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resources. It is important to inventory the feed supply and give strong considerations to their cost and availability prior to deciding on the calving season and stocking rate. Additionally, the time commitment on your part should be determined.
Some livestock producers may have limited time to devote to the herd and may not want to consider certain options for increasing the carrying capacity of their pastures. A case in point is rotational grazing, where daily labor to move temporary fences is required to optimize the stocking rates.
Selling or culling?
Selling some livestock in times of drought might be a consideration. If this is the case, proper culling strategies should be employed to maintain the genetic base of the herd. Good records on individual animal age and performance can go a long way to ensuring that the right animals are culled from the herd.
Culling during times of drought can allow you to better match the feed resources available from the pasture to the animals in the herd. When pasture resources become plentiful again, additional heifers can be kept or purchased.
Consider your options with regards to holding back grounding stocker cattle through the limited feed period or selling them. Pay attention to both feed costs and cattle markets. Also, limited feed resources will ultimately reduce the expected daily gains of stockers.
To hold or sell the cattle in times of drought actually becomes more of a marketing decision than a production decision as local market prices, reduced weight gains, and feed resources are considered. _.
Contract graze
stocking decisions
Another option during drought is to contract graze your heifers or brood cows. Herds with valuable genetic material may be preserved by moving animals to available grass. Heifers or stockers can be moved to winter pasture, while some animals may be hauled to local or more remote
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