It seems like nearly every year Mother Nature wreaks havoc on various regions with drought. Drier than desirable conditions challenge livestock producers who depend on forages for their cattle to graze during the summer months. Grain producers who rely on adequate moisture at the right times see their crops suffer again and again. However, with proper drought management for cattle, your herd and your bank account can survive the drought.
There are several options for producers looking to survive drought. Cull and sell the lower-performing part of your herd; wean calves early; adjust your feeding plan; or a combination of these.
“There is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Chris Cassady, Ph.D., Director of Technical Sales & Research for BioZyme® Inc. “It is best to be proactive and make a game plan before you are completely out of feed.”
What Is Drought Management for Cattle?
Drought management for cattle involves proactive planning to maintain herd health, productivity, and profitability during periods of limited forage and water resources. While drought conditions can develop gradually, the decisions producers make early often determine how well their operation weathers the challenge.
Effective drought management strategies include evaluating available feed resources, monitoring pasture conditions, testing forage quality, adjusting stocking rates, implementing strategic supplementation programs, and making timely culling decisions. By developing a plan before forage supplies become critically short, producers can reduce stress on both cattle and budgets while preserving the long-term productivity of their herd.
Know what You Have
Take inventory of the available feed you have as soon as you know the drought has arrived and has set in to stay. Take an honest assessment of the feed you have on hand, especially if you know your summer grass will be limited.
Don’t forget to consider alternative resources like post-harvest crop residues, if there is even enough to harvest due to the dry conditions. Do you have a neighbor who farms, but doesn’t have livestock? Inquire with your neighbor about grazing those crop residues as well or grazing the crop that can’t be harvested. Keep in mind the extra resources you might need for grazing fields. Is the field fenced? Is there a water source available, or will you need to haul water? It will be more cost-effective to graze the resources available to you rather than buying and transporting feed to your operation.
Once you know the quantity and variety of hay you have available, be sure to have it analyzed for nutrient content. Know what is available for each feed you have tested. BioZyme provides free hay testing for its current and potential customers. Contact your Area Sales Manager to find out more about this service as part of your drought management for cattle.
Monitor Body Condition Throughout Drought
One of the most important aspects of drought management for cattle is regularly evaluating body condition. As forage quantity and quality decline, cows often begin losing condition before producers notice significant performance changes.
Body condition scoring of cows provides a practical way to assess nutritional status and determine whether adjustments need to be made to the feeding program. Maintaining adequate body condition is especially critical for pregnant and lactating cows because excessive weight loss can negatively impact reproductive performance, calf vigor, and future productivity.
Producers should closely monitor mature cows, first-calf heifers, and older cows, as these groups often experience nutritional stress differently. Identifying condition loss early allows producers to make feeding adjustments before performance suffers.
Water Management During Drought Conditions
While forage shortages often receive the most attention, water availability is equally important during drought conditions. Reduced pond levels, declining water quality, and increased concentrations of minerals or contaminants can negatively impact cattle performance.
Producers should routinely inspect water sources and ensure adequate access for all animals. During periods of extreme heat and drought, cattle may significantly increase water consumption. Providing clean, accessible water can help maintain feed intake and support overall herd health.
When evaluating drought management for cattle strategies, water resources should be considered alongside forage inventories to create a complete feeding and grazing plan.
Stretch Your Resources
Once you have had your available feed resources tested, develop the best feeding plan for your resources. Ration development is another service our BioZyme ASMs and professional nutrition staff provide.
Cassady said that when feeding cows in a dry-lot situation, only three rations are really necessary:
- 12% protein with high energy for lactating cows
- 9% protein with moderate energy for cows in late gestation
- 7-8% protein with lower energy for cows in earlier gestation that are in good body condition
Often, producers offer excessive supplements when the forages already have 15-16% protein, and that results in wasted hay. Offer less hay and lower your DMI to make your resources stretch further, but consider supplementing energy in these situations, like corn or soyhulls.
In grazing situations, intake typically drops as the protein levels drop, which is why it is important to supplement protein when the forage quality is low. Even though the quality is lower, the cattle will still eat what is available to them since they are hungry.
“One of the most efficient ways to get more energy into your cows is with Amaferm®, a research-proven prebiotic that maximizes digestibility,” Cassady said. He added that there are several ways to include Amaferm into the cow’s diet, including but not limited to VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Tubs and Protein Meal, as well as other VitaFerm products powered by Amaferm.
Another way to stretch your resources is to early wean calves. Sure, it might be rough on those 200-300-pound calves at first, but with a good nutritional plan, those calves will bounce right back. And the cows will be more productive in the future.
“I highly recommend early weaning for calves when the pastures are so short,” Cassady said. “It reduces the nutritional requirements on the cow during the drought and prevents her from losing more weight that must be put back on before calving.”
