By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor

The start of hay season had a short delay but is now gearing up to full speed across most of Texas.

Victoria County Farm Bureau member Leanne Hempel, who is also chair of the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) hay and forage committee, said South Texas is seeing a fairly good start to hay season.

“We have some already cut and baled, some people are still trying to fertilize, and some are still discing and trying to do some gopher control,” she said.

Hempel and her family custom bale in addition to growing their own hay. She said on their own farms, they’ve recently planted haygrazer and are also trying to eradicate gophers.

“Gopher holes will really tear up equipment during the harvest,” she said. “So, we’re trying to get that under control as much as we can to save ourselves headaches in the future.”

The South Texas family tried a new hay blend this winter, and Hempel said they were pleased with the results.

“We grew a mixture of winter oats and triticale that we cut and baled last week,” Hempel said. “It’s a very interesting mix, and we’ve had customers picking it up as fast as we can cut it.”

Stock show animal owners mostly buy the haygrazer and other specialty types of hay they grow, but Hempel said they sell most of their hay to cow-calf operations in the area.

“We have well over a thousand bales on order for this summer already,” Hempel said. “Most of the people calling for hay are just getting their order put in, so they don’t get missed for summer baling. The last two years, we’ve run out, so it’s good to get on the list while they can.”

Coastal and Gordo bluestem pastures in the area look good but are not yet ready for cutting. And while Hempel said she hasn’t spotted any armyworms, farmers and ranchers are dealing with gophers and intense hog pressure.

The first weekly hay report for the month of May by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service shows hay trade in Texas remains steady.

“First cutting has started in South and West Texas, and trades in both regions have been in line with old crop prices,” the report said. “Excessive amounts of rain continued in the North and Central regions, so producers in those areas are expecting first cutting to be somewhat delayed to around the first of June.”