Ted McCollum, Texas Cooperative Extension livestock specialist, sometimes recommends prescribed burning to rid pastures of defunct forage and foster new growth. He just wouldn't do it with 60-mph winds and completely depleted soil moisture, the conditions
Ted McCollum, Texas Cooperative Extension livestock specialist, sometimes recommends prescribed burning to rid pastures of defunct forage and foster new growth. He just wouldn't do it with 60-mph winds and completely depleted soil moisture, the conditions that helped trigger in early March the largest wildfires in Texas history.
Only after the winds died, and a mix of snow and rain doused Mother Nature's wrath, could ranchers, farmers and weary firefighters and government officials comprehend the incredible damage. The result was 12 human deaths, and more than 700,000 acres of pasture, dozens of homes, barns, other structures and vehicles decimated.
Ranchers lost more than 3,000 cattle to the flames and oxygen-robbing smoke. There were cases of burned udders, hooves and other injuries to cattle, while horses and wildlife also were victimized. The inferno also claimed thousands of miles of fence.
Texas agriculture and humanitarian groups have established relief efforts (see sidebar), and money, food, pasture, pens and hay been made available. As of early April, more than 1,500 round bales of hay had been donated, along with more than 200 tons of cake. The Farm Bureau collected $92,000 for the relief effort.
Caring for decimated land
McCollum says there's no question land will recover, but he tells affected producers to avoid putting cattle onto the new grass spawned by spring rains. Burned land needs plenty of recovery time.
“It could take several months to a couple of years,” he says. “Don't be tempted to put cattle on newly grown grass after spring rains, or even in the summer. Wait until after the first frost to evaluate conditions and begin making stocking decisions.
“If you must graze this summer, wait until mid-July, then allow pastures time to re-grow before dormancy,” he says. “Plan on two grazing seasons to obtain full productivity.”
On partially burned fields, he suggests installing temporary fencing to help prevent overgrazing and enable burned ground to fully recover. It also will allow “forbs,” usually non-grazeable weeds and other forage, to remain as valuable ground cover.
Finally he encourages producers to wait until next spring to reseed pastures. “Wait and see what will recover, then reseed if needed,” he says.
Feed 'em or sell 'em?
If pasture recovery takes a long time, it likely will impact culling decisions. “Producers should look at a cow's age, production and the cost of maintaining her,” McCollum. “It may be best to focus on the core group of productive middle-aged cows.”
Dustin Gaskins, Extension risk-management specialist in Amarillo, says ranchers need to consider whether to hold over cows by supplemental feeding, or cull them this spring during seasonally higher markets.
“Culled-cow prices tend to be higher in the spring,” he says. “According to current projections, it would cost about $840 to keep a cow (through supplemental feeding) through the summer and into fall. That compares to a projected price for replacement heifers of about $800 this fall.”
Gaskins says producers should “consider partial liquidation of their herds,” which could pencil out better economically. It also removes the temptation to put cattle back onto new summer grass too early.
Other alternatives, such as early weaning, should also be considered to help relieve pressure on mother cows, which could then be re-bred normally, he says.
Fencing —