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How's Haying?

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95% !! I heard that you can buy alfalfa standing for 2 cents a pound up there....
 
One of our customers in this area said he got 5000 bales last year
(big rounds). This year he got 52.


Sad, huh?

I've been hearing $200-$300 for cow hay. I saw some little squares in
SD that weighed 50 lbs. (maybe) they wanted $10 bale for. Horse hay,
but still, that's at least $400/ton. :shock:
 
jigs said:
95% !! I heard that you can buy alfalfa standing for 2 cents a pound up there....

Up here you can buy it in the bale for 2.5 cents a pound
 
I'm really getting sick of haying season,all it ever does is rain!!! :mad: Anyone looking for some top quality black hay?
 
Just be thankful you have something to hay. There are lots of folks around here that didn't have much grass to start out with and after the fires have absolutely nothing to put up now.
I thought I would have several thousand little squares to put up this year. I have baled exactly 300. That doesn't go very far towards feeding everything throughout the winter.
 
I think that the grain farmers around here should be paying me, everytime i cut hay they get an extra bushel or two. haven't had a solid 2 day stretch of baling yet :mad:


no black hay yet and every thing we have got was with no rain but this is getting stale
 
I would be willing to pay you to make it rain here.

Insurance investigator was out looking at our crops - - - the field I thought looks the best from the road has ears on most every stalk but if you shuck them back there are 3 to 5 kernals per ear - - - I can chop some for silage but I don't need 1,300 acres of silage - - - then again I might as the corn is 3 to 5 foot tall and very spindaly.

County extention agents say if we chop after noon each day and stop before 6 pm and do not chop at all if we get any rain for 3 days after the rain the nitrates should not be a problem as the plants only pull nitrogen up when damp.

While there will be little to no grain the overall nutrition should be very good (TDN high ) but grain will be needed for energy.

I doubt we will get 3 tons per acre but hay is non existant so we will take what we can get.

Son has discussed cutting a couple of bunkers back in the hills and making a lot of silage and buying more cows - - - trying to get a feel if that would pay.
 
It's been terrible trying to make hay here. Hot and muggy with no wind, rain every second day or so. What keeps me sane is knowing a lot are in much worse shape than me this year.
Have you considered custom feeding a bunch of cows George? Seems like there should be lots of demand in your neck of the woods. Cash flows better than owning cows and externalizes the risk. If it stays dry into next year why would you want a bunch of extra cattle around?
 
you pile that 1300 acres, and before long, guys will be in there hauling it out at a premium.... feed will be very short this year.
 
No complaints here. We topped 16" of rain since June 10th as of two days ago, but got 1/2 our hay up during one hot week. The rest we have dodged rain, other than about 4 acres that got 1" in 7 minutes and wasn't damaged much. In fact that was the first stuff we have had to flip all year. Baled it today, and quality is good. The second last field is cut and the last one will drop tomorrow, weather permitting.
Fantastic yield and good quality. We are counting our blessings in a big way.
555661_10150984005374624_1504674052_n.jpg

These are my baling buddies, although I swapped out for a couple of girls today.
 
hayguy said:
I think that the grain farmers around here should be paying me, everytime i cut hay they get an extra bushel or two. haven't had a solid 2 day stretch of baling yet :mad:


no black hay yet and every thing we have got was with no rain but this is getting stale

Around here the grain farmers don't want to see another drop of rain this year,and what we have got so far is to much already.Everyone is spraying there crops full speed for all the diseases all this rain is causing.It's going to be fun trying to get around these soggy fields with combines this year,i don't think the guy sitting in the 4 wheel drive tractor will get to bored waiting for his next victim to pull out.And were suppose to get another 1/2 inch tomorrow,and more on friday.
 
