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WARNING: Hay shortage

cannonwoman

Warren Veteran
I discovered yesterday when we went out to get the bunnies hay that due to all the recent wet weather that there is a major shortage of hay!:shock:
Our 2 local feed merchants were both out & when we started going round local farms they too has also run out!:shock:
I must admit we were both starting to panic as it would cost us an absolute fortune to feed our lot on the petshop priced stuff, fortunately in the end we found a farm with some avaliable, even though it`s a giant sized bale which fills nearly half our garage!:shock: :lol: :lol: But atleast we won`t be running out for a while!:D

Just though i`d post this as a fore warning to all.

Su.x
 
at this time of year there is often a shortage, Norman, the dust free hay man, said to me that its because the hay has to be left to dry out, so hay cut this year cannot yet be used, and the best of last years hay has already gone, so what is left is often drier and coarser than earlier in the year.

I presume that the flooding will be exacerbating the problem, but it will probably result in higher prices next year rather than now :?
 
Yes i was told that because it`s been so wet they`ve been unable to cut it & dry it out.
It`s just worrying when you live rurally, have 14 farms fairly nearby, who cut their own & even they`re running out!:?

Su.x
 
I'd stockpile it, but I am already struggling as I buy 10 bales at a time from Norman, I really only have space to store about 4, so the rest are in the most bizarre of places :shock: :lol: :lol: I won't tell you where :oops:
 
Yes also, like last year, the cattle are being kept in to reduce risk of illness in youngstock due to the horrible weather so where they would normally be out in April grazing they are still being kept in and having to be fed hay too, another pressure on hay supplies!
I guess all the flooding also may have caused problems by ruining some farmers supplies which must suck for them losing all that income:?
 
I haven't been able to buy a bale this weekend either - have managed to pick up a few bags and that's all. :(
 
Thanks for the heads up on this. I bought 10 large sacks of it last week but it's probably worth my while getting some more in if I can as we go through loads of it with the boarders etc
 
I've just been watching Countryfile (200 lambs drowned on one farm alone :cry: ) and thinking about this - I go through a bale a week nearly so I don't know how I'll manage if it runs out - I guess go back to my childhood days when they lived on mix alone :( It's breaking me financially as it is! (thank goodness ex-husband buys veg 3 times a week for them - bless him)
 
Just to add a bit of Joy to this thread,

Please remember that we have an almost limitless supply of hay availble in our stores currently (canadian timothy) and we also have more on its way to the Uk currently.

The rain problems in the uk do not affect our hay supplies in the slightest. and out Prices WONT go up either, infact the more that we sell the cheaper it gets :)
 
I managed to get a bale yesterday from my local livestockless pet shop. They had quite a number in their store at the time.
 
Our supplier is struggling a bit too. I picked up two bales last visit as they can't guarantee when it will be in and whilst it is hay it's not the greatest quality stuff :?
 
I was thinking about this when I was cleaning out the bunnies today :?
I use Hay as a bedding throughout both levels of their hutch as well :s - and although I am not worried about getting the p@h stuff... I am worried about getting the one they eat - as I buy from the only petshop around for miles that sells the stuff Madam will eat.- Dont have any farms nearby - so Dont quite know what I am going to do :?
 
well im not panicking on the stuff they actually eat as they prefer bunny basics timothy, but i am now worried about hay for their litter trays

im sending gail to buy 2 bales tomorrow if she can, that shoudl last a couple of months
 
well im not panicking on the stuff they actually eat as they prefer bunny basics timothy, but i am now worried about hay for their litter trays

Yes same here - I'm well and truly stocked up with the hay they eat, it's the litter trays and the guinea pig pen that I'm struggling with. Don't know how long the meagre supplies I've ended up getting this weekend will last, but it won't affect their diets.
 
The farm I normally get it from still havent done a new cut yet. I managed to get a couple of lovely sweet smelling new cut bales from somewhere else yesterday which the animals are all happily tucking into, fortunatly they still have plenty which is good as I will need some more on Wednesday :shock:
 
Just been chatting to our Hay guy's. Things look very bad for the next 12 months.

Current supply problems will continue and the new season hay if they get a chance to cut it will be VERY BAD QUALITY.
This is a nationwide problem as nobody seems to be able to get any hay from anywhere atm.

Our companies are now switching to plan B for meadow hay's to secure our requirements for the next 12 months. More info when we have it.
 
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