This da%@ drought is killing me

[WORANCH]

We also culled our herd last year and I'm glad we did. We were able to get a good price for older bred cows and pairs.
We got 4" of rain last week so the grass is green and growing ,and we will have plenty of hay.

We culled almost 50% of our cattle and I may hold back heifers this year . It just depends on how the rest of the year goes.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

According to wunderground.com
Dec. actual 2.04 "
Avg 2.34 "

Jan. actual .44 "
Avg. 2.43 "

Feb actual 2.36 "
Avg. 2.35 "

Marc actual .02"
Avg. 3.54"

April actual 1.05"
Avg. 2.42"

May actual 3.36"
Avg. 3.74"

June Actual 6.6"
avg. 7.35"


http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... l#calendar

 

[jw]

Here is our up to the minute forecast at 10:00 A.M. Central Time-

Now

Isolated showers and a thunderstorm or two will continue to drift southwest at 5 mph across the part of North Texas that is east of a line from Sherman...to Dallas...Corsicana...and Hearne. Isolated rainfall amounts of 1/10 of an inch are possible...though most of the area will experience no rainfall.

I just hope that amount of rainfall does'nt cause too much wide spread flooding!!

 

[shutskytj]

It is the opposite uphere up until now there were very seldom times we were able to take in hay everybody is out there in this heat wave we are having right now taking in there 1st cut how late is that the hay looks all brown.

 

[mitchwi]

We had a couple of thundershowers rumble through here this week. Will help the corn but to late and to little to help the hay and pasture. We are very dry and hot. The northen 2/3 of MN and all of ND and SD very dry, ranchers are feeding hay and selling cows.

mnmt

Add west central and northern Wisconsin to that list also!

 

[skyeagle]

We Have a rain deficit of only six inches. But is so spread out
the grass goes dormant. Down 20% on my hay this year.

 

[Hawk]

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

This link will take you to the drought monitor map at the NOAA web site. Lots of information there on present conditions and forecast for future.

 

[backhoeboogie]

According to wunderground.com
Dec. actual 2.04 "
Avg 2.34 "

Jan. actual .44 "
Avg. 2.43 "

Feb actual 2.36 "
Avg. 2.35 "

Marc actual .02"
Avg. 3.54"

April actual 1.05"
Avg. 2.42"

May actual 3.36"
Avg. 3.74"

June Actual 6.6"
avg. 7.35"


http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... l#calendar

But you have had "actuals", every month except March. It is running well over 100 degrees every day here too.

 

[alabama]

It will rain sooner of later. It always has so i suspect it always will.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I'm sure CB recalls the TX drought of the seventies, may have been the eighties. Seems like that one lasted for years and years. It's hard to be optimistic during a drought, but the folks then survived it and so will the rest of us.

dun

'83 and '85 were bad years here, but 84 was in between. I don't think anyone truly realizes just how bad last year was here locally. Far worse than anything ever recorded. This year is not good.

 

[andybob]

While we are below average for the year, we have had enough rain for reasonable pasture growth, but not enough to hay any fields not irrigated.
I am a little worried about the nitrate levels in the coastal bermuda which is sprayed with pig slurry.
My own little herd has enough native grass to last through.
I was going to post a query about the grasshoppers! I mowed around the lagoon last week, and I think I baled enough grasshoppers to not need a protien suppliment this winter :shock:

 

[samm]

its bad here too, the ground has big cracks, the smaller tanks are drying up, you can see the tracks where you drove the 4 wheeler last week, what grass there is, is getting thin and about to crackle to pieces. we are baling a field that is making 1/3 or less than the years before, but we need all the hay we can get ahold of, with out paying through the nose for it, so we are holding on to what we can and hoping and praying for rain, surely its got to rain someday....if not, east Texas will start to looking alot like west Texas... :shock:

samm

 

[d6cattleman]

I live in Florida and for awhile we didn't have rain so bad that the hay people down here had to start breaking round bales up and re-baling them, all are pastures right know are brown and crunch when you walk on them. We are starting to get some showers though, hope some find you too.

I live in NE oklahoma and we are so dry we are selling down to 70 cows! we farm 500 acres and this drought is making it so hard to have a profitable year. I just want it to rain for all of us.

 

[LonghornRanch]

Last year weakened everybody. I am afraid even the strong will perish this year. If you don't have your hay stocks in place right now for this winter you are going to be in a world of hurt.

 

[AlabamaQualityBeef]

Our local farmers are really hurting. Neighbor lost his bull last week. We think he just didn't realize how serious a condition the bull was in and began to try to save him too late.

Besides us, I don't know anyone who has enough hay around here to last thru the winter. We are lucky enough to have cut enough before it got so bad. We've sold all the "extra" hay we had too.

 

[Rookie]

this is the second summer of being in a drought. add a very dry winter and this is a recipe for disaster. we are on the verge of selling some heifers and commercial cows. We are out of grass and grazing out hay ground. we have had less than 2 inches of rain in the last 10 weeks. we are now in over 100 degree days and windy. our pastures are brown and crunchy. I haven't ever been a part of anything like this at all. This has to be playing heck all over the south. IS everyone in as bad shape as we are.

I know what ya be goin thru. We be hurtin bad here. We had us a bit of rain as of late, but too little-too late.I be feedin hay already and "hay for sale" signs be a rare sight. I know 3 men usually got one up all year. All took em down about a month ago.

good luck........george

 

[longhorn314]

I think the weatherman is calling for rain here on Friday.If he is right for once,that would be a true blessing cause I hope I don't have to get to the point where I have to sell some off cause I have already culled everything.