Drought in TX

[Hootie]

The cattle farmers are suffering again this year and are in BAD need of hay. Trucks loaded with hay are going through my town daily heading to the area. I am told that the hay is bringing $70 (and higher) per for a 4X5 round bale. I realize that freight is driving the price but I believe this is robbery. I baled 128 4X5's this past weekend, keeping 50 and have sold the rest for $20/bale. Maybe I look at it wrong, but you ought to help your fellow farmers. I have always thought what goes around comes around.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

On my way home from work yesterday, I was passed by a convoy of semi's headed south, loaded with big square bales. You're right in assuming that most of the cost is in hauling.

I can't remember what year, but a few summers back, drought ravaged most of the south and east . Hay was at a premium. The upper midwest was having a fairly good year. Hay was being GIVEN to southern farmers. The farm community sticks together.

What scares me is the fact that where drought hasn't done its damage, the midwest and east, this summer has seen flooding or just constant rain. Hay will be in short supply in most of the country this winter.

If they're running out of useable pasture and no hay already, what will happen in Jan. or Feb.? You can't feed cows snowballs.

 

[jinman]

What scares me is the fact that where drought hasn't done its damage, the midwest and east, this summer has seen flooding or just constant rain. Hay will be in short supply in most of the country this winter.

If they're running out of useable pasture and no hay already, what will happen in Jan. or Feb.? You can't feed cows snowballs.

I think around here, most of the ranchers will sell off their herd if hay is in short supply. That sell-off causes the price of beef to go down too. I don't see a severe shortage of hay in my area yet, but if it stays this dry, there won't be a third cutting this year.

 

[BillyP]

The cattle farmers are suffering again this year and are in BAD need of hay. Trucks loaded with hay are going through my town daily heading to the area. I am told that the hay is bringing $70 (and higher) per for a 4X5 round bale. I realize that freight is driving the price but I believe this is robbery. I baled 128 4X5's this past weekend, keeping 50 and have sold the rest for $20/bale. Maybe I look at it wrong, but you ought to help your fellow farmers. I have always thought what goes around comes around.

Hootie, As a business man, you should know this. It's all about supply and demand. That and the price of freight. Diesel ain't cheap and a flatbed load of round bales isn't that big a payload.

 

[scott_vt]

What scares me is the fact that where drought hasn't done its damage, the midwest and east, this summer has seen flooding or just constant rain. Hay will be in short supply in most of the country this winter.

If they're running out of useable pasture and no hay already, what will happen in Jan. or Feb.? You can't feed cows snowballs.

Well in the northeast, anyone that could put up a descent amount of hay had to be a magician The longest span we had was two dry days and then the heavens opened up The sheep farmer up the road from me usually has 5000 bales put up allready ! If he got a couple hundred he did good ! All we can hope for is a descent second cut !!! Fingers crossed !

 

[kossetx]

Hootie, Wanting to help those in need is admirable. Just make sure who you sell it to is not going to resell it for 50/bale. Maybe offer some to those who can to come pick it up. Here in my area, I've recorded 10.8" of rain in over a year. It's pretty rough here, but I don't need hay myself.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I think around here, most of the ranchers will sell off their herd if hay is in short supply. That sell-off causes the price of beef to go down too. I don't see a severe shortage of hay in my area yet, but if it stays this dry, there won't be a third cutting this year.

It took a few years of panicing with ups and downs in the cattle market for me to learn, but one mans loss equals anothers gain. (sometimes)

When cattle prices drop, that is the best time to buy. Around here, the hay situation isn't great, but it isn't terrible either. With all the rain, pastures are in better shape than normally expected in August. What's that mean? Time to buy a few cows.

Still and all, I'd rather see ranchers and farmers all over the country have a good year. It doesn't appear that'll be the case though.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Well in the northeast, anyone that could put up a descent amount of hay had to be a magician The longest span we had was two dry days and then the heavens opened up The sheep farmer up the road from me usually has 5000 bales put up allready ! If he got a couple hundred he did good ! All we can hope for is a descent second cut !!! Fingers crossed !

Almost that bad here, but not quite. We had an early, dry spring. Then it started raining. and raining. and raining. Did I mention we had a lot of rain? 1st cutting was probably a month late. Quality of hay suffered, but at least we HAVE hay. 2nd cutting got washed pretty good, and then it got HOT! REAL hot. 98 now with heat index of 106. Humidity is awful. That doesn't help haying. But at least we have hay.

I've got a whopping 3 cow herd this summer. That makes me worry. I can only imagine what's going through the minds of the guys with hundreds of 'em.

 

[meadowlarkponds]

I've got a herd of about 30...hay crop is marginal thus far. If not enough hay, my decision will be easy...just sell cows and reload next year. No way to justify feeding $70 hay this winter.

 

[hudr]

I have about 1/3 as much hay as it will take to winter our herd. They now have access to our whole 80 acres except for one 12 acre hay meadow that I think(hope) we will grow a second cutting. We got about 3.5" of rain last weekend and it really perked things up, but the bermuda is already heading out. My next prayers are for a moist, mild winter and we'll seed the hay meadows w/ wheat and rye. Right now, if we can get string around it, we are calling it hay. I am so glad most of our herd is longhorn.

