Scarcity of Hay----Kind of Scary

[drdoolittle]

Well, it once again time for me to stock up on hay---the problem is that the few people I usually buy from are completely out-----all of them! I looked on CL, and cannot believe how high the prices are for even small square bales! I did find a person close to me who is going down south and getting 100 bales at a time and bringing them back to sell and the price is high, but not the highest I've seen----I'm planning on geting some from them tomorrow evening. But I'm starting to have a kind of panic attack about not being able to get any hay the next time. Will my goats starve? Is there a way to feed them w/o hay, besides pasture? We do have a small pasture (about an acre or a little more) but it's not fenced at all. I'm wondering how long this hay crises will last-----until next summer?!? Ugh-----I wish I would have really stocked up when I foound it for $3.50/bale!!!!!!!

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

There's tons of hay here for 3$ a bale. Pretty good deals on round bales too.

 

[drdoolittle]

Well, we've been suffering drought conditions all summer here in Indiana, and hay is difficult if not impossible to find.

 

[elevan]

I've known folks who feed alfalfa pellets and no hay. I wouldn't do it on a permanent basis but you could do it to get you through.

 

[drdoolittle]

That's good to know. Just wondering what the price for those is? Probably pretty expensive----but better than no food at all.

 

[Baymule]

Can you get beet shreds? They are what is left over from sugar beets, shredded and dried. Stock loves 'em. Is there yaupon holly where you live? My horses (and cows when I had them ) will eat yaupon like candy. I have cut yaupon out in the woods when I got low on hay.

 

[drdoolittle]

Probably can get beet pulp---have never heard of yaupon holly.

 

[poorboys]

I'm here in Indiana too, our area has received no rain since May, this last weekend, Roll had rain, I got 1minute of rain!!! We are already feeding hay, I took 26 goats to a friends who just sold all their goats and have them on 20 acres of grass, trees, and room. Some of those will be sold. Right now we have 150 bales put up, but that's it. I've seen it as high as 14.00 a bale, We don't know what we are going to do either, If I start using my hay for the winter, I won't have it to last thur the year. I'ts gonna be a tough year. We might have to sell more, this is where the maket can kick you in the butt. and the people buying will buy for less, sell high, and we lose.

 

[SarahFair]

Feeling your pain.
I can only find it at $6 a bale.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Protein tubs will also help, especially if what hay you find is poor quality. Although goat protein tubs are fairly pricey, there are some pretty good cattle protein tubs available at 1/2 or 1/3 the price of goat tubs.

Beet pulp is an option as well, along with a pelleted goat feed with 16% or higher fiber in the ration if you are low on hay. I know breeders that don't feed any hay, so it is possible to raise them with out the long stems, I don't recommend it, but you certainly could ration out what hay you have and go with other options. Even if you offered them 1 lb of hay each per day along with grains and protein tubs, that amount of long stems would probably be enough.

Make sure you have very very efficient hay feeders set up.

Good luck.

We aren't as bad off this year, but a couple years ago we fed hay allmost the entire summer and obviously into the winter.