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Central Kansas | Lots of calls here in Central Kansas for hay. We are shipping to North Carolina and Alabama...old crop....little squares....$130/ton. About to tap out on carryover hay and 1st cutting is winding down around here. Quite a variation in hay height, but all shorter than normal, weevil damage and dry winter and early spring held back rank growth. I am guessing 2/3rds of a normal crop per acre...about 1 ton on upland, non-irrigated. Finer stemmed than normal and the quality should be excellent. Some guys had to spray 2X for weevil/aphids so inputs are a little high. The open stands early have allowed some weeds and grass to start in some thinner fields.
Our cool season grass for horse hay around these parts is brome. The lack of winter moisture and rains in Feb and Mar have really hurt the growth....it is heading with leaf mass at 12" or less in many cases. This is going to be <50% of a normal crop....and nitrogen didn't seem to do much this year without early moisture. It needs to be cut before seed is set as the quality will drop precipitously after that. Native grass meadows (prairie hay) are not at normal growth rate either....but generally these are hayed off after July 4th to allow pheasants and quail to finish nesting. It can still get to growing some.
All in all.....horse folks will have to pay a little more for all types of hay in this area the coming fall/winter. I had a call, told him the price, he whined and moaned....I suggest he just go to Walmart and pick some up...it is always on sale!! | |
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Hay market in Central Kansas
