Hay for Hay shortage in North Dakota follow up

Keith Molden · Aug 10, 2017

I called all 3 of those numbers and everyone I talked to told me to call someone else and it eventually came back to the Hay hot line and Jim somebody. I believe the general consensus was that since it was not alfalfa and it is mixed grass hay with some weeds probably mixed in that the cost of transportation is just too great, but they will keep me in mind. I guess all is well as one of my neighbors called me this morning and wants to buy all I have. I gave it to him for the cost of the fuel and twine. I truly believe that Charity begins at home and he is a retired person like me and doesn't have a lot coming in.
worked out good for me and him. Thanks guys for the replies.

oldtanker · Aug 10, 2017

(quoted from post at 09:30:58 08/10/17) I called all 3 of those numbers and everyone I talked to told me to call someone else and it eventually came back to the Hay hot line and Jim somebody. I believe the general consensus was that since it was not alfalfa and it is mixed grass hay with some weeds probably mixed in that the cost of transportation is just too great, but they will keep me in mind. I guess all is well as one of my neighbors called me this morning and wants to buy all I have. I gave it to him for the cost of the fuel and twine. I truly believe that Charity begins at home and he is a retired person like me and doesn't have a lot coming in.
worked out good for me and him. Thanks guys for the replies.

Something smells about that. If they were truly in that great of need they would take anything that they can get their hands on. Kinda like the draught that affected TX/OK/west KS/CO and Nest NE a few years ago. They were taking anything. That is need. Then only taking good alfalfa? For a so far one year event? The other thing that bothers me is most of those guys out there begging for free hay are huge operations with millions of dollars worth of equipment. Sure there are a few small guys out there but knowing the area bet the small guys are going to be last in line for hay as the big guns try to squeeze them out. I know a few BTOs. Some are good guys but they all have the attitude that the little guy just needs to quit nd let them have the land so "it can be farmed right". Some of those guys out there are pushing 5,000 or more acres. Small farmer there is 1500 or so. Son is married to a girl from out there. Her dad is a small guy who owns 1500 acres and farms a total of about 5K. I know other guys farming 4-500 and making it. I have a hard time feeling sorry for a guy who owns 5K plus acres and has a dry year.

Rick

Bob · Aug 10, 2017

Not all of ND is short of hay, I believe SW is the worst. Where I am, in north central ND, the hay crop seems to be average to good.

caterpillar guy · Aug 10, 2017

Old tanker one of the things you forget i think it the most of the areas you mentioned only plant it every other year os 5,000 is actually only 2500 planted each year.

BarnyardEngineering · Aug 10, 2017

Don't forget the money they saved on the fuel they didn't burn, the fertilizer they didn't spread, the twine they didn't use, the preservatives they didn't need... Plus crop insurance and the inevitable Federal handout that's coming their way...

Then to have the audacity to turn their noses up at FREE hay when they were supposedly "desperate." Makes it hard to want to do anything nice for anyone.

JD Seller · Aug 10, 2017

Transportation cost could easily be more than the hay is worth. The effected area is not as wide spread as it was in the south several years ago.

55 50 Ron · Aug 10, 2017

When 5000 acres are mentioned as the amount some one is farming it's nice to know what part of the state that is. There are parts (Red River
Valley) where all those acres are tillable, but there are other places (north central) where a lot of wet places and scrub tree growth make
many acres untillable. Look at a satellite photo of north central ND and observe the irregular fields. I grew up in the same general area
where Bob is and lots of wet spots (slang name-sloughs) and random trees exist.

oldtanker · Aug 10, 2017

(quoted from post at 10:34:05 08/10/17) Old tanker one of the things you forget i think it the most of the areas you mentioned only plant it every other year os 5,000 is actually only 2500 planted each year.

And a lot of them plant every year. As how much land? Some of those guys are on 20-40,000 acres now. And when you are desperate no hay that has any feed value is turned down. It's all worth transporting.

Kinda hard to feel sorry for guys pushing a couple of thousand head on 20 K plus acres for one bad year. When they were trying to get hay for the Sothern draught they were coming 1500 miles for hay and buying it at weekly hay auctions at greatly inflated prices. Just trying to hold back enough cows to restart once it started raining again.

I am not against helping people out but show me the need and proof that you can't afford to do something yourself. That you really need the help. Do not try scamming me. Don't like it one bit. These guys are in a so far one year event. Not all but many are huge operations. If they can't take it in the shorts for one year they are doing something wrong. To me it looks as if a bunch of guys at the coffee shop decided that since people gave all that stuff to the fire victims they should get free stuff too.

Rick

jddrawbar · Aug 10, 2017

Rick, you are spot on. The 2011 drought in Texas was horrible. I got hay out of Missouri @
110.00 bale delivered. Guy told me it was the second cutting.....the first cutting must have
been 5 yrs. ago. Had small trees, vines and other trash. Totally useless 34 bales of hay!
The only thing that was accurate is it did weigh a good 1500#s. I ended up selling most of
my cattle at give away prices.....had to set in line at the auction for over 4 hrs. to get
unloaded. We are in a class action law suite with others that were taken to the
cleaners......(nothing will ever come of it.)

ss55 · Aug 10, 2017

Cow-calf operations? Cows and bulls may not have much resale value anywhere except to the packing plants. Do they graze year around in N. Dakota or do they winter feed hay and grain in smaller yards? If they are setup to feed some grain it may be more cost effective to move corn in by rail than to haul hay long distance by semi trailer.

coonie minnie · Aug 10, 2017

A couple of things to keep in mind- a lot of wheat was baled for hay in the Dakotas this year, so there may be ample amounts of low protein, high fiber hay.

Also something else id different than the multiyear drought in the Southern plains a few years ago- feed prices in general. The height of that drought was 2012, and all prices were high- grain, by products, etc as demand was high, carry ins were low, and the drought widespread. Today, grain prices are half of what they were, and byproducts (distillers grain, etc) are much cheaper and plentiful. This of course gives producers more options.

My .02...

Keith Molden · Aug 11, 2017

Yep, I sure do agree, I won't do it again , but I can understand the cost efficient factor tho. It would be a lot cheaper from Missouri , Iowa or Nebraska than from S.E. Ohio.

Hay for Hay shortage in North Dakota follow up

Keith Molden

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oldtanker

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Bob

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caterpillar guy

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BarnyardEngineering

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JD Seller

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55 50 Ron

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oldtanker

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jddrawbar

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ss55

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coonie minnie

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Keith Molden

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