where to find round bales of fescue?

[Doc]

The drought in NC has taken its toll -- there is no hay and I'm looking for farmers in other nearby states to see if there is any fescue round bales for sale/delivery? I need 4x4 or 4x5, no larger, 22-25 bales. Thanks.

[gwithrow]

go to the NC ag review or local county extension agent, they have a web site where you can advertise what you want...and there are those who are advertising what they have to sell...also golden leaf grant is helping with transportion cost if you have to pay for that..some places are offering corn stover for sale...I found very good info from our county extension man..good luck...

[agmantoo]

The Rowan county extension office had a source of baled corn stalks. The bales were $25 each available in Rowan county. Like yourself, I too need hay shortly. I have already sold 20% of the herd. Good Luck

[Doc]

I've already been to the website, over and over again, and Cooperative Extension, and to many meetings. EVERYONE is looking for hay.

One thing I learned about corn stover: Coop ext agent has been testing it for nitrate levels -- coming in 3% or higher. That rate, in his words: "will kill a cow in an instant." Besides, there is no protein in it.

[topside1]

Doc, are you willing to drive to the Cookeville/Crossville TN. area? The boys here are selling rounds. If you are interested I can post some numbers. Not sure if the hay is local or inported....TJ

[topside1]

October 2, 2007 8:26 pm CST
Ends on November 1, 2007
price $45





contact info
company name
brown construction
Username carybrown
Address n/a
City cookeville
State TN
Zip 38501
Phone 1 not public
Phone 2 (931) 261-6257
email Contact Seller


[advertisement] info Ad No. 163382HAY FOR SALE
{message_result}
description
4X4 $45.00

4X5 $55.00

Dry hay that has been kept in a barn.
Call 931-261-6257

[topside1]

163933
Ad began October 3, 2007 4:23 pm CST
Ends on November 2, 2007
price $60





contact info
Username forever51
Address n/a
City Cookeville
State TN
Zip 38506
Phone 1 not public
Phone 2 not public
email Contact Seller


[advertisement] info Ad No. 163933ROUND ROLLS
{message_result}
description
round rolls of hay 4x5
60.00
we have a tractor to load with

[genebo]

Mike Clark Jr., in Burkeville, VA bales haylage. That is 4x4 bales wrapped in plastic and fermented, like silage. They weigh 1900 lbs. and are hard to pick up. One bale will feed about 65 Angus beef cattle for a day. They were about $40 the last time I asked. Probably have gone up, but it's too late to call him tonight.

I'm not buying from him this year. My cows love it, but I only have 6 right now, and if the bale isn't eaten within 7 or 8 days, it goes bad and the rest is wasted. Mine can only eat 1/2 a bale before it goes bad. He's trying to find a way to bale 1/2 size bales for me but his baler won't do it.

He bales all types: corn, oats, rye, and BMR (brown mid rib). The BMR is a cross between sorghum and Sudan grass. It's very nutritious and they'll eat it like candy. Stand back when you put out the oats, too.

When you open a bale, it smells like dill pickles to me. The first bale, my cattle never left the feeder all day. That night my bull came to the barn for a drink. The barn door is 10' wide but he missed it. Ran right into the doorway. He was drunk as a skunk!

Gene Bowen
Paradise farm
Church Road, VA

[Doc]

Thanks for posting. Good to know that there is some hay out there. I "think" I've found a source closer to home, although the hay is not fescue. It's a mix of Bermudagrass, foxtail and Timothy. Farmer who bales this also feeds it to his own herd.

Problem with going to TN or VA is that I don't have a big trailer and transportation/delivery is prohibitive. Still, if it's the only thing....

I do have question: with the type of bales I've described above, do I need to supplement protein? Also, what brand of free-choice minerals do you recommend? My Coop-X agent said to switch from salt block with minerals to free choice. Just curious to know who likes what.

[genebo]

I always keep a 24% protein molasses tub in the field. It helps keep a healthy active rumen. I put out mineral blocks at every feeding or watering station. They're cheap. In addition, I have a free-choice mineral feeding station where I feed loose minerals.

To top it off, every morning I feed a little sweet feed, corn and corn gluten with loose minerals added. This keeps them in the habit of coming to me. I walk among them, looking and petting. Any problems get spotted quickly this way.

I change minerals due to the seasons. In Spring, I feed minerals with bloat guard. In summer, I feed minerals with fly-stop. Always the minerals have to have added selenium. Our grass is deficient in it.

I recently bought some Countryside minerals, with DE, kelp and some other things in it. It's a lot more expensive. The cattle and goats love the stuff and eat it a lot quicker than the other minerals. It's supposed to provide more trace nutrients and have a worming action.

Last year, the cost of a 1900 lb. bale of haylage, delivered from Burkeville, VA to Raleigh, NC was $75. It's probably a little higher this year.

Genebo
Paradise farm

[Doc]

Genebo,

Really good information. Thanks. You mentioned that you changed your minerals seasonally -- what do you give for fall/winter?

1900 lb hay -- what size bales and how many? Not a bad price, but like you say, probably more this year.

How many cows do you have? They have to be darn healthy!

[genebo]

Doc,

In the winter, I give Southern States Beefmaster loose minerals plus the standard trace mineral blocks.

The 1900 lb. haylage is in 4x4 tightly wrapped bales. The hay is baled at around 60% moisture content. It ferments in the bag it's wrapped in. When you open a bag, the smell is overpowering. Alcohol is part of it. You'd better not stand between it and the cows when you open it. It's very good nutrition, too.

I had 11 Dexter cattle at my highest stocking, on 10 acres. Seven acres are grass and the rest is trees. Right now I'm down to 6 registered Dexters. Brenn of Paradise and 5 cows. Another heifer is due here tomorrow.

My Dexters are extremely healthy. They fairly glow. They're all natural, no shots, hormones or antibiotics.

[js2743]

DOC give this a try http://www.hayexchange.com/

[genebo]

Doc,

I just spoke to my hay supplier in Dinwiddie. He has 4x4 round bales of fescue for $20. I judge them to be about 700#. He has enough for you, but isn't equipped to deliver them. He'll be baling more on Sunday.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Here on the NC-VA line round bales (large ones) are going for $80 !! Square bales are about $8..... I still sell mine for $5.00 but only to my regular buyers. Don't have any extra to sell to those who "procrastinated" and don't have any. I always tell folks "get your hay in the spring and put it in a shed somewhere." Ofcourse people always wait until the first frost kills off their grass and then frantically search for hay. Good luck finding some at a reasonable price. Many folks are selling off their herds rather than buying hay. One neighbor was talking about selling off his herd and then selling all the hay he cut this year, rather than keeping his herd and feeding up that hay. He could make more by selling off this years hay crop than he could make in 3 years selling his feeder calves! Anyway, good luck, and don't forget next year to plan ahead!

PS Bales of corn stalks is just a belly filler, has very little nutrition, unless it was cut early at the silage stage and was still green, with heads still on it. Most baled stalks you'll find are dried up because they harvested the corn first, then baled the waste stalks. With the silage hay, the reason it weighs so much is because it was baled wet then allowed to ferment to preserve it. You aren't getting more hay than a regular bale, just more weight in water. It's OK for feeding though, as long as it hasn't rotted.