Hay Shortage Could Lead To More Animal Suffering

Monday, January 1st 2007, 9:15 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A hay shortage, the result of wildfires that ravaged Oklahoma early in 2006, may lead to more cases of animal starvation in the state, state agriculture experts say.

The wildfires burned more than 850,000 acres of grazing land and caused Oklahoma to lose more than 60 percent of its hay stock. Rising hay prices, fueled in part by higher transportation costs, mean some farmers have to make hard decisions when it comes to feeding their animals, said state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry spokesman Jack Carson.

Some farmers, Carson said, are planning to sell portions of their herds because of the food shortage, because the animals aren't worth keeping financially if there isn't enough food to keep them healthy.

Others, he said, aren't feeding their animals enough food, or even at all.

Last month, Grant County authorities found seven starving horses and more than 40 animal carcasses on a farm. Sheriff Roland Hula said they animals had eaten all the grass and had taken to eating sticks and rocks.

A lack of high-quality hay likely will affect horses more than other farm animals, said Steven Cooper, an assistant professor of animal science at Oklahoma State University. Cattle and goats can make better use of low-quality foods, he said, because of the way they digest.

He said that some farmers already are feeding their cattle corn stalks instead of hay.

``No one is going to call the police to complain about a starving cow,'' Cooper said.

Some horse owners also are trying to sell their animals because of the increased costs of hay, Cooper said. An alfalfa bale that might usually cost $3.50 could sell for up to $10 this year, he said.

Saving starving animals also is expensive. Kristy Krueger, an Enid-area veterinarian, said she lost more than $10,000 in medical expenses while saving a group of 100 starving horses from a Kingfisher County farm in 2002.