It doesn't come as a huge shock to hay producers in the country to hear experts warning horse owners to stock up on their forage needs early this year.
Organically produced hay growing at Willowview Hill Farm, Stamford, NY
Take the recent press release by Coleman, University of Kentucky Extension Office -
"Coleman emphasized that hay is a mobile commodity. Although hay may be readily available in some areas, regions experiencing a shortage will require hay to be transported across the state or county,” he said. “Making hay purchasing decisions early can ensure buying at a reasonable price when the supply is abundant. Waiting until later in the feeding season might lead to reduced availability and significantly higher costs.” (read more on our news page)
Here in the North-East we've enjoyed the wettest July in nearly 200 years, 197 to be exact, and the 3rd wettest month in 197 years with over 11.5 inches in Upstate regions of New York. Staggering metrics for sure, and as any hay farmer knows not only has Mother Nature dished out heavy rain this growing season, she has also spent this season offering tantalizing day of sun followed by a day of rain.
Finding horse hay of 2nd cut supply wise will be hard as quantities will necessarily be low due to the late 1st season harvest. Finding 1st cut that hasn't been wet in the field will be equally hard.
The reality is that many farmers through sheer frustration turned to silage as a means to get hay harvested at all. While others have relied on the bevy of (untested for safe use on horses) dry-down agents and preservatives to cure hay sufficiently to prevent it causing fires, molding and dusting etc. Adding 'organic' acids does not mean that the final product can't cause horses health issues just because the word organic is in the title.
The other concern is that soaking or even steaming the hay that is infused or coated with these dry-down agents will likely not remove them from the forage. It is also good to realize that almost every large round bale of hay will have been treated in some manner to try and negate mold, dust or other issues in these so called 'ton' bales. It is simply almost impossible to bale these mammoths without their use.
Health issues that are likely to be prevalent in horses exposed to 'treated' hay crops can include hives, upper respiratory inflammation (especially in young horses), and that bane of every horse owner at this point, ulcers.
Digestive issues in the horse naturally manifest themselves in a variety of issues. Leaky gut syndrome, hind gut issues in general, lack of condition or poor behavior, muscle soreness and lameness, skin issues etc. The list goes on.
There are lots of good reasons to feed supplements to counter the effects of the negative diet and nutrition in the horse, but of course not putting the a horse's health in jeopardy in the first place would be ideal. This is trickier than it seems, as finding good quality well cured hay that is cured the old-fashioned way, by Mother Nature alone, is hard to do. When you do find it, it is likely more expensive than its counterparts and the absence of dry-down agents or preservatives does not mean it is good hay.
Hay also needs to be clean and green, meaning clean of weeds, dust and mold and green with good color notating a proper time of harvesting and method of drying to the correct moisture content has been executed.
Many folks turn to feeding bagged, commercially produced forage made by large companies such as Standlee (Tractor Supply a likely purchasing point). If you read the print on the label and website, they do indicate that the hay they utilize has been treated with preservatives etc.
The likelihood is that hay produced to date will be quickly snapped up by hay dealers who have both the storage to hold large supplies in reserve while the market is built up to high demand and highest prices can be attained with accompanying robust profit margins. They can move the hay wherever the best price will be paid, often out of the area it was produced.
Sadly it is not usually the farmer that reaps the profits of the hard labor it takes to produce hay. So in response, farmers across the U.S.A. have plowed many hay fields under for more profitable crops over the past several years. A practice that continues to show no sign of stopping its upward trending popularity.
The extremely high costs of fertilizer mean that yields are likely down. Utilizing 'liquid gold' cow manure or other animal manure spread on the fields after 1st cut to bring on the 2nd cut is common practice. But the organic manure will also bring with it a myriad of unwanted seeds from weedy or obnoxious plants.
The small square, user-friendly, organically grown and harvested hay supply is ever diminishing and the reality is that as Coleman at UK quoted in his press release above, the best time to set up your hay supply is now not later. If you don't have proper storage then its wise to think about making an investment in that area too.
