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<blockquote data-quote="farmerjan" data-source="post: 1813306" data-attributes="member: 25884"><p>We are not in a drought area now. It was very dry and very very cool for so long this spring and nothing was growing much. Only had 1.2 inches in March which is usually much wetter. Had warmer than normal in April, only a little over 2 inches for the month until the last weekend... got over 1.5 inches, temps most days 70's and 80's... too warm for here... Then along comes May and less than 1/2 inch until memorial day weekend with days in the 70's but nights were in the 40's and 50's which is cold... and an inch rain the last 2 days...things just weren't growing much. Perfect hay making weather and we made quite a bit although early yields were off by 1/4 to 1/3 in some fields due to the chilly nights. June was the same, nights in the 50's.... constant breezes that kept the ground dry and no rain until the 20th when we got 2 inches... night temps warmed up late in the month, got another inch... things started to really grow finally. Now it is humid and sticky, pop up showers wherever they feel like, and making hay is IFFY any day even when they say 0% chance...</p><p> </p><p>We cut our cow numbers last year, mostly through attrition... sold a bunch of mediocre producers, a couple that liked to constantly get out, many were sold due to old age and open status. Then with the price of what the feeders were bringing, we sold all the steers except for the bunch out on pasture that we do in a partnership type deal... and sold all but 5 replacement heifers when we would have kept 25 plus. We are under stocked and are glad of it. Grass aplenty, and more hay than we should need. Because we sold off all the feeder/stocker calves, we have a bunk full of silage we never opened and will be glad of it this winter. Due to wean off calves in about 2-3 weeks for the fall calving cows to get a break, and will have plenty to feed them... but if prices continue to stay high we will sell a good number of them also. </p><p></p><p>With the prices where they are, we will do as good with fewer cattle right now. Plus, we got the hay storage pole barn built finally and having over 200 rolls under roof; not counting all that is still stored outside..... will cut alot of waste and so will need less # of rolls for the winter. We also did not put in corn this year since the bunk is full, but sorghum-sudan and since it got warm finally, and we got a few rains, it has come on much better than we anticipated. Although my son hates to wrap stuff, he said we may wrap it to carry it over, better quality that way, although we like to dry bale it and the cows love it. </p><p></p><p>My heart goes out to those of you that are so dry and no reasonably priced hay to be found and the quantity that you are making to be so reduced. The best thing we did was to NOT replace animals this year but to stay understocked. The pastures are in very good shape, even with the slow start, we even subleased a 20 acre place to a neighbor needing a place to put heifers since we did not keep all of ours. </p><p>But it can turn around tomorrow, and we know that. We try to keep at least 200 rolls over from year to year to have a cushion... 2 years ago we had 25 rolls left and that was scary. We fed hay way into late May this year and 2 places were getting hay in June until we moved them out to summer pastures that just hadn't grown much.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmerjan, post: 1813306, member: 25884"] We are not in a drought area now. It was very dry and very very cool for so long this spring and nothing was growing much. Only had 1.2 inches in March which is usually much wetter. Had warmer than normal in April, only a little over 2 inches for the month until the last weekend... got over 1.5 inches, temps most days 70's and 80's... too warm for here... Then along comes May and less than 1/2 inch until memorial day weekend with days in the 70's but nights were in the 40's and 50's which is cold... and an inch rain the last 2 days...things just weren't growing much. Perfect hay making weather and we made quite a bit although early yields were off by 1/4 to 1/3 in some fields due to the chilly nights. June was the same, nights in the 50's.... constant breezes that kept the ground dry and no rain until the 20th when we got 2 inches... night temps warmed up late in the month, got another inch... things started to really grow finally. Now it is humid and sticky, pop up showers wherever they feel like, and making hay is IFFY any day even when they say 0% chance... We cut our cow numbers last year, mostly through attrition... sold a bunch of mediocre producers, a couple that liked to constantly get out, many were sold due to old age and open status. Then with the price of what the feeders were bringing, we sold all the steers except for the bunch out on pasture that we do in a partnership type deal... and sold all but 5 replacement heifers when we would have kept 25 plus. We are under stocked and are glad of it. Grass aplenty, and more hay than we should need. Because we sold off all the feeder/stocker calves, we have a bunk full of silage we never opened and will be glad of it this winter. Due to wean off calves in about 2-3 weeks for the fall calving cows to get a break, and will have plenty to feed them... but if prices continue to stay high we will sell a good number of them also. With the prices where they are, we will do as good with fewer cattle right now. Plus, we got the hay storage pole barn built finally and having over 200 rolls under roof; not counting all that is still stored outside..... will cut alot of waste and so will need less # of rolls for the winter. We also did not put in corn this year since the bunk is full, but sorghum-sudan and since it got warm finally, and we got a few rains, it has come on much better than we anticipated. Although my son hates to wrap stuff, he said we may wrap it to carry it over, better quality that way, although we like to dry bale it and the cows love it. My heart goes out to those of you that are so dry and no reasonably priced hay to be found and the quantity that you are making to be so reduced. The best thing we did was to NOT replace animals this year but to stay understocked. The pastures are in very good shape, even with the slow start, we even subleased a 20 acre place to a neighbor needing a place to put heifers since we did not keep all of ours. But it can turn around tomorrow, and we know that. We try to keep at least 200 rolls over from year to year to have a cushion... 2 years ago we had 25 rolls left and that was scary. We fed hay way into late May this year and 2 places were getting hay in June until we moved them out to summer pastures that just hadn't grown much. [/QUOTE]
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