Farm

>

> Mary Spahr wrote:

>> How widespread is the hay shortage this year?  We are located in

>> Ohio, and everyone in our area is wondering how their animals

>> will survive the winter.  I am prepared to sell most of our

>> flock, but still want to retain some old Puddleduck Sir James

>> daughters and several other of our ewes with old bloodlines.

>> Does anyone know of a source for decent hay?

>>

>> Mary Spahr

>> Spahr Farm

>>

>

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