Welcome to the Ranch!

Most of the nation is feeling the effects of a heat wave as the temperatures soar, and the heat index goes even higher due in part to the high humidity.  Yesterday the actual temperature here was 108 degrees.  I have no idea what the heat index was, but the word hot does not begin to describe it.

As people try to find relief in air conditioning, the shade, or in a swimming pool, ranchers cannot overlook the effects of the heat on their animals.  Cattle, horses, and other livestock are suffering in the heat also.  Their needs are not unlike our own.  They need to stay hydrated and they need a cool place to spend the day.

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we make sure that the cattle have plenty of fresh water to drink.  Cows usually drink twice a day.  The amount consumed is staggering.  On a typical day, each cow can drink between 25 and 30 gallons.  During excessively hot days, the amount increases to 35-50 gallons.  Depending on how many head of cattle you have, you have to make sure that you provide sufficient water for your herd.

Cows will stay in shady places when it gets really hot.  Make sure that your cattle are on a wooded pasture with plenty of shade.  You do not want them baking in the sun.  If you only have cleared pastures, provide shade with a covered structure, tarp, or something else.

Believe it or not, cows love to wade out into a lake or pond up to their bellies.  It is their version of pool fun.  Cows can swim, but usually only when they have to.  Horses seem more playful in water.  They will swim regardless if they have to or not.  Even wading into shallow water, they will splash with their front hooves.  Having a lake or pond for your livestock to use as a swimming pool is not necessary, but it is also a good way to insure that they have enough to drink throughout the day.

As we all try to survive this exceptional drought coupled with extreme heat and humidity, consider the needs of the animals, too.  From livestock to family pets, animals are also looking for ways to stay hydrated and cool.

Summer is in full swing here at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  The daily temperatures are hitting in the mid-90s and staying above 70 degrees during the night.  This is prime grass growing time.

With the new growth of our grass, the herd is on a strict pasture rotation now.  We are in the midst of our time-intensive pasture management.  It is time-intensive in that we check the pastures two times a day.  We are interested in the condition of the grass.  We also look for worn areas in our pastures.  We want to move the cattle before they erode any of our pasture land.

We make sure that the herd has access to plenty of good water. Cows drink surprisingly amounts of water in one sitting.  In this heat, full-grown cows drink about 25 gallons of water a day.  Times that by the head that you are raising and that comes to a high number of gallons necessary to support your cattle.

We use natural ponds as reliable sources of water.  We also utilize well water in one of our pastures.  In another, we pump water out of our largest watering hole into a large water trough using solar energy.  To read how my husband set that system up, read my article, “Watering Your Herd on a Dry Pasture.”

As long as the rain continues to fall, we will be sitting pretty on lush green fields.  I hope that we do not suffer from another drought.  Two consecutive years of drought would be devastating to Texas ranchers.  We did better than could be expected last year.  In fact, Cross Creek Cattle Company was blessed with fat cows and green grass.

While other ranchers in our area were feeding hay to their herds during the summer months, we did not.  I attribute it to many things.  First, we prayed specifically for fat cows and green grass.  To understand this statement better, read my article from Texas Homesteader called, “Pray More Effectively.“  Additionally, we adhere to strict pasture rotation.  These are the two things that we credit our success last year.  God-willing, we will be blessed with plenty of good rain, fat cows, and green grass this summer.