Prolonged heat presents challenges for ranchers

Sustained heat and dry conditions are presenting challenges for ranchers and their cattle with increased concern about the fire hazard.

“It’s dry. They’re starting to eat dry grass,” said Harvey Vossler rancher in Cypress Hills. “This is going on for a month and a half already.”

Vossler can’t remember when last it was this dry and this hot for so long without a thunderstorm to cool things down and provide relief.

The fire hazard is one of the biggest concerns for Tyrell Pahl, a rancher in Cypress County.

“Everything is so combustible right now,” said Pahl.

“Pasture is drying up rapidly,” said Dale Weiss of Arrowhead Ranch in Cypress County who has had to move cattle quite a bit for suitable grazing pasture.

When ranchers run out of suitable pasture alternatives cattle have to be brought closer to where there are supplies of hay for them to feed on, said Vossler.

Cattle may look very hot standing in the sun on a ranch without any shade but as long as they have access to adequate water they are okay, said Pahl.

Cattle can adapt to a range of temperatures and if they are really hot they will seek water and stand in the water to cool off, said Vossler.

Pahl says when he goes to check on his cows, which he does a couple times a week, he knows exactly where to find them - near the water.

In hot weather they may spend more of the day near the water and wait until after the sun has gone down to graze in cooler temperatures, said Pahl.

A few weeks ago there were reports of cattle in Saskatchewan dying after drinking water with a high salt content in dugouts. The salt content had become concentrated as the volume of water became depleted in dry and hot conditions.

The quality of the water has to be checked regularly, said Pahl. Water can develop algae when the water level is reduced and the fecal content is concentrated. The water can be treated to address this. Ranchers try to have enough dugouts so that there are alternatives.

“I’ve heard some terrible stories from Saskatchewan because they never had the spring rain we had,” said Pahl.

A rancher near Hilda, Tom Herman, says rains last fall and this spring helped to fill dugouts on his land and that has really helped.

Vossler has some cattle on land near the Wildhorse border crossing - a considerable distance from Irvine. Vossler will be going to check on them and if necessary they will be brought back.