Seriously how do you do raise cattle when it never rains?

[JLScattle]

This is my first year in this crazy business. Last rain was over 4 months ago. Zero in the forecast. How the heck are you to raise anything when it doesn't rain for 1/3 of the year?

Very frustrated so I thought I would vent to y'all. BTW, I expect very little sympathy from those who have done this for a while. ;-)

 

[cowboy43]

Sounds like the conditions in Central Tx. I don't how many acres or cows you have, no matter how wet it is you need to be preparing for a drought, the general rule is to stock 3/4 of the lands carrying capacity, but because of the conditions we have had here For the last 20 years I have gone to 1/2 carrying capacity. I now have excess grass but it is dried up and does not have much food value left in it, that is when protein needs to be fed. Do not let your cows get run down because winter is hard on poor cows, it is very frustrating and takes all enjoyment out of the cattle business, :cboy: :cry2:

 

[TexasBred]

This is my first year in this crazy business. Last rain was over 4 months ago. Zero in the forecast. How the heck are you to raise anything when it doesn't rain for 1/3 of the year?

Very frustrated so I thought I would vent to y'all. BTW, I expect very little sympathy from those who have done this for a while. ;-)

If you have a good source of water for the cattle you may just have to buy the rest til spring. Put out my first hay last week.

 

[cowgirl8]

You should have had cows in 2005 2006 2011 and 2012...lol At least its not 115 day after day. Went checking ponds and found one with a small heifer in the water on her side... i was like WTHHHHH... then saw she was eating lily pads. Threw a chunk of dirt at her and she popped up and slodged out. Noticed there is not a lily pad left in the pond. Fingers crossed i dont get another foundered cow, have had 2 this month from different herds. How does a cow founder when there is nothing green for her to eat anywhere?????? Not sure if lily pads could cause it, who knows, sure seems like they could and it is the only green thing around.

 

[wacocowboy]

Hay, and a syrup tank.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Where are you located JLS?

 

[ga.prime]

....Threw a chunk of dirt at her ...

We always called those dirt clods. We used to have fights throwing them at each other after the dirt scraper graded our roads and left dirt clods laying in its wake.

 

[cowgirl8]

We used that word to, Dirt clod.....but havent in years.. Maybe because i was always on the losing end of the dirt clod war..lol...i throw like a girl

 

[cowgirl8]

JLScattle, and if it isnt as dry as a bone, its wet wet wet....there never seems to be an in between.. Werent we just hoping for the rain to stop?

 

[Rafter S]

Werent we just hoping for the rain to stop?

Not me. I still remember 2011.

 

[TCRanch]

Haul water, put out bales early, extra cubes, protein tubs, mineral, don't burn your pasture & pray. Also keep a close eye on your cows, look for drooling, any mouth sores, woody tongue, etc. because they'll eat crap they normally wouldn't. Hang in there!

 

[slick4591]

I have plenty of water in the tanks but the grass is dry. Refilled the liquid feed tank and they are cleaning up the dry grass. When they finish the grass I'll put out hay.

 

[JLScattle]

I'm in central Texas. Right in the middle of the red blob on the drought index map.

Its so dry that my fence charger has lost a lot of its punch. I tried to plant a couple of fence posts yesterday and my auger just laughed at me. It just polishes the top of the clay.

They are still eating the browned out grass along with their ration of cubes, but my days are numbered until I go to hay.

I remember 2011 too. That was the worst, but I didn't have animals under my care at the time.

 

[Caustic Burno]

This is my first year in this crazy business. Last rain was over 4 months ago. Zero in the forecast. How the heck are you to raise anything when it doesn't rain for 1/3 of the year?

Very frustrated so I thought I would vent to y'all. BTW, I expect very little sympathy from those who have done this for a while. ;-)

First thing to learn is your a grass farmer not a cattleman.
Good grass means good teeth, health and longevity.
Second thing is don't overstock. Don't stock for the good times but the bad.
Third thing is you can never have too much hay there is no such thing.
Put out the first roll of hay this week about a month earlier than normal.

 

[wacocowboy]

Werent we just hoping for the rain to stop?

Not me. I still remember 2011.

Same here even with all the rain this spring I couldn't bring myself to complain. I slipped up a few times and got on myself saying remember 11.

I wanted to add a momma or two this fall but not if it don't rain. Kinda glad my herd count is low while I am in the process from switching from commercial to registered. Dumb luck lol.

 

[kenny thomas]

For the people in the drought area, surely it is not as bad as 2006 is it? I worked the fires there that year, real bad.

 

[Caustic Burno]

For the people in the drought area, surely it is not as bad as 2006 is it? I worked the fires there that year, real bad.

By the inches no.
We got all our rain fall in the first six months I would say it is as bad as 2010 here
now as far as ground moisture. I was still able to run 70% capacity that year
versus 30% in 2011.

 

[Supa Dexta]

We normally have no problem with enough rain here next to the ocean. But when it starts to dry - it does so fast. We're just not acclimatized to any sort of drought conditions. The grass cant handle it, the cows don't like it (feet problems come on fast when the ground gets hard, and they lay around in the heat more) and we're at or above carrying capacity all the time anyways, cause it's not normally an issue to find more grass if needed.

If I had to always fight having enough feed and water and not knowing rain was coming - I prob wouldn't do it. It dries up for a few weeks mid summer and I start to get nervous.

 

[greybeard]

Don't stock for the good times but the bad.

Worth repeating /\ .

 

[Jessica06]

I would add "cull cows" to the list of things to do in a drought. Doesn't make sense to me when people graze their grass down to the dirt, THEN start feeding hay to thin, sometimes poor quality cows that usually have big calves on them. Even in great years here some people are feeding hay in June because they never stop overstocking and abusing their pastures. Understock, don't graze your pastures to the ground, and have the intestinal fortitude to make hard decisions. We cull hard in good years and so far it's worked out pretty well for us. :2cents: