More Drought Solutions

I keep getting questions about what to do if the drought persists next year or if becomes the new “Drought of Record.” Does it make sense to feed tubs? Does it pay to irrigate? Why not mow weeds? Should I feed protein blocks? Is old hay good to feed in a drought? Each of these questions are an article unto themselves, but I will try to make a short reply.

Every ranch is different, so I advise ranchers based on what I see on their property and what I learn of their management style. Some are weekend ranchers. They only see the ranch on weekends and holidays. Neighbors tell them if there are cattle problems, but otherwise the cattle fend for themselves. Other clients are full-time ranchers that have done business the same way for decades.

I generally tell each rancher to create more pastures of equal amounts of grass. This means that water needs to be in each pasture, or some pastures will need to share a trough or pond. There are rarely enough pastures on a ranch. I have found the magic number to be 14 pastures. Rotating this number allows the grass to recover in each one after grazing. Is it time to build fence?

If a ranch is overstocked, someone must decide which animals to cull. This is one of the hardest things a rancher must do, but it needs to be done. Ranchers frequently hold onto stock because they just know it will rain sooner than later. The problem remains that rain alone does not grow quality grass fast enough to save starving cattle. It takes soil nutrition to grow quality grass. And since all or nearly all the grass and weeds die in a drought, growing a healthy pasture must be a priority.

When land is exhausted, nutrients are spent. With little ability to recover, drought is not the time to grow grass to bale hay. If enough grass is grown, you don’t need hay, or at the most, very little. And you can buy small amounts. Again, rain alone will not grow grass. Chemical fertilizers are out of the question even with rain. Chemical salts only make recovery harder.

While the rancher is growing more grass, they can feed hay in one pasture while grass grows in the other pastures. Feeding old hay is better than no hay or expensive hay. If the hay was stored properly, it should still be good. Smell will usually tell the story. The best hay is hay the cattle will eat and not tromp on.

Feeding mineral tubs and protein blocks is expensive. If pastures lack minerals or protein, the best place to put them is in the grass, not in a tub. Molasses tubs are of value, but many “mineral packages” contain chemicals that do the animal little good and can harm them. Putting money into improving the grass’s fertility and mineral content would solve those problems.

Too many ranchers mow weeds. Even dead weeds are protection for what little grass is left. Many think weeds rob the grass of water. But actually, weeds reduce heat and slow wind evaporation. They are there to protect the soil, replace missing minerals, prevent soil erosion, and provide the soil microorganisms with some nutritive value. What robs the grass of water is soil that has little or no organic matter to hold water and bare soil with little or no protection.

Now the big question. Should a rancher invest in irrigation equipment? The answer is “It depends.” How can a rancher justify the expense of drilling a new well? It depends on how many cattle are owned and if the rancher can properly manage the irrigated land. I can’t stress enough that water alone will not grow grass with cattle constantly grazing it. It takes grass management and soil nutrition. Irrigation can help, but it takes knowledge to make it work.

If a rancher had 100 pregnant cows with calves going into a drought and could save every cow and calf born through the drought, how much more could they make on the sale of cattle after the drought? Prices always go down during a drought as ranchers sell off excess cattle. Prices always go up after a drought because there are fewer cattle to buy. Will the cost of the well and irrigation equipment be offset by the higher prices and availability of animals? The new well and equipment should be operational for many years and droughts to come. The rancher must decide.

And if the rancher could accomplish these things, and graze more cattle on the same land with better management, what would be the obvious outcome? A very positive one, I think.

David E Will is a local rancher and consultant. He can be reached at 830-629-9876 or by email at dwill207@satx.rr.com.