Who's fixin to start feeding hay

[callmefence]

I wasn't worried about the drought until this past week. We didn't have an abundance of grass but had enough. Well looking yesterday I'm not so sure now. I doubt I'll be panic selling though. We've fed our way through dry times before. To me it's kinda like sell and loose unrealized money now and when rebuilding or feed and loose real money this year. Not sure I can take another herd rebuild. The big misconception out there is that cows can only survive a drought if you feed them lots of hay.

Lucky...these past few days...I was so close to staging up the stock-trailer to sell at least 50% or even all my herd...but what you're saying is exactly why I don't want to rebuild another herd..I have a young group 2 to 3 year old cows....only a few had their second calf....all are proven to deliver on their own...hierarchy has been established...well oiled herd. The Divine message I got was to "keep on keeping on" ....so that's what i'm going to do. It's just money....God always provides more....it's always been the case in my life. I need to keep the faith...to tell you the truth (I know) God put me here late in life as a cattle producer...why would He want me to quit, sell out and sit on a computer all day trading stock or wandering around doing little things all day versus pulling fencing and bringing feed. As a producer I'm supposed to be productive...with or without money. I'm staying in cattle and riding out the drought...i expect it to be rough...unforgiving.

Well I'm going to guess that your faith in the divine is reinforced with a solid financial situation that makes losing a option. Nice place to be.
In my part of Texas the damage is done with still 60 days of any chance of real relief (historically speaking) you should be prepared to fight non-stop until mid-spring. Your not just trying to save your cattle now but your land as well. You can do severe damage that takes years to repair. As far as supplementing low quality hay. It can work. Look into milo if possible over corn stalks and don't let your pencil stick you in the eye. Compare good hay. You may find good hay at 80.00 is cheaper than 50.00 stalks and supplements. Especially when labor and equipment and storage come into play.
Good luck I'm out.
Going to gamble on fall oats. They failed last year and I've never had oats fail two years in a row. If they get up good I'll buy back in. Going to keep a couple hundred rolls of good enough hay until i see. If oats do fail the hay will be worth enough to cover that hit.

 

[bird dog]

My oats failed also. Is there going to be enough seed to go around?

 

[callmefence]

My oats failed also. Is there going to be enough seed to go around?

Damnit. Back to the drawing board lol

 

[Lucky]

I figure if I have to start feeding in the next 3 weeks it'll cost me around $12,000 to get through to the normal feeding time. I can stand that. I can't stand it year after year but it's a chance I'll take. Like I said it's not the first drought and won't be the last. I fully understand people selling out. After all the thing most people in the cattle biz complain about the most is feed cost.

 

[callmefence]

I figure if I have to start feeding in the next 3 weeks it'll cost me around $12,000 to get through to the normal feeding time. I can stand that. I can't stand it year after year but it's a chance I'll take. Like I said it's not the first drought and won't be the last. I fully understand people selling out. After all the thing most people in the cattle biz complain about is feed cost.

Any business there's times you have to settle for the dime because you can't make the dollar. Someone who absolutely ranches full time with no other irons in the fire probably should try to weather the storm. Most of us can just turn around and be doing something else to keep busy. Im going to clear some cedar and bother my boys on the fence crew. Might take a umbrella

 

[Lucky]

Any business there's times you have to settle for the dime because you can't make the dollar. Someone who absolutely ranches full time with no other irons in the fire probably should try to weather the storm. Most of us can just turn around and be doing something else to keep busy. Im going to clear some cedar and bother my boys on the fence crew. Might take a umbrella

They had it out again today. Lol. They got 41 tpost and 1 top wire today. It is hotter than the hinges of hell though.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I'm absolutely hating this. I've a bunch of really nice pairs. The other group will calve this fall. I've already culled any that screwed up or had any issues.

I'm considering selling about half and taking an easy winter.

And I hate the thought of that too!

 

[DCA farm]

I'm absolutely hating this. I've a bunch of really nice pairs. The other group will calve this fall. I've already culled any that screwed up or had any issues.

I'm considering selling about half and taking an easy winter.

And I hate the thought of that too!

The few cows at my home place (my worst grazing right now I may start giving them some cubes just to help them I pulled over 1/2 the cattle off of it and put them on some lease places). Only got 1 bull right now prices was to good to hold the others when I didn't need them and if I didn't have a couple open cows I just bought he might be gone to.

