Lincoln county's weather has been hot and dry for several months. Fall hay is not likely to yield much if any, and at the time of this newsletter there is no sign of rainfall anytime soon. It will take several day of nice gentle rain for the grass to start growing and for us to say that the drought has broken. Things could be a lot worst. Most farmers have enough hay, feed is reasonable and cattle prices are good for most weights and grades of cattle.
Droughts can bring danger to cattle.
The first thing that comes to mind for most farmers is nitrate poisoning. Grasses with big stems are the most likely to have problems. Hay can be tested to determine nitrate levels at no cost. Don't wait for the pond to go dry before you start watering cattle. Watering cows from shallow scum-ridden ponds increases the incidence of certain diseases such as leptospirosis.