20 April 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — In a typical year, green pastures would be flourishing throughout Kansas. But the ongoing drought has left dry grounds for beef cattle to graze.
The issue hits western Kansas the hardest, where the U.S. Drought Monitor lists exceptionally dry conditions. The pastures do not contain enough proteins to maintain healthy cows.
“We’re getting into a situation where producers will be looking into some other feeding options, they may not be able to turn out cattle onto some of those pastures, or really needing to delay turning out onto those pastures,” said Kansas State University Extension Beef Cattle Expert Justin Wagner.
With tons of ranchers searching for hay and failed milo to source as feed, shortages are now an issue.
“It was very difficult to find forage bails to feed our cattle this year,” said Annette Grusing, a beef cattle rancher in Kendall, Kansas.
The prices of the forage are also much higher than usual.
“Right now, a ton of cake is anywhere from four to six hundred dollars. And that adds up when you’re feeding two pounds every other day or every day per cow, that dwindles it down very rapidly,” explained Grusing.
The income ranchers usually earn from the beef cattle enterprise is now stunted because of feed prices. Many ranchers made the heart-wrenching decision to sell some of their cattle. An influx of cows is being sold at livestock auctions throughout the state.
“This time of year, we’d run anywhere from 500 to 1,000 cattle, and last week between two sales, we sold about 3,000,” said Josh Mueller, cattle rancher and owner of El Dorado Livestock Auction.
It’s one way for ranchers to keep from going under, but it’s not the preferred decision.
“It’s the last thing you want to do. You’re trying to get these good bloodlines going and create something awesome and really good beef, and now we’re looking at, ‘OK, all of this is just going to go away in a heartbeat,'” said Grusing.
“There are guys that work a lifetime to build the cow heard that they have, and they hate to sell them off now,” added Mueller.
In addition to feed shortages, ranchers are also lacking water sources for their beef cattle. The lack of rain has left dry farm ponds.