Managing Through Drought Distress

Maintain your cow herd and forage through a drought with sound advice from other producers

By Lisa Bryant, Communications Specialist

You’ve probably heard that adage, “Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.” However, at this point in late summer, you can bet on one more constant – ranchers somewhere in the United States are experiencing drought conditions.

With last year’s ongoing drought in the West and unseasonably hot early summer temperatures in the South, a considerable number of ranchers are currently dealing with drought.

As of July 5, nearly half of the United States were experiencing drought conditions, according to drought.gov. Thirty-nine states were experiencing moderate drought, and the number was increasing as summer progressed.

Drought can impact your operation for years, or even decades, to come. In this two-part series, we’ll discuss the impact of drought in your operation, and dive into management tips to protect your cow herd’s productivity, carcass value and future forage supplies.

Water is Key

“Fresh, clean water is No. 1,” said Craig Uden, co-owner of Darr Feedlot in Cozad, Nebraska, and fourth-generation cattle producer who also runs cows throughout the region. “Water is the one element that we all need to survive,” he said. “Cattle can live without feed for longer periods than they can without water.”

During drought, low levels in natural water sources can accumulate high concentrations of minerals and bacteria. Uden said the build-up in minerals can tie up your trace minerals, which in turn, creates problems for cattle to take on vaccinations.

Red Angus producer Joe Hatch, Stoneham, Colorado, stresses the importance of taking water samples to avoid bigger problems later. “It’s easy to get a water sample tested just so you know what you’re dealing with.” In drought-stricken northwestern Colorado, Hatch depends on artesian springs that flow into tanks, and he said they are the driest he has ever seen. Ranchers should monitor these water supplies and move the herd, if needed.

Uden added that dry conditions necessitate extra water. “A cow’s system is a little like a radiator,” he said. “You must have water in that system to cool it down.”

He used a marathon runner as an illustration. “If you’re not passing out water or Gatorade to replenish the body, people break down and that’s where you see people die in marathons. It’s the same way with an animal trying to fight off heat in the summer.”

Other Factors to Consider During Drought

Uden advises producers to maintain cow nutrition during a drought. “When it hasn’t been profitable, people want to cut back on protein and minerals and that’s the worst thing you can do,” he said. “If the cow isn’t in good shape, she won’t deliver passive immunity onto the calf and that calf won’t be able to receive several vaccines.”

“If the grass doesn’t have as much punch, you better look at supplementing with trace mineral packages,” he added. Uden uses chelated products to ensure calves can function down the road.

Hatch consults with a nutritionist who formulates appropriate minerals for his area that are designed to avoid a mix that ties up other minerals. He also takes grass and water samples to ensure deficiencies are accounted for.

Craig Uden Joe Hatch

He maintains health protocols too. “The last thing you want to slip up on is a healthcare problem when the environment is already throwing enough issues. There’s even more reason to work with a vet to come up with the best vaccine protocols.”

In a nutrient-stressed environment, cattle are more vulnerable to diseases, he said. With extra dust, he often deals with more pneumonia, lung issues and upper respiratory illnesses.

Once nutrition and health needs are met, Uden recommends another procedure to reduce heat levels. “You can bed pens a little so that cattle are not laying on hot ground. It’s been known to reduce the temperature 15 to 20 degrees by bedding on stalks or straw. Dark surfaces absorb heat, so a calf laying on that dark surface is also absorbing heat. When you provide bedding, it cools that ground down a bit.”

The Benefits of Early Weaning

Uden and Hatch both agree that a beneficial drought management tool is early weaning.

“The day you wean calves, the dam’s nutrient requirements go down significantly,” Hatch said. Early weaning will allow his cows to hold onto extra body condition score that will be slipping as grass dries up. His 2022 plan is to wean all calves when the average calf age is 120 days.

He said early weaning is a better economic decision for him. “Our plan is to feed the calf instead of supplementing the cow to feed the calf. We can feed the calves cheaper.”

Hatch cited research showing that supplementing cows with protein during a drought increases their forage intake when forage is at a premium. One option to offset intake and make cows feel full is the use of ionophores.

This year, Hatch will be modifying his weaning process for the earlier date. He plans to bring cows and calves into pens for two to three days so the cows can teach the calves how to eat from bunks and drink water. Next, he’ll pull out the cows, but the calves will fenceline wean for two to three days. During this process, he’ll provide plenty of water to the calves and water the pens to keep the dust down.

Uden said he has weaned calves in severe drought situations as light as 275 to 300 pounds in July, but he likes to wait until August, so they are at least 375 pounds.

“It doesn’t take much feed to wean calves early and have calves gain at least two pounds per day. Calves perform well as long as they’ve had their spring shots and then go through a full vaccination at branding.”

Taking cows out of lactation also reduces the cow’s feed needs by a third to a half. Drying off his cows can help them maintain pregnancy and stretch his grass further.

If calves are weaned light, Uden cautions to button up your pens as lighter calves can escape through bunks. He said water sources may need to be modified. He sometimes puts dirt around the tanks so calves can reach the water. He also runs a little water on the ground near the tanks so calves can easily find the water source. With a little hay and a starter mix, he said calves will figure out the water and feeding system in a short time.

Although a drought can bring distress, these management tips can help ranchers survive during a drought. In the September issue, we’ll tackle financial decisions to consider, long-term effects on carcass merit and reproduction as well as guidelines to maintain future forage resources. //

The Red Advantage Over Heat Stress

The ugly twin sister to drought is heat stress, but Joe Hatch said this is where Red Angus cattle have a tremendous advantage.

“Red cattle can stay cooler than black cattle,” Hatch said. “We have less heat stress than some of our neighborhood black cattle. I also think we have fewer fly issues because red cattle don’t bunch up as bad. When cattle get hot, they want to get in a bunch and make each other even hotter. Then, they get more dust stirred up and more flies invade.”

This stacks healthcare problems, he said. As cattle bunch up, pneumonia increases.

Heat tolerance is an advantage Hatch believes Red Angus breeders can promote. “Their cattle are naturally going to have a little bit cooler temperature from red hair rather than black.” //

Top 10 Tips for Drought Management

1. Know production costs and keep close records to make better decisions. 2. Cull cows using the three O’s: old, open or ornery. 3. Consider finding new land to graze. • $5/mile for 500 miles = $2,500 one way for a load of 40 head • $125/head for roundtrip trucking could be cheaper than feeding 4. As pond water decreases, watch for increased chances of leptospirosis and pseudorabies. 5. Watch for bogging in ponds with low water levels. 6. As forage diminishes, watch for signs of blackleg. 7. Consider postponing prescribed burning. 8. Test hay to know the value. 9. If you feed purchased hay, isolate feeding areas to reduce the chances of bringing in invasive species. 10.Overgrazing increases the number of grasshoppers. Source: Noble Research Institute’s “Tips for Managing Cattle Operations During Drought” by Hugh Aljoe, director of producer relations and pasture/range consultant //