Disconcerting, Has Me Concerned

[Workinonit Farm]

It has been very, very dry here. We were in a deficit back in October and its only gotten worse since. (insert blue-faced emoticon here) Normally, this time of year, my cows & calves cannot keep up with the grass. My grass can't keep up with my cows and calves, and what is there, is starting to wilt and die. The grass in the yard looks green, and that's only from little 'spits' of precipitation that feed the surface. It is very disconcerting. (again with the blue face emoticon)

I'm bringing a group of calves to the sale tomorrow morning. Been looking at the herd list and started thinking about which cows I'll send down the road, if we don't get some kind of precipitation. Hadn't planned on off-loading any this year, but as we all know, plans change. If (most likely when) the day comes that a few of them will hit the road, if cull prices are in the tank, I'm thinking I may have them processed into burger and sell 'em as burger. I may get more for them that way. I don't know. Just thinking out loud here.

Last week we had what called a 'sick joke' weather day. Desperate for moisture, it "snowed" a fair amount of the day. BUT it was itsy-bitsy flakes, the sidewalk never got wet, only the grass blades got wet, enough to walk on wet grass blades, then through dust and make a mud on the bottoms of shoes, yet no useful water for anything.

Lately I've been one of those folks, wondering why am I still doing this??? (insert qustion mark faced emoticon here) Just finished, finally, repairing & replacing all the fence damaged by those devestating winds we had a few weeks back.

Thanks for "listening". (I think I can do the sad face, colon, parenthesis)

 

[Caustic Burno]

Been there done the drought t-shirt.
You can replace the cows tomorrow takes years to rebuild pastures.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Been there done the drought t-shirt.
You can replace the cows tomorrow takes years to rebuild pastures.

You're right about the pastures. I went through this, a number of years ago. Cut the herd by more than half. That was a bad time. After that I vowed I would never complain about mud again.

It isn't worth destroying pastures. I've learned that.

 

[TCRanch]

I feel your pain! Our pastures are horrible, can't remember the last time we were still feeding bales this time of year and we're getting very low. Locals are buying junk bales for $50 and the ones that burned the pastures are starting to panic. Our ponds are getting dangerously low. We have a 60 acre watershed lake, the primary source of water during spring - fall, & last Oct the Watershed Dist drained 40 million gallons/appx 4 ft (for maintenance & running a pipeline), not anticipating a drought. Up to 50 mph wind gusts the past couple weeks, temp went from 84 yesterday afternoon to 33 (wind chill 20) this morning. A lot of wildfires and most of my cattle have watery, irritated eyes. The sale barn has been packed the past few weeks because people are already culling essentially anything that doesn't have a calf on the ground. Last time we had a serious drought it lasted 3 years. Praying for rain!

 

[WalnutCrest]

When culling, concert what toy can to beef. You'll get better net prices.

Look into hauling your cattle to someplace with green grass. If you can do pot loads (yourself or with another), it may pencil (if you don't have to go too far).

I need rain, too.

I'm still feeding hay ... the last 14 bales were 2yo lousy, weedy CRP bales a neighbor had stored in a ditch to prevent erosion.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Well, at least we're all in good company. I understand what you guys are going through. Our creeks are down to a trickle.

Hopefully we'll all get some much needed moisture soon.

From what I could see at the sale, this morning, a bunch of other folks are having the same issues. In addition to calves, a fair amount of cows were there too.

 

[farmerjan]

It is dry here too. That little bit of snow did the same here. Cull cow prices were down last week and with the dairies that are losing their milk contracts by the first of June, the cull prices will get even worse. We were gonna sell steers 2 weeks ago, held them back til the weather warmed up a bit. Don't know if we will sell this next Friday or not. Said they had quite a run in Staunton; over 1500 head. Didn't start til 5 ( usually 2 pm). We are feeding ALOT of hay right now, but we are okay for now, unless we don't get any moisture. Supposed to get 1-2 inches tomorrow so we will see. They are getting pounded in Texas, La, Tn, and Ky....
Finally warmed up here, after that cold damp 38 * and flurries, in 3 days it went to 80*. A lot of wind which is keeping the ground dry except for the slick stuff on top when we get those little .1 showers.

Not a good start to the spring.

 

[snoopdog]

We were dry in the fall and winter , I think it's broke now , down to cleaning out the barn of busted string squares by hand and pitchfork , hauling the last of it this morning. And praying for sunshine and warmer temps .

 

[Workinonit Farm]

It is dry here too. That little bit of snow did the same here. Cull cow prices were down last week and with the dairies that are losing their milk contracts by the first of June, the cull prices will get even worse. We were gonna sell steers 2 weeks ago, held them back til the weather warmed up a bit. Don't know if we will sell this next Friday or not. Said they had quite a run in Staunton; over 1500 head. Didn't start til 5 ( usually 2 pm). We are feeding ALOT of hay right now, but we are okay for now, unless we don't get any moisture. Supposed to get 1-2 inches tomorrow so we will see. They are getting pounded in Texas, La, Tn, and Ky....
Finally warmed up here, after that cold damp 38 * and flurries, in 3 days it went to 80*. A lot of wind which is keeping the ground dry except for the slick stuff on top when we get those little .1 showers.

Not a good start to the spring.

This pretty well sums up how it here, on our side of the mountains. There were a few trailer loads of Holsteins (cows), yesterday. I too was going to haul a couple of weeks ago, but waited for the weather. I told my husband that we need to get those calves gone now, before it gets worse. I'm running very, very low on hay. Overall, have fed almost twice as much as usual. Very happy that I had more than I normally need. But.......

