In NE Ohio we are experiencing another year of severe drought. I’m going to share some important information that can benefit your beef herd during these dry periods.
Hi, my name is Julie and my husbands name is Bo. We are raising grass fed and/or grain finished beef for families wanting high quality meat from local farmers.
Let’s start off with a drought is, then we will get into food and forage to help your beef farm during those times.
“A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions. A drought can last for days, months or years. Drought often has large impacts on the ecosystems and agriculture of affected regions, and causes harm to the local economy.” Wikipedia
Plant production directly influences year-to-year stocking rates. In dry years with limited plant production, livestock forage demand often exceeds available plant production and livestock producers are faced with decisions of over utilizing pastures, selling cattle, or finding alternative feed resources (bale hay).
In years with above average precipitation, plant production supply may be greater than livestock grazing demand.
For many beef farmers, carryover grass from the previous growing season can help support stocking rates. If the year before was dry, and the amount of carryover forage is low, beef farmers should consider this in their cattle number and stocking rate plans. (Check out this article about downsizing options).
At the time of our drought we had plenty of pasture land to support our beef herd of 20 head. Our biggest hurdle was rotating our beef herd. With the ground being so dry it made it hard to put in temporarily fence. Along with other family matters, we ended our rotational grazing program early and opted to keep the herd split, ( cows and young (newly born) calves in one pasture and weaned, yearling stock in a second pasture) and give baled hay to supplement.
Some things to take into consideration during a drought is the effects on grasses and pastures this include:
Aboveground growth will be low.
Root growth will be reduced
Fewer seed heads and plants remain mostly vegetative.
Severe drought will cause plants to go into dormancy.
Reduced growth of rhizomes and formation of new buds that will produce next and future year’s tillers.
Lower carbohydrate (energy) reserve storage.
Although most pasture grasses are quite resilient, it is common to expect that production during the year following a drought will be reduced, even with average precipitation.
This has proven to be something we will have to address in the next year. Our pastures are young, they formerly were cropland. The added pressure of keeping the beef herd on the same pasture throughout the drought may lead to some slower growth next year.
The reason for this is the reduced root and rhizome growth, along with the formation of new buds and overall energy reserve of the plants. The exact amount of reduced forage production the year after a drought is difficult to predict because the precipitation patterns and severity of each drought are usually never the same. In addition, the precipitation amounts and timing in the coming year are unknown.
Timing of grazing is an important factor in grazing management. A popular recommendation is too avoid grazing in the same pasture at the same time each year. Research has shown that repeated annual grazing during the rapid growth stage can reduce the overall vigor of grasses. This rapid growth phase is when grass plants are transitioning from a vegetative to elongation and reproductive stages. This rapid growth phase typically occurs in May for cool-season grasses and during June and July for warm-season species. Combining drought and grazing stress will greatly increase the likelihood of reduced forage production in the subsequent year.
A final thought would be dry lot/ winter heavy use pasture feeding.
Drylot or a winter ,heavy use pasture feeding would be a good option if pasture conditions are extremely poor. Farmers would be wise to consider feeding cows in a drylot as a cost savings option. This could also be a cost effective way to supplement if large amounts need to be transported and fed to cows daily.
Another pro for doing this is that it may give pastures a much needed rest period to begin recovering from the drought. The sooner you can get your beef herd off a heavily used pasture, the sooner it will have to start recovering for next year’s grazing.
We recently had a new pasture fenced in. This has allowed us to get our beef cows and young calves off the heavily used pasture in Oct. Without having to put them in the winter pasture just yet. Our hopes for the heavily used pasture is that it will have time to rest and get some growth before winter sets in.
Until Next Time, Grow Something Beautiful Friends,
Bo, Julie and Family
” For I know the plans I have for you, ” declares the Lord, ” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
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