Don't cuss the cold or rain.

[True Grit Farms]

What do the cows eat? I mean in 4 1/2 months with no rain there can't be anything there right? Hay?

In the last few days anywhere where the soil is thin the grass is hurt bad. I'm trying to figure out a plan and can't come up with one that I like.

Me either. I'm gonna spend some time tomorrow do some serious number crunching. Something has got to give. One thing I have a decent amount of is surface water. May have to buy a traveler.

I think I have to much woods at the moment for irrigation to be cost effective. I'm thinking lick tank - liquid feed and let the cows hustle in the woods. We have a HERD sale in Calhoun Wednesday so culling is going to wait till next week. Our cows are still in decent condition but not for long.

 

[Nesikep]

I think it was 2015 we were in the high 90's from mid May right through to September without any rain to speak of...

What do the cows eat? I mean in 4 1/2 months with no rain there can't be anything there right? Hay?

I spend my summer moving irrigation pipe to keep it green.. I can't fathom relying on occult methods of irrigation like rain dances, etc!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I've been wishing for some heat UP this way. I've been feeding hay since November and grazing is still a ways off. We haven't hit 70 degrees since last September, had 29° and frozen ground last week. Last weekend it was 36° and got 2.5" of precip between the rain and snow which doesnt so the grass any good.

 

[1982vett]

Drove through the Brazos River Bottom near here this afternoon... they are starting to irrigate. Planting was late because of rain. Corn that was stunted because it was to wet is now wilting.

 

[oscarsteve]

I'm a little North of True Grit and JMJ Farms. Haven't had any measurable rain here in 2 weeks and only 2.2 inches for all of May. AND we had a dry April too. No real percentage chance of rain in the forecast for 2 more weeks (hope they're wrong on that). At 4 pm today it was 98 degrees with 23% humidity (almost unheard of here in GA) and winds 8-10 mph. That is surely making things become even more critically dry. I ran out of hay this winter and have cut one time so far this season. I sure don't want to have to feed that anytime soon. I'm a director for our local chapter of The GA Cattlemen's Assoc. I sent out a text suggesting we might need to meet on the square in town early in the morning to perform the popular naked rain dance.

 

[Dave]

I think it was 2015 we were in the high 90's from mid May right through to September without any rain to speak of...

What do the cows eat? I mean in 4 1/2 months with no rain there can't be anything there right? Hay?

I spend my summer moving irrigation pipe to keep it green.. I can't fathom relying on occult methods of irrigation like rain dances, etc!

Here the cows are all up in the hills for the summer. Very few of the cattle summer on irrigated pasture. It is green in the hills now but it will soon be dry. They eat dry grass and walk a mile or 2 or 3 to get water. One of the reasons that calves here bring the price they do is they are hard not fleshy.

 

[Nesikep]

What do the cows eat? I mean in 4 1/2 months with no rain there can't be anything there right? Hay?

I spend my summer moving irrigation pipe to keep it green.. I can't fathom relying on occult methods of irrigation like rain dances, etc!

Here the cows are all up in the hills for the summer. Very few of the cattle summer on irrigated pasture. It is green in the hills now but it will soon be dry. They eat dry grass and walk a mile or 2 or 3 to get water. One of the reasons that calves here bring the price they do is they are hard not fleshy.

I really wish I could kick mine out and make them work! It would do them lots of good (and me). Fatso Zeus would build some real muscle! There's an indian reserve to the north of me.. that's about the only place that's fathomable, not that much food there though and would have to get fenced.

 

[Silver]

We haven't had rain yet this year. Things still look green and healthy, but it would be nice to get a three day soaker in the next week or so. Turned heifers onto the range today, cows tomorrow. Bush grass is looking really good. 85F here today, I'm not built for this kind of heat.

 

[Coosh71]

When you live in a 10 inch annual rainfall area like I do you never cuss the rain. We have had nearly 2.5 inches in the last 10 days. I wondered a couple of times why I am irrigating but I never turned the water off. The range land pastures really shot up. Timely rain is more important than total rain.

Dave, do y'all have high temps for months on end? Not being a smartazz. Just trying to understand. I mean I know other places get hot and dry. But another month of what we are having and 50 acres to the cow wouldn't be enough. It's literally dying here. And not yet, but after enough time it's just dirt. I've seen a little bit of Texas in hard times but I'm unfamiliar with your part of the world.

JMJ, last year this time I had a cull list for all pastures because for 7 1/2 months we got no snow, no rain, not even a dark colored cloud. This year we are so soggy i walk to check certain pastures. This weather is crazy. I'm not complaining, but at the same time I'm praying for y'all in the SE.

 

[JMJ Farms]

When you live in a 10 inch annual rainfall area like I do you never cuss the rain. We have had nearly 2.5 inches in the last 10 days. I wondered a couple of times why I am irrigating but I never turned the water off. The range land pastures really shot up. Timely rain is more important than total rain.

Dave, do y'all have high temps for months on end? Not being a smartazz. Just trying to understand. I mean I know other places get hot and dry. But another month of what we are having and 50 acres to the cow wouldn't be enough. It's literally dying here. And not yet, but after enough time it's just dirt. I've seen a little bit of Texas in hard times but I'm unfamiliar with your part of the world.

JMJ, last year this time I had a cull list for all pastures because for 7 1/2 months we got no snow, no rain, not even a dark colored cloud. This year we are so soggy i walk to check certain pastures. This weather is crazy. I'm not complaining, but at the same time I'm praying for y'all in the SE.