It rained here, about 20 minutes ago, for about 5 minutes. The wind howling.

I really feel for the cattlemen that are getting slammed in the Midwest, and other areas. Its just as difficult for them, but in a different way.

All of "us", doing the best we can, to do what's best for our cattle, land and our bottom line. Its time like these I get so aggravated at the idiots who believe that we don't care, and all we do is harm our animals and ruin the land.

 

[TCRanch]

We were dry in the fall and winter , I think it's broke now , down to cleaning out the barn of busted string squares by hand and pitchfork , hauling the last of it this morning. And praying for sunshine and warmer temps .

Are you in the range of the fires? We could smell/see the smoke from here. Horrific!

 

[snoopdog]

We were dry in the fall and winter , I think it's broke now , down to cleaning out the barn of busted string squares by hand and pitchfork , hauling the last of it this morning. And praying for sunshine and warmer temps .

Are you in the range of the fires? We could smell/see the smoke from here. Horrific!

No ,we are on the other side of the state .

 

[Bright Raven]

Grass finally started growing last week. It has been a record wet and cold spring here.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Wish I could send you some water.
We have been in mud since September.
It is 37 here this morning as well very cold spring for this part of the rock.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Wish I could send you some water.
We have been in mud since September.
It is 37 here this morning as well very cold spring for this part of the rock.

I/we would gladly take some of the water, if we could! Looking at the map, posted by Raven, we are bordering the "moderate-abnormally dry" area.

We had a good strong rain last night. The wind has been blowing for a few weeks, but today its blowing pretty hard. Our next possible chance for rain is Thursday, and that's only a 20% chance.

I know for many folks, its been too wet and cold to do anything, and for a lot of others its been overly dry and windy.

4 to 5 days ago it was in the 40's to low 50's daytime, and high 30's night, then 2 days ago into the 80's day and 60's night. Today back to high 40's and nights in high 30's.

I've got a cow that's due any day now, I would have figured with these crazy swings, she'd have 'popped' by now. LOL

 

[ALACOWMAN]

It's hard to believe no further north than y'all are.. that your that dry..our pastures are rotten..had 3 more inches yesterday rained till dinner..

 

[skyhightree1]

It has been very, very dry here. We were in a deficit back in October and its only gotten worse since. (insert blue-faced emoticon here) Normally, this time of year, my cows & calves cannot keep up with the grass. My grass can't keep up with my cows and calves, and what is there, is starting to wilt and die. The grass in the yard looks green, and that's only from little 'spits' of precipitation that feed the surface. It is very disconcerting. (again with the blue face emoticon)

I'm bringing a group of calves to the sale tomorrow morning. Been looking at the herd list and started thinking about which cows I'll send down the road, if we don't get some kind of precipitation. Hadn't planned on off-loading any this year, but as we all know, plans change. If (most likely when) the day comes that a few of them will hit the road, if cull prices are in the tank, I'm thinking I may have them processed into burger and sell 'em as burger. I may get more for them that way. I don't know. Just thinking out loud here.

Last week we had what called a 'sick joke' weather day. Desperate for moisture, it "snowed" a fair amount of the day. BUT it was itsy-bitsy flakes, the sidewalk never got wet, only the grass blades got wet, enough to walk on wet grass blades, then through dust and make a mud on the bottoms of shoes, yet no useful water for anything.

Lately I've been one of those folks, wondering why am I still doing this??? (insert qustion mark faced emoticon here) Just finished, finally, repairing & replacing all the fence damaged by those devestating winds we had a few weeks back.

Thanks for "listening". (I think I can do the sad face, colon, parenthesis)

Did you get any of that tornado rain last night?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Did you get any of that tornado rain last night?

Yes, we did! We got just a hair over 3 inches! Lots of wind, today blustery winds. So THANKFUL for that rain. Its been so dry, that even with 3 inches of rain, there isn't the mud one would expect.

The tornado damage, in Elon in Amherst county was about 13 miles from my sister, in Nelson County. I'm thankful that nobody lost their lives. My heart goes out to the families that lost their homes, about 24 houses were turned into splinters.

Sky, did you get any rain from this?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I've got a cow that's due any day now, I would have figured with these crazy swings, she'd have 'popped' by now. LOL

Found her w/new calf, about a couple hours after I made this post. Goggle-eyed bull calf (now a steer, I counted 2 )

I would add a picture, but that option/feature seems to have gone AWOL.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

It's hard to believe no further north than y'all are.. that your that dry..our pastures are rotten..had 3 more inches yesterday rained till dinner..

Pretty crazy, isn't it. I know some folks, much further North, in NY who wish it would quit snowing, raining, snowing, raining. They've had waayyy too much rain, similar to you all south of us.

 

[skyhightree1]

Did you get any of that tornado rain last night?

Yes, we did! We got just a hair over 3 inches! Lots of wind, today blustery winds. So THANKFUL for that rain. Its been so dry, that even with 3 inches of rain, there isn't the mud one would expect.

The tornado damage, in Elon in Amherst county was about 13 miles from my sister, in Nelson County. I'm thankful that nobody lost their lives. My heart goes out to the families that lost their homes, about 24 houses were turned into splinters.

Sky, did you get any rain from this?

Oh yea plenty of rain were not hurting for any rain. We had the winds and minimal damage it seems. Yea I feel for those people and am glad no one died.