Shocker Price for Feed

[Nebraskagirl]

I live in rural Nebraska and been on the farm all my life and this is BAD! Our crops are done. D.O.N.E. My poor uncle in Kansas has 300 head of cattle and I help work the ranch. I was just down last Friday and we sat the sale barn for two hours watching cattle auctioned off. Way low cattle prices. Poor ranchers have to sell off the herd to maintain otherwise they will starve. Some ranchers spend 5-6 hours a day trucking in water, luckily we have not had to do that. My uncle has been having hay shipped in by the semi load because everything is burned up due to the heat and lack of rain, but that is getting really hard to come by and when he does get it, it is sky high in price. He is thinking of selling off 100 head, which is why he has been going to the sale barn to see how prices are. It was 114 degrees in Hill City, Kansas on Friday and stayed above 110 the entire time I was there. Not looking good, just not.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I live in rural Nebraska and been on the farm all my life and this is BAD! Our crops are done. D.O.N.E. My poor uncle in Kansas has 300 head of cattle and I help work the ranch. I was just down last Friday and we sat the sale barn for two hours watching cattle auctioned off. Way low cattle prices. Poor ranchers have to sell off the herd to maintain otherwise they will starve. Some ranchers spend 5-6 hours a day trucking in water, luckily we have not had to do that. My uncle has been having hay shipped in my the semi load, but that is getting really hard to come by and when he does get it, it is sky high in price. He is thinking of selling of 100 head, which is why he has been going to sale barn to see how prices are. It was 114 degrees in Hill City, Kansas on Friday and stayed above 110 the entire time I was there. Not looking good, just not.

Very sad, especially for the farmer and cattle folks.

 

[jdywntr]

I haven't noticed a price hike but I am still new to my area (6 weeks) so I am getting used to the prices. In FL, I was paying 21.50 for a bag of flock raiser all the time. My landlord said that if the drought continues many of the folks around here will begin selling off their stock.

We had about 1 week of daily rain after none for 3 weeks so everything is green here now. But if it doesn't continue, I'm going to have to train the flock to free range and come back in. I was hoping to wait until they were at least hatching out some babies so that if I had any losses, I would not need to buy replacements. DH has been great about not saying I need to get a job but he has said no more animals for now.

Here's hoping for rain for all of us.

 

[newbyduckmom]

The last time I bought Flockraiser - about a week ago - it had gone up $4 a bag for 50 lbs - since about three weeks ago.

 

[Amiga]

Just bought a 50lb bag of Purina Flock raiser this morning, they weren't kidding when they said prices were going up because of the drought. $21.50 for 50lbs. most I have ever paid. Anyone else seeing this already? Just 2 weeks ago 17.00

A few days ago, the Blue Seal feed I bought before for around $23 a 50 pound bag (organic poultry layer) had gone up to $27, and I expect it to keep going up.

Might not hurt to find s large sunny area and discover the beauty of field peas, oats, wheat, buckwheat, and flax. They are very pretty plants. Hint hint.

Anyone trying vermicomposting?

Carol Deppe's Resilient Gardening includes a chapter on ducks, and how hers enjoy some squash and boiled potatoes.

Just some ideas.

 

[Going Quackers]

I live in rural Nebraska and been on the farm all my life and this is BAD! Our crops are done. D.O.N.E. My poor uncle in Kansas has 300 head of cattle and I help work the ranch. I was just down last Friday and we sat the sale barn for two hours watching cattle auctioned off. Way low cattle prices. Poor ranchers have to sell off the herd to maintain otherwise they will starve. Some ranchers spend 5-6 hours a day trucking in water, luckily we have not had to do that. My uncle has been having hay shipped in by the semi load because everything is burned up due to the heat and lack of rain, but that is getting really hard to come by and when he does get it, it is sky high in price. He is thinking of selling off 100 head, which is why he has been going to the sale barn to see how prices are. It was 114 degrees in Hill City, Kansas on Friday and stayed above 110 the entire time I was there. Not looking good, just not.

How sad and frustrating.

 

[Going Quackers]

I wish we had a mill around these parts. But I am going to be getting other grains to add to my bag of FR, going tomorrow for the rest it will be interesting to see what it will end up costing after all said an done. For those of us who have small back yard flocks I have 30 chickens 13 ducks and a goose. It is going to be pricey to have pets I have a feeling. I didn't even price Blk oil sunflower seeds since I still have some of them.

What other grains are you considering?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope Celtic doesn't mind me posting this, but great info here on what to feed. http://www.celticoaks.com/feedtreatmentsmedicine-cabinet/what-we-feed/

 

[HauiBali]

FYI in Hungary it's $15 for 50lbs of Bábolna duck-starter, and $13.75 for adult duck feed. Bábolna is a very old company here, with good reputation. But we also pay $6.84 for a US gallon of petrol.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

How sad and frustrating.

Yeah it really makes for some sleepless nights here

My uncle is 76 years old and this is all we know; ranching. The Associated Press ran a story about the drought and we met the reporter while at the sale barn in Hill City. My uncle knows the rancher Ken personally who is featured in the story. If anyone is interested in reading here is the story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/midwest-drought-2012-ranchers-farmers_n_1697169.html

Let's just pray for rain