Anybody Else Feeding hay in June?

[husker1]

Sounds like Ohio is tough.  Central Nebraska is not good, but we are holding on.  Dryland crops are in dire need of moisture.  The more marginal pastures are in trouble.  Hay prices are soaring.

 

[ATOZ]

In central Illinois and put first bale out today. Corn will be toast by weekend with the heat coming in.

 

[CAB]

Lookin pretty tough around here.  Not feeding hay yet, pastures grew back enough after cutting to last another couple weeks.  Crops on the hills are in bad shape, bottom ground is hanging on a little longer but it has taken a beating the last few days with wind and no humidity.  April planted corn started tasseling two weeks ago, probably start chopping in a week or so if we don't get a rain.  Guys around Vincennes started disking corn under last week on the sand. Forecast doesn't look good, upper 90s and lower 100s over the weekend with no relief is sight.

Had a guy from Indiana call last week cking into the Iowa hay supply and market. Not any extra hay in our area really and if there is PPL aren't pricing it yet as they are all pretty sure that it will get higher priced as time goes by.

 

[kanshow]

Lots of people around here are talking about early weaning calves because grass is so short. 

 

[chambero]

Looks like they'll be making hay in Fl and Ga with the tropical storm.  Shipping will be a little expensive though

 

[kfacres]

Lots of people around here are talking about early weaning calves because grass is so short. 

4 months to the day on bull calves... 4.5 on the heifers.

 

[OH Breeder]

Northwest Ohio I have one pasture left. I have been supplementing the cows and am going to turn them on the last bit of grass we have left. We have had some heavy dew and a misting of rain about two weeks ago. But not enough. Do not think we will have a second cut at this rate. Haven't had any rain since we took first cut of hay.

 

[Hoosier]

Lookin pretty tough around here.  Not feeding hay yet, pastures grew back enough after cutting to last another couple weeks.  Crops on the hills are in bad shape, bottom ground is hanging on a little longer but it has taken a beating the last few days with wind and no humidity.  April planted corn started tasseling two weeks ago, probably start chopping in a week or so if we don't get a rain.  Guys around Vincennes started disking corn under last week on the sand. Forecast doesn't look good, upper 90s and lower 100s over the weekend with no relief is sight.

Had a guy from Indiana call last week cking into the Iowa hay supply and market. Not any extra hay in our area really and if there is PPL aren't pricing it yet as they are all pretty sure that it will get higher priced as time goes by.

I've probably got more than enough new hay to last through the year, plus about 60 bales left over from last year, but I'm not going to sell any and take a chance on running out.

 

[aj]

I have heard it said that 4 month old calves wean better than 7 month old calves. I spose it depends on alot of things.

 

[nate53]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/corn-crisis-possible-from-dro/67109

 

[aj]

It looks like in a worst case scenario.....this drought could change the beef industry. You tack 3 dollars onto a bushell of corn. And there is no feed anywhere what the heck do you do. Some feedlots have corn locked in others don't. Then what happens next year? If you double the price of a bag of show feed and cost of gain goes to 2$ in the feedlot? I assume you harvest alot of cattle. You cut corn in feedlot rations in half. It could get ugly and volatile. How much will people pay for beef? Poultry and hogs eat basically corn only don't they?

 

[McM93]

I hate to talk about drought in past tense...in Texas, if it is raining, the day it stops starts the next drought. We have plenty of grass right now, but hay meadows are cooking and most people cut what they had this week thinking they need to get what they can before it totally burns up. Early weaning, big bellied cows, and prayer are about the only real answers to drought...

 

[Cowboy]

Up here in SW Neb, we usually have "" GREEN "" for at least 6 months even in some what dry years. This year, my few cows had green for 6 weeks, and it is gone. Crunchy as you walk out to check them, even in the yard, the buffalo grass is crumbly.

We lost about 1200 acres to fire 2 weeks ago between us and the nieghbor -- he has less than 1/4 the grass area he had in April, with the same number of cows to run. My self, with only a very small personal herd, my cows were offered a little hay 3 weeks ago, now they are at the bunks full time unless they are laying under the trees out of the sun. It was 112 degrees here today, I have never seen it like this - ever.

I usually feed for about 5-7 months a year part or full time. This will be at least a 10 month feed year -- 100 dollars a bale delivered was last years price for good grass hay -- who knows this year -- I have a couple loads already called for, but the price is not locked in -- just the fact I need two loads. If this doesn't break REALLY soon, we are in deep doo-doo!

Good luck to every one, now we need the help we gave last year -- let's see if it comes back hey??? heheh

Terry

 

[Aussie]

All of this does not sound good for our summer as we usually echo yours. People in the know say we are in for an early spring and long summer like you guys are having now hope that is not the case. Hope it rains for all of you that need it real soon. And I am feeding lots of hay at the moment and grass silage but that is not unusual for June here after all it is the middle of winter.

 

[trevorgreycattleco]

Looks like we all better break out the tee pees and do a nationwide rain dance.  Heyyyyyaaaa hooooyaaaa give us some rain oh great spirit of rain.

 

[RidinHeifer]

Bet all them buyers that were paying $2 and up for feeders around here are starting to regret it.  Actual temperature is supposed to be near 108 here in west central IL plus a few other 100+ days coming. Corn doesn't look good now, don't want to see it when I come back Sunday night.  Our hay guy finally had to stop doing a field for us because they are so concerned about the situation abbreviated we've been with them for about 5 years now.  Sitting at an auction right now waiting for hay, I'll get the results up when we finish.  We chose to not even shred our pasture because it just never came up good.  Green for the most part, but thin already with just one cow, a pony, and 3 ewes...we've ran 2 steers, a cow and a pony before with no problems.  Good thing is we have a ungrazed new pasture down by the river that looks good, but we gotta save that for later.  No hay yet, although it wouldn't hurt em to be getting it.  We are feeding grain though as well.  I forecast w whole lot of corn stubble getting  based this year.  There was a lot of it  this past year, but guys in the bottoms are already discussing baling corn fields if it dries up.  This is going to be a very interesting and probably unfortunate year.  Might be able to pick up some cheap cows if you can afford to feed them though. This January calf on the way might not be going anywhere like the last one did.  If I can't get the feed back out of it, I might as well keep feeding it.

 

[Cody]

Real dry in South Central Nebraska also. The pastures are done and the ponds are dry. Looking like we are going to start hauling them home and feeding them or selling some off.

 

[RidinHeifer]

Got lucky today.  Picked up 79 bales of wired, stout baled, fresh green, second cut alfalfa with a little grass n clover but 95% alfalfa for $3.40-$3.80 a bale(small squares), by far the best deal of sale.  And 10 bales of twined straw at $2.  Go me! First time hay buying on my lonesome and all those guys thought I had no clue what I was doing till I bought what I bought. Showed them

 

[hamburgman]

Poultry and swine can consume wheat, barley and other grains as long as the rations are adjusted accordingly.  Of course the availability of those grains depends on location.

 

[aj]

I wondered if wheat would follow corn all the way up. The wheat crop is pretty much made...corn isn't.I would think that the wheat price would taper off but maybe not. I was thinking that beef rations could contain around 10% wheat but then compaction became a problem.