Animal food shortages?

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Here in southern VA the feed we've been using has gone up from 8.99 to 13.99. They've had it though. I did buy the last red mineral blocks both times I've been in the last few months. Which was 2 once and 1 another time.
 
Here in southern Utah they still have a good supply of the feed in the farm stores, but about 6 months ago they were have shortages due to difficulties with the trucking companies. About 2 months ago we ordered in the hay pellets for the horse and the price had gone up but they said their supply chain was solid and did not expect any shortage issues. And, the delivery driver is part owner and told us to call in the order the next time and let them know we had ordered the first time at the lower price and they will honor that lower price for "existing" customers for about a year or so when they will re-evaluate their costs for the next year.

But, we are still looking into ways to provide our own feed to the birds in the future if a drop in the feed supply occurs in the future. I don't know how we will do that but our options are possibly meal worms, expanding my large guppy farm well beyond the 100 gallon stock tank we have now, and improving the couple areas in the yard where I have been trying to grow grass and cover crops for the birds to graze a few days a week.
 
I grabbed a reprint of a 1940s book about feeding rabbits and poultry off scraps.
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I also intend to start growing fodder this winter and planting forage grasses to dry for hay.

Once we start breeding and butchering rabbits the dogs and cats will get rabbit to supplement their food.
 
I'm concerned about being able to get rabbit pellets n sunflower seeds for the birds. Are you all seeing shortages for livestock grains ? And if any grain farmers out there it would be nice to hear what you have to say
This year's Midwest drought will have some effect on grain supplies. How much is yet to be seen. My brother farms about 800 acres of corn and I asked him about this last week. He said he's expecting a 5 to 10 percent loss. The good, fertile ground will still produce good crops but the slopes and sand pockets aren't going to produce nearly as well. Keep in mind that it's been really weird. The rains have been very spotty - some farms have gotten million dollar rains at the right time, but a farm 3 miles away might have only gotten a quarter inch from the same storm.

The Dakotas and some parts of Minnesota are worse off than we are. Much of Nebraska seems to be doing better than us, as is Missouri. I doubt that the actual supply of feed corn will be so short as to be unobtainable, but people are going to pay more for it...
 
Feed has gone up here, too, but no shortages. My cousin dumped off two round bales of alfalfa from our back field to our barn for our 3 rabbits. Ha.
A 50 pound bale of alfalfa was near 55 bucks several years ago here. Last time I looked. It doesn't grow here so has to be trucked, barged. Expensive. When we had our old horse we fed her alfalfa pellets. To get the needed protiens. BTW what I've researched rabbits can't be fed alfalfa full time because of their digestive systems. I don't so don't really know.
Anyhows they had 4 bags at the the local store. Need 8 more for winter. Going to get the hay for the year this week. Hopefully we can get some second cutting. One more bag of sunflower seeds as I use them for added protiens n fats. Especially to feeding moms but I also feed sunflower seeds during the winter for the fats when it's 40 below. I think we paid near 28 bucks for a 40 pound bag of seeds. What are you all paying for black sunflower seeds by 40 pound bag ?
 
I had a huge crop of sunflower seeds last year off of just 10-12 plants. I grew these giant sunflowers a friend off another forum sent me seeds of. I didn't grow any this year though.

Maybe we need to figure out a way to help one another by trading and selling between us as a group? Of course shipping may be the killer there. I doubt I could ship 40lbs. to AK for 28 bucks but maybe someone closer could.
 
I spoke with a pasture seed company and they told me which pasture forage grasses I can grow in my area for hay for the rabbits. Timothy of course and Tiffany Teff. Not terrible for the seeds in bulk but not the cheapest out there. I figure being able to grow my own forage/hay to feed our rabbits would be good for grain shortages.

I did see that Azure Standard has Modesto Milling Co. Rabbit Pellets so that might be an option if you have a pickup location you can get to.
 
I had a huge crop of sunflower seeds last year off of just 10-12 plants. I grew these giant sunflowers a friend off another forum sent me seeds of. I didn't grow any this year though.

Maybe we need to figure out a way to help one another by trading and selling between us as a group? Of course shipping may be the killer there. I doubt I could ship 40lbs. to AK for 28 bucks but maybe someone closer could.

I'd like to see some seed swaps by folks on here as well. Try some stuff from different regions and see how it does in your area.
 
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We do buy rabbit feed for the rabbits. Just give them a little alfalfa. Don't know what the price is here, because we have 15 acres of it that a cousin takes care of. He keeps most of it unless we want any. Planning on getting lambs in the spring, so we'll need more then.
Seed swaps are a great idea.
 
All parts of the sunflower are edible, that might be a good crop for your birds.
I agree, also if you grow corn & okra (or any mellow plant) plant twice as much as you will use. You can use the extra as poultry feed
& as soon as the okra pods split open cut them & hang then up to dry out. You can buy your feed in 50# bags & mix your own feed.
Store it in 55 gallon drums, until needed, months ahead of the use.
 