Sure wish that rain could get spread around a bit. We are Dry , Dry, Dry. :( 50 miles north has been getting good rains but we are in that eastern Montana weather pattern. Even going west just gets greener within about 30 miles. :roll:
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
Sure wish that rain could get spread around a bit. We are Dry , Dry, Dry. :( 50 miles north has been getting good rains but we are in that eastern Montana weather pattern. Even going west just gets greener within about 30 miles. :roll:

I sure wish that rain could get spread out to people that need it so bad to!!! We got lucky today and only got a 1/2 inch,while 12 miles away they got a inch and 1/2.Talked to the brother in law today,they farm in sw sask,and they are so dry that there crops are burning in,and here we sit with water laying all over the fields because the ground is so wet it can't even soak in anymore.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
Sure wish that rain could get spread around a bit. We are Dry , Dry, Dry. :( 50 miles north has been getting good rains but we are in that eastern Montana weather pattern. Even going west just gets greener within about 30 miles. :roll:

I hear ya, BMR. However, we have managed to geta bit over an inch
of rain in the last week. We got .6, then .25 and then yesterday
morning .3, so the grass is trying to green up a bit. The problem is
with the high temperatures, the moisture doesn't stick around long.
I filled the bird bath yesterday morning and by evening it was almost
all gone.

Had a fire south of here yesterday that burned 3700 acres they figured.

We had to go to Billings and there were 5 fires between here and there.
 
I got lucky tonight as lightening hit a stack of close to 700 last year bales of mine close to Big Beaver. The neighbors saw it and called. I was 40 miles away the other side of the ranch but Tam, Britt and Dad went up and the neighbors had a tractor and water tank there so pull out 8 bales and that's all that burned. I made it home but had my brother in law with his broken leg and his 3 yr old grandson so I let Tam and my son got up there so they handled it.
Headed up there now with more water to make sure it's out.
 
Faster horses said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
Sure wish that rain could get spread around a bit. We are Dry , Dry, Dry. :( 50 miles north has been getting good rains but we are in that eastern Montana weather pattern. Even going west just gets greener within about 30 miles. :roll:

I hear ya, BMR. However, we have managed to geta bit over an inch
of rain in the last week. We got .6, then .25 and then yesterday
morning .3, so the grass is trying to green up a bit. The problem is
with the high temperatures, the moisture doesn't stick around long.
I filled the bird bath yesterday morning and by evening it was almost
all gone.

Had a fire south of here yesterday that burned 3700 acres they figured.

We had to go to Billings and there were 5 fires between here and there.

Tell Mr. FH to come inside when he wants to wash up. :D
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
I got lucky tonight as lightening hit a stack of close to 700 last year bales of mine close to Big Beaver. The neighbors saw it and called. I was 40 miles away the other side of the ranch but Tam, Britt and Dad went up and the neighbors had a tractor and water tank there so pull out 8 bales and that's all that burned. I made it home but had my brother in law with his broken leg and his 3 yr old grandson so I let Tam and my son got up there so they handled it.
Headed up there now with more water to make sure it's out.

Now that was a "coulda bin worse" event. :wink:
 
gcreekrch said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
I got lucky tonight as lightening hit a stack of close to 700 last year bales of mine close to Big Beaver. The neighbors saw it and called. I was 40 miles away the other side of the ranch but Tam, Britt and Dad went up and the neighbors had a tractor and water tank there so pull out 8 bales and that's all that burned. I made it home but had my brother in law with his broken leg and his 3 yr old grandson so I let Tam and my son got up there so they handled it.
Headed up there now with more water to make sure it's out.

Now that was a "coulda bin worse" event. :wink:

You bet :!:

Just got home from watching it die. We let the remains burn down then stirred it up and wet it down. I was real lucky tonight. :D
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
gcreekrch said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
I got lucky tonight as lightening hit a stack of close to 700 last year bales of mine close to Big Beaver. The neighbors saw it and called. I was 40 miles away the other side of the ranch but Tam, Britt and Dad went up and the neighbors had a tractor and water tank there so pull out 8 bales and that's all that burned. I made it home but had my brother in law with his broken leg and his 3 yr old grandson so I let Tam and my son got up there so they handled it.
Headed up there now with more water to make sure it's out.

Now that was a "coulda bin worse" event. :wink:

You bet :!:

Just got home from watching it die. We let the remains burn down then stirred it up and wet it down. I was real lucky tonight. :D

That was much too close for comfort. Glad everything turned out for the best. You are a fortunate fellow. :)
 

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