Water, grass lacking for Mississippi cattle
1/10/2024 11:12:50 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Mississippi
Copiah County, MS
Jefferson Davis County, MS
Lawrence County, MS
New Hebron, MS
Lincoln County, MS
Marion County, MS
Pike County, MS
Simpson County, MS
Walthall County, MS
Start Date: 12/15/2023
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A cow/calf and stock producer in New Hebron had to put out more water troughs in her pastures during the summer because ponds dried up. A lot of hay had to be purchased also because grass was not growing over the summer. The producer bought six months’ worth of hay and started feeding it by the start of October, much earlier than normal. The producer was only able to get two cuttings of hay rather than three this summer. Rye grass was planted in fields to supplement the hay. It was important to stretch the hay supply as there was not any in the area to purchase.
Calves were sold in August rather than late September or October to preserve the pasture grass. The state climatologist stated that some cattle were sent out of state to areas with better water supplies.
Soybean and cotton yields were down due to drought at the end of the growing season.
SF | Successful Farming (Des Moines, Iowa), Dec 15, 2023
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