 

[WhyNot]

Well in the northeast, anyone that could put up a descent amount of hay had to be a magician The longest span we had was two dry days and then the heavens opened up The sheep farmer up the road from me usually has 5000 bales put up allready ! If he got a couple hundred he did good ! All we can hope for is a descent second cut !!! Fingers crossed !

We dodged a bullet. In the spring we were in a slight drought and normally we chop the 1st cutting due to weed's but it was so dry figured it needed to be baled in case it didn't rain, then it rained and rained and the sun came out and the 2nd cutting was great. Just finished the 3rd and have more hay than needed for the year to feed 250 dairy cow's. Now more than likely the 4th and if the weather hold's out 5th cutting will be chopped. The corn is almost 8ft with the ear's getting bigger by the day with this heat and humidity trouble with this is it takes forever to chop cause 2 dump truck's can't keep up. Well time to go loose about 15 pound's of sweat

 

[Doc_Bob]

We dodged a bullet. In the spring we were in a slight drought and normally we chop the 1st cutting due to weed's but it was so dry figured it needed to be baled in case it didn't rain, then it rained and rained and the sun came out and the 2nd cutting was great. Just finished the 3rd and have more hay than needed for the year to feed 250 dairy cow's. Now more than likely the 4th and if the weather hold's out 5th cutting will be chopped. The corn is almost 8ft with the ear's getting bigger by the day with this heat and humidity trouble with this is it takes forever to chop cause 2 dump truck's can't keep up. Well time to go loose about 15 pound's of sweat

We got 1 inch rain yesterday in S.E. Wisconsin. So far, very good year. beans and corn look good
Bob

 

[_RaT_]

The cattle farmers are suffering again this year and are in BAD need of hay. Trucks loaded with hay are going through my town daily heading to the area. I am told that the hay is bringing $70 (and higher) per for a 4X5 round bale. I realize that freight is driving the price but I believe this is robbery. I baled 128 4X5's this past weekend, keeping 50 and have sold the rest for $20/bale. Maybe I look at it wrong, but you ought to help your fellow farmers. I have always thought what goes around comes around.

I am not quite sure what this means. Are you saying there is a drought in Texas which has caused a shortage of hay? Do you normally get rain in the summer? I ask because here in the West, we rarely see any rain from May to October yet don't consider that a drought. If we don't get much in the way of winter rains/snow, then we have a drought. Just curious how it is elsewhere in the country.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Rat, we have a drought; not just this summer, but for the year of 2005 and for the winter & spring of 2005/2006.

 

[_RaT_]

Yep, Rat, we have a drought; not just this summer, but for the year of 2005 and for the winter & spring of 2005/2006.

Bird, didn't El Paso just get hammered with rain? My Dad was born and raised in El Paso. Spent much of his time in New Mexico spelunking the massive caverns as a young boy. Of course, that was a long time ago back in the 20's. Hope rain is in your forecast. We won't see any until the end of October or begining of November.

 

[Bird]

Bird, didn't El Paso just get hammered with rain? My Dad was born and raised in El Paso. Spent much of his time in New Mexico spelunking the massive caverns as a young boy. Of course, that was a long time ago back in the 20's. Hope rain is in your forecast. We won't see any until the end of October or begining of November.

Did you ever hear the old Texas slogan "Land of Contrast"? In broad general terms, east Texas gets about 40-45 inches of rain a year, central Texas about 30-35 inches, and west Texas about 10-15 inches. And of course, there are always exceptions and it changes from year to year. I think I did see something recently about El Paso getting some heavy rain, but you know El Paso is 643 miles west of me. I think the last time I passed through there was in 1994.

And unfortunately, I don't expect any appreciable amount of rain before October or early here either. Our State Fair is in Dallas in October each year, and it's a very rare year indeed that during the fair we don't have some hot weather, some cool weather, and some rain.

 

[Hootie]

Check out this site

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

 

[jinman]

Bird, didn't El Paso just get hammered with rain? My Dad was born and raised in El Paso. Spent much of his time in New Mexico spelunking the massive caverns as a young boy. Of course, that was a long time ago back in the 20's. Hope rain is in your forecast. We won't see any until the end of October or begining of November.

Yep. El Paso got hammered with 3 days of rain. They had to do some flood rescues there. In general, West Texas and the panhandle have received a lot more rain than north-central and central Texas. Like Bird said, it's a big state with a lot of contrast from border to border.

When characters like in the attachment start knocking on your door to beg you to fill the birdbath, you know it's hot.

 

[scott_vt]

We dodged a bullet. In the spring we were in a slight drought and normally we chop the 1st cutting due to weed's but it was so dry figured it needed to be baled in case it didn't rain, then it rained and rained and the sun came out and the 2nd cutting was great. Just finished the 3rd and have more hay than needed for the year to feed 250 dairy cow's. Now more than likely the 4th and if the weather hold's out 5th cutting will be chopped. The corn is almost 8ft with the ear's getting bigger by the day with this heat and humidity trouble with this is it takes forever to chop cause 2 dump truck's can't keep up. Well time to go loose about 15 pound's of sweat

Mornin Whynot,
You guys sound like your doin OK down there Normally we only get two cuts up here ! By the time the third cut is ready the sun is lower in the sky spelled fall and its very difficult to get the hay to dry The second cut should be ready in another week or so !