Farm & Ranch
Texas crop, weather for May 12, 2015
By: Robert Burns
Rains continued to delay fieldwork, hay harvesting
Writer: Robert Burns, 903-834-6191, rd-burns@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Rain continued to push back the drought, but producers in much of the eastern part of the state felt like they were being washed away, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reports.
In the last seven days, all of the state received rain, with 6 to 10 inches or more coming to parts of East, North and South Texas. Three to 4 inches was common to these areas, according to the National Weather Service.
As a result of all the rain, only about 30 percent of the state was under moderate to exceptional drought, compared to 83 percent a year ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The rains were also pushing feral hogs out of low-lying, flooded areas and into pastures and cropland, according to the agent reports.
“We have been receiving a lot of rain, so pastures have been too saturated for working,” said Shaniqua Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for Upshur County. “Many fungi have started occurring due to all the rain and pasture conditions.”
“Grass is tall, and some are cutting hay, while others want to, but fields are too wet to do so,” said Chad Gulley, AgriLife Extension agent for Smith County. “Cattle are in good condition and spring cattle work continues.”
“Pasture grasses are growing quickly because we’ve had so much moisture and warm weather,” said Armon Hewitt, AgriLife Extension agent for Trinity County. “But pastures are too wet to drive through for trucks and tractors alike. Erosion is becoming a problem in many places. Fertilizer is impossible to put out in most pastures as the spreader trucks with floatation tires are getting stuck.”
“This past week has brought a ton of rain to the county,” said Cody Maxwell, AgriLife Extension agent for Fannin County. “Wheat is headed out, looking good and starting to turn a little, but has been standing in water for most of last week.”
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
Central: Soil moisture, rangeland, pastures, crops and livestock all remained in good condition. Stock-water tanks were full, rivers were running and lake levels rising. Cows were fat and in good condition. Sorghum planting was behind schedule. The first pecan nut casebearers were found in traps. Bermuda grass looked good, the best in years. Hay will not be harvested until drier conditions arrived.
Coastal Bend: High winds dried out topsoil and discouraged forage producers from spraying for weeds. Some fertilizer was applied. Most crops were planted. A little wheat was harvested, but most was not mature yet. More rain could further delay harvests. Most cotton, grain and soybean fields looked good. Beef cattle were in good shape as calves were being worked. Pastures were in excellent condition, and limited hay harvesting began.
East: Fields and pastures remained saturated. Water sources were overflowing, even those that did not depend upon runoff water. Subsoil and topsoil were adequate to surplus. In most areas, pastures were too wet to drive through with trucks and tractors. Fly and other insect populations increased with sun and warmer weather. Fungus was occurring due to all the rain and pasture conditions in Upshur County. Vegetable growers were still having difficulty working fields. Hay crops needed to be harvested, but inadequate drying conditions have not allowed for harvest. Soil erosion was becoming a problem in many areas. A few producers were able to apply fertilizer and herbicides or harvest hay. Cattle were in good condition. The weaning and selling of market-ready calves and cull cows continued. Feral hog damages increased.
Far West: Andrews, Ward, Upton, Hudspeth and Pecos counties had heavy rains of from 1 inch to 3 inches, with flash flooding in some areas. Western Ward County received severe thunderstorms with golf-ball to tennis-ball size hail. Cattle were generally in good condition, with a few reports of problems with poisonous weeds. Pasture and rangeland conditions were better than average in most counties, with only Reagan and Presidio counties having grasses starting to dry out due to high winds and warmer days. The rains slowed cotton planting. Pecan trees were at full pollination. The second cutting of alfalfa was underway. Wildflowers and weeds were abundant this year due to substantial rain. Sorghum and oats were in fair condition. Winter wheat was in fair to poor condition, and corn and rice were in very poor condition. In most counties, subsoil and topsoil moisture were adequate to short. Rangeland and pastures were in fair t o good condition.
North: Topsoil moisture was adequate to surplus. Heavy rains on May 9 caused flooding in some areas, covering some roads in water and causing creeks to overflow. Wheat headed out and was looking good, despite some fields having standing water for most of the week. Because of the spring rains, many wheat producers had to apply fungicides to counteract both leaf and stripe rust. Corn was doing fairly well, but only about 30 percent of the total acreage allocated for corn had been planted because of the wet weather. Some grain sorghum was planted, but most of the unplanted corn acreage will lie fallow until next year. Hay producers were struggling to make a first cutting. Pastures were in good condition, as were livestock thanks to plentiful forages. Fly populations were increasing, and mosquito numbers were described as “horrific.”
Panhandle: Temperatures were near average, with most of the region receiving rain, from 1 inch to as much as 7 inches. Some areas received pea-sized hail. Farmers had to wait for soils to dry out to do fieldwork, including planting corn, which is as much as two weeks behind schedule. Some producers were able to plant corn in sandier soils. Wet conditions also slowed the harvesting of wheat silage and wheat hay. In Deaf Smith County, corn was about 50 to 60 percent planted, with planters left sitting at the end of the fields until things dry out. Very little cotton or grain sorghum had been planted either. Wheat was doing alright — if it wasn’t hit by hail storms, attacked by greenbugs or infested by diseases. There was still potential for a wheat crop if weather permits. There were several fields cut for hay, but with the recent rains it won’t be in condition to be baled anytime soon. Hemphill County received 8 to 15 inches countywide in most areas during the last several weeks. Nighttime temperatures were still too cool for good growth of warm-season grasses. Randall County received some hail with the rain, and some wheat fields in the southern portion of the county were totally wiped out. Rangeland and pastures benefited from all the recent rains and were greening up. Cows were beginning to regain the body condition they lost during the winter.
Rolling Plains: Rain continued to fall, with some counties reporting as much as 6 inches, along with high winds and some hail. The area had deep soil moisture for the first time in several years. The heavy rains stalled all fieldwork. Wheat, corn and sorghum producers were assessing crop damage from the heavy rains and hail. Most stock-water tanks were filled to overflowing. Lake levels rose. Livestock were generally in good to excellent condition. Producers were rebuilding herds. Pastures greened up with the growth of warm-season grasses. Some hay was baled, which was earlier than normal. Peach orchards were mostly undamaged by the storms.
South: Weather throughout most of the region was warm, dry and favorable for fieldwork. Many producers were able to do some planting, cultivating and harvesting. In the northern part of the region, corn, grain sorghum and winter wheat were progressing well. Wheat was maturing, corn was in the silk stage and cotton planting continued. Summer perennial grasses responded to the warmer soil temperatures, though improved pastures had heavy weed infestations. Cattle remained in good condition. Soil moisture conditions were mostly adequate throughout the northern counties. In the eastern part of the region, producers were able to plant some grain sorghum, peas and summer wheat. In Jim Wells County, wheat harvesting began. Planting remained at a standstill in Kleberg and Kenedy counties due to wet conditions. Rangeland and pastures were in excellent condition. Soil moisture conditions remained mostly adequate in the eastern counti es. In the western part of the region, some areas remained dry while others had frequent showers. Producers had almost completed planting forage sorghum, grains, onions, corn, watermelons and cantaloupes. Coastal Bermuda grass hayfields were ready for the first cutting of the year. In Zavala County, producers were harvesting wheat and oats. Soil moisture was mostly adequate in the western counties. In the southern part of the region, grain sorghum was heading and onion harvesting continued. In the Hidalgo County area, vegetable harvesting wound down, while sugarcane harvesting continued and sesame planting was almost completed. In Willacy County, dry conditions allowed fieldwork and the finishing of planting. Because of delayed plantings, grain sorghum field maturity varied by seven to eight weeks. Soil moisture was adequate in most counties, and 70 to 75 percent surplus in Willacy County.
Southeast: Soil moisture varied widely, but was mostly adequate to surplus. San Jacinto and Walker counties reported 100 percent surplus moisture. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied widely too, mostly from excellent to good, with good ratings being the most common. Walker County pastures were still too wet to allow equipment in. Unless they were in well-drained areas, vegetable fields were waterlogged. In Montgomery County, drier conditions allowed for herbicide and some fertilizer applications. The cool nights slowed warm-season grass growth. Winter-annual grasses were being cut for hay. Fort Bend County had scattered showers, but producers were able to continue planting cotton and fertilize small grains. Livestock were in good condition.
Southwest: The area received scattered showers, and mornings were damp and drizzly. Fields were cultivated, and corn, grain sorghum and cotton were in excellent condition. Soil moisture started to decline, but more rain was forecast. Producers were trying to apply fertilizer and herbicides to pastures and hayfields. Bermuda grass fields were green and healthy. Rangeland and pastures remained in very good condition, as did livestock due to ample forages.
