Chikousky says Interlake will need hay

Debbie Chikousky writes a great column in each Grainews about her family's efforts to squeeze a living from cattle, sheep and goats. In her latest column, which will hit mail boxes in a week to 10 days, she expresses considerable worry that they won't have enough hay. It just won't stop raining. Manitoba's Interlake region is getting rain after rain, and hay fields are drenched. 

I talked to Debbie today (August 27) and they have only put up 54 bales. Last winter, they used 750. It is a nice sunny day today, but the Chikousky farm had a few tenths of rain last night on top of 3.5 inches late last week. A neighbour had six inches last week. "I seriously just sat down and cried on Thursday when it just wouldn't quit coming down," she told me.

Debbie holds out hope that the weather will turn and they'll be able to cut and bale what's out there right now, but quality will be an issue and 750 bales seems so far away at this point.

The situation presents two major problems. One, the Chikouskys budget on producing their own hay, so when that have to buy it, it's cash out of pocket. And two, because many livestock producers in the Interlake are in a similar situation, finding hay nearby will be almost impossible.

Debbie is hoping the Manitoba government will come through with some disaster assistance plan. One thought is that the province will help pay to have hay trucked in, but producers will still have to buy the hay itself. Debbie says it could cost them $25,000, which means they'll have to live all year off what she makes writing and what her husband makes driving the bus.

In an e-mail she sent earlier this week, Debbie wrote: "What is really going to kill us I figure is that people are already starting to dump cattle. Most of the guys we know close to retirement are pulling out so the prices are sure to tank. Apparently Virden is already booked with herd dispersals this coming sale.

"As our neighbour explained, our net worth is all tied into our farms. If you sell too far down on breeding stock, you can no longer be viable and hey there just aren't that many jobs out there. Last Thursday/Friday when it just wasn't stopping, it was a very scary place to be. I am really getting worried about the mental state of a lot of people. Way too depressed." 

At the end of our phone conversation, Debbie said that anyone in Manitoba who has extra hay can e-mail her at gdchik@mts.net.