There is nothing worse than running low on feed for your livestock. Cathy Isom has suggestions about some ways to find hay in the wintertime. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Whether your hay stock is running low, or the quality of hay you have has proven to be sub-par, there’s nothing worse than observing a declining supply of hay in your loft. Especially, when there’s still plenty of winter left. Chances are you’ll still be in luck because there are still many places to find hay during the cold winter months.
Your local co-op or auction house may have weekly hay auctions. Check the schedules and call around to see if there’s a certain day of the week for auctions and be ready to bid for your hay.
Good ‘ol newspaper classifieds still have listings for hay from time to time, so if you’ve got a subscription, start watching the paper for hay listings. No newspaper? Well, there’s always Craigslist. You are almost always going to find hay for sale on craigslist. Unfortunately, it may not be nearby, but if you’re in a bind, you might need to be OK with a little travel.
If you’re on Facebook, you can find local farming and homesteading groups to join. Usually, these groups are open to anyone interested in animal husbandry and a simple post asking around for hay may yield some fantastic results. Even if no one has hay for sale, they may be able to point you in the right direction or offer a few bales to help you out in a time of need.
You could also inquire at feed mills, ag feed stores, or ask your neighbors with livestock if they have some hay they are willing to part with.
I’m Cathy Isom…