West Central: Temperatures were unseasonably mild with cool nights. Scattered storms with heavy rain, wind and hail occurred in many areas, with some damage done to wheat fields. Overall, the wheat crop was still in excellent condition. Wheat neared maturity, with harvesting expected to begin in about two to three weeks. Soil moisture was very good, but stock tanks still needed runoff to fill up. Corn and sorghum were in fair to good condition. Farmers were cutting and baling small grains for hay. Field activity continued, with producers applying herbicides and preparing ground for cotton planting. Some forage sorghum planting was still proceeding. Field preparations for planting summer annual forages were underway also. The frequent rains challenged hay producers. Some had cut oat and wheat pastures but were rained out before they could get the grass cured and baled. Bermuda grass fields were in excellent condition but nee ded weed control. Rangeland and pastures remained in good to excellent condition due to warm temperatures and recent moisture. Winter grasses matured along with weeds. Small-grain fields were being grazed out by livestock. Livestock remained in fair to good condition. Pecan producers began scouting for casebearer eggs.
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By Savannah Magoteaux
Two bales can look almost identical and feed very differently. Color, smell and leafiness tell part of the story, but a forage test tells you what your cattle are actually being offered. If you buy hay by the ton or are trying to stretch winter feed, that little lab sheet can be one of the cheapest management tools on the place.
Reading the report
Start with dry matter. Hay contains water, and labs report nutrients either “as fed” or on a dry-matter basis. Feeds are easiest to compare on a dry-matter basis because it takes moisture out of the comparison. Hay that is 90 percent dry matter is about 10 percent water.
Crude protein, usually abbreviated CP, is the number most people recognize. It estimates protein from the forage’s nitrogen content. Higher isn’t automatically better. The goal is to match the hay to the animal. A dry, mature cow in mid-gestation doesn’t need the same protein as a lactating cow, a growing replacement heifer or a young calf.
Energy matters just as much. Beef cattle forage reports commonly estimate energy as total digestible nutrients, or TDN. Low-TDN hay may fill a cow up before it supplies enough energy, particularly when her requirements rise late in gestation or during lactation. That is when you may need better forage, an energy supplement or a different feeding plan.
Fiber numbers explain why some hay looks coarse and why animals may not be able to eat enough of it. Neutral detergent fiber, or NDF, is closely tied to intake. As NDF climbs, cattle generally eat less because the forage moves through the digestive tract more slowly. Acid detergent fiber, or ADF, is tied to digestibility. Higher ADF generally means lower digestibility.
Some reports also include relative feed value or relative forage quality. These indexes help compare lots of forage, particularly alfalfa and mixed hay, but they aren’t a complete ration. They don’t replace looking at protein, energy, minerals, animal class and expected intake.
Then come the numbers you hope are boring. Nitrate testing matters when drought, heavy nitrogen fertilization, cloudy weather or other conditions have stressed the forage enough to cause nitrate accumulation. Sorghum-type forages, johnsongrass, corn and some weeds deserve particular attention. Nitrates stay in hay after it is cut and baled, so a risky crop doesn’t become safe just because it dried.
Minerals deserve a look, but this is where a hay report gets harder to interpret. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other minerals may be listed, yet a complete mineral program depends on water, other feeds and local conditions. A high number isn’t always an advantage. Excessive potassium, for example, can interfere with magnesium use under some circumstances. If you are balancing a ration for high-risk animals, work with a nutritionist or Extension specialist rather than treating the lab sheet as a stand-alone mineral prescription.
Moisture tells another story. Hay baled too wet is at greater risk of heating and mold, and very wet hay can become a fire hazard as microbial activity raises its internal temperature. A test taken months later can’t reconstruct every storage problem, so inspect the stack, too. A musty odor, visible mold, unusual heat and dark discoloration are all reasons to investigate.
Getting a good sample
A hay test is only as good as the sample, and sampling is the step most likely to ruin a good analysis. A handful pulled from the outside of one convenient bale doesn’t represent a stack of 100 bales. Round bales aren’t uniform from the outside to the center, and one bale may not represent the whole cutting.
Texas A&M AgriLife recommends using a hay probe and collecting cores from multiple bales in a lot, then combining them into one representative sample. A coring probe reaches through the layers of the bale and gives the lab a much better cross-section. Test different cuttings, fields or hay types separately, and don’t blend samples from separate fields or cuttings to save the cost of a test if you will feed them as separate lots.