Thank you sir. I will take all the prayers we can get. It's bad right now. 100 today. 94 by 11 AM. Worked one group of cows and calves today. Started at daylight. Done by 8:30. It's so dang hot and it's still May. But this too shall pass. Just got a pretty good shower at my house but none at any of the farms. Pop up showers. Just gotta be in the right place.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I could see the lighting but couldn't hear any thunder.

 

[kenny thomas]

We haven't had rain yet this year. Things still look green and healthy, but it would be nice to get a three day soaker in the next week or so. Turned heifers onto the range today, cows tomorrow. Bush grass is looking really good. 85F here today, I'm not built for this kind of heat.

Am I reading this correct, you have not had rain at all this year? When was the last snow?

 

[Silver]

We haven't had rain yet this year. Things still look green and healthy, but it would be nice to get a three day soaker in the next week or so. Turned heifers onto the range today, cows tomorrow. Bush grass is looking really good. 85F here today, I'm not built for this kind of heat.

Am I reading this correct, you have not had rain at all this year? When was the last snow?

Snow left late March. So it's not like we are in a bad situation yet, but the long range forecast is not looking good.

 

[Little Cow]

Saw some clouds, for the first time in days, last night. There's not enough humidity to build afternoon storms, but I'll take the clouds.

Hurricane season starts Saturday. Our state has been hit three years out of the last four. Two years ago was the worst for our area. Hope it's a quiet year.

 

[TCRanch]

Dave, do y'all have high temps for months on end? Not being a smartazz. Just trying to understand. I mean I know other places get hot and dry. But another month of what we are having and 50 acres to the cow wouldn't be enough. It's literally dying here. And not yet, but after enough time it's just dirt. I've seen a little bit of Texas in hard times but I'm unfamiliar with your part of the world.

JMJ, last year this time I had a cull list for all pastures because for 7 1/2 months we got no snow, no rain, not even a dark colored cloud. This year we are so soggy i walk to check certain pastures. This weather is crazy. I'm not complaining, but at the same time I'm praying for y'all in the SE.

Thank you sir. I will take all the prayers we can get. It's bad right now. 100 today. 94 by 11 AM. Worked one group of cows and calves today. Started at daylight. Done by 8:30. It's so dang hot and it's still May. But this too shall pass. Just got a pretty good shower at my house but none at any of the farms. Pop up showers. Just gotta be in the right place.

Yes, this too shall pass. You're having the same weather we had last year; near record highs in May & no rain in sight after a dry fall/winter. We've already surpassed annual rainfall & up to 3" more expected today/tonight & continued dangerous storms. I'm still traumatized over losing one of our new bulls from lightning last week & do my daily inventory with trepidation.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Yes, this too shall pass. You're having the same weather we had last year; near record highs in May & no rain in sight after a dry fall/winter. We've already surpassed annual rainfall & up to 3" more expected today/tonight & continued dangerous storms. I'm still traumatized over losing one of our new bulls from lightning last week & do my daily inventory with trepidation.

Dang Ke, that's not you're first loss to lightning if I recall correctly? I don't want the storms. But when we get some rain it's likely to be associated with a pretty strong storm this time of year. The heat makes them powerful.

 

[TCRanch]

Yes, this too shall pass. You're having the same weather we had last year; near record highs in May & no rain in sight after a dry fall/winter. We've already surpassed annual rainfall & up to 3" more expected today/tonight & continued dangerous storms. I'm still traumatized over losing one of our new bulls from lightning last week & do my daily inventory with trepidation.

Dang Ke, that's not you're first loss to lightning if I recall correctly? I don't want the storms. But when we get some rain it's likely to be associated with a pretty strong storm this time of year. The heat makes them powerful.

Yup, lost a beautiful first calf heifer a few years ago. And naturally Woody was my fave of the 2 new bulls, had him less than a month. Vet posted him but I already suspected lightning.

 

[Dave]

I was going to go cut a load of corral poles this morning. It is 65 miles each way. So I checked the forecast and the Doppler radar. No rain in the forecast and none on radar. Rain started just out of Baker. But by the time we got to Sumpter it had quit and the sun was out. Got up in the hills to a patch of Lodgepole pine. I was gassing up the saw and it started to rain. We waited in the truck for it to pass. We waited some more. Finally said I have turned into a fair weather logger in my old age. Got back to Baker and the sun was out. Came home and got my hard hose irrigation reel and the pump up and running. Watched it for a while, thought I will come back and check on it in 2 hours. At one hour and 45 minutes thunder and lightning and pouring down rain. Not cussing the rain but it sure is messing with my day today.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I was going to go cut a load of corral poles this morning. It is 65 miles each way. So I checked the forecast and the Doppler radar. No rain in the forecast and none on radar. Rain started just out of Baker. But by the time we got to Sumpter it had quit and the sun was out. Got up in the hills to a patch of Lodgepole pine. I was gassing up the saw and it started to rain. We waited in the truck for it to pass. We waited some more. Finally said I have turned into a fair weather logger in my old age. Got back to Baker and the sun was out. Came home and got my hard hose irrigation reel and the pump up and running. Watched it for a while, thought I will come back and check on it in 2 hours. At one hour and 45 minutes thunder and lightning and pouring down rain. Not cussing the rain but it sure is messing with my day today.

Lucky you.

 

[1982vett]

True Grit, I feel your frustration.

We got lucky last night so I don't foresee us burning up under June sunshine for a a couple more weeks.