Weather puts the bite on animal feed stocks

THE long, hard winter is really biting into animal feed stocks, with hay and straw now in short supply. "It is very, very difficult to get hold of good quality straw," according to fodder merchant Willie Graham, of Auchengray, Dumfries.

Because of the weather, he has been hauling straw from well outwith his normal catchment area, having been as far south as Oxford in his quest for good-quality fodder. Last week, he was trying to buy in Aberdeenshire, but was quoted a price of 16 per round bale. That would have led to a cost to the buyer of more than 100 per tonne after haulage costs to south-west Scotland were added.

"In addition to my usual customers, I am now getting a large number of calls from strangers," said Graham. "They are desperate to get anything to help augment the silage they have been feeding."

Ever since the snow came in mid-December, livestock farmers have had to increase rations to their sheep and cattle, and after eight to nine weeks with lying snow, silage clamps are rapidly emptying.

The Border Machinery Ring are also deeply involved in supplying fodder, including hauling carrots up from Humberside to help their livestock members. Stephen Young reckoned this was the first time they had had to source animal food from such a distance.

"Most farmers who are taking in stock feed are trying to spin out their silage in order to get to the end of the winter," he said.

With an adverse weather forecast for the latter half of the week, he was not optimistic of a rapid end to the long winter.

The TayForth Ring has also been busy trying to cope with the demand for fodder.

Manager Bruce Hamilton, said: "If we could find more, we could easily sell more. Hay is simply not available and good-quality straw stored inside is now very scarce."

He priced the latter commodity at about 75 per tonne if it was in big square bales.