By Shala Watson
Staff Writer
The ample rainfall Texas received during the fall has helped provide a boost for forage conditions going into winter.
But the hoof prints of drought are beginning to creep back into Texas with abnormally dry regions in the Panhandle and scattered across East Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Water Weekly report.
“Texas actually looks really good this time of year. This time around, we have adequate moisture across the majority of the state,” Tracy Tomascik, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, told the TFB Radio Network. “But it looks like the Oklahoma drought areas are creeping into far northeast Texas and then into the northeast part of the Panhandle as well. But beyond that, everything looks to be in pretty good shape.”
The fall rains did cause some problems for farmers in areas of the state that had to replant parts of their fields.
“It caused a couple of issues in spots across the state where some small grains had some difficulty germinating and then starting to grow,” Tomascik said.
The arctic blast that pushed through the U.S. last week bringing below zero temperatures to parts of the Panhandle was a strong reminder that winter has arrived. The cold temperatures have prompted ranchers to put livestock health high on their agendas.
As many ranchers are busy this time of the year maintaining the health of animals, they need to be vigilant of winter forage threats to their livestock, such as prussic acid poisoning.
Johnsongrass can prove to be an excellent forage, but it can also kill cattle if it’s not monitored closely after a freeze. Johnsongrass can produce prussic acid after freezing weather, and if consumed by grazing livestock, it can prohibit the animal’s ability to take oxygen from the blood.
“Grazing ruminants can succumb to prussic acid poisoning if they get hold of Johnsongrass, which is commonly grown across the state, or any grass in that family that has been a victim of the freezing temperatures,” Tomascik said.
He recommends discussing the availability of grazing forages such as Johnsongrass with livestock veterinarians and Extension agents.
Water is also another key element livestock owners should consider this winter to prevent health issues.
“Water is a very important element for livestock, no matter if it’s horses, cattle, sheep or goats. That’s a vital nutrient that we can’t do without,” Tomascik said. “So when it’s freezing, we have to commend ranchers for going out and braving the temperatures to break ice on water troughs.”
Supplemental feeding is one way ranchers can ensure sheep and goats and other livestock have plenty of nutrition available for them this winter.
“This time of year, all of our forages have gone dormant,” Tomascik said. “Folks that spent all summer long baling hay and putting up those forages are breaking them out and hauling them out pretty much on a daily basis across the state.”
He also said in addition to roughages, protein needs to be supplemented in many cases.
Supplemental feeding can help livestock increase their metabolic temperatures, according to Tomascik.
“Rough forage really helps ruminants’ stomachs work and generate an increase in metabolic temperature and keep those livestock warmer through these colder nights,” Tomascik said.
Livestock owners should also be vigilant for external parasites this time of year. The shorter days and cooler temperatures can increase lice populations, Tomascik noted.
He said overall cattle across the state are in good condition.
“As we move throughout the next couple of months, we hope for good weather, and we can have a productive livestock herd in Texas,” Tomascik said.