Haymaking is at last finished for this year. The final 6 acres with 800 bales was carted on Sunday just before the rain that night. Not the best quality, just as you would expect from hay that should have been made at least 6 weeks ago. When being used this winter I may have to suplement with some hard food but what price will that be? My local merchant has just raised the price of all animal feed owing to the price of grain. I hope I don't need too much.
Martin. Medway Valley Dexters.
Finished at last
What a relief it must be to get it in, Martin, even if it isn't up to the usual standard. I've had to buy in for the first time here. 65 big bales of hay and 75 small bales. I've got more than enough haylage/silage in big bales but it remains to be seen what that makes up like. It smells nice enough though. Also, because we haven't had time for a second cut there is a really nice bite of grass in most of the fields. If it stays dry (and what a big IF that is) everyone should be able to stay out a bit longer. Here's hoping !!
Sylvia, Dolmelys Dexters.
Sylvia, Dolmelys Dexters.
I too, can breathe a sigh of relief, with my winter feed problem largely solved.
However, having grabbed the window of opportunity, as far as the weather was concerned, my silage contractor let me down, by inexplicably leaving five loads of cut grass in one field, not carted. I still have not caught up with him for any sensible explanation. The remaining grass had two days of heavy rain on it, before it was discovered, after head scratching we decided to big bale as hay since the silage had been sheeted down, and covered with bales of bought hay. I was very lucky in the week of fine weather, which followed, and have 15 big bales of hay of surprisingly good quality, which we have stuffed, somehow, into the only small shed available. What with the vissitudes of weather and the moods of contractors, I hope I never have quite such a traumatic season again. Needless to say, I shall not be using the same contractor next year. As far as the escalating cost of bought feed is concerned, that should give the grass fed Dexter an advantage over the Continentals largely fattened on expensive corn.
However, having grabbed the window of opportunity, as far as the weather was concerned, my silage contractor let me down, by inexplicably leaving five loads of cut grass in one field, not carted. I still have not caught up with him for any sensible explanation. The remaining grass had two days of heavy rain on it, before it was discovered, after head scratching we decided to big bale as hay since the silage had been sheeted down, and covered with bales of bought hay. I was very lucky in the week of fine weather, which followed, and have 15 big bales of hay of surprisingly good quality, which we have stuffed, somehow, into the only small shed available. What with the vissitudes of weather and the moods of contractors, I hope I never have quite such a traumatic season again. Needless to say, I shall not be using the same contractor next year. As far as the escalating cost of bought feed is concerned, that should give the grass fed Dexter an advantage over the Continentals largely fattened on expensive corn.
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Louisa Gidney
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It seems my incipient fodder crisis is now largely resolved too. Chap down the road is busy haytiming small bales & is selling for £1.50/bale collected or £2/bale delivered & stacked. An independent friend has been to see it & says the quality is O.K. Phew! Just got to clean out one shed & reorganise the barn to get it in.
Zanfara Dexters
Tow Law
Co. Durham
Tow Law
Co. Durham