Drought is a normal part of the livestock production cycle. Dealing with dry periods and decreased feed supplies should be part of an overall management plan. The time to be making a decision on this is not when all of the hay is gone.
To add insult to injury, this year has also seen commodity prices reach the highest it has ever been. Basic inputs like grain, fertilizer, and even fuel are getting terribly expensive. What makes it even scarier is that these prices do not appear to be going down anytime soon.
When forages seem to be gone, you may need to use hay substitutes in order to remain profitable. Picking which to go with can be a bit of a head-scratcher since there seems to be a ton of information out there. It can be difficult to pick which is right and which is, basically, nonsense. Here are some things that you may need to consider when looking at substituting your hay.
Weaning time is once again upon us. It is a magical time where everything runs smoothly. Also absolutely nothing wrong ever….. 
The threat of drought this year is a real problem for most of the country. Many of us have seen severely less than average rainfall and it has put a strain on our businesses. The most frustrating thing about it is that drought is one of the few things that we as humans have absolutely no control over.
Internal parasites are a problem that every beef producer must face. It is a constant annoyance that can rob a beef operation of its productivity. They impair production by increasing things like energy costs of maintenance, diet digestibility, and immune activity.
If you were to ask any producer about which nutrients they are concerned with chances are they would tell you protein, energy, and minerals. Now while these are important there is another that is just as important: water. Ensuring that cattle have an adequate amount of clean water is necessary for them to function.
Drought is one of those things that every cattle producer will have to deal with at some point. It ranks right up there with Death and Taxes. Just like those two though it is unavoidable it is also something that most producers find themselves unprepared for.
It is weaning time again out on the range. This is the time of year that you as a rancher get to see the fruits of your labor. Labors such as with your breeding programs. But that does beg the question about success.
Having to feed supplements is necessary sometimes in cattle operations. That being said it is not something that most ranchers like to do. Feed costs remain the single largest expense for any cattle producer. The amount really depends on different things but it can easily be half of the total annual expenses.
Looking out onto a field of perfectly rolled hay bales is a beautiful sight to see. It is even more impactful if you are the one that baled them. Can feel yourself filling with pride on a job well done.
With summer arriving treating pinkeye is an issue, many cattle producers will face. As things get drier it means more dust which means an increase in eye irritants.
