For the most part, I have been impressed with the way farmers have responded to the shortage of hay. Most are going to cut back on the hay they feed an individual cow but they can't cut out the roughage completely without hurting the cows. They have culled cattle so they need less feed. They have green chopped corn, cut soybeans for cattle feed, rolled up corn stalks. One farmer even baled up some sweet gum leaves. Other farmers have fenced in woodlots so the cows could get to fresh tree leaves before they start falling. I noticed one farmer had went through a woodlot and cut down the understory trees making those leaves available to their cows. Overgrown areas that normally get bushhogged or ignored, have been harvested for hay. One farmer has lost some cows from a cutting like this. Farmers are back hauling hay from all kinds of places on any empty truck (furniture trucks mostly). One guy is hauling cows one way and backhauling hay.
The one sour note was the whining individual who called in last week. Best I could tell he hadn't struck a lick for himself. "Is the government going to do anything about getting me some hay for my cows...l. I think the goverment should help me out..... If the goverment doesn't help me out there will be one less farmer in Cabarrus County."
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