United States-Drought in Texas.

UNITED STATES-

DROUGHT IN TEXAS.

It could be argued that feeding America means feeding the cattle, so ranchers don’t horse around when it comes planning ahead with their hay crops.

Considering Central Texas is experiencing an exceptional drought makes it even more challenging to feed cattle the hay they need. The fibrous forage is scarce and there’s not enough of it to go around.

Harrell Tietjen has been farming and ranching for 44 years.

"We like to keep what we need for winter, sell a little and have enough for the next year in case we don’t make a crop, and that’s what really happened to us." Tietjen said.

The drought means his cattle have been eating hay for about three months longer than they normally would. He usually doesn’t start feeding his cattle hay until December but there wasn’t enough grass for them to eat. That’s because his other crops didn’t make it in the drought. He had 900 acres of oats and 360 acres of wheat that died.

2008’s crop yielded about 10 percent of what he makes in an average year. He can usually make five to six round bails of hay per acre, but in 2008 he only made half of a bale per acre.

Tietjen has been using hay from previous years but he says that will only last him until April. Tietjen usually sells hay too, but in this drought, that hasn’t been an option.

"We had the ’for sale’ sign up back in the summertime, and we didn’t make the hay, so we had to take it down," he said.

Tietjen said he depends on $40,000-$50,000 in hay sales each year. He didn’t get that money last year and he doesn’t expect to make it again this year.

For ranchers who don’t have hay, the shortage could mean selling their cattle.

Randy Marbach owns Amkon General Store. He has noticed a steep plunge in feed sales because people aren’t holding on to their cattle. Marbach still has a demand for hay, but it’s hard to come by.

"We have to scramble all over to get good bails of hay, some of it’s coming from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, and some of it’s coming form irrigated farms in South Texas," Marbach said.

Tietjen doesn’t expect the agricultural situation to change any time soon. He’s already looking for the rain that could make his summer crops.