Jim Thompson, agricultural business specialist with University of Missouri in Laclede County, shared some tips for farmers in the area who are experiencing hard times due to the drought. Thompson’s tactic was primarily “sit and wait.” He advised staying inside and keep yourself safe, and to leave your cattle alone until the temperature lowers. “Cattle are under a lot of heat stress this summer, unless you absolutely have to get the cattle up and to the sale barn, don’t. The cattle need plenty of water, and more importantly, shade,” said Thompson.
Tom Troxel, animal science specialist with University of Arkansas said, “Producers need to be reducing cattle numbers, that is most important.”
With pastures under sever drought stress Thompson said, “It seems a lot of farmers have already started feeding supplements like minerals and salt, and should continue to do so. As far as hay goes, I know a lot of producers who never stopped feeding it. Some started feeding again in early June.” He recommended if you aren’t already feeding supplements to your cattle then it would only be beneficial for you to start doing so.
Since this is the second summer of severe drought in the state, Troxel explained his view on the seasons to come. “Ponds are drying up, trees are turning brown, and there’s no rain in our forecast. Producers can buy hay, but shipping is really expensive. It will be September before there is adequate forage. I guess the question is, how much hay can you buy, and how long will it last?” said Troxel.
To conserve water, Thompson suggested that the producers not water lawns or gardens. “Farmers need to make sure their cattle have an adequate supply of water. They need to keep watch of their ponds and make sure there is still enough water for their cattle to drink on these hot days. Shade is more important in this heat, but lots of water also keeps cattle comfortable. It is however more important for the cattle to have shade to lay in rather than having a pond to stand in, so even if your ponds aren’t deep enough for them to stand in, make sure there is enough to drink.”
Troxel added, “If farmers have fewer cattle drinking from the ponds, each one will have more water to consume and the worry about the pond drying up will decrease.”
Editor’s Note: When researching rainfall for the month of June, we noticed that during dry spells the fourth year is typically close to average rainfall. Hopefully this is a sign of relief for us in 2013.