Putting the numbers to work
The most useful way to read the report is backward from the cattle. What class of animal will eat this hay, at what stage of production, and how much is she likely to eat? Once you answer those questions, the lab numbers start to mean something.
A mature dry cow in good body condition can often use lower-quality forage than a first-calf heifer nursing a calf. Young cattle need nutrients for growth on top of maintenance, and cold stress raises energy demand. A hay test becomes valuable when you pair it with those real-world differences.
Remember that price per bale isn’t the same as price per unit of nutrition. A cheap bale with very low energy and protein may require expensive supplementation, and better hay can turn out to be the lower-cost feed once you count waste and supplements.
Before buying, try putting two hay reports side by side. Compare dry matter, crude protein, TDN and fiber first. Then add delivered cost and likely feeding waste. A heavier, denser bale isn’t automatically more economical, and a greener bale isn’t automatically more nutritious. The numbers make the comparison fair.
Testing is especially valuable after a hard weather year. Drought hay may be lower in yield and higher in nitrate risk. Mature, rain-damaged hay may test lower in protein and energy than it looks. Hay cut from a fertilized field after stress may deserve a safety screen before it ever reaches a feeder.
A forage test won’t make poor hay better. It shows you where the gaps are before your cattle show them through lost condition or lower performance. One report can’t answer every feeding question, but it replaces several guesses with measurements, and that makes winter nutrition planning much more accurate.
By Savannah Magoteaux
A heavy crop of acorns under an oak tree usually looks more like a sign of fall than a livestock problem. For most cattle in most years, that is all it is. Trouble starts when acorns stop being an occasional bite and become a meaningful part of the diet.
Oak leaves, buds and acorns contain tannins that can damage the digestive tract and kidneys when cattle eat enough of them. Green acorns are generally considered more toxic than mature brown ones, but either can cause problems if cattle eat too many.
The risk climbs when forage is short and cattle go looking for something else to eat. Drought, overgrazed pastures or simply a heavy acorn crop can set up that situation.
Cattle aren’t equally interested in acorns. A few animals in a herd may eat far more than the rest, which helps explain why cases can appear scattered.
Early signs can be vague. Affected cattle may go off feed, look depressed or become constipated. As the damage progresses, you may see dark or bloody manure, abdominal pain, frequent urination followed by reduced urine output, dehydration and weakness. Kidney failure is the most serious concern.
You can’t remove every acorn from a wooded pasture, so prevention comes down to keeping cattle from relying on them. Adequate forage and supplementation take away the incentive to eat large amounts.
You can also fence cattle away from heavily producing oaks for a while, especially when pasture conditions are poor. If several animals seem to be seeking out acorns, take a close look at the rest of the ration instead of assuming they will quit on their own.
If you suspect oak poisoning, call a veterinarian early. Treatment is supportive and does much more good before severe kidney damage sets in. Moving unaffected cattle away from the source and providing good-quality feed and water may prevent more cases.
Acorns are an important fall food for deer, squirrels and other wildlife, and a few acorns generally don’t spell disaster for cattle. The concern is quantity. A pasture full of oaks becomes a different management problem when grass is short, cattle are hungry and the ground is covered with something they are willing to eat.
Oak toxicity comes up most often in cattle, but other livestock can be affected, too. And the risk isn’t limited to acorns. Oak buds and young leaves also contain tannins, so spring can occasionally bring problems as well. In fall, though, the obvious temptation is lying on the ground where cattle can eat it quickly.
Watch where your cattle spend their time. If cows that normally graze open grass start camping under oaks and hunting acorns, that behavior tells you something.
Walk the pasture, estimate how much usable forage is left and check whether a few dominant animals are eating more than the rest. Hay or supplemental feed may help, but place it where all the cattle can reach it rather than assuming one feeder will solve the problem.
Oak poisoning can look like other illnesses, and no one can diagnose kidney damage from pasture observation alone. A veterinarian may use history, clinical signs and lab work to separate it from dehydration, digestive disease or other toxicities. That is another reason to mention a heavy acorn crop when you call. A detail that seems like an ordinary part of fall can be an important part of the history.
Your pasture plan doesn’t have to be complicated. If one wooded trap has a much heavier acorn crop than the rest, use another pasture while you still have the choice.
If you can’t move the herd, make sure hay and supplement are adequate before the animals get hungry enough to seek out acorns aggressively. Salt or mineral by itself won’t make up for a shortage of forage.
