No summer slump here, so far.

[Steve Wilson]

We just keep getting rain when we need some, and lots of it. Had another 5 inches last week, from three storms, and picked up another inch or so last night. Last time I checked the averages, we were about 150% for the year so far. The tall fescue pastures have fully recovered from haying and are a good 10 inches tall now, what clover we have is going nuts. I was telling them this weekend, that if the rains keep coming, the pastures may well not turn brown this summer. It's already the end of July. That only leaves August to worry about. Heck, even if the rains quit now and it turned 100 degrees and stayed there, it would take at least two weeks for them to turn brown. Had I felt better about the chances of rains continuing, I would have been up for giving them another shot of fertilizer after haying back in late June and early July. Almost bit the bullet but I was afraid our usual summer drought was right around the corner. Oh well.

I still have a half day of pasture clipping to finish. It was too wet this weekend, with the heavy rains friday and saturday. You mow the pastures one day and 2 weeks later they look like they are ready to bale again. :lol2:

 

[1982vett]

Enjoy while you can. Use it as an opportunity to prepair for the next dry spell.

 

[SFFarms]

Well, im glad not everyone has it bad as we do. So far 13-15 inches in drought and no rain in sight, lakes and creeks drying up, grass pass dead. So far plan on start feeding hay earlier Sept. and hope to make it on a wing and prayer.

 

[bigbull338]

enjoy those good pastures.because the rain can just stop.

 

[dun]

You must not have been getting the heat we have. We've had more then plenty rain, but when the temps are mcuh above 80 during the day the WSG stops growing. Ours hasn;t grown much since mid-late June, but the clover is still going nuts. Go figure!

 

[Jalopy]

Here in mid-Iowa the rains keep coming but the heat is slowing the bluegrass some but the clover is growing. A big problem is side hill seeps are so wet that the cattle are ruining the grass in these areas so I will have to correct it later.I can't really fence of the sidehill seeps as they need to get through these areas to get to firm pasture on both sides.
Dun by way of explanation can you tell me what WSG stands for? Thanks

 

[dun]

Dun by way of explanation can you tell me what WSG stands for? Thanks

WSG - Warm Season Grass. Blluestem, sideoats grama, crab grass, switch grass, etc.
That is opposed to CSG - Cool Seaon Grass, like fescue, OG (Orchard Grass), timothy, broom, blue grass, etc.

 

[Jalopy]

Dun Thanks I was trying to thinks of specific type of grass and couldn't make it work. I understand now thanks again.

 

[Steve Wilson]

I always forget to say something, and did it again this time. We are so lucky to be getting rains this year. Unlike so many of the other members here. Of course, it didn't seem to be such a good thing earlier in the season when we couldn't get any planting or haying done when it was supposed to be.

We started off haying when the tall fescue was in the dough stage. Of course that particular cutting got rained on after it was on the ground. Not bad though. It had to dry an extra day or so before being able to rake and bale it. No harm done. But with the steady rains, we finished later than we had hoped. By then the stalks had turned brown and the seedheads were begining to shatter.

Anyway, I didn't want to appear to be gloating about our situation. From the replies, it seems none took it that way. Whew.

In a few minutes, whatever else I felt I should say, will dawn on me. DOH.

 

[john250]

I always forget to say something, and did it again this time. We are so lucky to be getting rains this year. Unlike so many of the other members here. Of course, it didn't seem to be such a good thing earlier in the season when we couldn't get any planting or haying done when it was supposed to be.

We started off haying when the tall fescue was in the dough stage. Of course that particular cutting got rained on after it was on the ground. Not bad though. It had to dry an extra day or so before being able to rake and bale it. No harm done. But with the steady rains, we finished later than we had hoped. By then the stalks had turned brown and the seedheads were begining to shatter.

Anyway, I didn't want to appear to be gloating about our situation. From the replies, it seems none took it that way. Whew.

In a few minutes, whatever else I felt I should say, will dawn on me. DOH.

We are in the same situation, Steve. We have long since passed our "normal" rainfall for a whole year.
Hay is abundant, but quality is poor due to delayed harvests. Mine is testing pretty low in TDN.
Still, I'm not complaining. The cows will love it this winter. They will have to eat a few more pounds, but that is no problem for my cows. They love to eat.