Since Jan 2022 gotten only 3 to 4" rain. Last good rain was in April. We're a tinder box, crunchy grass where the weeds cannot even produce seed heads and the weeds are only thigh high...a foot. It's disheartening to see several time a "V" rain formation....that hit both sides of us...but never my ranch. My cattle look healthy, I feed them cubes twice a week....i don't know what they're eating but dried material...2 to 6" high. I've been dropping big trees every time i go out...they love the leaves. Now, these are tree that horses have pretty much killed off 2 years ago (removing bark-decay and ants came in)...they're going to die and drop soon anyway. Plus I have too many trees.
If anyone is nearby and has equipment to hay I have tall johnson grass (literally over my head in some places) at the Ladonia ranch (near commerce Texas) that can be cut and bailed. I'd partner and share over 50% of the yield.
As far as my Ferris ranch...I'm inexperienced, there's no hay left in the area (big horse lovers here). Hay used to be $60. last year now it's $80 to $100. if you can find it. My inexperienced drought plan is to supplement 20% protein cubes with bailed corn stalk-age fairly soon. Nobody wants the bailed corn and it was fairly cheap at $30. a 4x5 bail...maybe it'll be $40 this year.
...I don't know what to do...other than cattle cubes and corn stalkage from August 2022 to end of Febuary 2023. My original plan was to start feeding really good wholesome hay in Dec 1st 2022....but this drought changed all that.
...here's my inexperienced fear....I'm scared i will over grain/protein them without enough roughage/grass (hope the cattle are forgiving enough for what I'm about to do to them)