NEWS & VIEWS Another Hay Crisis? continued from page 9 I think the supply situation is once again re-
parts of Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region earlier in the summer (and now wet weather in the Mid-Atlantic), and you have a lot of uncer- tainty in the hay market. Some hay that would normally be shipped into Maryland from other parts of the coun- try is being used locally due to short supplies in those areas of production or being shipped to drought-stricken areas due to serious feed shortages in those areas. Livestock producers in states such as Texas are looking far and wide for hay so this year hay buyers in Maryland might well be competing with a buyer from Texas.
Hay Prices At the present time hay prices across Penn-
sylvania are reported to be up about 20% from last year. Nationally the average price for alfalfa hay has jumped by about 50%. A comparison of 2010 to 2011 prices (early July through mid- September) at the Westminster Auction shows that we can expect to pay more this year.
WESTMINSTER HAY AUCTION (prices per bale)
2010
Alfalfa Mixed
2011
Alfalfa $1.90–$7.00 $2.00–$9.30 $1.30–$5.90 $3.10–$7.50
Timothy $1.00–$5.50 $1.60–$6.40 $1.00–$5.10 $1.00–$6.50
Timothy Mixed
Grass Mixed
$1.00–$5.90 $1.00–$6.80
Notice that while the low-end prices have not changed substantially from 2010 to 2011, ex- cept for alfalfa mixed hay, the upper-end prices have increased $0.90 to $2.30 per bale.
fl ected in current hay prices. Prices for good quality hay are higher than normal for this time of year and the range in prices for any given type of hay is wider than normal. T e range in prices is a refl ection of the quality that is being off ered for sale: lots of average and lower qual- ity hay, not much high quality hay. What is the most important piece of infor- mation that you need when going out to buy
Bits & Pieces
Barn Fire Near Emmitsburg A barn at the 15200 block of Motters Station Road (between Bollinger Road and Four Points Road) burned down on August 11. According to the Frederick News Post, the fi re spread to the tall grass around the barn as well. T e blaze was put out within 30 minutes of fi refi ghters arriving on the scene, but the barn was not salvageable. T e cause of the fi re and the extent of the damage is still being determined.
Missing or Stolen Horse Saturday morning, September 3, 2011, at the crack of dawn, Kathy Taylor faced what we all
dread: an empty paddock where just the night before a horse had been turned out. Gone. Gate off its hinges. No horse. T e chestnut mare, owned by Naomi Lefkovitz, was being restricted from grass and thus was that night in the round pen with hay and water. Was she gorging herself nearby on the lush new grass, the result of the recent cool, rainy spell? Located near parkland in the Damascus/Mount Airy area, the equestrian community around
Taylormade Stables went into high alert. T e day was opening cub hunt for the two local hunts, so there were plenty of riders out and about in the surrounding parkland, but no sign of the 16-hand, 12-year-old T oroughbred/Warmblood cross. For days everyone searched. Tracking dogs were brought in, as was a psychic. While near park-
land, the area is surrounded by development, making it highly unlikely that the mare would not have eventually been spotted by someone, or eventually wandered into another stable yard looking to join a herd. Eventually, Addie’s people reached the conclusion that she had to have been stolen. Why this
mare would have been stolen is not clear, particularly as there were 60 other horses on the prop- erty, including several worth considerably more, but there seems to be no other explanation. T e tracking dog was able to conclusively follow Addie’s scent to a certain spot on the paved road,
Bits & Pieces continued on page 98
hay? T e nutritional needs (requirements) of your horse(s). Not every horse needs the high- est quality (nutritional value) hay. But you as the horse owner need to know what factors in- fl uence hay quality, what to look for in evaluat- ing hay, and how to match that to the needs of your horse(s). If you need help evaluating hay quality, you might fi nd this fact sheet helpful:
http://extension.umd.edu/publications/pdfs/ fs644.pdf.
WHO HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HORSES FOR SALE IN MARYLAND?
We have over 27 horses for you to choose f om. Everything f om safe, sane and sound trail/pleasure horses to truly magnifi cent Warmbloods
See their videos at
www.Reddemeade.com or call 301-421-4481 to have a look Allll pric d t
priced to sell, brokers protected s pr 12 | THE EQUIERY | OCTOBER 2011 800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
838652-110911
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