‘It’s pretty stressful’: Ranchers face tough decisions as feed suffers from drought

Saskatchewan is suffering through a drought, and it’s hurting agriculture of all kinds.

Many cattle ranchers in the province have struggled to grow enough feed for their herds.

According to the province’s latest crop report, “hay yields are well below normal and most producers are unsure if a second cut will be possible this year. Low hay yields and quality are causing concerns over the amount of feed available to carry cattle over into the winter.”

That’s true across much of the province, thanks to the tiny amount of rain this growing season.

Jenny Hattum has cows on a ranch about 50 kilometres south of Swift Current.

She sums up the situation bluntly.

“It’s not great. It’s pretty stressful,” Hattum said.

“We have like a fifth of what we need in hay. All of the cropland that we would use for greenfeed and hay is totally written off.”

That leaves them with three options: they can buy feed, supplement their hay with straw and nutrients, or a third that Hattum isn’t enthusiastic about.

“Obviously, we could sell cows, but that’s not ideal,” she said.

However, with crops across the province devastated by the heat, prices have gone up. She said feed is tough to find on the market, and it’s about double the price of an average year.

If they can’t figure out the feeding situation, Hattum’s family may have to sell most of their herd of around 300 cows.

“It’s so stressful. I don’t know if anybody realizes that until they are ranching, because it’s totally out of your control. There’s nothing you can do,” she said.

“(I’m) actually worried about other ranchers on the mental health aspect. Check up on your friends.”