Strategic Supplementation Can Improve Feed Efficiency
When forage supplies are limited, every pound of feed matters when planning drought management for cattle. Strategic supplementation helps producers maximize the value of available feed resources while supporting rumen function and nutrient utilization.
Supplementing protein, energy, minerals, and digestive support technologies can help cattle better utilize lower-quality forages commonly encountered during drought conditions. Products containing Amaferm can help maximize digestibility, allowing cattle to extract more nutrients from available feed resources.
At BioZyme, we make products to meet all operational and management scenarios. Here is just a sample of our products with added 20% protein (unless otherwise noted), and all products contain Amaferm:
Four Sixes™ x VitaFerm® Legendary Nutrition Protein Tub
Four Sixes™ x VitaFerm® Legendary Nutrition Protein Tub is a ranch-tested 20% all-natural protein tub with vitamins and minerals designed to support beef cattle health and productivity when grazing moderate to low quality forage. Provides quality nutrition and industry-leading organic copper and zinc in a 200-pound tub.
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Tub
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Tub is a premium protein tub with vitamins and minerals for beef cattle on grass pasture designed to support reproductive success on low-protein forage. Another 200-pound tub contains organic copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity, and hoof health, along with high levels of Vitamin E that support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal
VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal is a premium free-choice 2% phosphorus vitamin and mineral supplement with protein for beef cattle on grass pasture that supports reproductive success on low-protein forage. Contains organic copper, iodine, and zinc for maximum bioavailability, innate immunity, and hoof health, along with high levels of Vitamin E that support reproductive tract repair and milk quality.
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Tub
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Tub is a natural protein tub for beef cattle designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost. Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Meal
VitaFerm Conserve® Protein Meal is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement with protein for beef cattle designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost. Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
VitaFerm Conserve® 30-13% Protein Tub
VitaFerm Conserve® 30-13% Protein Tub is a protein tub for beef cattle with urea and natural protein designed to support herd health and performance while conserving cost. Includes 30% urea protein with no more than 13% equivalent crude protein from non-protein nitrogen. Features a complete, but economical vitamin and mineral package.
Get More of What You Need
If you are already feeding those mama cows a VitaFerm product, and you transition your calves to an early weaning ration that includes a Gain Smart® mineral, your calves can be marketed for additional premiums through the Live Ag Gain Smart Verified Program. The Gain Smart Stocker Program is a three-step program that includes VitaFerm Cattle Drench, VitaFerm Stress Tubs and one of four choices of Gain Smart Mineral. If your calves do qualify for this program, contact your area Live Ag rep or ASM, to discuss the Live Ag program, and find out how your calves’ potential premiums could help you buy more feed for your cow herd.
One of the first reactions producers experience in drought is taking cattle to the local sale barn – and in this market, who can blame them? But it is important to make the right decisions when culling part of your herd. Cull those lower-performing cows with weaker genetics first. One measurement tool for this is if you do decide early weaning is for you, cull those cows with the lightest weight calves. They will likely be the harder doing, thinner cows too. During weaning, preg check your cows, and cull any open cows as soon as possible to save feed resources and increase sale price.
Strategic Supplementation Can Improve Feed Efficiency
When forage supplies are limited, every pound of feed matters. Strategic supplementation helps producers maximize the value of available feed resources while supporting rumen function and nutrient utilization.
Cassady offers this scenario.
With drought in many areas, hay prices are going up, and corn is cheap. Corn is roughly $4.25/bushel (4.25/52=0.0817), so corn is .08 per pound. However, it is 95% digestible: .0817/.95=0.086, so it is about 9 cents per digestible nutrient of corn.
On the other hand, even bad hay is $120 per ton. (120/2000=0.06). So hay is 2 cents cheaper per pound. However, it is only 40% digestible: .06/.4=0.15, so it is 15 cents per digestible nutrient of hay, making corn the sensible choice to supplement your drought feeding strategy.
“Remember, the VFA boost from Amaferm is nutritionally equivalent to feeding a pound of corn, so you can effectively bring the 1-2 punch by adding a supplement with Amaferm to their diets,” Cassady reminds.
Get Your VitaFerm Today
Supplementing protein, energy, minerals, and digestive support technologies can help cattle better utilize lower-quality forages commonly encountered during drought conditions. Products containing Amaferm can help maximize digestibility, allowing cattle to extract more nutrients from available feed resources.
Working with a nutritionist to develop a targeted supplementation strategy can help producers stretch feed inventories further while supporting performance and reproductive success.
Ready to invest in VitaFerm? Locate a dealer near you and get your herd on VitaFerm today.
Are you unsure whether VitaFerm products are right for your management scenario? Use our Concept•Aid Product Navigator to discover the product you need today.
