In the Coastal Bend and South Plains, hay and forage supplies were reported to be plentiful, but in large swathes of the state, it was a different story.
Throughout East Texas and parts of North Texas, stocks were either short or critically low, according to AgriLife Extension agent reports.
East and North Texas hay production got hit by a double whammy. An unusually wet, cool winter and early spring delayed summer grasses coming out of dormancy. A mid-summer drought followed, along with an extended triple-digit heat wave, bringing hay production to a halt, said Aaron Low, AgriLife Extension agent in Cherokee County, south of Tyler.
"That's what happened here, and it's pretty much the same story throughout East Texas," Low said.
Galen Logan, AgriLife Extension agent in Camp County, northeast of Longview, gave a similar account. Though many of the producers in his area got a second cutting, the season started late and supplies are low.
Logan said that producers in his area might offset low supplies by planting winters pastures, but unless his area gets more rain they will just be wasting seed in dry ground.
"It's bad. I don't know what we're going to do," Logan said.
North of Dallas, the answer to "Got hay?" would be, "Yes and no," said Rick Maxwell, AgriLife Extension agent for Collin County.
"No, we are short of high quality grass hay," Maxwell said, "but a lot of producers are baling up corn stalks, so I imagine we'll be okay."
Maxwell noted that though supplies of corn stalk hay will be plentiful, it is low on energy and protein compared to grass hay. Producers will have to feed more of it and add supplements, but he believes most will get through the winter without having to bale hay.
In his area, rains have been hit and miss, with only some areas getting enough moisture for another cutting.
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
CENTRAL:High aflatoxin levels became more prevalent in corn. Cotton looked very good. Sunflower yields were very good, but pastures badly needed rain. Hay producers were hoping for a third cutting, but without rain soon, that won't happen. Stocker operators sold off most of their calves as soon as the grass played out. Some cow-calf operators had already weaned and sold calves.
COASTAL BEND: Hot and humid weather persisted. Heat stress continued to be an issue for both humans and livestock. The corn harvest came to a close with the best yields in years in the northern part of the district. Quite a bit of grain sorghum was left in the field and was cased out for insurance due to head sprouting. However, later-planted sorghum had good yields. The cotton harvest was ongoing with very good yields reported. Some producers began preparing land for winter plantings. Hay producers were taking a third cutting and, in some instances, a fourth.
EAST: No measurable rain was received during the reporting period. Because of the extreme heat and dry weather, many counties posted burn bans. Forage growth in pastures came to a halt in most areas and slowed in others. Producers were searching out-of-area for hay to buy. Some producers made preparations for winter pastures but will need rain before proceeding further. Grasshoppers and armyworms were still being reported. Feral-hog activity slowed in some areas, but the invasive species continued to cause damage throughout the region. Livestock were in fair to good condition.
FAR WEST: A cool front brought scattered rainfall with accumulations of 0.2 inch to 5 inches to the region, but many parts of the region remained dry. Cotton may not have enough moisture to fill bolls. Area ranchers were worried about wildfires in rangeland. A rainy spring resulted in a lot of dry grass for fuel in the pastures. Grass was heading out and beginning to cure. Spider mites were reported in some dryland cotton fields.
NORTH: Soil-moisture levels ranged from very short to adequate. Several days of temperatures above 100 degrees took a toll on grain crops and pastures. The corn harvest was nearly complete with yields below earlier expectations. The excessive rains that prevented planting until mid-April, along with the two-week stretch of high temperatures, were the main reasons fore the blow-average corn yields. Only about 25 percent of the normal acreage was planted in the spring because of extremely wet weather. Of those fields that did make a grain crop, the best yields were only 50-60 bushels per acre. Many yields were far lower, in the 20-30 bushel per acre range. Some fields were too poor to harvest, and producers just baled the stalks for hay. Grain sorghum was in good condition, with yield at about average or a little below. Soybeans were in fair condition and should be harvested soon, but the total acreage is lower than average this year. Cotton was in fair condition, and peanuts were in very poor condition. Pastures and hay meadows have also suffered from the hot, dry weather. Producers were preparing ground to plant winter annuals for grain and for grazing. Most producers reported a very short hay season, and even though some areas have had marginal rains, production remained limited. Livestock were in fair to good condition, but some producers were selling head due to the shortage of grass and hay. Many were feeding full hay, as they would in December or January. Some producers reported their hay supplies are adequate and expected to be okay, unless there is not a wet and cold winter like last year’s.
