So now you tell me? I wasn't around cattle in 2011. Currently fixing my pond deeper and the dam/overflow pipe higher...my gusher of a well...has finally pumped dry last week, but I'm getting a backfill-refill rate of 200 gallons per day....which is just under what the cattle need by 50 gallons. I calculate I'll be hauling water in 20 days if we don't get some rain soon. We're pretty much 110 days no rain, only traces....only in Texas do you have to worry about not seeing any rain in 20 days...seems like along time. When I was a child in Upstate N.Y. it rained or snowed once or twice a week.Remember, you can buy all the feed you want, but, if your ponds arent holding up you're done. I've heard people now saying their ponds are done and they spent all summer buying hay. I guess they can sell now, but they paid a high price already for it. After 2011, we made sure the next drought we were good on ponds first.
After this experience....I will never complain about endless days of rain affecting my life anymore. I literally call up the weather radar and calculate the time of rain...usually 4 to 8 minutes of rain....I'm delighted if we get to 15 minutes....but that doesn't happen much.