| Subject: |
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The Horse Online / Hay Shortage / Tragic outcome |
| Name: |
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Sherryl |
| Date Posted: |
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Nov 11, 07 - 10:11 PM |
| Email: |
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Sherryl@Sulphurhorseranch.com |
| Website: |
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http://www.Sulphurhorseranch.com |
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I do not know if many of you get The Horse Online so thought I would bring the article over here for you to read. ( I placed the article below my post.)
We can purchase hay here but the cost of a ton of hay is rapidly growing. Many local hay farmers here are hoarding their hay waiting till winter when they can get $60.00 to $70.00 per 4x4 round roll and we all know how long that will last if you have quite a few horses as myself. It makes me sick to see very large local barns stock piled with hay that poeple are unwilling to sell just for the sake of a dollar when people could use that hay to feed their livestock, horses, cattle, or whatever there needs are. Almost all of hoarders are people with no livestock, just hay producers with no concern for those in need.
Many beef farmers have sold off their Cattle as they are unable to to feed them through the winter. Pastures have dried up and most only got one cutting from their fields. Cattle here, especially the Long Horns are going for .20 cents a pound at the market. Black Angus can be bought up for as little as .30 to .40 cents per pound. The meat markets are buying all of these Cattle up for slaughter but without thought as to what will happen in the following year. There will be no local beef and the hoarders will be left with a barn full of hay paying $9.00 a pound for their T-bone steak. I have been purchasing Timothy and Alfalfa hay for my horses and in just the past week it has gone up $40.00 per ton. There is hay out there, just too many greedy people waiting to pounce on the extra buck in their back pocket. They always say what goes around comes around so will just sit back and see what this next Spring brings.
I am just thankful that I can afford to purchase the hay and grain that my horses need.
Many are just taking horses to the Auction houses and leaving them there tied up hoping someone will take them. By the time they pay for the Coggins test and sale fee they end up with nothing as horses are going so cheap.
Here is the article from The Horse Online, very tragic...........................
Idaho Authorities Say Rising Feed Costs Causing Surge in Neglect Cases
by: The Associated Press
November 02 2007, Article # 10742
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Horse Health News
Authorities in northern Idaho who recently found four dead horses and eight others that were malnourished say high feed prices could lead to more such cases.
"We all know that hay and feed prices are skyrocketing and that causes some people to not properly nourish their animals," said Kootenai County sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger. "We need to hear about that."
Animal control officers last week found two dead horses at the former Coeur d'Alene Auction Yards, along with eight malnourished horses and five others that appeared OK. Officers gave the unidentified owner instructions for proper care.
But when authorities returned on Monday they found nothing had changed and seized the horses. Authorities then checked another site that Wolfinger said is owned by the same person and found two more dead horses.
In all, 13 horses were seized, and are being held by Panhandle Equine Rescue. They are being treated by veterinarians, officials said.
Wolfinger said an investigation should be complete next week, at which time the county prosecutor's office will decide whether to file charges.
Christy Hilbert, manager of Rathdrum Country Store, said hay prices have gone from $97 per ton last year to more than $180 a ton this year.
"I think it's a big problem," said Hilbert, who said she had to sell two of her horses so she could feed the other three.
Drought and farmers switching from growing hay to growing corn for ethanol are among the factors that have contributed to rising hay prices. |
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