Drought update (PIC ADDED)

[K2011]

Well we got ALMOST an inch of rain about a week ago, but it didn't help much at all.. but here are some pics from the last week or two.

looking in the pasture..i have a picture some where on my computer from 2007 when it rained a lot of this same area..**ok i found the pic from 2007...amazing what the pasture can go to
August 2009

July 2007

The cows are still hungry. always following us around the pasture. we are giving them a bale about every 2 days -- depends on how they are eatting

We must buy hay now in order to feed them, a gentle man we found is selling milo hay..the cows eat it pretty well but they really dont care for the very stalkly bits

These bales are very heavy, we aren't sure of the exact weight but the back end of the tractor feels pretty light when we are unloading them (we are guessing around 1,500lbs???) they're 5X5 bales

"Poker Face" a heifer we brought up from our other place last summer -- as you can kind of see they are starting to fall off just a little bit, some more than others

Chowing down

One of the heifers we might be selling on Monday..really hate to sell some of the heifers but we really dont have too many other choices

My heifer calf from this year

The bull being very careful not to get his eye while scratching

it's been pretty hot here too...this is in our old barn but it's been over 100 for the last couple of days..

** Oh, one more question, some of the year old heifers we have are getting very big pot-bellies? we are sure they aren't going to calve...any ideas why they are gettin such big bellies? I'll try to find a pic of one to post..but it's only some of the year old heifer calves we have -- possibly due to the drought?

 

[Beefy]

they still look good tho.

potbellied from the hay/nutrition is my guess. either that or just going thru their awkward stage.

 

[talldog]

I FEEL for you----- The cattle don't look bad !! Good buisness sense will dictate your policy---Good Luck !! :tiphat:

 

[mnmtranching]

Your cattle look good for as dry as it is. Hope your weather straitens out. The large stomachs are normal for cattle on hard digesting roughage. I think coarse milo hay is decent feed except hard to digest. In the hot weather and the coarse hay the cattle are drinking larger amounts of water maybe contributing to the large stomachs.

 

[kenny thomas]

Your cows look good for what weather you have had. Wish the ones you are going to sell were in Virginia. Need about 25 more cows. We have had so much rain the grass is getting really high.

 

[TexasBred]

K3 I've only fed "maize stalks" once but I think my cattle came thru the winter in better shape than ever before. It looks pretty rough but has a lot of leaves in it and the added weight of the bales makes up for the loss due to the large stalks in the bales. I've had it tested and it's gone as high as 12.5% crude protein. Usually cut while still green and allowed to dry....much much better than corn stalks and much of the grass hay that's baled. I've seen ads for it at $30 a roll which is a very good buy. I'd probably stock up for winter if the seller has plenty of it.

 

[K2011]

K3 I've only fed "maize stalks" once but I think my cattle came thru the winter in better shape than ever before. It looks pretty rough but has a lot of leaves in it and the added weight of the bales makes up for the loss due to the large stalks in the bales. I've had it tested and it's gone as high as 12.5% crude protein. Usually cut while still green and allowed to dry....much much better than corn stalks and much of the grass hay that's baled. I've seen ads for it at $30 a roll which is a very good buy. I'd probably stock up for winter if the seller has plenty of it.

we picked up these net-wrapped bales for $45 a roll...not too bad compared to the $70 a roll for the other grass hay...and yes we are 'stocking' up now,,,he has alot to sell but many many other ppl around our area are buying it too

 

[farmwriter]

As others posted, your cows look great considering the weather they're working through. We've been sooo dry for 3 summers, but it has finally turned around this year. Our hayfield looks better than it has in quite some time. It'll turn around for you. Looks to me like ya'll are taking good care of your animals despite the stress.

 

[Australian]

We use round bales of Rhodes Grass hay during Winter. Fed out about twenty so far this winter and about 200 small bales.Usually would have done about 100 usually by this time. Been a better Winter. During the drought of about 4/5 years ago we put out 300 rounds and used about 500 small. We also feed out dry mix with secret additives including salt,urea and protein suplement. By Winters end we will use about 5 tonnes of the mix.
We pay $650 a tonne for the dry mix, $8 a small bale of lucerne hay, $55 a round delivered.Custom mix grain is $265 a tonne. We have used liquid supplements at times but felt that it was too expensive. Most times the cattle drank it like water despite changing the mix from sweet to more sour.

 

[lavacarancher]

K2011, your cattle look pretty darn good. I could probably be arrested for the way mine look. You still have a little green there. My place is almost dirt. Even the Cinna(sp) beans are dead and the goat weeds aren't doing that well either.

Found some Jiggs today for $50 for 4X5's. Said he would be cutting in about two weeks - if the weather is right. Told him I need at least two truck loads. I figure after I haul off about 80 head this weekend I might be able to get through the winter. I've never seen it this bad.

 

[K2011]

K2011, your cattle look pretty darn good. I could probably be arrested for the way mine look. You still have a little green there. My place is almost dirt. Even the Cinna(sp) beans are dead and the goat weeds aren't doing that well either.

Found some Jiggs today for $50 for 4X5's. Said he would be cutting in about two weeks - if the weather is right. Told him I need at least two truck loads. I figure after I haul off about 80 head this weekend I might be able to get through the winter. I've never seen it this bad.

that really made me lol..we really don't have grass at all...well it kinda has a green-ish tent to it from far away but once your up on it it's just those weeds that the cows will not touch..when u rake ur foot across the ground there is just a cloud of dust and the ''grass'' that was there just comes right up -- the gentleman that we have been buying the milo hay from has had a bit more rain than we have so it does look greener in the pics with the bales

 

[options]

It is to bad they didn't run a shredder across that field. It would have made alot better quality feed.