By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Texas hay supplies are better than last year but stocks are still below pre-drought averages, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.

Parts of Texas saw enough moisture last year to help some farmers get decent early or late-season cuttings, but forage production was still limited by hot, dry conditions overall.

“This year is looking exactly like last year. Last year, we started off pretty wet, and everything was looking good. We got our first cutting and then the rain shut off,” said Brian Nielsen, who manages a cow-calf operation and grows hay outside of Lockhart. “We didn’t get hardly anything after that. So far this year, we’ve had decent rains, and that’s a good start. I just hope it doesn’t cut off like it did last year.”

Nielsen received a total of 19 inches of rain last year compared to 34 to 36 inches of rain on a normal a year.

In a perfect year, Nielsen would make three cuttings, but for the last two years, he’s been lucky to have one.

“That first cutting was good enough to get us through the rest of the year, and it looks like I’m going to have enough to get us by this year,” Nielsen said. “But if we don’t have another good year, we’re not going to have enough hay.”

Hay supplies
Hay stocks as of Dec. 1 were the third lowest on record behind 2022 and 2021, according to AgriLife Extension Economist Dr. David Anderson..

Hay yields averaged 1.87 tons per acre in Texas last year compared to 1.56 tons per acre in 2022. Producers had yielded 1.95 tons per acre on average since 2012.

Some ranchers are shipping in hay and alfalfa from out of state due to low availability locally.

Prices aren’t as high as they were in 2022, but they remain above average, indicating tighter supplies and higher input costs.

The national price for round bales is $102, but grass hay bales in Texas have been selling for $100-$140 or $200-$280 per ton based on quality.

“There are fewer cows to feed, but the costs to keep herds fed through winter after poor hay and grazing production has translated into tough decisions for some producers,” Anderson said.

The future looks bright for cattle ranchers who have been able to hold and maintain good body conditions on quality cows and heifers, according to Cleere. However, balancing feeding costs with potential grains and realized sale prices for calves will be critical for short- and long-term profitability.

Grazing conditions
Storm systems this winter delivered moisture across much of the state, helping to improve conditions for cool-season forages.

The additional soil moisture should also help warm season perennial grasses as they break dormancy this spring.

Ranchers should take soil samples to analyze what nutrients the grasses need this summer to support grazing and to optimize hay production.

“Low fertility, unhealthy or overgrazed stands will not recover as quickly without reducing competition with weeds and feeding the grass what it needs to grow,” Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, said. “We will need more rain going into and during the growing season, but this moisture should bring some optimism.”