A question to ranchers.

[the big wheel]

Just give it a minute… you can tell he is still processing like an old Commodore 64.

You got me man!!!
I have no idea what you’re really asking even I was talking
About water I have no idea how many bales or what he paid
For them.
But to use your meth induced logic he should buy enough
230 dollar bales for next year as well because they might be
300 next year? Especially since we all know what the weather
Will be next year, this fall, this winter?
I give up you are one smart dude you win.

[flea beetle]

You got me man!!!
I have no idea what you’re really asking even I was talking
About water I have no idea how many bales or what he paid
For them.
But to use your meth induced logic he should buy enough
230 dollar bales for next year as well because they might be
300 next year? Especially since we all know what the weather
Will be next year, this fall, this winter?
I give up you are one smart dude you win.

You said he had to choose between water and bales…

[the big wheel]

You said he had to choose between water and bales…

Ya and I have no idea what he has for bales or needs????
You got me good I can’t answer this!

[flea beetle]

I guess his floppy wasn’t formatted properly and couldn’t load the data.🙄

[WiltonRanch]

After the 1995 drought our farm has always kept provisions for a year ahead. Lots of straw and barley as it keeps longer than hay or greenfeed. Silage would be ideal but not enough cattle for that. All said I’m more worried about grass never growing next season. Already in the works to cut herd 15% this fall through heavy cull and probably another 7% after calving. Days past we would fight tooth and nail to get them through, find grass on the reserve too. It never ended up we made out well and those were days when cows made reasonable returns vs expenses. I just am not feeling the love like I once did for the industry. I just get this feeling it’s on the way out unless you can do something different with it. The old generation is on the way out and the next is hanging by a thread. It’s like being the typical Catholic suffering through life to hope for death to end it. Lol. Numbers have been shrinking for years and best seen by feeders feeding calves to record weights. Every trauma producers face shaves more off the herd and no one replaces the numbers. Aside from this drought this industry is shrinking and will continue. It is already pushed back to the land only suited for cows.

[Sheepwheat]

I fully admit I don't have two years of hay and don’t know when I’ll get there if ever. Hard with rapidly expanding animal numbers and limited funds.

[Blaithin]

My question is how come your neighbour didn’t have an extra years worth of hay on hand? Any responsible animal owner does.

That’s a terribly broad generalization.

ANY responsible animal owner? Do people have a years supply of kibble on hand?

I’m on a small acreage, I don’t have the space to stock up on years of feed. That would take up all my grazing space. I don’t mind having some silage bales as I’m comfortable carrying them over if I have a couple left overs. I also scrounged up some bales this spring as I was paranoid about prices this year. But there’s no way I can carry multiple years worth.

In no way does that mean I’m irresponsible.

[newguy]

Most years I feed as late as possible to give grass a head start.I usually have very little carry over.this year with a dry spring I took out much more rainfall insurance only grass.I bought another quarter of grass and also seeded a quarter to forage oats.i ended up with more than enough feed but you never know how long a person will have to feed for grass to get going.So as I understand j can collect 100 bucks a cow and bred heifers plus 15% of my herd of replacement heifers.but probably not eligible for the second 100 payment.

[Old Cowzilla]

I almost always have carryover of hay,straw and corn silage and this will be the first year in about 10 that supplies will be tight. Amazing how much feed you burn when your feeding in the summer months cattle that should be eating grass. Hope as many guys can keep there cows because I need those wet nose calves to make a buck. Don't think there's any program for the grass cattle that where fed this summer so I guess extra silage was out of pocket.