By Justin Green
Staff Writer
Flooding throughout Texas has impacted farmers who have newly planted crop fields. Like those farmers, cattle ranchers are also experiencing issues with the large amount of rainfall.
“In total, I’ve received seven inches so far and they say we’re going to receive some more tonight and tomorrow,” Albert Thompson, a rancher in Nacogdoches, told the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network.
Thompson’s cattle were weaning off winter hay and starting to graze on spring pasture until the rains came.
The cattle “had just about stopped eating hay, until the river came out. I’ve got about 400 acres they were grazing in and now that that’s underwater I’ll have to feed hay for another two or three weeks,” Thompson said.
While most ranchers were hoping to have transitioned cattle to spring pasture, they might have to start feeding hay again with the grasslands flooded. Luckily, Thompson said he had enough to last four to five weeks.
Thompson was happy to say he had not lost any cattle from the overwhelming amount of rain.
“No, I have not lost any. They’re doing good. They’ve been here long enough. They know how to get out. The old cows will lead the young cows out, and they don’t get trapped anymore. They have in years past, but they don’t get trapped down there anymore,” Thompson said.
Before this week’s rains, East Texas was quickly drying out.
Thompson’s land was down five inches of water.
Now, he is up two to three inches and preparing for more.
“We were getting awfully dry. Now we’re just as wet as we were dry,” Thompson said.