Weather challenges hay production, cattle in Monroe County

A local farmer says the weather has affected crops, cattle, and hay production heading into winter.

MONROE COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Recent extreme weather, such as high temperatures and constant rainfall, has affected on our local farmers crops and animals.

Monroe County beef cattle, hay and sheep farmer Bill Waldrep tells 41NBC the recent rainy weather has affected his hay production.

“Over the last three weeks to a month, we just haven’t had those four days that we can count on to cut the hay, and it just loses its nutritional value every day we can’t cut it,” he said.

He says extreme heat can affect the cattle, such as leading to heat stress and a range of negative impact on their health, productivity and well-being. But is can also help.

“The heat is probably beneficial for hay production,” he said. “We have plenty of shade trees for them, so I don’t think it slows their production and growth down.”

He tells me it’s calving season for most farmers.

“It a little early,” he said. “We’ve had about 15 cows over the last three, four weeks. And they all seem to be handling it and doing well, and it’s probably because of the abundance of grass we have because of the rain.”

Specifically in Monroe County, he says prices play a part in the problems.

“In Monroe County, I’d say the biggest hindrance right now for raising cattle and hay production is the cost of equipment and property surrounding us and how those prices keep going up. Now if I was doing row crops, I’d say the biggest issue might not be the weather, it might be the fact that the commodity prices are the same thing they were getting in the 70s and 80s, and everything else is four times as much as they used to be, so that makes it tough.”

Waldrep says most farmers are starting to get back on track and are now preparing for the winter season.