Lee VanRoss
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- Apr 26, 2020
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No law that says you have to dance every dance. I predict rain before the music stops.
Drought plan
- Thread starter MurraysMutts
- Start date
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Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I was haying in July and sold over half! No way was the hay going to make March.
Got August rains pastures rebounded and actually stockpiled.
I hauled the trailer to the barn today looking for opportunities as I have surplus hay.
Came home with an empty trailer back again next week.
wbvs58
Well-known member
Well I've finally done it, here is my drought plan. I bought these concrete water troughs about 2 years ago for $100 at an auction, they didn't look too impressive just lying in the long grass but set up I think they look pretty good and should do the job, they are bloody heavy a little broken in places but they won't be used to hold water. I've driven in the steel posts and then wired them in pairs to help stabilise from cows pushing as I thought without the extra weight of water to stabilise them and also it will stop the greedy ones from pushing down the line. I think it is about 18 metres long.
I have fenced around them with two gates to keep them out. They will be trained to only come in through the bottom gate and I will enter through the top gate and then let them in when the feed is out. This is in what I call the tin mine which is 700acres of scrub and waste land. The feed quality is low but even in the bad drought years of 2018/19 they were always able to fill their bellies and I supplement with protein meal, canola or soybean or cottonseed meal which ever is the best value for money and a bit of grain.
I may have to use sooner rather than later, it has been very dry this summer.
Ken
I have fenced around them with two gates to keep them out. They will be trained to only come in through the bottom gate and I will enter through the top gate and then let them in when the feed is out. This is in what I call the tin mine which is 700acres of scrub and waste land. The feed quality is low but even in the bad drought years of 2018/19 they were always able to fill their bellies and I supplement with protein meal, canola or soybean or cottonseed meal which ever is the best value for money and a bit of grain.
I may have to use sooner rather than later, it has been very dry this summer.
Ken
Looks good, Ken!
The hay we baled and held back last summer is going fast. We only advertised a few times, but most of it has sold itself. This was a good year to have several thousands of bales to sell after the hay we sold over the summer....
greybeard
Well-known member
The forecast yesterday said 100% chance of rain today, and I said, yeah yeah, heard that before but thunder woke me up around 6am. Pouring now.
FREE WATER! In a land where there is no free water..
FREE WATER! In a land where there is no free water..
We had and 1"+ in a lot of places two weeks ago.
Been getting waves since this morning now also. Hopefully we get some good run off.
Been getting waves since this morning now also. Hopefully we get some good run off.
OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Big sloppy wet snowflakes here!
greybeard
Well-known member
For years, I used to see my window view looked kinda like that, but it was mosquitoes..
I was gonna ask if you were getting it. Pretty steady since around 11 this morning and supposed to keep going all night. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up with 4". Yes, please!!!!! Especially since the brome fields were just fertilized.
OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Been going pretty much all day since 6 am. More in town than here.
Ground temp is high enough it's not sticking but I'll take it!
OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Curious as to how everyone's plans worked out??
We did ok here. Rains finally came along this spring and we are pretty much back to normal. I have a few less heads on grass. Bought a few lil stockers instead of cows. Tho I did buy a few pairs at good prices with the intent to let em raise a calf and sell both this fall.
Fed a good deal of hay and feed thru that mess for sure. 8 ton of feed plus what the nurse cows ate!
We did ok here. Rains finally came along this spring and we are pretty much back to normal. I have a few less heads on grass. Bought a few lil stockers instead of cows. Tho I did buy a few pairs at good prices with the intent to let em raise a calf and sell both this fall.
Fed a good deal of hay and feed thru that mess for sure. 8 ton of feed plus what the nurse cows ate!
GoWyo
Well-known member
Skies opened up starting May 12 and last rain was a few days ago. Record amounts in that period and grass is phenomenal. By August it is going to be super high fire danger even with some monsoon rains in July and August. Should have a good stockpile to go into winter with and can get back to leaving a lot of stubble as we move pastures. Hope the Midwest gets some rain real soon.
We a had a great spring. We got good rain to grow grass and it filled all the tanks. People's optimism is always amazing and what makes the world go round. The faucet has turned off now and the heat has been cranked to 10. Many people thought we were in the clear and started putting cows on "green".
They are 30 days from being in a bind.... again. Their pastures never got a chance to recover. These high prices will just perpetuate the problem.
They are 30 days from being in a bind.... again. Their pastures never got a chance to recover. These high prices will just perpetuate the problem.
We are way overstocked due to what the solar farm took. We've held onto our cows because we're waiting for 2014 repeat, If it happens it happens, if not it doesnt. Our grass is good though. Our ponds are full. We took advantage of the drought to dig new ponds and cleaned out old ones, now all full. And, we were notified that we'll get all the solar farm to bale. This is after they sprayed and seeded it. So, anyone who needs hay in our area, hit me up. We'll be getting custom baling prices and not the overpriced hay trader prices.
crossbreed
Well-known member
We probably overreacted last year in the heat (pun intended) of the drought. Culled 20% and stocked up on some good but year old hay. Planted triticale in nov and started grazing mid January. In north Texas we were blessed with plenty of rain so no more hay and didn't pull off the winter planting till 1st of may. Had hay left over and got a bumper crop of hay. Pastures are full and thick and we are just starting some rotation's this year. Kept all the Feb heifers to build back and turned bull in 2nd week of may. All in all feeling very lucky to this point
Went to catch a few calves that had gotten pretty big at one place. I knew I had another group that would be ready in a month or so, probably #500ish... decided to take them all. If we stay dry the grass and mommas will appreciate it. Plus, it's always good to beat the crowd.
First rule of drought management... be proactive... not reactive.
First rule of drought management... be proactive... not reactive.
devonian
Well-known member
Its not something we have to worry about in the UK generally, often too much rain is the problem that said last year was a drought year the worst since 1976 I'm told, but the weather this year has been perfect plenty of rain in April ('April showers' is a thing whereas many of our aprils have been dry for a few years which isn't helpful) and lots of sun and warmth in May meaning we got more haylage bales out of our first cut this year than out of our entire three cuts last year combined to the point we probably won't even do another cut, which is a great position to be in. I could even buy more cattle now.
Dave
Well-known member
Last year we had 11 inches for the entire year. That was a decent grass year for us. We are always in drought here. Good thing the hay ground is all irrigated. Lots of reservoirs built for irrigation back in the 30's. As a result lots of irrigated crop land which produces every year.
