Drought Management Planning

Drought is a common occurrence in Nebraska. Drought can be a management challenge for beef producers. This page is designed to help you design a drought management plan and to provide ideas to consider before and during a drought.

The National Drought Mitigation Center website has information that is valuable for beef producers, including Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch.

NOTE: Click on the map image to go to U.S. Drought Monitor website for detailed information on current drought conditions around the country.

Grazing Land Leases - Market Journal - April 26, 2013

Jay Jenkins, UNL Extension educator, explains what owners and renters should put into leases when arranging grazing land contracts.

Articles

• Drought Increases Toxic and Poisonous Plant Risk to Livestock (May 2013)
• Siting Considerations and Environmental Management for Temporary Feeding Areas (March 2013)
• Forage Production with Limited Precipitation or Irrigation (February 2013)
• Options for Tax Planning for Livestock Producers Due to the 2012 Drought Disaster Designation (November 2012)
• Graze Drought Stressed Cornstalks CAREFULLY (September 2012)
• Ammoniating Crop Residues as a Feed Resource (September 2012)
• Grazing Drought-Stressed Standing Corn (August 2012)
• Options for Drought Damaged Corn Fields (August 2012)
• Tax Consequences to Drought (July 2012)
• Grazing Management and Cattle Feeding Options During Drought (July 2012)
• Drylotting Beef Cows - A Drought Management Strategy (June 2012)
• Replacing Summer Pasture with Feeds for Cows Grazing Pasture and When Pasture is Limited (June 2012)
• Management Considerations When Relocating Beef Cows in Drought Conditions (May 2012)
• Beef Cow Herd Culling Strategies (May 2012)
• Managing Cow Herds During Drought (May 2012)
• Drought Corn Silage in Beef Cow Diets (October 2011)
• Heat Stress in Cattle (July 2011)
• Nitrates in Forages Need to Be Managed During Drought (July 2011)
• Working Cattle in Summertime Heat (June 2011)
• Early Weaning Beef Calves Sometimes Makes Cents (May 2011)
• Have a Drought Management Plan for Your Cow/Calf Enterprise (May 2011)
• An Alternative to Expensive Summer (April 2011)
• Some Pastures are Drying-Up Fast (August 2009)
• Know the Cull Cow Grades Before You Sell (October 2008)
• Feeding Corn Silage in Cow Diets (January 2007)

Additional Resources

• Grazing and Pasture Management during and after Drought (Webinar - February 12, 2013)
• Utilizing Annual Forages with Limited Irrigation for Beef Cattle During and Following Drought, NebGuide G2185 (PDF version 1.09MB)
• Forage Production with Limited Irrigation, NebGuide 2012 (PDF version 860KB)
• Opportunities in Feeding Low Test Weight Corn (Webinar - October 16, 2012)
• Salvaging Drought Damaged Crops as Forage for Beef Cows (Webinar - August 7, 2012)
• Managing Grazing and Forages in the Midst of Drought (Webinar - July 6, 2012)
• Drought Management Strategies: Early Weaning Beef Calves and Cow Culling and Management Decisions (Webinar - July 2, 2012)
• Limit Feeding Beef Cows with Bunkered Wet Distillers Grains plus Solubles or Distillers Solubles (PDF 81KB)
• Wheat Straw, Distiller Grains, and Beet Pulp for Late Gestating Beef Cows (PDF 141KB)
• Nitrates in Livestock Feeding, NebGuide G1779 (PDF version, 611KB)
• Storage of Wet Corn Co-Products (PDF 19.7MB)
• Crop Residues or Low Quality Hay Combined with Byproducts as a Forage Substitute, NebGuide G2099
• Management, Health, and Nutritional Considerations for Weaning Cows, NebGuide G2057
• Management of Early Weaned Calves, NebGuide G2047
• Creep Feeding Beef Calves, NebGuide G2077
• Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows: A Tool for Managing the Nutrition Program for Beef Herds, EC281 (PDF 2MB)
• Grazing Crop Residues with Beef Cattle, EC278 (PDF 877KB)
• Skillful Grazing Management on Semi Arid Rangelands, EC162 (PDF 1.24MB)
• Planning Ahead to Save AUMs and the Cow Herd in Times of Forage Shortage (PDF 267KB) (Range Beef Cow Symposium XXII, November 2011)
• Livestock and Vegetation Responses to Stocking Rate and Grazing System (PDF 98KB) (Range Beef Cow Symposium XXI, December 2009)
• Benefits of Weaning Calves at Younger than Traditional Ages (Range Beef Cow Symposium XX, December 2007)