By Brad Haire
University of Georgia

Rains have perked up Georgia’s drought-parched pastures over
the past few weeks. And cattlemen, who scrambled to sustain
their herds this summer, are now storing up for the lean winter
months.

High heat and little rain in late spring and summer took a toll
on Georgia pastures, said Johnny Rossi, a beef management
specialist with the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Georgia cattlemen, depending on their location in the state,
like to start grazing their herds in April or May when pastures
of bermudagrass, bahiagrass or fescue shake off the cold and
begin to green up. They usually start cutting pastures in June
to store as hay to feed cattle in winter when pastures are
dormant. They cut about three to four times throughout the
summer.

A drought like Geogia experienced this summer can throw things
off.

“We just didn’t get the rain we need to get pastures off to a
good start or make a good hay crop this year,” Rossi said.

In June, a third to a half of Georgia’s pastures were rated in
poor to very poor condition, according to the Georgia
Agricultural Statistics Service. And it only got worse in most
places as the summer progressed.

Half of the hay crop was in poor to very poor condition in late
June, when cattlemen first start to cut hay. They usually
harvest about a ton per acre. But this June they only got about
half that if anything, Rossi said.

The hay cattlemen were cutting or buying wasn’t being stored.
It was being fed to cattle that couldn’t get enough grass from
dry pastures.

“They had no carry over,” said Rossi. “And they needed a buffer
this year.”

According to a study done by the CAES Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development, hay, forage and pasture losses will
total about $330 million this year due to drought.

Cattlemen had to dig deeper to pay for hay this summer, said
Curt Lacy, a livestock economist with UGA Cooperative
Extension. The increased demand plus higher fertilizer costs
caused by spikes in fuel prices all contributed to higher hay
prices.

Two years ago, a ton of hay cost about $65. It was around $80
per ton last year. Cattlemen have paid $100 to $110 per ton
this year, he said.

But things are looking better. Hay yields and pastures are
improving, and cattlemen are storing hay now. One cow needs
about 2 tons of hay to keep it fed between November and April
each year. An acre of managed pasture that would yield 5 tons
to 7 tons in a good summer will likely only produce
about 3 tons to 4 tons this summer, Rossi said.

Cattle prices are good now, too. Some cattlemen may choose to
sell, or cull, their herd size to cut feed costs, Lacy said.
But cattlemen fear too many cattle at market can drive prices
down. It’s a fine line deciding to sell or spend the extra
money to keep them fed and healthy.

Cattlemen don’t need to skimp on feeding their cows, Rossi
said. If they do, it could lead to thin cows and low pregnancy
rates.

Georgia cattlemen will likely plant more cold-tolerant forages
like oats, rye, ryegrass and some wheat for cows to graze this
winter.

“It could get ugly next spring, when there’s a good chance the
hay will be used up,” Rossi said. “Most cattlemen now are
hoping that the hay they can find now will hold out and that we
have a mild winter in Georgia.”

To learn about marketing and management strategies during
drought, cattlemen can contact their local Extension office at
1-800-ASK-UGA1, or go to the Web site www.georgiadrought.org.