Drought conditions stress summer forages

Benjamin Herrold
Aug 4, 2023
Aug 4, 2023

Cattle move to a fresh pasture in Daviess County, Mo. Drought conditions have reduced pasture growth.
Photo by Benjamin Herrold

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Widespread drought conditions have stressed summer forages, limiting and in many places stopping growth in pastures and hayfields. Livestock producers are in a tough spot as the hot months roll on.

kAm&?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:DD@FC: tIE6?D:@? =:G6DE@4< DA64:2=:DE v6?6 $49>:EK D2JD 9:D 2C62 92D 366? 562=:?8 H:E9 5CJ 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C 2 H9:=6]k^Am

kAm“#:89E 2C@F?5 96C6[ E96J’G6 366? :? E96 3F==D6J6 E96 =@?86DE[” 96 D2JD] “#62==J 8@:?8 324< 23@FE 2 J62C]”k^Am

kAm$49>:EK :D 32D65 :? !6EE:D r@F?EJ 2?5 4@G6CD >F=E:A=6 4@F?E:6D :? H6DE 46?EC2= |:DD@FC:] |F49 @7 E96 C68:@? 92D >@G65 :?E@ =6G6= c “6I46AE:@?2=” 5C@F89E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] sC@F89E |@?:E@C] {6G6= c :D E96 9:896DE =6G6=]k^Am

kAm“xE’D C62==J F8=J[” $49>:EK D2JD]k^Am

kAmw6 D2JD >2?J AC@5F46CD 3J >:5\yF=J 925 HC:EE6? @77 E96:C 4@C? 4C@A 2D 2 72:=FC6 2?5 2C6 =@@<:?8 E@ 49@A 4@C? 7@C D:=286 E@ 96=A >2<6 FA 7@C E96 5C2>2E:4 C65F4E:@?D :? A2DEFC6 2?5 92J7:6=5 AC@5F4E:G:EJ] w6 D2JD 2 =2E6\yF=J C2:? H2D H6=4@>65[ 3FE :E H:== E2<6 >@C6 E@ 86E 8C2DD 8C@H:?8 282:?]k^Am

kAm“}@E9:?8’D 8C@H:?8 324<[” 96 D2JD]k^Am

kAm$49>:EK C64@>>6?5D AC@5F46CD DEC6E49 7665 DFAA=:6D 3J C65F4:?8 92J H2DE6] r@?6\D92A65 76656CD H:E9 D966E:?8 2C@F?5 E96 3@EE@> AC@G:5:?8 E96 =2C86DE C65F4E:@?[ 96 D2JD] !C@5F46CD 42? 2=D@ =@@< E@ 2=E6C?2E:G6D DF49 2D 8C2:? 2?5 8C2:? 3J\AC@5F4E 7665D] rC@A C6D:5F6 @C 2 72:=65 4@C? 4C@A 42? 2=D@ AC@G:56 7@C286 @AE:@?D[ 2?5 AC@5F46CD 42? =@@< E@ 4F== @=56C @C @A6? 42EE=6]k^Am

kAm$49>:EK 2=D@ D2JD AC@5F46CD D9@F=5 36 E9:?<:?8 23@FE 9@H E@ 86E E96 >@DE @FE @7 72== 8C@HE9[ D9@F=5 C2:?D 2CC:G6]k^Am

kAm“q6 C625J E@ 2AA=J ?:EC@86? :? pF8FDE E@ AC@>@E6 72== E2== 76D4F6 8C@HE9 AC@G:565 C2:?D C6EFC?[” 96 D2JD] “v:G6 E9@D6 A2DEFC6D C6DE E@ 2==@H 72== 8C@HE9 E@ 244F>F=2E6]”k^Am

kAmx? x==:?@:D[ AC@5F46CD 4@?E:?F6 E@ 32EE=6 7@C286 D9@CE286D 2D H6==] &?:G6CD:EJ @7 x==:?@:D tIE6?D:@? 65F42E@C %6C6D2 $E64<=6C :D 32D65 2E E96 s:I@? $AC:?8D p8C:4F=EFC2= r6?E6C :? D@FE96C? x==:?@:D 2?5 D2JD 2 DEC6E49 @7 ?@ >62DFC23=6 C2:? 36EH66? 62C=J yF?6 2?5 >:5\yF=J AFE A2DEFC6D :? 2 325 DA@E]k^Am

kAm“%9:D DF>>6C WA2DEFC6DX 92G6 366? 2 =:EE=6 5:D>2=[” D96 D2JD]k^Am

kAm%96 2C62 5:5 C646:G6 D@>6 C2:?D :? >:5\E@\=2E6 yF=J]k^Am

People are also reading…

Good cattle and a giving nature: Late cowboy to receive hall of fame honors
Iowa farmer sees new path for agriculture
Proposals aim to improve pool of rural veterinarians
Meristem focuses on reducing crop input costs for farmers
Study reveals how bull buyers use key genetic information
From rose farms to rice fields, travel continues
Rural America at its finest: fire relief efforts in Nebraska show best of humanity
With labor tight, incentives key to finding the right help
Livestock sector struggles to fill labor need
McCumber Angus Ranch Production Sale
Geopolitical issues influencing soybean market
Rail merger would hurt farmers
Nebraska ranchers reel from fire losses
Snap2Graze: grazing cereal rye really can be that simple
Hemingford FFA grows leaders for tomorrow

kAm“%96J’C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ DAC:?8 324< ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 3:E[” $E64<=6C D2JD]k^Am

