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Tough decisions get tougher in the drought

The manager of a large purebred cattle farm in Missouri says managing the herd through tough drought conditions gets harder when you’re trying to keep good genetics.

“It’s a question of risk and rewards on each one.”

Ben Eggers with Sydenstricker Genetics says the best cattle have been kept back as the farm shifts to drought survival mode. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor says drought conditions are worsening in central Missouri with extreme to exceptional drought. Eggers says pastures are very dry.

“In the last week, we started unrolling hay in a few pastures and pretty quick all of the cattle will have to be on hay.”

Hay supplies are tight and expensive.  Eggers says he’s figuring out the most cost-effective path moving forward.

“I had a call yesterday from a rancher in Kansas who had extra grass, but I’ve got to put a pencil to that. Is it worth it to haul the cattle that far or is it better to buy hay and bring it in?”

He says demand for purebred cattle can also be affected in a drought, as producers are selling instead of building their cattle herds.

“You can prepare going forward, but you don’t really how it’s really going to be. There are parts of the United States with more moisture than normal. Are they going to want to buy cows or stockpile some? There are a lot of unknowns.”