Drought picture

We have been feeding hay since July. There is nothing left. We usually get 35 to 40 in. Of rain per year. This year only 13 in. To date.

Need to know where we and where are at ....

There is no drought that has not broken, ever!

Hang in there, next year will be better.

I used the same opportunity in 2009 to take the knife to my herd, the quality is noticeably better as a result.

We are in Austin county 20 miles from the home of Blue Bell ice cream. In Brenham TX.

We're in Illinois and broke into the hay 2 days ago.  We will get a 4th cutting but of course it will be light. 

Weaned all the calves I could.

Saw an article on the front page of a local paper claiming farmers were still looking for an above average crop.  Failed to mention test weights or beans.

There will be guys combining this week around us.  It's on the verge of dropping all the ears and going down.  Some are going to try and take advantage of the old crop pricing.  Even with drying costs is might work .

Whoe- how far south in Illinois are you? We're 25 miles north of the wi/ill border in SE WI and we haven't even started silage corn yet.. Corn is 90% green, some have 3 cobs, others have 1.. Worried about the 12 foot tall corn with one ear that's bigger than my forearm. 80% green and it's already 1/3 dropped.. Beans are just turning on the knolls around here too.

We're in Illinois along 80 and there are people beginning to combine here also. Seed corn has been in full swing for a few weeks. The news says were approaching 50 days with no rain. I have mowed my yard twice since July 4. The next few days we will have temps in the upper 90s.

We're in NW Kansas and started on dry corn last week.  Wet corn's been going for about 10 days.  Our average rainfall is only about 18", right about 9" for this year.  The biggest difference I see when I drive across the state/country is this:  in this part of the world, we plant for a short rainfall year, and have pretty good crops in a poor year, where other parts of the country always plant for the good years.  It always makes me chuckle a little bit to hear you guys getting, in this case 13", some places more, and complaining about drought.  I understand my ancestors plopped us here, and why I don't know, it's just something that fascinates me.  My wife's family farms and raises cattle in NW Missouri, and will complain about a drought when their grass is 3 foot tall and green.  They do not have windmills or other means to water other than the ponds, so when they dry up, they think they are in a drought.

Duncraggan said:

There is no drought that has not broken, ever!

Hang in there, next year will be better.

I used the same opportunity in 2009 to take the knife to my herd, the quality is noticeably better as a result.

Click to expand...

I live in south Texas, I've been wishing for that for three years....

Sorry to hear that.

We're about 1/2 hour south of 80 and got started today.

There was quite a bit of corn not the best ground and of course it was wet.  But the stalk quality is deteriorating rapidly. 

nkotb I am curious as to how you plant for a poor year vs. planting for a good year.  Are you talking about a shorter day corn or a specific variety?

We plant some shorter day corns, most of what gets planted around here on dryland is 95-105 day corn, we also reduce our populations, most around 16,000 but some as low as 12,500.  We usually figure once you get below 20,000 it doesn't make much difference, but its hard to convince everyone of that.  I am in the retail side, and a lot of our ground also gets underfertilized as guys figure they can make the rest up during the season if need be, then never do.  One other system we utilize is to fallow ground.  A typical rotaion in our area would be:  wheat, planted in September/October, harvested in late June, early July; followed by corn planted the following April/May, and harvested September/October, or milo planted in May/June, and harvested October/November; then fallowed, either chemical or mechanical, until the next September/October, when it is planted back to wheat.

Here is the same pasture. We have had about 28 inches so far this year. God is good.

What a blessing!