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Cattle producer has tough decisions as drought intensifies

A cattle producer says ongoing drought will force her to make some tough decisions this fall.

Gina Pospichal operates a cow-calf heard in North Central Nebraska. “The drought makes it easy to see which ones are producing and which ones aren’t producing.  In the past, you might give a cow a chance if she lost a calf or didn’t have a calf that was weaning at the rate that we were hoping she’d wean. There aren’t going to be any second chances for those cows.”

She tells Brownfield she’s already sold part of her spring herd and it may have to happen again. “We spend so much time analyzing what the future is going to hold and how we can best hold on as long as possible and anticipate what the winter is going to be like and even what the moisture level is going to be like next year. We don’t have that crystal ball to look ahead and see what it’s going to be like.”

And, Pospicahl says, feed supplies will be a concern. “We’re looking for grinding hay, which is nonexistent.  When it comes down to the idea of buying hay, that’s really not going to be an option because we’re not only talking about the high price of hay, but the transportation cost to get it to our place.”

Unless there’s a drought busting rain, she says she’s not hopeful that the situation will improve. “I think this for everyone is going to be a really hard rest of the summer and a hard fall.”