Hay????? long..........

Hay folks,
Trying to keep the peace with a neighbor/buddy. I TRY to buy all the hay he produces (20 +/- a couple round bales) because I like the guy and his family. He's a little hard to deal with though. Besides him, I have 2 other folks that are local that I can get hay. Niether one can give me all that I need but 2 can. Buddy for the last 3 years wouldn't do hay when the others would and would mow just before a rain, etc and I couldn't depend on him. Cost me a bunch of driving and extra money (fuel/time) one year.
This year, before I went to the other two, I asked him (3 times) if he was doing hay and he didn't know. To avoid stress and make sure I had local hay, I went to the other two and reserved what I needed. Soon as he heard about that, he decided to do hay and asked if I wanted it. Couldn't go back on my word with the others and didn't want to loose him, so said I'd take his also (other folks included barn storage, his is stored on the field).
He had hay completely ready to roll and it was perfect hay this year. I asked him if he needed anything from me to see that it was finished and he said no. He stood on the street in frt of his house and told the guy rolling what needed rolled and went in the house to watch TV. The roller rolled 6 rolls from 2 small places, continued on to other stuff and went home without rolling the bigger places. It rained all night and half the next day. Was another week before the hay could be rolled. 16 rolls of rained on hay. He did another area and made 8 rolls of good hay. To keep the peace, I said I'd take them. Wanted to pay and we couldn't get together because of different work schedules & he told me to use what I needed. Used 3 rolls and caught him yesterday evening to settle up he seemed to have forgot that he told me to start using it and said he wanted to sell everything together. I won't use the rained on stuff and told him which ones I'd take and what I'd pay (same price as I paid the other two folks for hay on neighboring fields). He kept mumbling about selling all at once and I told him fine, I would pay for what I used and he could sell the rest. He came to the house later with two beers and asked if I'd take the rained on stuff for the price he paid to roll it. I need to let him know tomorrow or the next day.

I have no intention of using the hay. I randomly checked (smelled) 4-6 inches inside the rolls and the hay smells old and a couple places a little musty/dusty. Think this stuff is safe to feed cattle? If so, I'd pay him and give the hay to another farmer that has helped me out several times but don't want to hurt him/his animals.

Any thoughts? I really like my Buddy, he's just got a black cloud hanging over him when it comes to making hay. Want to make him happy this year and then just pay him something for the grass and make the hay myself in the future.

Thanks. Dave

Cows generally will not eat hay that is bad for them. They can eat hay that is not first quality with no bad effects other than poor nutrition values, but as the old saying goes, it's better than a snowball.

Possibly you could sell those few bales for mulch. Late in the winter someone will probably want the bad hay anyway.

You have horses, don't you? Tell the guy next year your horses can only use hay that hasen't
been rained on.

KEH

I DO tell him and have been the last 10 years. Most of the time have to ride his a$$ to keep him going just so I can get what I need. Figured I'd let him alone this year since I had what I need anyway. Just feel bad for him now and don't want to turn my back on him. He makes it real hard to keep the faith though :roll: . Real good guy, just not the sharpest knife in the drawer...... I'll work out something. Only talking about a hundred bucks to keep stress out of a friendship. Set a few in the woods for hedgehog dens maybe. The farmer should know if they'll hurt his cattle I guess.

Dave

It'd have to be pretty nasty stuff that they were forced to eat before they'd get sick. With my beef cattle I put out a couple of good bales and one poor one and they fill up on the good stuff and then pick through the poor one the second day. Will usually eat most of it, but then on the third day they are offered good hay again. Seems to work good for me.

The cows will pick threw it, what they dont maybe they will lay down on. Im on wet clay so my cows seem to make a nice place to lay do on what they wont eat. Its just to bad that your friend has been like this for 10 years.j

I see two reasons for not buying. You said you have no plans to use they hay. That in itself is reason enough. "Only talking about a hundred bucks to keep stress out of a friendship." Once you start that where will it stop? If there is a friendship stress come up at times. The friendship part works that out not money.

I see two reasons for not buying. You said you have no plans to use they hay. That in itself is reason enough. "Only talking about a hundred bucks to keep stress out of a friendship." Once you start that where will it stop? If there is a friendship stress come up at times. The friendship part works that out not money.

(quoted from post at 06:29:40 08/23/09) Its just to bad that your friend has been like this for 10 years.j

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he's OK, just don't depend on the hay I guess. His main thing is grain, just has to mow the grass on noncrop land. Think this year may make him see the light and just let me take care of the grass. If I do it myself, I can do as much as I can handle at a time and he won't be responsible for outguessing the weather.

Dave

Dave one year I got about 6-year or two old round bales for mulch/erosion hay. It was black and really nasty looking as well as sitting under a tree since baled. Some bales broke when I lifted them, it was bad. Wouldn't you know the cows ate most of it right away even though good hay was right there. I worried myself sick thinking that the pregnant cows would get sick or worse. NOTHING bad happened. I think cows are smarter than we give credit. Certainly much smarter than horses about eating bad stuff. Calves, however will try anything including stuff that will kill.

Assuming you are telling the story straight, I think you are being way to kind to him. I can't stand dealing with wishy-washy or lazy people. Around here the hay sellers have to cater to the buyer, not the other way around.

I've fed some pretty raunchy looking stuff to beef cattle. Never lost one that was attributed to bad hay.

Baled some clover once that had gone to seed. Cattle ate it, but weren't pleased with it.

I like to feed good grass hay, but some years you take what's available.

Paul

(quoted from post at 18:18:04 08/23/09) Assuming you are telling the story straight, I think you are being way to kind to him. I can't stand dealing with wishy-washy or lazy people. Around here the hay sellers have to cater to the buyer, not the other way around.

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He's not lazy by any means..Just not the sharpest and listens to everyone else that try and tell him his business. Not being so sharp, he's like a private (follow last order first).............. We'll get through it this year and he'll either let me have the grass to hay myself next year or I won't buy from him period.... Prolly better to just not deal with him at all but I like him, his wife cooks good, and he's got a cute little blond (2 yrs old) running around that is always happy to see me coming.................

Dave

Doing the right thing to reject that wet stuff, have to be particular when feeding horses ,only the best, but ok for cattle, they sort the good from the bad, twist their leg and they still won't eat it.

He should learn not to be so indecisive.