Whether you have plenty or need more, water can be a deciding factor when planning for forages and deciding when to wean calves for the benefit of the calves as well as their mothers.

In this month’s edition of “From the Field,” we visited with regional managers (RMs) Andrew Swanson and Landon Andrews to discuss moisture levels in their regions, what forages could look like going into the fall, whether cattle will be weaned early and more.

Where’s the water?

For some parts of the United States, this year has been a little different than most. Whether you’re receiving moisture or not, business goes on as usual. Much of the western portion of the United States is a prime example.

While California is largely an outlier when it comes to weather patterns, in his experience, Landon Andrews — RM for Region 11 — says Utah, Nevada and Arizona are going to be operating with little moisture going into the fall. But, he says, that isn’t necessarily unusual.

“I always feel like Utah, Nevada and Arizona have their climate; and then California is 100% its own. [California] kind of plays by their own set of rules,” Andrews notes, adding that California has seen good spring rains and appears to have plenty of forage moving from late summer into the fall. “The other three states? It has been bone dry. It’s as bad as it can be, but then we’re very used to it, right?”

What might seem to be an unworried outlook from Andrews stems from the fact that low moisture levels are expected. After all, in a region that might receive 12-18 inches of rain per year, irrigated forages are a solid backup plan.

What do forages look like for Region 11 this year? While many cattle summer on U.S. Forest Service leases, September will see those cattle returning to lower ground. When cattle are elsewhere, forages are typically being baled and stockpiled for later.

“My favorite time of year is November, because all of a sudden, every field has cows in it. It’s just beautiful,” says Andrews, sharing that cows graze those fields until they run out of feed or snow flies. “This year has been bad. Even guys that have irrigation are going to be feeding cows quicker than normal just because the fall feed is half of what it usually is.”

The outlook for Region 6 couldn’t be much further from that of its Western counterparts. Excessive moisture seems the theme for summer across his region, says Andrew Swanson.

“In general, most producers are exceeding what they would normally get for rainfall. In terms of grazing, that’s great. I think there’s lots of grass, especially going into the fall,” Swanson notes. “So, in terms of stocking rates and just overall grass quantity? I think guys are feeling really, really good about the grass and moisture situation.”

From a haying standpoint, the moisture has helped Region 6 producers grow a lot of hay this year. However, putting up high-quality dry hay has been a challenge.

Crop expectations are for above-average yields because of the rain, Swanson says.

“There’s challenges where the water levels are high and wiping out fence,” Swanson acknowledges. “I’ve seen lots of Snapchat videos and talked with producers who are putting their waders on to get into the water and fix fence. They don’t have to do that every year.”

Looking for information on drought across the country? Check out the U.S. Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

When are we weaning?

With moisture levels across the United States potentially affecting feed sources and forages, the question moves to whether producers plan to wean calves early where needed.