Hay Shortage
@nanette64 (20364)
Fairfield, Texas
January 30, 2019 10:26am CST
Ya know, considering the size of Texas, you'd think we'd be the ones with enough fields to grow hay. Well with the drought we had last summer, it's been tough and a lot of our locals here in the middle of Texas have had to have their hay brought in from Mississippi if you can imagine that.
Normally the size of the hay bale that I get for my 3 donkeys is a 55-60 pounder that has to fit in the back seat of my car since I don't have a pickup truck and that's tough enough for me to wiggle that booger out of there and take it into the hay building.
Our local guy finally got a shipment in yesterday and told me that they were 100 pounders. Oye vay!! Is that gonna fit in my car? Well yep, believe it or not it did. Now mind you, that sucker weighs 100 pounds and I weigh the same, so you can only imagine ME getting it out of the car and toting it into the hay building.
After I wiggled it out of the back seat and stood it up, it was as tall as I am which is 5'8". After 2 minutes of getting my wind back, I flipped it once onto the lower steps of the building. Another 2 minutes and flipped it again to the opening. Another 2 minutes to flip it to the pallet. Another 2 minutes to get it onto the pallet and then another 2 minutes to get it pulled onto the top of the pallet.
In the meantime, my donkeys are hollering their heads off saying, "What's taking you so long." I'm shocked I was able to pull that off. I might be old and physically disabled; but by golly, what's that saying? "Gitter Done!"
7 people like this
7 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
31 Jan 19
proud 'f ya! 's fer the hay shortage, many factors 'nvolved with that. greed here 's they wish $95 fer a round bale 'f CPR grass - which they've already been paid via tax dollars.
last 3 stringers i got weighed 'bout 140 'n though i'd a truck 'twas quite the feat to get 'em off'n 'nto the barn. the hubs says, "use the hay hooks". uhm, nope, i'm with ya, if'n ya can get 'em to stand that flip 'n roll thingy works loads better.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
1 Feb 19
@nanette64 
'bout 'em laughin'. ya jest need to get 'em trained 'tis all. i've thought 'f gettin' a couple 'f mine trained to pull wagons 'n such, but the health cratered 'n most 'f the ones with such potential were sold. now the ones i've left 're 12-20 yrs 'f age 'n sat idle fer quite a few years. not sure they'd be delighted to learn, lol.
'bout 'em laughin'. ya jest need to get 'em trained 'tis all. i've thought 'f gettin' a couple 'f mine trained to pull wagons 'n such, but the health cratered 'n most 'f the ones with such potential were sold. now the ones i've left 're 12-20 yrs 'f age 'n sat idle fer quite a few years. not sure they'd be delighted to learn, lol.1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Feb 19
Yeah, I think our round bales here are up to $150 each @crazyhorseladycx . I don't think I could do the drag thing either. Of course, maybe I could leash up the donkeys and let them do all the pullin'. Yeah, like they're gonna cooperate! 
Heck, when I was trying to get the car unstuck, they stood by the fence laughing. 
Heck, when I was trying to get the car unstuck, they stood by the fence laughing. 1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
2 Feb 19
@crazyhorseladycx Yeah, mine are up there in age too. Heck they're even uncooperative if I want to put a bridle on them for crying out loud.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112959)
• El Paso, Texas
2 Feb 19
I use alfalfa to augment the soil once in a while @nanette64 sooo, what is 'founder'?
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Feb 19
The only problem with the alfalfa is that donkeys shouldn't eat it @rebelann . It can cause them to founder.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
2 Feb 19
@rebelann High simple sugars & starches broken down by the bacteria in the large intestine and causes a breakdown that damages the membrane structure of the hoof which can cause Laminitis (separation of the coffin bone at the base of the hoof).
1 person likes this
@eagletrek2 (5499)
• Kingston, New York
31 Jan 19
the farms in my area of upstate ny, has hay in the sumer time long ride but
if you ask some one but begoing up on a businees trip
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Feb 19
Thanks for the info @eagletrek2 .
1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32748)
• Calgary, Alberta
30 Jan 19
some leafy trees can be a good alternative to hay if you can't find any. These can be eaten by horses and donkeys
Carya illinoinensis (pecan)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Taxodium distichum (bald cypress)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) ...
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) ...
Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica: Salix x blanda and Salix x pendulina) ...
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) ...
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsyvanica) ...
White Pine (Pinus strobus)
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
30 Jan 19
Oh yeah, they've stripped several trees on the property @CaptAlbertWhisker .They even started eating the MDF board surrounding their lean-to (which scared me), but I called about that and fortunately at least, it won't kill them.
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32748)
• Calgary, Alberta
30 Jan 19
@nanette64 if the shortage continues and you run out of trees, compensate with carrots, jicama and apples. They love crispy fruits and veggies.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
30 Jan 19
@CaptAlbertWhisker Oh yeah. When I approach them with the carrots, they start dancing.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
1 Feb 19
@nanette64 is that good or bad on the price?
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Feb 19
Yeah, I wound up buying more oats and sweet feed @amadeo . Thankfully for a 50-pound back of each it only came to $21.00.
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
1 Feb 19
@amadeo The sweet feed stays about the same ($9 a bag); it's the oats that goes up in price. Overall though I can't complain. Besides it makes my boys & girls happy campers.
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
31 Jan 19
Yuppers, since it's only me, I don't have a choice. I try to get the car as close to the hay building as I can. It makes it tougher though if we get a lot of rain because then the ground is too soggy to drive on. A month or so ago I did that and the car was stuck for 4 days. The hay building is 100 yards from my back door and then the fence to the pasture is behind that building. @JudyEv
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341751)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 19
@nanette64 Then that is a fair distance you need to take the hay.
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
30 Jan 19
I think that a lot of the world is beginning to see strange weather patterns... Manitoba suffered last summer. I really think that we all have to try harder if we want to save our planet.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
30 Jan 19
You're not kidding @Hate2Iron . The way things are going now, we'll all be living in Glass-domed cities.
