Contents page 1 — hay-Noon in the North page 2 — “Then there is a Heukrieg!” Page 3 — “horses need to constantly kaufähiges Material” On a page
reading It is already dawn as Hans-Hermann Ropers on his farm in the vicinity of Cuxhaven, rushes past a roaring machine that spits out green Golden Heuquader, past the two trucks, which is: “All animals are glad, Ropers supplies hay and straw”.
Ropers, a full head of white hair, and soft facial features, leads to a large hall and talks so quickly that only pauses in breathing bought to interrupt him: “My grandpa has Land, my father, I buy my sons the country. Now we know, what is it good for. All are in need of hay and I am one of the few who has what.” Earlier, he had still the forwarding and the success criteria, but since shrank the margins, “the Butter on the bread is getting thinner and thinner”. Because of the need to rethink change that. “If all the potatoes grow, I build no potatoes, but make the hay.”
Hans-Hermann Ropers reaps it on 550 acres, “on the best of the Elbe river marshland,” he says. From here, he and his two sons, to deliver bales of hay and Straw in the entire Republic and beyond. At the Moment, so the 61 says-Year-old, was the hay “the Gold of agriculture”.
Because it does not rain for months, brought in the first hay cut in the early part of the summer only half as much income as usual. The same in the second and third cut. In addition, the blazing sun scorches the cloudless sky, the Grass. Therefore, many animals need to be fed in addition, although they are to Graze on the pasture.
cows can’t easily be used with Alternative fed with corn silage, horses. Therefore, the Heuknappheit is especially true of the one Million horse owners in Germany, especially the fallen in the North and in the East, where hardly any rain. You need to think of something to supply your sensitive and valuable animals. Some order the hay by forwarding from Bavaria, Austria or Poland. The other, the trailer behind the car, even from farm to farm, in order to save costs. Because the price has gone up since the early summer of approximately 40 euros up to 100 euros per round bale.
This article dates back to the TIME no 02/2019. Here you can read the entire issue.
Those who have not planned early enough, and fear, at the end of winter with empty Racks. Rack, the rack means in the hay is placed, so that the animals can use. Therefore, the phone is not standing still for months at Heuhändler Ropers. “The E-Mails I print and folders you the way,” he says, while he opens the door to the hall and to the steps of a narrow wooden staircase enters.
That he still has hay, is the size of the areas he managed. In addition, Ropers purchased throughout the year, hay has replenished its inventories: “Others make a lot of small-Small, but I am a merchant, with me running through the crowd.”
It is also due to a daring decision from the year 2015. At that time, he built a today drying system on the farm, the plant, the Ropers are now ascended. “Some people thought the Ropers, the spin. And either I would have gone with the investment completely, or you pays off properly,” he says and grins.
hay and straw hay
If the farmers mow the pasture and the mowing, let it dry, hay. It consists not only of grasses, but also herbs and other plants in the meadow. Meadows several times can be cut in the year. Experts call, only the first mowing in early summer, during hay harvest, while they describe the second section as a grommet. Grommet is used because of its high nutrient content, especially as a dairy cattle feed. In horses, it can trigger a dangerous colic.
