By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
Spring has arrived, and livestock forage and pasture conditions are on the minds of farmers and ranchers.
“Spring is starting, and there’s a lot of variation across the state of Texas when it comes to forage and livestock nutrition,” Tracy Tomascik, associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities for Texas Farm Bureau, said.
Portions of the state have seen sufficient amounts of rainfall, which has helped with forage and pasture conditions. However, not everyone has been as fortunate.
“I think we can focus in on a couple of areas that are still supplementing a lot of feed because forage is short,” Tomascik said. “That’s a result of some extremely dry and rough weather in about half of the state.”
Tomascik noted the Panhandle as an area of concern, where drought levels are at the highest in the state.
“Those folks have been experiencing quite a bit of dry weather in the last few months and where they would normally get a little bit of moisture, it just didn’t make it over there this year,” Tomascik said. “They are really crossing their fingers and hoping that a new weather pattern will come in and help them out now that spring has come upon us.”
Those in the northern and eastern parts of Texas have adequate moisture levels in the area, Tomascik said. Moving south and west across the map, things start getting drier.
“Luckily, from reports that we’ve heard, even in those somewhat drier areas that need a little bit more moisture, the livestock are still in fair condition, whether it’s cattle, horses, sheep or goats,” Tomascik said.
Wildfires continue to be a concern in Texas, especially those areas with little rainfall.
“If you want to look back into the Panhandle of Texas, of course, we recall the dramatic wildfires and the devastation left behind last year,” Tomascik said. “That scenario appears to be playing out again. There’s forage on the ground that wildlife and livestock have not consumed yet, but it’s dry and certainly makes tender and fuel for wildfires.”
Wildlife officials are encouraging folks in West Texas and the Panhandle to stay vigilant during this wildfire season.