Hay

[dballan]

I just found this thread this evening and found it very interesting. We grow and market hay trying to maintain a high standard of integrity. One of the things that I find troublesome is when a buyer compares our prices for a given weight of bale without taking into consideration the moisture content. Our bales have weighed from 1100 to 2000 lb. depending on variety, purity and moisture content. When a customer asks how much our $40 hay bales weigh and I tell him I can sometimes get a response saying that he can get bales weighing 100 lb. more down the road for the same price. We bale all of our hay dry to minimize dust and eliminate mould. At 7.5% moisture a bale is going to have more dry matter than a bale that is 18% moisture and weighs 100 lb. more. Am I not right?
www.AllanHay.com

[wheat]

If the hay is baled at 8% moisture, where did all the leaves go ? The new preservatives can mask a lot of moisture as well. The comment on hauling hay in the drought, had a different problem for us. The stuff came from Manitoba. Same deal, what you saw, even if you made the trip, was not necessarily what you received. Sometimes the beast from the East, isn't from Ottawa!

[wheat]

wheat, unfortunately a lot of people in my area had the same experience. Either went and looked at hay themselves or had someone else do it,and had to pay upfront for the hay, then when it arrived it wasn't the same quality. During the winter of 02/03 it was disgusting to see some of the garbage being hauled and called decent feed. Lots of cattle had a tough winter and not because their owners hadn't put out good money for feed.

I was lucky in that I only had a bad experience with one seller, the rest of the feed I bought was good feed and was delivered as promised etc.

[dballan]

Our 8% moisture content is grass hay. Leaves can't be held on legumes at that level. We bale our alfalfa at the 15% level as much as possible. 18% second cut works well if it is late enough in the season when the ambient temperature has dropped to 10C.

[redcountry]

What ever became of the train loads of hay we loaded at Moncton N.B. to go west?
was it any good when it got there?
and how was it given out?

[dballan]

I heard that some cows ate it.

[dballan]

redcountry as far as I know all the feed that came west was good feed. The loads of feed were managed by a group and they were drawn for by a lottery process, so that only those that needed it received it.

An I am sure they appreciated it very much and your willingness to help out in a crisis.

[dballan]

Not only do we appreciate you sharing your hay with us, your curlers are a blessing, too.

www.Foldaway.ca

[dballan]

Yes, congratulations to the curlers and everyone else who did Canada proud at the Olympics

[cowman]

Actually quite a bit of the hay that came in was pretty bad but it was the thought that counts, right?
I don't know of anyone who actually got any lottery hay but of course there were lots of stories around about how people abused the situation etc.?
A whole lot of hay and straw came in from the eastern prairies, loaded with fusarium, to which the Klein government turned a blind eye! There was a lot of straw baled up in west central alberta that the farmers were asking outrageous prices for. A lot of cattle went down the road rather than pay those robbers...and they ended up burning the straw the next year!
You sure saw the best and the worst of your neighbors!

[cowman]

exactly cowman, and if those who milked the system and took advantage of fellow producers when they were in a tough spot, ended up burning their straw or having to sell the hay for half the price the next year serves them right.

The hay producers that are still in business are the ones that treated their customers right and have retained their market.

[dballan]

Our policy is to sell hay lower than the highest prices and higher than the lowest prices as the market rides the rails of the roller coaster. When we take our poorer quality hay to the auction mart, the buyer decides what it's worth and pays accordingly. Customer retention is critical for the long run. Not only do prices play a role but quality guarantee has a lot to play in the equation as well.

[topper]

Hey Cowman: That has to be about the tenth time I've heard you whining about that fusarium infected straw that made it's way to Alberta during the drought. Now I'm kind of wondering how you have come to this conclusion. Did you have some of it tested? Or maybe just tested down at the coffee shop,lol. You forgot to mention that it wasn't tested for rats either. Wouldn't want Alberta to lose their rat free status!!!

[topper]

I assure you cowman isn't the only producer concerned with fusarium. There have been numerous resolutions put forward at the past three Agricultural Service Board Conventions regarding fusariam.

[nicolaas]

when its dry, expect to pay more for straw. If you are having a hard time buying hay, and your pastures are all droughted out, then obviously the grain farmers will be hurting with decreased yeilds. Therefore if the price of hay is high, then straw will be as well. I don't think people should get too complacent and assume that their neighbors can continue to subsidize their cattle operations with cheap feed in drought years. They have to make a living too. During the last province wide drought 4 or so years ago I silaged up a few quarters of barley to feed my cows. It was the first time I used silage, and I will never go back. On a average year, I can grow enough oat silage for 320 cows on 1/4 section,(supplemented with 800 straw bales) versus 800 acres of hay land. It works for me, I'm sure other people look at their own situation differently. If you are going to be dependent on other people for your feed, then you are at their mercy during times of low supply. Look at it this way, they probably had a lot less product to sell, so they weren't making all that much money unless they are under irrigation. Those would be the guys making out like bandits.