by Joann Pipkin and Mindy Ward

As many counties settled into D3 drought designation, more than 5 inches of rain fell in the region the first week of November, leaving farmers like Mike Kaiser grateful for the much-needed moisture and hopeful for the remainder of the year.

The cattleman, who farms between Monett and Pierce City in Lawrence County, Mo., had given up on having stockpiled grass for fall grazing. His ponds were in desperate need of refueling as parched pastures are likened to a brown golf course in winter.

From experience, Kaiser knows that once September comes, every day without rain is another two days he’ll have to feed hay during the winter. In September and October, he focused heavily on stockpiling as much fescue as he could.

With hay already purchased for the winter, Kaiser hopes to stay on track with his forage budget. But forage is not the only concern amid a dry year.

Assess water availability

With low water levels in ponds, ensuring cattle have adequate drinking sources is crucial.

“Five and a half inches over four days,” Kaiser explains. “The ponds only came up about a foot, foot and a half.”

Andy McCorkill, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist, notes that ponds and streams are already running low, raising concerns that they may freeze solid or dry up to levels where cattle can't get enough water — an outcome he worries is increasingly likely.

“Take advantage of the time we’ve got left to prepare by developing new water sources such as wells or rural water hookups, or cleaning our existing ponds and springs so they hopefully will be better going forward,” McCorkill says in a recent MU Extension Southwest Missouri Cattle Call newsletter.

STILL SHORT: Metal rebar in the pond serves as a measuring stick for water levels. Mike Kaiser says recent rains were not enough to replenish this drinking hole for his cattle this winter.

Counting on green-up of forage

Kaiser compares pasture response to the recent rains like compensatory gain in cattle.

“The grass had not grown any for over six weeks,” he says. “And when we got the rain the first week in November — I just can’t believe how the grass responded.”

The moisture leaves Kaiser with hope for the remainder of the fall grazing season. While the early November rain by no means ended drought conditions, it does help him plan for the coming weeks and months.

Cows will continue rotational grazing on sudangrass pasture before Kaiser returns to his stockpile strategy.

“We are going to pen the cows back up and feed hay for another three weeks or until we get a cold snap that is going to shut the grass down,” Kaiser says. “The thought behind that is we can grow more grass per day than what we can feed in hay. That’s how we’re going to try and get as many days of grazing ahead of us as we possibly can.”

DRIED UP: Grass and stockpiled pastures dried up this summer as D3 drought levels gripped southwest Missouri. Gov. Mike Parson declared a drought alert for the state until March 31 in late October, as 94% of the state reported abnormally dry conditions.

Plan B for farm financials

Without a grass revival, Tim Schnakenberg, MU agronomy field specialist, says that many livestock producers will continue feeding hay to their cattle — nearly two months ahead of the winter season — and significantly deplete their supplies.

Livestock producers are facing tough decisions, including thinning herds. To help with these decisions, McCorkill offers the following winter drought management practices:

Preg-check cows. Identify underperforming cows to cull for better returns.

Sort cows by calving window. Separate cows based on calving time to optimize nutritional needs. Spring-calving cows can manage on lower-quality feed, while fall-calving cows require the best nutrition.

Test forage. Conduct tests to understand forage quality and nutritional gaps. Develop cost-effective feeding strategies based on results.

Manage hay. Storage and feeding losses can significantly impact profitability. Use feeders to minimize waste and limit access to daily hay. Studies show proper feeders can reduce waste significantly.

Overall, McCorkill says small management adjustments can lead to substantial savings and improved productivity. He encourages farmers to consult with Extension specialists to develop tailored plans for their operations.

Author’s note: Early November rain improved drought conditions across the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows extreme southern Missouri counties, previously in D3 (extreme) drought status. improved to D2 (severe) the week of Nov. 11.