Jim Ratzlaff, Retail Supply Manager at the Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op urges local livestock producers to take heed of the extreme heat and drought this summer.
Encouraging those who own cattle, Ratzlaff provided some advice for agricultural producers. “The big problem in a drought is shortage of forages both ‘cured and grazing, so why not manage for that,” stated Ratzlaff.
Buying prepared fiber or forages is extra high this year due to the shortages and high cost of freight, according to Ratzlaff. “Companies have prepared complete feeds for drought, but this year they are very expensive and one may be better off purchasing hay, getting it tested and feeding cubes as needed,” he mentioned. Ratzlaff was a livestock nutritionist for years preceding his career at the Northeast Texas Co-op. He noted it is much more important to buy the proper feed, hay and supplements for cattle instead of settling for the lowest price. “There are feeds available to put into a self-feeder using salt as a limiter,” he said, “these feeds have worked well in drought situations and would be best purchased as a bulk feed.”
Ratzlaff stated that if you are having to feed hay, try feeding hay only in the daytime and take the herd off at night. While feeding hay, there is always wasted hay around the feeder. You can utilize the hay and feed the cattle what they will clean up in a given time period. With these things considered, you are looking at a savings of at least 15 percent, according to Ratzlaff.
Providing the proper minerals is also very important during drought and extreme heat. “Make sure you feed the cattle two calcium to one part phosphorus minerals with a six to seven percent phosphorus level,” he noted. “We would like to see the cattle eat one ounce per 300 pounds of the mineral in body weight,” said Ratzlaff. Most cattle will not select what they need, so you may need to add some cottonseed meal to their diet to adjust consumption. During the heat and dry, dusty conditions, the cattle are under a lot of stress and the mineral and vitamin requirements increase.
The best way to approach the summer months is by limiting costs where possible. “Wean your calves early and start off with about a half pound per 100 pounds of body weight and then work up…the gains and feed should be pretty good for the lightweight calves,” he stated. According to Ratzlaff, a dry cow will generally eat a third as much dry matter as a lactating cow during hot weather. By weaning the calves early, you save on forages. Continuing, he noted the summer months may be a good time to cull older cows while keeping younger replacement heifers. The heifers will eat less than an older cow.
Droughts are threatening to all cattle, especially when water is limited, but sometimes taking advantage of limited water can provide a good time to maintain tanks for the future.
“If you are providing water by pools or ponds, they will probably get low and this would be a good time to get the bottoms dug out and make a gravel bed to put in a pump with a sand point,” he said, “you can use that to water your cattle in place of letting them wade into the pools to drink.” According to Ratzlaff, good drinking water plays an important role in herd health and helps the cattle get through the heat of the day with less stress. After applying a pump, the water will be better for the cattle to drink. Also, by fencing off a pool, you will have less pool maintenance in the long run.
Considering maintenance, Ratzlaff spoke about applying herbicide to limit weeds in feeding areas. As dry as it is right now, weeds are not causing as much harm, but as soon as the rain comes, the weeds will start to steal nutrients from your good forages. Spraying for weeds in the hot dry weather will do very little unless you use a chemical that opens the pores of the plants. In order to take in the herbicide, using a surfactant is substantial, according to Ratzlaff. Unfortunately, you may sometimes need more than just a surfactant to do this.
Insects become a problem as well during the summer months. “Watch out for grasshoppers, they can swarm pretty quick,” he noted, “and if it rains, you have to watch for army worms as well.” A good way to check for army worms is to whip the grass and part the grass below to check to see how many you may have in case of an infestation.
We cannot prevent a drought, said Ratzlaff, but we can manage it. In part ing, Ratzlaff shared some sage advice in how to do this directly. “First, come through your winter feeding with 50 percent of your next winter's hay left over,” he said, “second, utilize rotational grazing.” Both of these things are very unpopular to do, but he urges livestock producers to reconsider. “Rotational grazing was perfected in New Mexico where they are in a full-time drought at all times,” he said, “the key is… graze some, leave some and allow three to four weeks of rest for the grass." Normally, the cattle will graze one third and leave two thirds of the grass. In closing, Ratzlaff stated, if all else fails, "pray for rain."
The Northeast Texas Farmers Co-op sells bulk feed with the best nutritional value and are cost competitive to make your operation as efficient and cost effective as possible.
The co-op has been designated as an Essential Critical Infrastructure Industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security. The Sulphur Springs location is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information or to learn more from Jim Ratzlaff, call 903-885-3143 or stop by the store at 428 Jackson Street North in Sulphur Springs.