Cow wise it's either bred or got a baby on its side short of a couple who will be palpated Thursday morning and the opens I just bought if it wasn't such a head ache to load 1 cow I've got 2 on lease place that I'd like to trade in but they smart and know I'm looking at them they won't go in lot to get caught and I ain't going to the head ache to catch 1 cow here one cow there

 

[snoopdog]

We're about a month out, if that, ordered some liquid feed, you'ld think I'd learn. What makes us do this? I have a new bull, a nice group of bought heifers, bred by him. And , of course I want to see the results of his breeding on the older , confirmed, bloodline, I just don't know where to make the cut.

 

[tsellars]

So for those of us dealing with the drought. Any tips on helping pastures recover if we start getting some rain? I have mostly fescue, thinking it should come back on its own if we get some rain in the next 60 days.

 

[Brute 23]

Was talking to some one at our local feed store and they said they were having more issues than normal getting paid on accounts right now and it's starting to put them in a bind.

I have a feeling there are a lot of cattle folks that are just trucking along with the higher inputs and not putting a pencil to it. They are finding out too late the game has changed.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

So for those of us dealing with the drought. Any tips on helping pastures recover if we start getting some rain? I have mostly fescue, thinking it should come back on its own if we get some rain in the next 60 days.

temporary cross fences and mobile water. planned moves.

 

[Brute 23]

So for those of us dealing with the drought. Any tips on helping pastures recover if we start getting some rain? I have mostly fescue, thinking it should come back on its own if we get some rain in the next 60 days.

This may be highly debated but I would sacrifice up the least productive ground for a short period the let the other areas get a head of the cattle.

As an example, I have a place like 10 min from my house. A week ago or when ever we got 1.7". The next day I moved all the cattle in to a brush pasture that is mainly ROWs. They mainly just scround around on what comes up in the trees or brush. Good thing is, there is quite a bit of shade. That pasture makes up maybe 10% of the whole property. I'll call it pasture A.

Adjoining is it a wide open field that is probably the most productive on the property and is in the best condition. It has probably a solid foot of grass standing that was burnt up. It probably makes up 20% of the grazing, in acres, not productivity. We will call it pasture B.

My guess is the cattle will go least 2-3 weeks in pasture A after the rain, before it is shot. I will then open up pasture B and it will have greened up and put on new growth by then. It would not surprise me to get 30-60 days of grazing off it with out eating it down too hard.

At that point, I will start evaluating the remaining 70% and make plans to move through it. I've seen some good regrowth in it already. It could be burnt up but there will be standing grass by the time I need it.

Basically I'm sacrificing up a small portion to let the bigger portion get out ahead of the cattle. If we get any moisture through that process it will be smooth sailing.

Portable water and moving hot wires is not in the cards for me. Plus, I would debate if it's as productive in this particular instance. In my opinion you need some resemblance of consistant rainfall for those programs. This plan has worked well for us in the past when you get one shot of rain and have to make the most out of it because you do not know when the next may be.

 

[DCA farm]

So for those of us dealing with the drought. Any tips on helping pastures recover if we start getting some rain? I have mostly fescue, thinking it should come back on its own if we get some rain in the next 60 days.

Sacrifice area out of your worst spot on the place and give all the rest of it time to recover Expecislly if you are having to feed hay anyways put the cows up feed the hay all the **** and urine and hay will help improve the ground grass may be slow to come back but all that nutrients your cows dump down on it will help it grow great usually once it does

 

[cowgirl8]

temporary cross fences and mobile water. planned moves.

In 2011, we put all our cows together. Basically, for most, at that point water is a problem also. We kept them apart until the ponds started to become a problem. Then the ones that we had left were all in one pasture with the remaining pond that twice a day i pumped water into a trough to keep them out of the pond. But of course, many insisted wading through mud for a drink. They even had to walk past the trough. I know i have a picture of that.
What i learned is, if you're land is licked clean as most were in 2011, once rain starts to fall you'll have a bumper crop of rye grass. In, i think it was 2012 or maybe 13, we started baling in April. The rye grass was so thick, it was unimaginable. If i have pictures i'll post them. We did nothing, no fertilizer, no tilling.... it just grew.

 

[cowgirl8]

This picture was taken in Oct 2011. So the drought lasted till 2012. I think this is what we'll have this go round. The drought will go into winter like this and hopefully in the early spring, we'll pull out of it.

