An unusually dry summer and a smaller hay yield has farmers wondering if they have enough forage to last until the spring.
“We had a very good spring cutting of hay, and the forage was probably 25, 30 percent larger in the spring than it usually is,” said Randel Arnett, owner of Paris Stockyard, “but you’re seeing a 25, 50 percent reduction in forages during the fall”
Arnett shared the stockyard has seen an unexpected surge in cattle sales.
“We’re seeing a surge of cattle that we usually don’t see until later October, earlier November that we’re seeing now. People are selling a month to two months ahead of time.”
According to drought.gov , 65.5 percent of the state was experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions entering this week.
Graph from drought.gov/states/kentucky Dr. Jimmy Henning, extension forage specialist in the University of Kentucky Plant and Soil Sciences Department, shared the time these dry conditions became a concern.
“The drought, if you want to call it that, became apparent at different times for different people. For us in central Kentucky, it was the first or second week in June,” said Dr. Henning. “We get half of our yield after June 15, so a lot of producers are looking at not much hay from mid-summer on.”