Australian Drought

[Baling Hay]

We complain about the rain in the UK but this is much worse!:

 

[lim x]

After watching that it makes me feel grateful for the rain we are having - even if we are swimming in it.
I couldn't bear to see my girls looking like that, i think i would have to get someone in and shoot them.

 

[NZDan]

After watching that it makes me feel grateful for the rain we are having - even if we are swimming in it.
I couldn't bear to see my girls looking like that, i think i would have to get someone in and shoot them.

I'd have to agree with you there. Cutting stock numbers before they get to that stage should be done. You would have to ask why that big skinny steer was still there? Surely non breeding stock should have been long gone? And the horses were in good order? Bear in mind that most of those cattle would are Bos Indicus and can go through a lot tougher times than Bos taurus cattle.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...alition-for-help-as-resources-start-to-dry-up

 

[Kidds]

They were reducing stock by the tens of thousands in Queensland months back. Even heard reports they were shooting them in droves.
Must be a limit to what you can shift and I'm pretty sure the farmers don't want to see their stock in that condition.
Buggers are drowning here!

 

[mwj]

They were reducing stock by the tens of thousands in Queensland months back. Even heard reports they were shooting them in droves.
Must be a limit to what you can shift and I'm pretty sure the farmers don't want to see their stock in that condition.
Buggers are drowning here!

I post on a cattle board with members from Australia and it is very sad. The areas with the worst drought are many hundreds of miles from the markets. Shipping cattle takes long range planning even in the best of times! The other problem is condition needed for these long moves. Some are desperate to move cattle but are refused by the haulers because they could die in transport. Bought in feed is almost imposable to come by. It is very sad and overwhelming to all involved. There have been a few that shot the cattle then themselves!

 

[Brisel]

I'd have to agree with you there. Cutting stock numbers before they get to that stage should be done. You would have to ask why that big skinny steer was still there? Surely non breeding stock should have been long gone? And the horses were in good order? Bear in mind that most of those cattle would are Bos Indicus and can go through a lot tougher times than Bos taurus cattle.

Go where exactly? The meatworks (abbattoirs) are full & have been for months. Bullets are the only realistic option to reduce stocking numbers especially further inland.

 

[smcapstick]

It's dry as a kangaroo's jockstrap, down there. Bloody awful sight to see. Is there any rain on the horizon? Surely they will tanker it in?

 

[Baling Hay]

Why can't they import hay, straw and soya hulls etc.?

Surely be better than shooting them and having a complete loss?

 

[JD-Kid]

costs steakeater and at times none about to buy if they wanted to ... it's the old story hang on the rains will come buy a bit of feed the rains will come buy more feed the rains will come
go into over draft to buy feed the rains will come try to sell stock markets flooded with light stock can't buy any feed the rains will come
stock start dieing a few turn to the bottle still no rains start shooting stock still no rain after afew sleepless night the last of the stock are shot and in a few cases the last round is for them selfs
as the family morn the loss there is a sound on the roof they have not heard for over a year the rains have come

in dry areas you learn quick to cut down stock have seed and fert in the shed it will rain , it's supprising how much a good dry spell improves your stock a lot of the riff raff is frist to go you tend to run more tradeing stock and get out of them fast

 

[NZDan]

Go where exactly? The meatworks (abbattoirs) are full & have been for months. Bullets are the only realistic option to reduce stocking numbers especially further inland.

I understand, I farm in a drought prone area as well, but it's about making decisons and making them at the right time. Its not like a drought in Oz is a uncommon.

 

[Brisel]

The business I work for has a share in a 18,000 acre station near Gunnedah in NSW. There it rains twice/year but around 15 inches each time. The June rains were only 4 inches with nothing since. The property has water but little grazing left.

If they can hang on a bit longer then the others in even drier areas will destock & they will make a killing when the drought ends. If they all think like that there's not much hope. Hindsight is marvellous.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Bony and the Black Virgin - Arthur Upfield
Beyond the Black Stump - Nevil Shute

are 2 good fictional descriptions of Outback droughts.

 

[Johnny400]

Friends down in tasmania have so much grass they hardly know what to do with it. Been cool wet spring and start of summer there. But it very long way to Queensland from there to transport fodder.

 

[JD-Kid]

Friends down in tasmania have so much grass they hardly know what to do with it. Been cool wet spring and start of summer there. But it very long way to Queensland from there to transport fodder.

thats the thing johnny it's a hell of a long way across ozzie to cart any thing overlay a pick of the UK or NZ at the same scale as a map of ozzie there is a lot of ozzie sticking out the sides ..

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Can't do much about the weather. Friends in Tas sheared their sheep at the usual time. A short time later the weather turned and it rained. This resulted in over 1000 animals dying.
Having travelled in Queensland and the Northern Territories the distances are staggering so bringing in water of fodder is not an option I would imagine. I made a point of trying to swim every day and thus followed the bore-holes. The wild life around these is something to see as the water, however foul, is a source of life.
SS

 

[JD-Kid]

Can't do much about the weather. Friends in Tas sheared their sheep at the usual time. A short time later the weather turned and it rained. This resulted in over 1000 animals dying.
Having travelled in Queensland and the Northern Territories the distances are staggering so bringing in water of fodder is not an option I would imagine. I made a point of trying to swim every day and thus followed the bore-holes. The wild life around these is something to see as the water, however foul, is a source of life.
SS

dead true can't change the weather be it dry snow high rainfall etc etc but you can sit down and try to make the best plans we have dry seasons here meaning to off load stock quick as we can some early planing may lead us to make better use of early rains if we can
snows if we get good warnings feed up sheep as much as we can the few days before and let them have as much shelter as we can then it's just a case of hopeing it's over quick

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Friends down in tasmania have so much grass they hardly know what to do with it. Been cool wet spring and start of summer there. But it very long way to Queensland from there to transport fodder.

Yes, but how long does it take to drive a road train from Tasmania to Queensland? But I think the bridge over the Bass Sraight is out

 

[Brisel]

I made a point of trying to swim every day and thus followed the bore-holes. The wild life around these is something to see as the water, however foul, is a source of life.
SS

Are you Crocodile Dundee?

 

[fergus]

yeah it is pretty bad over east. Although we have had a record harvest in the west, but it has been a drier than normal summer.