The grass was March 2012, we baled it in April....

 

[Travlr]

This may be highly debated but I would sacrifice up the least productive ground for a short period the let the other areas get a head of the cattle.

As an example, I have a place like 10 min from my house. A week ago or when ever we got 1.7". The next day I moved all the cattle in to a brush pasture that is mainly ROWs. They mainly just scround around on what comes up in the trees or brush. Good thing is, there is quite a bit of shade. That pasture makes up maybe 10% of the whole property. I'll call it pasture A.

Adjoining is it a wide open field that is probably the most productive on the property and is in the best condition. It has probably a solid foot of grass standing that was burnt up. It probably makes up 20% of the grazing, in acres, not productivity. We will call it pasture B.

My guess is the cattle will go least 2-3 weeks in pasture A after the rain, before it is shot. I will then open up pasture B and it will have greened up and put on new growth by then. It would not surprise me to get 30-60 days of grazing off it with out eating it down too hard.

At that point, I will start evaluating the remaining 70% and make plans to move through it. I've seen some good regrowth in it already. It could be burnt up but there will be standing grass by the time I need it.

Basically I'm sacrificing up a small portion to let the bigger portion get out ahead of the cattle. If we get any moisture through that process it will be smooth sailing.

Portable water and moving hot wires is not in the cards for me. Plus, I would debate if it's as productive in this particular instance. In my opinion you need some resemblance of consistant rainfall for those programs. This plan has worked well for us in the past when you get one shot of rain and have to make the most out of it because you do not know when the next may be.

A thinking man's solution. Flexible to make use of available resources to maximize them. Makes sense to me.

 

[TexasRancher]

Well I'm going to guess that your faith in the divine is reinforced with a solid financial situation that makes losing a option. Nice place to be.
In my part of Texas the damage is done with still 60 days of any chance of real relief (historically speaking) you should be prepared to fight non-stop until mid-spring. Your not just trying to save your cattle now but your land as well. You can do severe damage that takes years to repair. As far as supplementing low quality hay. It can work. Look into milo if possible over corn stalks and don't let your pencil stick you in the eye. Compare good hay. You may find good hay at 80.00 is cheaper than 50.00 stalks and supplements. Especially when labor and equipment and storage come into play.
Good luck I'm out.
Going to gamble on fall oats. They failed last year and I've never had oats fail two years in a row. If they get up good I'll buy back in. Going to keep a couple hundred rolls of good enough hay until i see. If oats do fail the hay will be worth enough to cover that hit.

Thank you..good advice. Believe me the forage damage is done and completed in Ferris too even if we got 10" of rain at 75 degrees...everything's burned won't come back this year. I know i can get stalks for $40. Hay is $80. to $120. My plan is to work with my supplier for $30. corn stalks...AND the nice thing about the corn stalks this year due to the drought are they were only chest to neck high...stalks are THIN..half to 3/4's of the thin stalks are edible as-is.
No, not worried about the land (there's no mud-terrain damage), I'm bringing on food-nutrients also fertilizer in the form of hay- giving back to land. I've got an incredible gusher of a well...God Sent...if the well wasn't there it would "break me" break my spirit.
My cattle are big, good weight...just one mother milking is showing signs of minor degradation. I'll keep on keeping on... every day, swinging my double sword at it. I've lived a charmed and blessed life...God has always had me. I didn't do cattle on my own God assisted me (literally, like Noah with cattle coming to the promised land) ...I was told to fight on...things will get better in 2023 and 2024. Especially when Texas ranchers come back into the market to buy cattle when stockers/processors are needing meat.

 

[TexasRancher]

Was talking to some one at our local feed store and they said they were having more issues than normal getting paid on accounts right now and it's starting to put them in a bind.

I have a feeling there are a lot of cattle folks that are just trucking along with the higher inputs and not putting a pencil to it. They are finding out too late the game has changed.

lol, the pencil will be put to it... on the 2022 taxes....I will ignore the bottom line number, BECAUSE I'll mark in words that say "Massive Drought"...and THAT will make me feel better. Someone has to lose at the poker game...and someday I'll use my same Cattle to Fight another day and win.

 

[callmefence]

I'm surprised how many have waited until after the 4th holiday. Although in my area most of the more experienced guys didn't wait. Now they're helping the others get there's to town. Prices are sliding pretty quick as would be expected.