Key to managing limited rainfall includes a drought plan, K-State expert says
For Flint Hills rancher Bill Sproul, the true wealth of a ranching operation lies in the health of his prairie.
It’s why Kansas’ prolonged drought has the Chautauqua County, Kansas, rancher on alert.
From November through April, Sproul’s tallgrass pastures received 6.5 inches of moisture—half the normal rainfall for that period as his pastures enter the prime growing season.
“I’m constantly on the lookout for drought because that is the No. 1 key thing that can tear me up on this ranch,” Sproul said. “It’s the No. 1 fear I have.”
But, regarding the weather, the outlook doesn’t look promising, said Walt Fick, a range management specialist with K-State Research and Extension. Forecasters are calling for a dry, scorching summer.
“The May and June rainfall are pretty important for what this year’s production will be,” Fick said.
Sproul, who received the Kansas Leopold Conservation Award in 2015 for his faithful stewardship, said he prepares for drought in advance. He is flexible and adapts to what Mother Nature dishes out.
“It is all about a savings account versus a checking account,” he said, later adding, “I’m burning up my savings account right now because it is dry.”
Drought plan
Sproul and his wife, Peggy, closely monitor their prairie’s productivity.
Their management style is cognizant of the larger ecosystem that surrounds the operation.
“The most important thing to me is to be a citizen of the community—community-based conservation,” he said.
To keep that mindset, Sproul has a fluid drought plan for his operation—a practice that Fick supports.
“We’d like to think people have a plan in mind if such things like drought happen,” Fick said. “It’s better to have a proactive plan rather than reacting when it happens.”
For instance, producers should define their operation and know their risks. Through a plan and monitoring their grass production, ranchers can identify when key decisions should be made on the operation.
Preparing for lean years
About 75 percent of the Sproul family’s operation is custom grazing.
They double stock yearlings across three ranches, two of which they lease. They also have their own livestock, which includes a cow/calf operation.
Cattle typically go to pasture around April 20 and graze 90 days. Pastures rest the remainder of the year.
As part of the drought plan, Sproul has a grass reserve he doesn’t use unless he needs it. He also stocks moderately, at 3.2 acres per yearling.
“I think the key to drought is flexibility,” he said. “You have to be able to move with it and watch the land and your savings account and reserve.”
For instance, when he began to send grazing contracts out in January, he knew he had to change his plans.
“I’m cautious about the weather, and I didn’t like the looks of it,” Sproul said.
Destocking ahead of time Sproul admits he has a capitalist attitude: the more cattle the more money.
“But that can’t be the main player. It is the health of the prairie.”
His drought plan involves destocking ahead of time when rain shuts off. While planning for the season this past winter, Sproul upped his stocking rates by 20 percent, to 3.8 acres a head.
By April, however, it was still cold and dry. He dusted off his plan again.
With the grass not growing in those conditions, he delayed spring turnout, pushing back customer cattle shipments to May 1. It gave pastures another 10 days of growth.
A two-week delay from the normal turnout date can result in a 10 to 20 percent increase in herbage production, according to the University of Nebraska.
But, as Sproul’s new target date neared and with no rain in sight, Sproul again adjusted customer cattle numbers.
“One customer was bringing 600 head,” he said. “But he couldn’t do that, he brought 540, which is a 10 percent reduction in cattle number for that customer for those pastures.
“I have this flexibility because I custom graze,” he added. “I don’t have to sell cattle. I can just tell the customers to back it down. I just give up margin money. However, a regular cow guy is going to have to knuckle down and sell.”
Cashing in the reserve
The past few years of timely rains have helped Sproul increase his pasture health and build up his grass reserves.
However, with the dry spring, he is cashing in. Cattle are grazing the 5 percent of his grassland that he sets aside each year for drought, plus a hay field that he would normally bale.
“That buys us another 15 days with a big group of steers,” he said.
Because of his drought plan and moderate stocking rates, Sproul won’t pull customers’ cattle off grass early. With this year’s May 1 stocking date, the cattle will graze the full 90 days, until July 25.
However, if this season does end up being dry, next year he will have to replenish the savings account, he said.
“This prairie is so resilient,” Sproul said. “You can be mean to it one year, but you have to remember next year to replenish it. You have to be religious about that.”
A possible scenario would be one yearling per 4.5 or 5 acres.
“If that means backing way down and getting less cattle, then that is what you do,” he said. “I have to build my savings account back up.
“It’s about keeping the prairie in healthy condition, even during drought,” he said. “And that might mean making adjustments the next year.”
For Sproul, after all, he isn’t just a rancher from Sedan, Kansas. He is a land steward.
“My only advice on a drought or grazing plan is to try to be conservative,” he said. “Try to be stewards of the land and understand what is best for the land.”
Amy Bickel can be reached at 620-860-9433 or abickel@hpj.com.
