OklahomaHorses Magazine November 2023

12 OklahomaHorses • November / December 2023 by customers as “McHay,” are made with two ingredients only — hay and water. That also results in a some- what softer cube, which many horse owners prefer. Once the cubes are made, they are loaded into one-ton crates and 50-pound sacks, ready to be shipped. The company sells mostly to individ- ual horse owners or trainers, many of whom buy a whole semiload at once. However, McCracken also sells hay to a few local feed stores and distributers. McCracken products can be found mostly in Texas and Oklahoma. DeeDee De Armond-Anderson, who owns and operates Cross Bar A Ranch in Chandler, has been feeding McCracken’s red-tag and blue-tag cubes to her horses for about two years. “Even older horses can eat it and stay fit with it,” she said. “The coat looks amazing since my boy has been on it.” De Armond-Anderson also mentioned that feeding McHay has helped with fly control. “There have been fewer flies around my horses’ poo. I don’t know if there is anything special in the cubes, but I have noticed a big change when I changed over to McHay.” Aside from alfalfa cubes, McCracken also sells compressed and traditional bales of alfalfa and other hay types, including large and small bales. Daily Operations at McCracken Hay When Zimmer purchased McCracken Hay Company, he kept the same 12 em- ployees, which consist of a yard crew and office help. On any given day, McCracken employees can be found grinding hay, making and sacking cubes, loading and unloading trucks, maintaining all the equipment needed to do such tasks, and buying and selling hay. On average, the company makes a couple of hundred tons of hay cubes per week. “No day or year is ever the same,” said Zimmer. “We have to work at it all the time.” Zimmer noted that the best part of being in the hay business is that he gets to work around a lot of great people, learn new things every day, and meet and talk to horse people who are passionate about the same things he is. At the same time, working in the agricultural industry can have its challenges. Weather is unpredictable, and drought years can be especially tough. Hay prices are always sub- ject to change, but they inevitably increase during low-yield years. Like- wise, when the company ships hay in from other states all year long, winter road conditions can cause a problem. Last year, much of the country, including Oklahoma, experienced significant drought conditions. Zimmer said McCracken Hay had to search high and low for hay sources from areas that weren’t experiencing the same drought conditions. “We work with farmers year-round to ensure that we have a consistent supply of hay,” said Zimmer. “We purchase accord- ing to availability, quality, and price. Our biggest concern is providing a consistent product at the best price possible.” If you’re ever in the Elgin area, Zimmer invites people to stop in to check out Mc- Cracken’s hay products. The address is 456 Northwest McCracken Road. For more information, visit https://mccrackenhay. com or call (580) 492-4169. Lindsay Bippus Real Estate Broker / Owner 12342 E. 86th St. N. Owasso 74055 (918) 706-3857 dreammakerrealtyok.com Welcome to your dream estate on 30 acres of pure Oklahoma beauty! $535,000 • 4 beds/3 baths • 2,386 Sq ft• 30 acres Minutes away from HWY 75 and HWY 169 2800 E 390 Road • Talala, OK 74080 • MLS#:2335263 Updated kitchen • Woodburning fireplace • Two primary suites, w/bath Lighted horse arena • Horse fencing • Bucking chute and cattle shoot Detached 2-car garage • Barn with stalls, hay shed and equipment storage Stocked fishing pond • Pastures cross-fenced, creating multiple enclosures McCracken Hay Company in Elgin, Oklahoma, manufactures hay cubes and other products.