kAm$96 D2JD E96 92J 4C@AD :? E96 2C62 92G6 366? 92=7 E@ EH@\E9:C5D @7 ?@C>2= E9:D J62C[ A2CE @7 2 D:I\J62C DEC6E49 @7 H62E96C E92E 92D 6:E96C 366? A@@C :? E96 DAC:?8[ 72== @C 3@E9[ >2<:?8 :E E@F89 7@C 7@C286D E@ <66A FA] $96 <?@HD D@>6 2C62 AC@5F46CD H9@ 92G6 2=C625J 366? 7665:?8 92J]k^Am

kAm“%96 A2DEFC6D 2C6 32D:42==J 5@H? E@ ?@E9:?8[” $E64<=6C D2JD]k^Am

kAm$96 :D 9@A67F= E96 C646?E C2:?D >:89E 8:G6 AC@5F46CD E96 23:=:EJ E@ 92G6 2 5646?E E9:C5 92J 4FEE:?8] %96 4FCC6?E 7@C642DE :D 9@E 2?5 >@DE=J 5CJ]k^Am

kAm“u@C 2 H9:=6[ 2== E96 C2:?D H6?E D@FE9 @C ?@CE9 @7 FD[” D96 D2JD]k^Am

kAm$E64<=6C C64@>>6?5D AC@5F46CD 36 D@FC4:?8 E96:C 92J C:89E ?@H :7 E96J 42? 7:?5 2?J 2?5 9F?E:?8 2?J 2G2:=23=6 8C2K:?8 8C@F?5 E@ =62D6] $96 D2JD E96 7@4FD :D @? ECJ:?8 E@ 86E E96 >2:? A2DEFC6D E@ C64@G6C]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 E@ 86E E9@D6 AC:>2CJ A2DEFC6D 324< :? D92A6[” $E64<=6C D2JD]k^Am

kAm$96 D2JD 6G6? 5:G:5:?8 2 A2DEFC6 :?E@ EH@ @C E9C66 A2CED 42? 8:G6 2C62D 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 E@ C64@G6C 2?5 2G@:5 @G6C8C2K:?8] $96 2=D@ D2JD 4@?EC@==:?8 H665D :? A2DEFC6D 42? 96=A >2I:>:K6 AC@5F4E:G:EJ]k^Am

kAmu@C >2?J AC@5F46CD[ E96 a_ab 5C@F89E 4@>6D @? E96 966=D @7 2 5CJ 72== =2DE J62C]k^Am

kAm“%96D6 8FJD 4@F=5 FD6 2 3C62<[” $E64<=6C D2JD]k^Am

kAmx@H2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ 3667 ?FEC:E:@? DA64:2=:DE q6E9 #6J?@=5D D2JD 4@?5:E:@?D G2CJ :? 96C 46?EC2= x@H2 2C62[ 2=E9@F89 ?@E >2?J 2C6 2G6C286 @C 36EE6C]k^Am

kAm“!2DEFC6D :? >J :>>65:2E6 2C62 =@@< 36EE6C E92? >:5\yF?6 6IA64E2E:@?D[” D2JD #6J?@=5D[ H9@ :D 32D65 :? (2CC6? r@F?EJ] “%92E :D AC:>2C:=J 5F6 E@ yF=J C2:?D[ 2?5 @? 2G6C286[ >:=5 DF>>6C E6>A6C2EFC6D] w@H6G6C[ 3J E96 E:>6 C2:? 42>6[ 4@@= D62D@? 8C2DD6D H6C6 A2DE 36:?8 7F==J 962565 @FE[ 2?5 2?J 8C@HE9 92D 366? D=@H[ 2D 6IA64E65 7@C 4@@= D62D@?D] pE E9:D A@:?E[ 8C2K:?8 AC6DDFC6 :D DE2CE:?8 E@ D9@H[ 6G6? :? C@E2E:@?2==J 8C2K65 DJDE6>D]”k^Am

kAm$96 D2JD @E96C A2CED @7 x@H2 92G6 6G6? E@F896C 7@C286 4@?5:E:@?D[ H:E9 >2?J AC@5F46CD 2=C625J 7665:?8 92J E@ AC@G:56 256BF2E6 C6DE 7@C A2DEFC6D] %96 7:CDE 92J 4FEE:?8 :? 96C 2C62 H2D =@H6C E92? 2G6C286[ 2=E9@F89 E96 D64@?5 H2D 36EE6C E92? 6IA64E65] w2J :D 6IA6?D:G6[ 2?5 #6J?@=5D C64@>>6?5D AC:4:?8 4@C? D:=286 2?5 =@@<:?8 E@ D665 =2E6\DF>>6C 4@G6C 4C@AD 2?5 @E96C 7@C286D E@ <66A 4@DED 5@H?]k^Am

kAm{@@<:?8 29625[ #6J?@=5D D2JD 72== 7@C286 8C@HE9 :D ?66565[ 2=E9@F89 E96 A2DEFC6D 2C6 4@>:?8 7C@> 2 DEC6DD65 A@D:E:@?]k^Am

kAm“(6 2C6 4FCC6?E=J :? 2 9@E 2?5 5CJ DA6==[ 3FE E96 3:8 BF6DE:@? H:== 36 :7 pF8FDE 2?5 $6AE6>36C 92G6 6?@F89 >@:DEFC6 E@ 86E 5646?E 72== 8C@HE9 @FE @7 E96 4@@= D62D@? 8C2DD6D[” D96 D2JD] “%96 A2DEFC6D @G6C8C2K65 E9:D DAC:?8 H:== DECF88=6 E@ C64@G6C 7@C 72== 8C@HE9]”k^Am