Author Topic: Total heatbreak.  (Read 3474 times)

Offline HarmonyMeadows

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Total heatbreak.
« on: June 26, 2016, 08:02:41 PM »
We have had a very hot and dry spring and summer this year. Sure, it is nice to have warm weather after a long, cold winter. But it has gone much too far now. We were told today that our hay guy wont have any hay for us from his first cut and chances are, he wont even have a second cut unless we get some major rain. And so far this year it keeps dancing all around us.
People in the area are selling off their livestock already because they know they wont be able to feed them. Hay will be scarce and what there will be will be marked up to silly levels.
We had finally gotten to where we were starting to make a real go of our farm this year. Producing more chickens and even pigs for sale and I have my two mares with Lightning for foals next year. I was bringing in a new buckling to join my boys and we were hoping to get some more does in the spring.
Now I will be lucky to make it through the winter with enough feed for them all.  :'(  So absolutely heartbreaking. And we know that there will be people who don't source hay until it gets cold and then you will see horses being starved or abandoned to kill pens. It is going to be a bad, bad year.
Here is to hoping Mother Nature takes her meds and send us some nice rain.  ;pray
A work in progress!

Offline Lnight89

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2016, 09:13:06 PM »
Yeah I can totally see all of this!  We are from the windsor area of ontario and luckily the farmer we get hay off has a ton at the moment. At least it's storming and raining right now but we definitely need some more rain! Where in Ontario are you from?? 

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2016, 09:19:02 PM »
Where are you located again?  I forget.

The hay problem can be very hard sometimes.  But remember, you can always feed alfalfa cubes for hay, and you measure it like you would regular hay.  I always fed alfalfa, but cubes come in different mixtures, and the horses will do just fine on them.  You can also get alfalfa pellets which can be added to their grain.

I had to do that several times here in Florida, and everyone did just fine.

I'm sorry things are not going well for you, but we'll be praying you can find a supplier.  Sometimes, if you get together with someone in the same situation, you can have hay shipped in by the truckload from another area.  If probably wouldn't make sense to try and do that yourself, but if you can find a couple of people to "go in" with you, you may be able to have hay shipped in.  I know many of my friends did that in Oklahoma when they went through a horrid drought there for multiple years.

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Offline Chanda

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2016, 10:43:40 PM »
For your little horses, especially, there are many things you can feed to substitute or stretch hay, if you have the money, because most cost more than baled hay.   There are commercial bagged hay stretchers (pelleted forage), beet pulp, alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets, many companies now make mixed hay pellets (timothy/alfalfa is the usual mix, but also Bermuda/alfalfa, oat/alfalfa and a few others I can't think of, since I can't get them remotely local), complete feeds (such as senior or adult), you can get chopped forage in a bag (alfalfa is the norm, but this also now comes in a mix).  [Many of these things can be fed to other livestock, but it's not cost efficient because of how much needs to be fed to larger livestock.]  If it comes down to it, if you need it, I can sure try to help you come up with a feed program with reduced hay and using other hay substitutes or stretchers.  [Some stretchers take a little more work than just feeding hay, such as beet pulp which has to be soaked.  And, most hay cubes should be soaked, at least any available around here as they are big and rock hard; some brands are softer.]
Luckily, this year, we are getting decent rain, so the crop is there if we can cut and bale it without too much rain on it.
Chanda
HC Minis

Stallions: Little Kings Cat on Top, Paper Mache`
Mares: Misty, Tana, Sophia, Bliss, Bonny, Dolly and Baybe
Geldings: Dakota, Monte and Manny, Spotty
Donkey: Tilly

Offline HarmonyMeadows

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2016, 11:25:20 PM »
I'm in Augusta township, between Brockville and Prescott. Close to the 401 and 416 junction towards Ottawa.

I am starting to look early and I should... ;pray ....should have smalls for my goats and Lightning. If we have to we can get beet pulp and timothy/alfalfa cubes. I have an old Quarter Horse mare and Belgian gelding that will be getting it regardless. Luckily, aside from them, everyone is a very easy keeper and my minis can really use a little less in the hay wasting and big belly department. I am sure we will figure it out. I have some resources I have yet to tap. Just was such a shock today. It wasn't what we needed to hear, unfortunately. But as long as hubby doesn't get his work contract cut short we are good. A lot better than some people for sure.

