-->
Oklahoma Farm Report masthead graphic with wheat on the left and cattle on the right.
      

Agricultural News


Severe Drought Conditions in the North Starting to Cause Nation's Mama Cow Herd to Dry Up into '18

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:39:25 CDT

Severe Drought Conditions in the North Starting to Cause Nation's Mama Cow Herd to Dry Up into '18


It's possible the severely dry weather we are experiencing this year, especially up North in the Dakotas and surrounding areas, could potentially impact the size of our mama cow herd as we head towards the new year. Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center, recently took a road trip around some of the droughtier areas of the country, for a first-hand look at conditions on the ground.


"We're really on the cusp of this becoming a nationwide issue," he said. "The drought really covers central and eastern Montana, most all of North and South Dakota, and it's drifting down into Nebraska, especially the Northern Sandhills and eastern Wyoming."


Robb reports the land he covered looked even more droughtier than what is indicated on the Drought Monitor. Some of these areas have been in drought conditions going on two years now, mostly in low rainfall regions, making it a struggle for the land to recover. He notes that 15 percent of all US cattle are currently residing in the drought zone. He says this is beginning to impact marketing patterns - with cull cow numbers picking up, lighter weight calves arriving at markets, and increased movement. To what extent, though, is still up for speculation.


"We've seen cow/calf pairs move out of those states in recent months, but really to the point now where there's a lot of early weaning going on," Robb stated. "Quite a few more hay trucks heading North out of Wyoming, Colorado and the irrigated parts of Nebraska into those drought areas than I've seen in many years."


Listen to Jim Robb of the LMIC, share his observations from a recent tour of the drought affected areas in the North and how he believes these conditions could impact the size of the nation's mama cow herd, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.


The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.




   




   

Listen to Robb's observations from a recent tour of drought affected areas in the North with Ron Hays
right-click to download mp3

 

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI

 


Top Agricultural News

  • Oklahoma Youth Expo Sale of Champions Sale Order Available Here- Sale Set for 4 PM Friday  Fri, 17 Mar 2023 04:50:54 CDT
  • Rural Voters Dominated Vote to Defeat Recreational Marijuana March 7th  Fri, 10 Mar 2023 07:13:05 CST
  • Ron Hays Talks to Israeli Ag Tour Guide Colin Lotzof About the Miraclel of Ag in Israel  Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:11:04 CST
  • OALP Members Experience First Hand View of Cutting Edge Drip Irrigation Technology as Israel Travel Ends  Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:51:49 CST
  • OALP Members Get First Hand View of Cutting Edge Drip Irrigation Technology as Israel Travel Ends  Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:50:10 CST
  • Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Sees Fruit, Beef and Dairy Production North of the Sea of Galilee in Israel  Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:56:02 CST
  • Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Sees Diverse Farm Operations in Jordan River Valley of Israel  Sun, 19 Feb 2023 21:17:30 CST
  • Israeli Tour Guide Mark Kedem Talks About The Cultural Aspects of What Class XX of OALP is Experiencing   Sat, 18 Feb 2023 22:17:23 CST

  • More Headlines...

       
       
         
       
       

    Search OklahomaFarmReport.com

    © 2008-