This year's Midwest drought will have some effect on grain supplies. How much is yet to be seen. My brother farms about 800 acres of corn and I asked him about this last week. He said he's expecting a 5 to 10 percent loss. The good, fertile ground will still produce good crops but the slopes and sand pockets aren't going to produce nearly as well. Keep in mind that it's been really weird. The rains have been very spotty - some farms have gotten million dollar rains at the right time, but a farm 3 miles away might have only gotten a quarter inch from the same storm.

The Dakotas and some parts of Minnesota are worse off than we are. Much of Nebraska seems to be doing better than us, as is Missouri. I doubt that the actual supply of feed corn will be so short as to be unobtainable, but people are going to pay more for it...

only commenting on dakotas..last weeks farm report said canada had some kind of crop failures over drought and more..i think it was..but anyway...they reported canada is now buying up grains in dakotas and other states in area close to border to off set its crop failures.
 
A 50 pound bale of alfalfa was near 55 bucks several years ago here. Last time I looked. It doesn't grow here so has to be trucked, barged. Expensive. When we had our old horse we fed her alfalfa pellets. To get the needed protiens. BTW what I've researched rabbits can't be fed alfalfa full time because of their digestive systems. I don't so don't really know.
Anyhows they had 4 bags at the the local store. Need 8 more for winter. Going to get the hay for the year this week. Hopefully we can get some second cutting. One more bag of sunflower seeds as I use them for added protiens n fats. Especially to feeding moms but I also feed sunflower seeds during the winter for the fats when it's 40 below. I think we paid near 28 bucks for a 40 pound bag of seeds. What are you all paying for black sunflower seeds by 40 pound bag ?

for some reason i am thinking way back about 1980ish in alaska geographic i seen kilters growing alfalfa in homer area.its old book on gardening and farming. but anyhow i bet alfalfa can grow there. at those prices a 'garden' 100x150 would provide a good bit. it have to be fenced though for sure. also look into mangels.

40# sunflower seed is $17
 
something else to keep in mind and try...use what wild feed the snowshoe hare eat there as a feed.
 
A 50 pound bale of alfalfa was near 55 bucks several years ago here.

Whaaaaat??? How is that even remotely reasonable? Did you mean to say a 500 lb bale?

We paid $6 a bale from our neighbor down the road which are about 50 lbs a bale

It's raining so we are inside. Animals were out but probably all in the barn or the shelter now. I know we can use the rain, but I hate it ....I wished it only rained at night hahahaha

We are getting another load of hay soon, $5 bale, second cutting , 50 lb bales. Same price as usual for the guy we are getting it from, but it surprised me since there is not a lot of hay for sale this year because it was very dry.

Grain prices are way up. What was $5 for a 50 lb bag is now $8 or more ( corn, gluten, soy hulls , anything)
 
This is the cheap time of year for hay around me. You can get small squares of grass or alfalfa grass mix (50-60 lbs) for $5 or less. My brother sells brome grass and canary grass hay for $3/Bale if the customer comes and gets it right off the rack. He figures not having to handle it is worth giving up a buck a bale.

Come March, good grass hay will be $7 to $9 here, maybe more next year because of the drought...
 
No problems here, but animal food is grown here. We have 15 acres of alfalfa that a cousin of mine does, so we just take whatever. I have 2 round bales from the last cutting. And just 3 rabbits. Chicken feed is grown and processed here, down the road. Price went up a bit, but it's not bad. I grow greens for the rabbits and chickens. Lots of lettuce, kale, spinach. And we have acres of dandelion, so I pick 3 big buckets of that for the chicken runs every morning. There are alot of animal friendly "weeds" on our property. Too many tomatoes still happening, and the chickens have been getting any that aren't perfect every day. Turkeys love the overabundance of cucumbers.
I've got lots of extra grain stored for the winter.
 
I have been working out the math to figure out what we need for a year with our rabbits. Roo has been 'helping' me do the mental math. We have 3 rabbits right now but after reading about how a buck can 'shoot' blanks or the mating not take I decided to get a second buck. My goal is 3 does and 2 bucks but to start I wanted a trio. Our little buck is starting to look like he is a mini rex and not standard. The girls are attached to him as he is a sweetie and LOVES attention. I am hoping he is a slow grower.

But it looks like I might need to sell 5 bunnies around Easter to cover our feed costs for the year. If not it is still WAAAAAAAAY cheaper than any meat on the market.

I do plan to grow grass on the hill behind the house for hay. I found a seed dealer who sells forage and hay seed in various types at a fair price. Timothy and Tiffany Teff for the rabbits.

Anyone know where I can get a decent sickle?
 
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