Due to the dry conditions, farmer Garry Henry is having to dip into his winter cattle supplies early this year.) - Garry Henry‘s blood runs deep as an Alabama farmer. His family has farmed land in Hope Hull for more than a century, and Henry has even passed on the family trade to his son.Typically this time of year, Henry has plenty of food for his cattle during the winter months.
“We‘re going to have to start feeding earlier, we may be in a position where we’re going to have to purchase hay or find other forages for the cows to eat on,” he explained. If the drought continues for another couple weeks, Henry is going to have to irrigate his property by himself, which creates another financial strain. He irrigated his property in a similar situation around a decade ago, and hundreds of deer ended up eating his supply as it was the only source of food around.
Right now, Henry‘s forage production is less than half of what it normally is, but he‘s thankful the drought didn’t happen during peak forage growing season in the summer. He reminds other cattle farmers struggling with the drought to pay close attention to their cattle’s conditions and make sure to supplement their diet before the tough winter months.Alabama leaders to hold community-centered discussions in Montgomery