Southern Colorado ranchers still need hay

US - The frozen coating of snow on Colorado's Eastern Plains continues to make it impossible for many area cattle to graze.
calendar icon 24 January 2007
clock icon 1 minute read
While some of the state's ranchers hit by recent blizzards still are searching for their cattle, others now are looking for hay, according to Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association.

In response, Colorado Cattlemen's Association officials put out a call Monday to locate hay resources and an Internet network to connect hay sellers with needy ranchers.

"Most ranchers on the Eastern Plains graze their cattle for a good portion of the winter. The blanket of snow that has covered the plains makes this impossible now, and the hay supplies are dwindling rapidly," Fankhauser said.

He said the cattlemen's association has put together a hay contact list on its Web site, www.coloradocattle.org.

Chuck Hanagan, Farm Service director for Otero and Crowley counties, said the hay supply in the valley is gone.

"We had a rancher in here Sunday commenting that some of the hay that is left is horse quality hay and that it's very expensive - basically the biggest percentage of the hay in the valley is gone.

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain
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