Colorado Ranchers and Dairies Face Record Hay Prices

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Bill Gray is a third-generation cattle rancher near Pueblo and for the first time in his life, Gray’s thinking about quitting the business. That’s because he can't afford to feed his animals. The cost of hay in that part of the state has more than doubled in the last year, and it’s hard to come by because ranchers in drought-stricken states like Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico are buying it up. Meanwhile, that shortage benefits hay producer Don Leonard. He runs Don’s Hay Service in Brush, Colorado, on the northeastern plains.

[Photo: Flickr user goosmurf]