Ouachita
Well-known member
Broke 50 something year old record high temp the past 4 days. 104 today with 14% don't feel so bad, but dam it dries shyt out fast. Forecast 105 tomorrow. Pastures turning to powder. No relief in sight 
The Ouachita Desert
- Thread starter Ouachita
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Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Hang on Ouachita its gonna get worse!
Ouachita
Well-known member
Yep, I'm afraid you are correct. Last year I did fine because I was understocked, and managed for the conditions. This year is far worse than last year at this time. I'm still understocked, but if these conditions continue, there will be a new stocking rate in this corner of the world.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Just have to see how it all comes out. Guess i better start checking out that free range grass.
bigbull338
Well-known member
oh me sounds like yall are getting our drought from last year.hope you have some carry over hay to start on.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Looks like a few showers headed your way this morning Ouachita. Hope you get some rain.
Ouachita
Well-known member
one tenth. Better than a poke in the eye.
jedstivers
Well-known member
I was in Hot Springs yesterday and it looks really really bad from Little Rock on.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Ouachita":2b19nktt said:
As Foghorn Leghorn would say now listen to me boy when I am talking to you son.
First year of the drought I hung on, the second year went from 37 head to 28, by the third year I was at 12.
We have gotten quite of bit of rain this year and the drought effect's are still going.
When you get 4 feet behind in rain in one year alone thing's are not going to come back in one.
Quachita I destocked 70% by the end of the drought and wished I had started earlier, just never believed it would last as long as it did.
bigbull338
Well-known member
im on the other end,while CB destocked to the bone over 2 or 3yrs.we didnt sell anything but 2 culls an the calves.an now we are running 80 to 90hd now.
Ouachita
Well-known member
CB, I really appreciate your straight forward advice and opinions. I've been thinking of a small irrigation project. I have really good pond/tank. Its 3 surface acres and 16 feet deep, spring fed, with about 300 acres watershed (when it rains). It holds it's level well, and when it rains, it does fill up quick. I'm thinking about a submersible pump, installed into a PVC pipe, held up with a styrofoam block. Pipe and hoses would run out to the rainbird type sprinkler heads on top of "T" post. All temporary of course (remove for winter). I think I can irrigate 5 to 7 acres for a $1500-2000 cost. Maybe less if I hit the auctions just right. Wont happen this year. Thinking it might be good to for limit grazing to save hay, add nutrition, for times such as this. I drilled a new well this spring, so cattle have fresh trough water. Any advice and opinion will be well recieved.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Yep the looks like here.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Ouachita":2mkuhmah said:CB, I really appreciate your straight forward advice and opinions. I've been thinking of a small irrigation project. I have really good pond/tank. Its 3 surface acres and 16 feet deep, spring fed, with about 300 acres watershed (when it rains). It holds it's level well, and when it rains, it does fill up quick. I'm thinking about a submersible pump, installed into a PVC pipe, held up with a styrofoam block. Pipe and hoses would run out to the rainbird type sprinkler heads on top of "T" post. All temporary of course (remove for winter). I think I can irrigate 5 to 7 acres for a $1500-2000 cost. Maybe less if I hit the auctions just right. Wont happen this year. Thinking it might be good to for limit grazing to save hay, add nutrition, for times such as this. I drilled a new well this spring, so cattle have fresh trough water. Any advice and opinion will be well recieved.
I bought a 20,000 GPH pump and dropped it in the creek and sucked the creek dry.
Cut back to about 10,000 gallon's an hour after 8 hour's of pumping in the pasture I had about 50 yard's by 50 yard's wet.
I pumped for about two weeks until the creek went dry and never made a dent. The creek running throuh my place has about twenty springs feeding it, the last time it went dry was 1910 before 2011. The ground was so dry it was like a sponge and it just dissappeared.
Got to remember 1 inch of rain is right at 25,000 gallon's per acre you have to pump a huge amount of water in a drought to make a difference.
I finally came to the conclusion I was trying to pee in the ocean and expecting the level to change.
You have to try I understand, I would have been ahead buying feed versus pump and hose's.
You might have better luck than I did. I hope you do maybe your drought hasn't gotten as bad as our's did.
circlew
Well-known member
I think I would sell those donkeys. A lot of hay and grass being lost. :2cents:
pdfangus
Well-known member
Donkeys don't eat that much....very easy keepers and my guess is they are there for a reason.....circlew":2p6qxlko said:
only got to save one calf from varmits and they will pay their keep.
circlew
Well-known member
If the momma can't protect her calf she needs to hit the road.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
circlew":ohvaggj2 said:
She can't if you have a bunch of Forrest Gump IQ type's that have pit bull's running loose.
I lost a pile of calves to dog's until I got a jenny.
I was taking them out right and left, problem was they were working night and day 365.
Neighbor lost two cow's calving to being mauled by dog's.
Between lead and donkey's we haven't lost a calf in year's. Find a dead dog once in awhile.
Ouachita
Well-known member
circlew":kfaox2dy said:
I lost a calf 3 years ago to dogs. It was a bottle baby that my wife brought home from the salebarn. After it was about a month old, we started letting it run with cows during the day. We watched the calf close for a few days, and did well staying with the herd. Never had a problem with the calf coming in with the herd for evening ration of feed (it was dead of winter). We would then separate the calf, and put her up in pen that had a 3 sided shelter access. One day she didn't come in with the herd. We went out looking while it was snowing, and saw 2 german sheperd dogs. We went to where they were standing, and there was a live calf, half eaten. Dispatched the calf. Dispatched the dogs within the next few days. We got the jennies soon afterward.
I have watched these jennies run across 40 acres to run off dogs, yotes, deer. They even got upset with me once. I had gotten a new black "hoodie" sweatshirt for Christmas last year. I normally wear a brown Carhart. They did not recognize me, and from 200 yards, they made all kinds of racket and started running toward me. Lucky there was a fence between us. I took off the black hoodie, dropped it on the ground, and called the cows in my normal routine voice. They halted and I walked to the fence, crawled through, and gave em' a big larapin hug
Haven't had dog or predator problems at all since. The jennies were free. They can utilize forage that the cows can't or won't. I can hop on their back anytime I want. They are not useless animals. In fact, I get much enjoyment from them. Very personable creatures that I love to have
pdfangus
Well-known member
circle w didn't mean it.....
he is just trying to make me miss inbredrednecks wisdom....
he is just trying to make me miss inbredrednecks wisdom....
Now y'all got me wanting a donkey....or two.
