1982vett
Well-known member
We will begin our story February 4, 2011....
First "major" snow and ice in years.
By March the oats is looking ok
Pastures...not so much.
By mid May it's not any better.
Can't remember if those clouds were just a tease or not but the unplanted ground is parched.
Hello July
August and September
October
I think that is the Bastrop Fire, 55 miles away.
November
November 19, last "rain" till Christmas. Did germinate the oats.
After Christmas we began getting some decent rain and pastures are recovering, although minus a bunch of cows which the wild hogs don't care about.
Starting to buy back some forage needy cows. Nothing to look at but something to eat some grass.
And by April you wouldn't have know it was one H E L L of a year.
Since then we still have periods short of rainfall and periods of excessive rainfall. This year January 1 to March 31 just 4 inches. April and may brought 20 inches. Where I once ran 120 cows, I now run 60-80. I no longer have an objective to grow hay to sell. I'm way understocked by most standards, but in my opinion, my input costs and labor savings more than make up for it. I have an abundance of under utilized grass right now. I had an abundance of under utilized grass a couple years ago in July-August when we had a wet June and July. Last year I made it through July and August on 2 1/2 inches of rain without having to feed a bunch of hay.
It's nice to have an operation where the weather lets you run on all cylinders all the time....but that's not always the option you get.
First "major" snow and ice in years.
By March the oats is looking ok
Pastures...not so much.
By mid May it's not any better.
Can't remember if those clouds were just a tease or not but the unplanted ground is parched.
Hello July
August and September
October
I think that is the Bastrop Fire, 55 miles away.
November
November 19, last "rain" till Christmas. Did germinate the oats.
After Christmas we began getting some decent rain and pastures are recovering, although minus a bunch of cows which the wild hogs don't care about.
Starting to buy back some forage needy cows. Nothing to look at but something to eat some grass.
And by April you wouldn't have know it was one H E L L of a year.
Since then we still have periods short of rainfall and periods of excessive rainfall. This year January 1 to March 31 just 4 inches. April and may brought 20 inches. Where I once ran 120 cows, I now run 60-80. I no longer have an objective to grow hay to sell. I'm way understocked by most standards, but in my opinion, my input costs and labor savings more than make up for it. I have an abundance of under utilized grass right now. I had an abundance of under utilized grass a couple years ago in July-August when we had a wet June and July. Last year I made it through July and August on 2 1/2 inches of rain without having to feed a bunch of hay.
It's nice to have an operation where the weather lets you run on all cylinders all the time....but that's not always the option you get.