Preparing Before Drought Hits
Drought is a recurring reality for livestock producers in many regions, and the operations that weather it best are usually the ones that prepared before conditions turned dry. Building drought resilience into your pasture management reduces the severity of forage shortages when dry years inevitably come.
Building Soil Water-Holding Capacity
Healthy soil with good organic matter content holds significantly more water than compacted, depleted soil, making soil health investments like reduced tillage and rotational grazing valuable drought defenses. Even modest improvements in organic matter can meaningfully increase the amount of water available to plants during dry spells.
Choosing Drought-Tolerant Species
Incorporating drought-tolerant grass and legume species into your pasture mix provides more resilience than relying entirely on species that struggle without consistent rainfall. Deep-rooted perennial species generally handle dry periods better than shallow-rooted alternatives.
Rotational Grazing as a Drought Tool
Rotational grazing systems that allow adequate rest periods help pasture maintain deeper root systems and better resilience during dry conditions compared to continuously grazed pasture. Extending rest periods further during early signs of drought can help preserve pasture health through a dry stretch.
Having a Destocking Plan
Deciding in advance which animals you would sell first if drought forces you to reduce herd size takes emotion out of a difficult decision made under pressure. Early, planned destocking during drought often produces better financial outcomes than waiting until conditions become critical.
Building a Forage Reserve
Maintaining a stockpile of hay or setting aside a sacrifice paddock that isn’t grazed during normal years provides a buffer of standing forage to draw on when pasture growth slows during drought. This reserve can be the difference between managing through a dry year and being forced into an emergency sale.
Browse our feed and nutrition products to help supplement during drought conditions. For drought planning resources, the National Integrated Drought Information System offers useful tools and forecasts.