PANHANDLE: Temperatures were below average with scattered showers. A cool front dropped nighttime temperatures into the mid 40s, setting a record low for August. Soil moisture varied from short to surplus with most areas reporting adequate levels. Corn was in mostly good condition. Cotton was in mostly fair condition, but needed more heat units. Sorghum was in fair to good condition. Producers were either preparing wheat fields for planting or had already planted them. Rangeland and pastures were mostly in fair condition. Cattle were in good condition.
ROLLING PLAINS: A cold front came to the region, relieving area producers, crops and livestock from the 100-degree-plus temperatures. In some parts of the district, soil moisture-levels approached critically low levels, with many pastures turning brown due to lack of moisture. A burn ban was enacted in Stonewall County. Cotton progressed well, with some producers reporting cracked bolls. Growers were harvesting grain sorghum. Many producers kept busy plowing and fertilizing fields in preparation for wheat planting. Haskell County peanut producers were busy defending their crops from feral hogs. Prussic acid poisoning in forages has been a major concern in Wise County and other surrounding counties. Fly and mosquito populations were extremely high. Livestock were in good condition.
SOUTH: In the eastern part of the district, a cool front brought scattered showers and from the heat wave. Soil moisture levels in that area were adequate but short to very short in the rest of the region as a result of high temperatures, high winds and no precipitation. Rangeland and pastures began to show signs of stress due to temperatures of 100 to 109 degrees. With the high temperatures and high evaporation rates, stock-tank water levels declined, and producers had to increase supplemental feeding as a result. Despite the adverse conditions, cattle body condition scores remained good to fair. In the northern part of the region, the corn harvest wound down, the sorghum harvesting was finished, the cotton harvest was poised to begin and peanuts were doing well. In the eastern parts of the region, the corn and milo harvests were completed, with corn yields of 100 bushels per acre and milo yields of 4,000 pounds per acre. Also in that area, cotton yields were between 1.25 and two bales per acre. In the western part of the region, producers were actively irrigating cotton and pecans, and the corn and sorghum harvests were completed. In the western part of the region, the harvesting of soybeans and hay was ongoing.
SOUTH PLAINS: Temperatures across the region were considerably cooler with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s and a record low of 51. Soil moisture was short to adequate. Corn was in good condition. Cotton was in good condition and moving toward cutout. Earlier-planted cotton was opening bolls. Grain sorghum was in good condition, ranging in growth stage from bloom to mature. Pastures and rangeland were in good condition. A lot of forage was produced but will need to cure prior to freezing weather. Cattle were in good to excellent condition.
SOUTHEAST: Parts of the area saw isolated showers, but much of the area remained very dry. Many mature trees were dying. Producers continued to bale hay in spite of short moisture conditions. Livestock were okay, but ponds levels were down.
SOUTHWEST: The region was becoming very dry, with only 0.39 inches of rain recorded in August, compared to a long-term average of 2.2 inches for the month. Cumulative rainfall since early July was about 70 percent of the long-term average of over four inches during the same period. Hot, dry afternoon winds, and 100-degree and higher temperatures aggravated the moisture situation. The cotton harvest was in full swing. The corn and sorghum harvest were completed. The harvesting of sesame and peanuts gained momentum. Despite having large nut drop during the July-August period due to drought stress, pecans were making good progress.
WEST CENTRAL: Hot, dry weather with temperatures in the triple digits continued until the middle of the reporting period when a cool front brought rain and dropped temperatures down. The cooler temperatures reduced heat stress on crops. Cotton continued to do very well, and the grain sorghum harvest was under way. Producers were cutting and baling hay. Peanuts were doing well under continued irrigation. Growers continued to work fields in preparation for fall planting. Where there was rain, pastures greened, but stock-tank water levels continue to drop elsewhere. Livestock were in good condition.