The chickens and pigs get straight grains so they are good. I can give the piggies straw to play with instead of hay. Luckily, other than the horses and goats, we don't need much. But we need enough. I just want a bit of rain to clean things up a bit. It is so hot and dry but yet it is so humid too. It is really weird!!
A work in progress!

Offline Chanda

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2016, 11:27:09 PM »
I don't even know what state that would be.
I'm in Northeast Montana.
Chanda
HC Minis

Stallions: Little Kings Cat on Top, Paper Mache`
Mares: Misty, Tana, Sophia, Bliss, Bonny, Dolly and Baybe
Geldings: Dakota, Monte and Manny, Spotty
Donkey: Tilly

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2016, 06:15:01 AM »
I think she's in Canada, in Ontario?
'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

Offline Lnight89

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2016, 08:18:14 AM »
Oh ok you're close to my cottage area! We have chickens pigs and goats too! What type of goats do you have? :)

Offline Chanda

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2016, 08:56:50 AM »
I think she's in Canada, in Ontario?

 ^-^
Chanda
HC Minis

Stallions: Little Kings Cat on Top, Paper Mache`
Mares: Misty, Tana, Sophia, Bliss, Bonny, Dolly and Baybe
Geldings: Dakota, Monte and Manny, Spotty
Donkey: Tilly

Offline HarmonyMeadows

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2016, 01:03:32 PM »
Sorry, yes, Ontario in Canada. Just across the river from Ogdensburg, New York.

We have mix breed goats. Our main buck, Justin is Nigerian/Boer. We are getting a new buckling that will become our secondary buck, Joker, he is a Myotonic (fainting) cross. His dad was Myotonic, mom looks to be alpine/pygmy or Nigerian although we aren't 100%.
We have Justin's brother, Stevie who is a wether. A small black pygmy buck, Jeremy.
On the doe side we have Lily who is a Pygmy/Saanen. She had two doelings this year by Justin, Rosie and Buttercup. Her daughter from last year by Jeremy has a buckling from Justin, Radar. (little brat was NOT supposed to be bred, she got out and jumped in with the bucks, the little hussy!! ;) )
We have Justin and Stevie's mom Jorja who is a purebred Boer. Our wether from last year, Trooper. He is Justin's son out of Lily's pygmy mom. She passed away but was really a crappy mom. Trooper was abandoned and half frozen when we found him. His twin sister had been stomped to death. Luckily we saved Troopy. She pretty much did the same with Lily too. Abandoned them. Lily survived but he twin brother was too weak and passed away. No breeding this year, so this is our herd for now. We were hoping to add a couple does come spring for Justin. Our herd is getting a bit, um, related! lol
A work in progress!

Offline Lnight89

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2016, 03:22:02 PM »
Oh wow ! That sounds like a ton of fun and awesome! And I knew someone with the same thing happened with one of their does two year in a row killed one of the kids and left the other.  They ended up selling her. I've had the chickens and pigs for a long time but I'm new to the goats and I LOVE them. They are just so funny to be around . We have one buck and one doe at the moment. They are lamanchas goats. I plan on making soaps and lotions and cheese lol wish me luck! I would  love to get a pygmy or fainting goat, how are your bigger breed with the small ones? I'm nervous these goats the size of my minis would be mean to new little ones. And to add about the female jumping the fence, man animals in general are nuts in heat, that natural instinct to breed is really strong! Haha

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2016, 05:26:35 PM »
I used to raise Nubian goats for their milk.  Started with Saanen goats, had triplets from one doe, but had enough milk production for my herd of children.  So went to Nubians and got a gallon of milk from each one every day.  That took care of my feeding my children, who each drank a gallon of milk a day!

I loved the little ones, but my Nubians only had one baby at a time.  Strange, so much bigger than the small Saanens, but only the Saanen's had triplets, and usually twins.
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Offline Rocklone

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2016, 06:55:34 PM »
This happens in Ireland nearly every year. Yep. Rainy Ireland. Last year people bought hay for 160 a large bale (usually 40)

Then boom the rain came, there was more than enough hay for everyone and some people went laughing all the way to the bank.

I predict rain for you :)

Offline Ryan

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2016, 07:14:16 PM »
We are currently paying $230-$260 per round bale at the moment here. And for small square bales...................... $20-$25 :(

We had very little rain during the second half of last year.

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: Total heatbreak.
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2016, 08:12:53 PM »
Good gracious!!! How big are these bales?? For that price they should be as big as a house!!!

And I thought our prices were bad here.  But the most I every paid for a large round bale (taller than me when laying on the flat side) was $100.
'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'