The lack of rain forcing cattle producers across the Upper Cumberland to harvest hay earlier than planned to maintain their livestock.
Fentress County Extension Director John Gunter said a three-week gap in moisture significantly impacted the growth of cool-season grasses during a critical production window. While many producers applied fertilizer to their fields, Gunter said the lack of rain prevented the forage from reaching its full potential.
“When we get behind like this, it’s kind of a game of catch-up, and it really, you know, emphasizes the part about how we want to try to rotationally graze these animals so that we’re making the best use and being most efficient in our, you know, pasture lands,” Gunter said.
Gunter said the cost for a round bale of hay from the previous year currently ranges between $30 and $50 depending on the quality of the commodity. He said recent rainfall provided some relief, but many pastures were already grazed down to a point where it is difficult for the forage to recover.
Gunter said producers who manage their forage poorly may find themselves unable to keep up with production demands. He said some farmers are choosing to cull or sell animals earlier than expected to avoid the rising costs of supplemental feeding.
“And as high as cattle are right now, some people, if they’re on the edge about it, they’ll start, you know, selling or culling animals that they were probably gonna take a chance on and or moving cattle quicker than they thought that they would have to just for that reason,” Gunter said.
Gunter said backgrounders and other producers are relying more heavily on commodities like corn and gluten byproducts to sustain their herds. He said these increased input costs can eventually lead to higher prices for consumers if drought conditions persist through the summer.
“There’s a lot of moving parts and certainly, you know, pasture conditions is a key part in that, but probably the bigger thing that’s affecting us now is the number of animals that are on the market,” Gunter said.
Gunter said national cattle numbers recently dipped to levels not seen since the early 1950s, which remains the primary driver of retail meat prices. He said while the industry is currently seeing some of the best years in history for market prices, the margins for those buying and raising cattle remain slim.
“They say that farmers are the biggest gamblers in the country, so you’re banking on something that you don’t know for sure is going to happen,” Gunter said. “But if all the cards fall right, then you can be productive and do well enough to make money.”