A rancher says he raises cattle, but he is actually a grass farmer using cattle to convert grass into a marketable product, says Ricky Linex, range management specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Abilene. Grass and water are a rancher's most valuable resources. Lack of both in 1998 has left range and pasture land in a dire situation. This year needs to be a recovery year, said Linex.
Rest is the only solution to the problem caused by too little rain and too much grazing.
Linex is among range specialists and agronomists in the area urging ranchers not to buy cattle to restock their land yet. The reason for the minimum 90-day rest is that most all range grasses can make a seed crop in 90 days. The longer a rancher can put off restocking, the better shape his land will be in, he said. Although some rains have fallen across the Big Country and pastures are starting to look green, ranchers should not rush into buying replacement cattle, said Darrell Ueckert, extension range researcher. They'll just prolong their misery if they stock up now.