Heat & drought

[Doc]

I know we all have our own Crosses to bear, but this drought is rough if you're not used to it. 23 days in a row 95 or higher, 11 days at 100 or higher. Rain is nonexistant. Next county over just passed a law you can't use city water to water livestock, 1st offense $300, 2nd offense $600 & keeps going up. Only hay for sale is coming from TX, KS, & MI. It's tough keeping calves on feed. What can you do other than try to ride it out.

 

[chambero]

Where are you from?  We had about 10+ year run on drought down here in Texas.  We've finally got relief this year.  You couldn't find hay from anywhere to buy down here last year.

 

[Doc]

I'm 25 miles north of Nashville,TN on I-65 , 15 miles from KY.

 

[DL]

In some senses we have been luckier than many places - it sure was hot and it sure was dry - but no floods, fires, tornados etc. We had no rain from May until this past weekend when we got 4 inches - so the drought is "officially" over but there is very little hay - we stopped grazing in July - the pasture was toast - tiem will tell how it all plays out -

 

[CAB]

    Doc, have you had a chance to look @ the by products coming from the ethonal industry? Corn prices and the late hard freeze in our area have caused hay prices to almost triple this over last year, so it's like DL said, we'll all get to see how this plays out. Garybob's talk about JPZ's genetics & Olhde's type of genetics may become more popular. Depends on how long the economics that we have right now hang on as to whether or not the types and genetic lines stay where they are at now. Cab

 

[OH Breeder]

Doc,
As you know for a while just south of DL in Northwest Ohio we were really worried if the corn would make and the beans are really spotty. We now have flood waters. One of the local rivers is up 7 feet. So, I am not going to compalin. Our hay never made and I am buying it OUCH at top dollar. I am cutting back so I can make it through the winter.

 

[farmboy]

our pasture is fine, must be gettin more than yall

 

[Shebet21]

Here in west central Wisconsin, we were in tough shape until a couple weeks ago. Now we've have over 15 inches of rain in 10 days and we have more forcasted through this week. It can stop any time.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

I feel for you guys that are dry. A couple of years ago we almost drownded in the early spring until about the middle of April but when the rain quit it was over for the summer, didn't get any measurable rain until September. It makes a long winter when you start haying everything in July. Good luck - hope it starts raining for you soon.

 

[JSchroeder]

It's both funny and sad to see the cows that were shipped out of Texas to the SE states last year due to drought here come back now that the drought followed them over there.

Texas commercial guys were shipping alfalfa from Wyoming at this time last year.  We had our cows ranked from 1-150 in order of which would be in the next set of ten to go to market the next week.  Cows were dropping dead as stock tanks that had never been dry went empty.  Some estimates are the cow herd was reduced by as much as half in South Texas.

Now we can't even get hay out of the field between the rain storms and nobody has enough cattle to even keep their places looking half way managed.  Even if you can get hay out of the field, there aren't any buyers for it.

 

[mp]

That other guy said "the rain can stop any time". You never say that in Texas. I live near Eastland where it flooded pretty bad and you still never heard those words come out of my mouth. Because as soon as I would have said it, it would have stopped raining and boom the drought would have been back. Never seen it rain like this in Texas.

 

[Will]

Drought can be a very difficult time.  We just went through a few years of drought.  It will end.  If you are trying to find a positive, a drought forces you to cull harder than normal and when it ends you will have a better cow herd. The last three years were the worst years in our area since the 1930's, but most believe this has been as good of a summer as ever.  It will get better.

 

[chambero]

We finally broke down and said it.  We went about a month without being able to get our calves out of the pasture to send to the feedlot back in July.  Had worst prevalence of foot rot in our area I've ever heard of.  Everyone in our area had it.  But those pastures and hay stacks sure look a lot better than a year ago.

That other guy said "the rain can stop any time". You never say that in Texas. I live near Eastland where it flooded pretty bad and you still never heard those words come out of my mouth. Because as soon as I would have said it, it would have stopped raining and boom the drought would have been back. Never seen it rain like this in Texas.

 

[Doc]

Drought can be a very difficult time.  We just went through a few years of drought.  It will end.  If you are trying to find a positive, a drought forces you to cull harder than normal and when it ends you will have a better cow herd. The last three years were the worst years in our area since the 1930's, but most believe this has been as good of a summer as ever.  It will get better.

you are exactly right on the culling part.Have shipped some that under normal times you would have overlooked their sins and let them stay around.

 

[NHR]

First of all I am back and have found my "Zen"! (whatever that means)  ;D

As for drought. We culled heavily with the drought that we went through here the last couple of years. When you get to a point where the cost of maintaing is higher then the return then it is time to sell/cull. We cut down 75% of cow herd during the drought. What I have left are the best!

We did put out feed to help, we used a feed called "hay stretcher" I think it was made by Evergreen or Sabine Valley Feeds since those are the 2 feeds my dealer carriers. The hay stretcher was very similar to the 2n1 Meal that we feed during the winter but I believe it also contained some fom of chopped forage (alfalfa or tifton). It worked real good.

 

[jason]

It has been hot here in KS, but I think we got some relief coming soon, supposedly going to be 80 on sat.

 

[garybob]

All's I can say is, "rocks don't hold water for very long". Was a "relief" to get down to 92F last week. Live in NW AR, about 40 minutes from "Will"'s place. Cows are at Daddy's, about a half-hour South of Branson, MO. We were green as the Fifth of June, until about a month ago. Then, the rain stopped. Bermuda Grass is even going dormant.

Y'uns can imagine how the fescue looks.

Laters,
Gary Bob

 

[SWMO]

We went through two years of drought in SW Mo it was tough.  Then this Spring is never quit raining!  If you don't like the weather in Missouri just stick around a while and it will change!!!!

After the rain last weekend, the horse flies are terrible.  I have never seen them so bad.  Every cow has five or six BIG horse flies on her.  I really feel for the cows right now.

 

[TJ]

We went through two years of drought in SW Mo it was tough.  Then this Spring is never quit raining!  If you don't like the weather in Missouri just stick around a while and it will change!!!!

After the rain last weekend, the horse flies are terrible.  I have never seen them so bad.  Every cow has five or six BIG horse flies on her.  I really feel for the cows right now.

Thankfully, we got a lot of rain yesterday!!  We had some scattered showers yesterday morning & heavy rain yesterday afternoon.  We needed it.  It's been HOT & DRY.  We are now considered to be back in an extreme drought, but that rain yesterday had to help!!  The grass has already greening back up a little bit.    Also, I'm hauling grain for some friends, so not only did we get some much needed moisture, I also got to take today off & was able to catch up on several things around here & I was able to goof off a little today too.  Even though it slowed them down on their harvest, they were thankful for the rain too. 

Hope that everyone else is getting favorable weather!!       

 

[red]

The hubby & I ran some errands today. We went up to NW Ohio. Some of the corn up there was barely knee high in many places. To make matters worse, this was the area that received over 10" of rain last week in under an hour. The beans were better but only because they can tolerate drought conditions a little better.

We are looking at starting to chop corn silage next week. Some areas are really concerned about nitrates w/ the drought conditions. The silage is still fairly green in most areas we looked at.

Red