Hay in Maine/New England

[JCS]

Since it literally rained the entire month of June, as far as I know most farmer couldn't cut hay. I just bought a hundred bales of late cut, semi-rained-on, but kinda decent hay for $3.50 a bale. Ugh. I can get more but I'm tempted to wait for second crop. But I'm afraid second crop will also be ruined because of the late first cut.

How are you all doing in terms of finding hay? Is there any out there to be found?

[Cashela]

Man where did you get hay for $3.50 a bale? I'm paying $270 a ton. The price when figured out per bale drives me insane. How big are the bales?

[JCS]

Maybe 50 pounds? They're good-sized bales.

[Cashela]

Ok I am totally jealous!!! :)

[Kolsch]

I don't know what I'm going to do.

I just picked up 30 bales of last year's hay to try out, I'm thinking of having it tested and maybe buying enough to last me through the coming year. Organic hay- 35# bales, $3 a bale, late cut native grass.

I'm just *not* a fan of second cut that's available locally- not enough chew time per calories involved. The only time I've ever fed more than just a wee bit of second cut it became a battle to keep the horse busy without becoming obese. I know that the only way to be certain is to test, but most often second cut comes during the early frost season here.

I'm looking for advise too- wish I could get a tractor trailer load brought in.

JCS, you might get a kick out of this- a hay report from 1888, Maine.
http://tiny.cc/8w8As
Early cut timothy- July 9th
Late cut timothy- July 24th

!!!

Maybe I should be less afraid of or could manage second cut better?

[JCS]

My plan would be to alternate feeding 1st and 2nd cut during the winter. Say a bale of 2nd cut during the day and a bale of 1st cut at night. I have the opposite problem with my horses--they are pretty hard keepers--so I'm worried that this late-cut first crop will be too poor for them on its own.

[manyspots]

I am still buying a months worth at a time from The Farmer's Shed in Berwick. I have been going back and forth on what to do with my 400 I need. I have a friend who just bought 1st cut and said it was good, but not nearly as nice as last year. I just fear buying that much at once from either an unknown dealer OR from a local field.

Canadian? Is that a better bet?

Hay here is $6.50 a bale delivered, usually $5-5.75 in the field.

[pintopiaffe]

I'm basically SCREWED right now. :cry: Pasture is almost done (two months early) as I had to sacrifice IT because the sacrifice paddocks were so awful. And of course, being so wet, they killed as much pasture as they ate...

I got the last round bale of last year two weeks ago. It will be gone this weekend. There does not appear to be any first cut yet ANYWHERE on the horizon. I will be using beet pulp, hay stretcher and alfalfa cubes it appears.

If anyone hears of any in the greater Bangor/Ellsworth/Belfast area... let me know?

[qhwpmare]

I live in Massachusetts and just paid $355.oo plus tax for a ton of Canadian timothy hay. I paid that price because there is barely any local hay available.

[Cashela]

Pinto have you tried Craigslist? I peruse the Maine site from time to time and saw hay listed.

Right now I am buying hay a month at a time basically. I'd love to find 50 pound bales for $5 a bale.

[ponymom64]

I live in Massachusetts and just paid $355.oo plus tax for a ton of Canadian timothy hay. I paid that price because there is barely any local hay available.

How many bales is that??

[Eventaholic]

When I first started thinking about hay a decent bale cost $1.50. The last time I bought any (two years ago) it was $3.50 a bale, stored and delivered during the winter (AND, they unloaded and stacked for us! not to mention the yummy looking delivery guys....).

I don't want to think about how much hay is going to cost me this year, if I can find it. People are only NOW just bringing in first cut- last year first cut came in the week after memorial day here in WMA.

If we thought hay was expensive last year, I can only wait to see it this year!

[pintopiaffe]

I can *get* square bales... small, irregular weights, probably none over 40#... unknown contents, though clean...

For $4.75 a bale, and that is 47 miles away. (one way) :dead:

[RiverBendPol]

I have gorgeous hay off my own fields. I only feed 2nd cut to my boys and still have plenty from last year to get me through to this Fall. I have some of last year's 1st cut left-about 50 bales. I just finished picking up 6 fields, only 2 to go!:winkgrin: Some of this year's will be mulch as it was still pretty wet on a couple of places but otherwise it looks good. Thank goodness I cut a deal with my hay girl BEFORE the June rains began! She is cutting, baling and taking it all for nothing. I'm thrilled. I hate first cut and don't want it in my barn! She got the stuff cut just in time to give me a super 2nd cut. It better not pour in August...........

[pintopiaffe]

RBP, I've always liked you...

But I think I hate you now... :uhoh:

Kidding.

(mostly)

[Mary in Area 1]

Just as a PSA--I have hay if you can get to Norwich, Vermont!

I'll post in the hay exchange below.

[qhwpmare]

Ponymom....there were 40 bales in this ton....which breaks the bales down to 50lbs each.I weigh the hay when i feed it.It was expensive...but the hay is top quality.I helped a friend get some local hay off the field yesterday.It is super fine gress...all the heads have gone to seed.Bales weigh very little and she paid $4.50 in RI.You get what you pay for!!

[Hilary]

Haying sucks in NH right now. I got 86 bales (because I didn't cut much) and its on the coarse side. Then, seeing the predictions of rain for the previous 48 hours did not cut any more. Has it rained? No.

I guess I'll get it in at some point, but it is terrible. The only thing better than last year is diesel prices are half of what they were last year.

[manyspots]

It's like we can't win. When I do stock my loft, I am already prepared to supplement my hay due to lack of quality. I am scared to death to wait for second cut and only buy half now :no:.

[caballus]

Been feeding last year's Tim/Alf for $6.50 bale. New cut of Tim/Grass is $8.95! 50# bales. Did get some from Perry's (D&J's) in Northbridge, new 1st cut, $5 bale. Not bad but just straight Tim/Grass; no Alfalfa mixed in. :( Bought 600 bales last winter off one field. Looked OK but nutritional value was zilch as it had been cut too late and then rained on. Had already paid for it, though (took out a loan) so I was stuck with it. Won't make THAT same mistake again!

Methinks its gonna be a tough year for hay.