The problem usually fades as cattle eat through the crop or the acorns weather or get covered. Don’t return cattle that have already shown signs as soon as they look better, though. Kidney injury can be serious. Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and reassess the pasture before turning recovered animals back out.
By Jared Groce
Late summer has been brutal on our livestock, our grass and the rural land market in North Texas. We currently have an astounding 42 months of inventory on hand in our report area, and the only properties selling are the ones priced right. Overpriced properties aren’t even getting looked at, much less receiving offers, so pricing your property correctly matters more than ever right now.
Many sellers are still picturing the daily price increases we saw in 2020 to 2023, but those days are behind us, and agents need to be more realistic with listing prices to get any activity for their clients. Hopefully the rains will come soon and bring more land buyers with them this fall, but right now it is still very much a buyer’s market. No one knows how long this dry spell will last, but it will likely take a flood to end it. The same is true of the weather!
They say the best time to plant a tree, or buy land, was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today.
| County | Area | Acres | $/Acre | List Price | Sold Price | Sale/List | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | Henrietta | 120.07 | $5,150 | $714,000 | $618,309 | 86.60% | 434 |
| Clay | Bellevue | 159.44 | $6,184 | $981,000 | $985,959 | 100.50% | 48 |
| Clay | Henrietta | 293 | $4,982 | $1,538,250 | $1,459,600 | 94.90% | 212 |
| Clay | Average | 190.84 | $5,438 | $1,077,750 | $1,021,289 | 94.00% | 231 |
| Collin | Anna | 11.08 | $84,356 | $1,200,000 | $935,000 | 77.90% | 634 |
| Collin | Average | 11.08 | $84,356 | $1,200,000 | $935,000 | 77.90% | 634 |
| Cooke | Muenster | 11 | $18,000 | $209,000 | $198,000 | 94.70% | 250 |
| Cooke | Gainesville | 19.3 | $16,580 | $345,000 | $320,000 | 92.80% | 541 |
| Cooke | Valley View | 96.23 | $15,500 | $1,679,215 | $1,491,565 | 88.80% | 194 |
| Cooke | Average | 42.18 | $16,693 | $744,405 | $669,855 | 92.10% | 328 |
| Denton | Sanger | 16.46 | $39,422 | $649,000 | $649,000 | 100.00% | 47 |
| Denton | Cross Roads | 10.35 | $97,575 | $1,200,000 | $1,010,000 | 84.20% | 40 |
| Denton | Sanger | 300 | $14,000 | $4,999,999 | $4,200,000 | 84.00% | 1,327 |
| Denton | Aubrey | 74.09 | $57,684 | $4,815,525 | $4,273,550 | 88.70% | 302 |
| Denton | Average | 100.22 | $52,170 | $2,916,131 | $2,533,138 | 89.20% | 429 |
| Grayson | Collinsville | 11.61 | $46,516 | $600,000 | $540,000 | 90.00% | 280 |
| Grayson | Van Alstyne | 18.8 | $58,511 | $1,175,000 | $1,100,000 | 93.60% | 280 |
| Grayson | Whitesboro | 30 | $37,984 | $1,170,000 | $1,139,506 | 97.40% | 277 |
| Grayson | Average | 20.14 | $47,670 | $981,667 | $926,502 | 93.70% | 237 |
| Jack | No sales reported | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montague | Montague | 485 | N/A | $5,566,000 | N/A | N/A | 333 |
| Montague | Bowie | 26 | $12,244 | $323,500 | $318,352 | 98.40% | 743 |
| Montague | Montague | 37.3 | $10,327 | $428,950 | $385,195 | 89.80% | 1 |
| Montague | Saint Jo | 1,185 | $7,764 | $10,000,000 | $9,199,829 | 92.00% | 19 |
| Montague | Average | 433.33 | $10,112 | $4,079,613 | $3,301,125 | 93.40% | 274 |
| Wise | Sunset | 12 | $19,027 | $234,000 | $228,320 | 97.60% | 16 |
| Wise | Sunset | 12 | $19,027 | $234,000 | $228,320 | 97.60% | 14 |
| Wise | Chico | 11.44 | $24,476 | $299,000 | $280,000 | 93.60% | 24 |
| Wise | Chico | 10.25 | $29,265 | $315,000 | $300,000 | 95.20% | 12 |
| Wise | Average | 11.42 | $22,949 | $270,000 | $259,160 | 96.00% | 17 |
DOM = days on market
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