Drought plan

Help Support CattleToday:

MurraysMutts

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2019
Messages
7,829
Reaction score
13,749
Location
N. Central boonies, Oklahoma
What your plan my friends?

I've got enough hay to get me to winter for sure.
My thoughts are holding tight and pretending it's winter.

Perhaps we will get some fall rains, the wheat will come in and I can sell animals then. Got a dozen fall calvers I'd like to calve out and sell as pairs.
And as many pairs now at the second place.


Good plan?
Bad plan?
Postponing the inevitable?
 
Unfortunately I think it's anyones guess. It's a gamble, safe bet is sell now I guess. Sell your hay to at a premium or hold it and buy more better quality cows on the cheap later if you keep the hay and moisture doesn't improve. If it doesn't improve in fall cattle should only get cheaper IMO

Here in NE OK I chose to graze my pasture instead of trying to bale early and graze like normal. Glad I did now. It's dry here, no rain to speak of since early June. I bought all my hay and carried over 75bales from 2021. Just bought another24 I Gota go get in case I start feeding early. Usually my goal isn't to feed hay until after thanksgiving.
 
Going to keep fingers crossed for more rain, rotational graze what I can where I can, buy more hay as it comes available at a affordable price I have hay to make winter if I have to start feeding hay early I will cull more cows but not all cows. I will plant ryegrass and clover again as usual and pray it grows well with limited fertilizer use
 
I'm thinking hard on planting annuals on the back half of the farm, especially since purchasing hay looks hard to do.

I do believe this will be the last year we calve much of anything on this place for a while. Ran a dud bull last year and still haven't seen a calf. Expecting to start seeing them around September. My dumbass didn't write down when I borrowed a bull. I do know it was close to Christmas.

Ten head gone in August. Maybe sell a few that don't like my management. We have too many head for the weather. Really would like to find some hay to buy, but am not holding my breath.

Start 2nd cut this Friday.

Had a 70% chance today, and got none. Chances half the week, but it'll go around us like it has all year. I've watched the rain hit across the road more this year than anyone should have to experience.

I am hoping everyone gets a soaker, and soon.
 
What your plan my friends?

I've got enough hay to get me to winter for sure.
My thoughts are holding tight and pretending it's winter.

Perhaps we will get some fall rains, the wheat will come in and I can sell animals then. Got a dozen fall calvers I'd like to calve out and sell as pairs.
And as many pairs now at the second place.


Good plan?
Bad plan?
Postponing the inevitable?
Sell
 
After tomorrow I'll only have 1 bull 2 cows at house. Every thing else is on leased land with a baby in their Belly's or calf at their side. I'm gonna start cross
Fenceing off a 1.5-2 pasture at house that's where ill
Feed hay this year
 
What are the prices like currently out your way on cull cows and feeders? I know there's been a lot of pot loads lined up.
I'm over in Virginia, prices are strong here I'm seeing 5 wt feeders just over $2 again, flashback to 2014.
 

Same here. I found some grass I can cut for hay, and all it will cost me will be the cutting and baling, so hopefully that will give me enough to get through the winter, but I know it won't be enough if I start feeding earlier than usual. If the grass gets too short I'll sell most or all of the cows and sell the hay. Start over next spring (maybe).

We got a few nice showers last week. That brightened the grass up a little, but I figure it only postponed that decision a week or two.
 
We get droughts around every 10 years. Since 2011, we've kept 2 years of hay stored. What happened this last spring, we fed up some of that stash and if we start feeding in a couple weeks, even more. We will not feed chicken litter like we had to do in 2011. We will not grind crap hay so the cows can eat it. We got lucky and got around 3000 acres of grass to bale. We've shared our luck with people around us. Go out on the prairie and its bales as far as you can see... Some really good, some no so good. I want to call it OK Hay... some will make you go OHHHH, and some will make you go Kayyy... lol.. but its better than a snowball.. Went out to move equipment and took this picture. 1658189354170.png
 
I'm much more carefully rotating with portable electric fencing. got about 6 weeks before I'm back to paddocks last grazed April 10. but johnsongrass....making me nervous as I can't test every little stand. I usually don't supplement in the summers, but wondering if setting out protein tubs like I do in the winter will improve grass utilization efficiency? I'm definitely forcing them to take a bite of everything edible before moving them off.
 
I'm much more carefully rotating with portable electric fencing. got about 6 weeks before I'm back to paddocks last grazed April 10. but johnsongrass....making me nervous as I can't test every little stand. I usually don't supplement in the summers, but wondering if setting out protein tubs like I do in the winter will improve grass utilization efficiency? I'm definitely forcing them to take a bite of everything edible before moving them off.
Tubs would be generally be used when you have plenty of poor roughage. You may need to look at an all around feed. With no grass it's usefulness would probably be limited.
 
Tubs would be generally be used when you have plenty of poor roughage. You may need to look at an all around feed. With no grass it's usefulness would probably be limited.
That's getting to be like feeding filet mignon to a cat.... 12 years ago the expensive tubs were $37 a tub, yesterday one cost me $135. I won't be buying many more. At least not till we get 2014 prices for cattle again.
 
That's getting to be like feeding filet mignon to a cat.... 12 years ago the expensive tubs were $37 a tub, yesterday one cost me $135. I won't be buying many more. At least not till we get 2014 prices for cattle again.
33 more pounds of protein in a 1000 pound 10 percent bale than a 225 pound 30 percent tub. The limiting factor in the tub certainly adds value but they're getting close to making quality hay a better deal.
 
Never have.
Did some over mature haygrazer one year.

Well, I only fed a couple bales. The other folks had sever issues when calving time came. Lots of opens. We assumed hay related abortions.
But that's seriously just a guess. Because that same year they fed a bunch of over fertilized Bermuda too. So hot, it burned it all out. Nothing grew for over a year.
 
That's getting to be like feeding filet mignon to a cat.... 12 years ago the expensive tubs were $37 a tub, yesterday one cost me $135. I won't be buying many more. At least not till we get 2014 prices for cattle again.
I have never been able to make them pencil out.
I am in pasture protection mode. I can buy more cows tomorrow versus years to rebuild pasture.
 
I have used syrup and the tubs but this year only fed 16% range cubes. I buy it by the ton on a pallet put into a sealed cargo trailer. Then into a trip hopper junior mounted on the back of the Kubota SS. it will hold seven fifty lb bags count the drops for each herd. I only handle the bags one time.
 
I have been told to not try to feed threw a drought. One can pencil out feeding hay during winter or during summer, but not both. Guess it depends on what kind of cows one has.
 

Latest posts

Top