Owners of horses and livestock are having a tougher time caring for the animals because hay prices are soaring.
The cost of a bale of hay has more than doubled in the last three years. Hay has gone from about eight dollars to eighteen dollars a bale in the last three years.
There is less hay available and that’s driving up the price.
And it’s contributing to the problem of horses being neglected and starved.
The case near Sanger this week of eleven horses found malnourished is the latest in a series of heartbreaking discoveries.
In December, nineteen horses were found starving in
Part of the problem owners are having is the skyrocketing price of hay.
“This is about the highest I've ever seen it here in the valley,” said Roger Evans of Evans Feed and Livestock Supply in
Evans says there’s been a high demand for hay. Drought in
“And it doesn't look good for next year either. Total acreage of planted hay is less this year than it was last year,” Evans said.
Evans says he’s lost about a third of his customers who had horses. The animals were sold or turned loose because the owners couldn’t afford to feed them.
The S.P.C.A. in
“We've had a couple of wonderful donors that have brought truckloads full and of course we've gone through all of that,” said Beth Caffrey with the Central California S.P.C.A.
The horses from Sanger will be available for adoption once they’re determined to be healthy.
Donations of hay can be made to the S.P.C.A. at