Matt Printz
Association Perspective
Drought management and available tools.
With much of the country enduring one of the worst droughts on record, it is easy for a cattle producer to feel overwhelmed. Pastures are dry, feed is expensive and the prospect of rain is unlikely in the near future. Many ranchers are considering the reduction of their herd, and many who normally manage yearlings through the summer have already sold them.
There are some management practices, however, that may help a rancher survive this situation. The first is to manage your pastures properly. Management practices such as rotational grazing can stretch out a pasture's potential. The second opportunity is to consider early weaning. Many producers I have visited with are planning to wean their calves earlier to reduce the number of head grazing and reduce the nutritional requirements of the cow since she no longer needs to lactate.
Another strategy that many producers are planning to incorporate is to identify and sell problematic or poor-producing cows. Pregnancy-checking cows as early as possible and culling the open or late-bred ones reduces pressure on unproductive pastures. These conditions also warrant dispersing any cow with structural or temperament issues.
The next step for many ranchers is a tough one, and it usually requires selling the older cows in the herd in order to keep the younger, more productive females. I have had one breeder tell me he plans on doing the opposite because he has more confidence in the cows with a more accurate production record.
If the drought continues I have no doubt that we will see major cow herd liquidation. The thing to keep in mind is that once the drought breaks, the beef industry could experience some of the most profitable years that we have seen.
To get past this point, Angus Productions Inc. has a topic site full of information on managing cattle during a drought. For more information, visit www.angusjournal.com/drought. This website has a collection of Angus Journal articles on the subject; news releases from university and allied industry sources; links to online resources in the categories of cattle, feeding, management and water; a hay finder; and current conditions.
Keep up with daily news by subscribing to the Angus eList at www.anguselist.com, which often contains drought resources and workshops nationwide.
Another resource is in this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA. If you click on the Archive tab at the top, there is a new search option. If you type in drought, 421 results will appear, so there are plenty of resources available.
Editor's Note: Regional Manager Matt Printz covers Region 13, including the states of Colorado and Nebraska. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
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