Re: There is no hay in Suffolk!

Nothing has been cut here yet. The fields are too wet for them to be able to get the tractors on to cut the fields and the grass wouldn't dry even if they did cut it. I am in Nottinghamshire. Don't know what we will feed this year if they don't manage to get a hay cut done this year, there isn't any hay left from last year and i've got 4 to feed.

Re: There is no hay in Suffolk!

Kevin, yes you can get 3 cuts but it all comes down to the weather - if it's too wet you can't cut, and that's what's happened this year.

The local livery yard did manage to cut some of their fields for hay in May, when we had a good dry sunny week, but I don't think anyone else has managed to.

All the fields round here (Devon) that would normally be for hay are still uncut, and the grass is seeding and looking a bit past its' best, but if we do get sufficient dry weather to cut it'll be better than nothing.

Then if we have more sun / rain, and then a good dry September we MAY get a 2nd cut if we're lucky.

It's going to put the prices up, as it must be the same pretty much all over the country, and the corn harvest isn't looking good either, as a lot is battered down and rotting at the base, which will put feed prices up as well.........

Re: There is no hay in Suffolk!

 We are all at hayledge at our yard and seem to have done ok with it this year! However the thing we are having trouble with is straw we can't seem to get any!!Has anyone else had this sort of problem??

Re: There is no hay in Suffolk!

Our feed merchant ran out of haylage in May this year which is unheard of - due to the wet weather at that time here people hadn't been able to turn their horses out for the summer the way they usually do and so were still having to use feeding.  They still had hay left but it didn't last as long as the haylage usually does as I had to feed more of it and they ate it faster than haylage, so it wasn't very economical at all.  I ended up going about 30 miles round trip to a farm I was told about that still had some and I got two large bales and then my feed merchant managed to get hold of some more of the round bales too.  They now have some new stuff as well, we had a right good dry spell following all the rain and lots of cutting was done, but now here we are again all washed out so those who weren't ready to cut a couple of months ago are finding it harder.  Last week we had about 5 good dry days so a few fields were cut and baled then, but mainly I think for silage and cow feeding.  Dread to think what winter is going to be like on the old purse strings.  At the moment I use the large round haylage bales at £25 each and I'm using between 2 and 3 per month as I bring my horses in at night and we have one still at home who hasn't been out in the grazing this year as the farmer I rent the field from doesn't particularly like him (he eats the trees and the fence posts) not to mention he pulls off his expensive remedial shoes too, so he gets out in the riding paddock at home with his haylage and gets exercised etc but I do wish I could get him out with his pals, although he seems happy enough having all the 1:1 attention!

Re: There is no hay in Suffolk!

I was talking to my farmer YO at the weekend about this very issue.  He has assured me that people are panicing for nothing and that hay will be made - albeit later in the year than normal.  He did say that the hay made would not be the best quality (not worried about that with two very good doers!) and that prices should not increase (unless people are being greedy) as there will be plenty about.  If he's not worried then nor am I!!!