By Paul Cañada
Field Editor

"Too much or too little." Following last year’s record rains, it is the mantra of Texas cattlemen in this summer of crippling drought.

Cracking soil and sun-bleached grass are constant reminders to Shawn Fryrear of how unforgiving a Texas drought can be. Operating right in the middle of the most extreme drought area in the state, Fryrear runs stocker cattle and some 2,000 momma cows in Lee and Fayette counties near the town of Giddings.

While two-thirds of the state was listed in the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Aug. 5 report as experiencing at least moderate drought conditions, 19 south-central Texas counties—Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Burleson, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Dewitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Guada-lupe, Hayes, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Travis, Washington and Wilson—were listed as "exceptional," the most severe drought designation.

Like many of his troubled peers, Fryrear hoped recent Gulf storms would bring relief to his pastures. Hurricane Dolly dumped torrents of rain in the southwestern tip of the state, while Tropical Storm Edouardo soaked the northern Gulf Coast and further inland. Any optimism held by Fryrear and cattleman in south-central counties, however, quickly evaporated under a blazing Texas sun.

"The forecasts looked good and I was really hoping we would receive some moisture from Edouardo," says Fryrear. "Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to help. It was really disappointing."

Fryrear, who serves on Texas Farm Bureau’s Beef Cattle Advisory Board, runs cattle on 20,000 acres, with the largest tract of 5,000 acres near Smithville. In addition to his cow/calf operation, Fryrear typically buys about 15,000 stockers a year, retaining ownership through the feedyard to an Amarillo packer.

"We’ll run a group of 5,000 steers for about three months," Fryrear says. "We’re buying a 450-pound steer and try to put a lot of weight on them in the pasture. After they reach about 750 pounds, we send them on to the feedyard and buy another 5,000 head."

During good years, Fryrear may run as many as 18,000 steers.

"I believe we do a good job managing our grass," he says. "Still, this drought has hurt our operation."

Lack of rain hurts pastures. It hurts bottom lines as well. Fryrear normally rotates his cattle between three or four pastures on a three-month cycle. Little rain means limited pasture recovery. He’s been forced to rotate his cattle back on these sun-burnt pastures.

The result is less income, in part a game of numbers. Fryrear simply isn’t buying and selling his usual number of stockers. He’s grazing the stockers longer because the price of gain in the feedyards is higher. And he’s selling the majority of stockers off the grass instead of retaining ownership through the feedyard.

"At the beginning of each year we count on buying 15,000 steers and that’s just not going to happen this year," says Fryrear. "Right now, it’s taking considerably longer to get a steer from 450- to 750-pounds. The longer I have to keep those steers, the fewer cattle I can run."

On those pastures which are toughest on the younger cattle, he supplements protein blocks to aid in the digestion of coarse grass. This drives up this cattleman’s costs as well.

Another serious threat to younger cattle is the lack of tank water. Fryrear carefully monitors his water situation. As stock tanks turn boggy, the risk to the calves grow higher.

"The thinner, weaker cattle often get caught in the tank mud," he says. "We try to stay on top of the situation, rescuing one to two yearlings a week, but still have lost animals."

Jay Gray with the Graham Land and Cattle Company in Gonzales County operates a feedyard and stocker program. According to his rainfall records, the northern portion of Gonzales County is 13- to 14-inches behind its normal annual rainfall rate.

"From the middle of last October to today (July 29), we haven’t had any rain to grow grass," Gray, a former member of TFB’s Beef Cattle Advisory Committee, says. "While the southern portion of the county got plenty of rain, we didn’t see anything significant."

Gray contracts local landowners to graze cattle on a gain basis. Last year he contracted 4,000 head. Less than 200 have been contracted this year, and because of short grass, they didn’t stay out very long before coming back to the feedyard. Although this puts more pressure on the feedyard operator, Gray says the landowner is hurt the most.

"The greatest impact is certainly on the land owner," says Gray. "They set land aside from hay production for the single purpose of grazing," Gray says. "We simply haven’t had enough rain this year for hay production. That’s an income which can’t necessarily be recovered."

The lack of hay production is one of the biggest problems facing beef cattle producers in drought counties, according to Jon Johnson, with Texas Farm Bureau’s Commodity and Regulatory Activities office.

"They just aren’t producing any hay in the exceptional drought area," says Johnson. "So, these guys are looking at very high winter feeding cost. If you don’t have any hay, you can either buy it or you’re going to have supplement with protein. With feed costs going up and hay prices higher, what are you going to do?"

Many ranchers in the drought-struck areas are culling herds and sending older cows to slaughter because they can’t afford to feed the animals.

According to Johnson, beef producers in drought areas might need to change their management practices, possibly weaning claves earlier and looking closer at older cows.

"Adjusting management practices is going to be the key to surviving these severe drought conditions," says Johnson.