Source For Organic Hay in North Texas

[thankful_k]

I just found out that the hay I bought had been sprayed with weed killer. I should have asked first. I think I am going to unload it (with full disclosure of course) for a few bucks per bale.

I would like full-on organic hay for my donkey and (soon) goats. Does anyone know of a supplier of certified organic hay in North Texas or Southern Oklahoma?

Thanks

 

[Curmudgeon]

@Pearl might know.

 

[Pearl]

I won't buy hay grown in Texas! I use a feed store that gets hay from Arizona. It's all expensive and harder to get out of state hay. I get 3 string bermuda bales (about 100#) for 30$ a bale, last year were 18$!! You may have to ask around at some feed stores. A lot of them won't use local growers.

 

[Amish Heart]

My cousin sells organic hay in Kansas. He fills our roundtop with it every year. I know semis come from New Mexico to load up on it.

 

[Patchouli]

Easily found online: There’s a farm north of Bryan, Texas, 3C Farms; and another place in Comanche County, Leafy Creek Farm LLC. I asked a friend who has donkeys and miniature horses, she doesn’t know of any place. Another friend says she sprays their weeds in the Bermuda grass fields. They have a lot of horses. I’ll keep asking.

 

[thankful_k]

Easily found online: There’s a farm north of Bryan, Texas, 3C Farms; and another place in Comanche County, Leafy Creek Farm LLC. I asked a friend who has donkeys and miniature horses, she doesn’t know of any place. Another friend says she sprays their weeds in the Bermuda grass fields. They have a lot of horses. I’ll keep asking.

Yes, I found those, but those are several hours away, and the one that has responded says that they only have cow hay. As I understand it, cow hay is unsuitable for horses (donkeys?). I'm not sure about goats though

 

[Patchouli]

I suppose north Texas covers a lot of area, while Bryan isn’t really north Texas at all. My horse ranch friend suggested Facebook marketplace as a great place to check, local newspapers.

 

[Pearl]

Yes, I found those, but those are several hours away, and the one that has responded says that they only have cow hay. As I understand it, cow hay is unsuitable for horses (donkeys?). I'm not sure about goats though

Goats can eat cow hay. Equines should not, nor should they eat round bales! I cringe everytime I drive by horses in a pasture with round bales!

 

[thankful_k]

Goats can eat cow hay. Equines should not, nor should they eat round bales! I cringe everytime I drive by horses in a pasture with round bales!

I have heard bad things about round bales. Apparently there is a great deal of waste, and the hay will tend to fall on the ground and mix with feces/pathogens that in turn get into the animals' digestive tract. My plan was to use suspended hay bags to reduce waste, and keep the hay off the ground.

So ... I did find an outfit, Hay USA in Weatherford that at least offers non-pesticide, non-herbicide, non-GMO 3-string bales. And they sell by the individual bale. If organic is hard to come by (closest place I could reasonably find is in Austin, and they're waiting on rain), then non-GMO will do. Especially without nasty chemicals. I don't want to contaminate the animals/soil, even though I think I may already have a little bit b/c I've been feeding the donkey feed-store hay for a few months. But the best time to stop that is now.

https://www.hayusa.net/businesshours.html

 

[Pearl]

I have heard bad things about round bales. Apparently there is a great deal of waste, and the hay will tend to fall on the ground and mix with feces/pathogens that in turn get into the animals' digestive tract. My plan was to use suspended hay bags to reduce waste, and keep the hay off the ground.

So ... I did find an outfit, Hay USA in Weatherford that at least offers non-pesticide, non-herbicide, non-GMO 3-string bales. And they sell by the individual bale. If organic is hard to come by (closest place I could reasonably find is in Austin, and they're waiting on rain), then non-GMO will do. Especially without nasty chemicals. I don't want to contaminate the animals/soil, even though I think I may already have a little bit b/c I've been feeding the donkey feed-store hay for a few months. But the best time to stop that is now.

https://www.hayusa.net/businesshours.html

I know the owner, Liz Blitzer, very well!! Her hay comes from northern California and Oregon! I had to stop feeding it because of the heavy fertilizer. She's a good gal, her hay is more expensive because of the water issues up there. Donkeys are very sensitive to things like fertilizer, mine would not eat the Hay Usa hay!! But worth a try!!