AMES, Iowa – The extreme drought conditions that have affected cattle on pasture are still lingering across the Midwest and the Appalachians, with Ohio receiving the brunt of it. Many farm families across the region are hauling water to sustain their livestock, according to U.S. agricultural officials.

“Ohio (has) by far the worst (drought) conditions for this time of year, over the last 15 years,” Dennis Todey, agricultural meteorologist and USDA Midwest Climate Hub director in Ames, Iowa, told Farm World. “Because of the longer-term drought issues in Ohio, that is not a surprise. Other states are likely not as bad, but still not great. I have not heard of widespread feed issues for cattle. But there certainly could be more local issues.

“Drought conditions are still pervasive across the area,” he added. “D3-D4 are still strongly entrenched in southeast Ohio and West Virginia.” (According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, D3 is extreme drought conditions with major crop and pasture losses, widespread water shortages, or restrictions. D4 is exceptional drought conditions with the most intense drought category).

He said, “A broad swath of D1 (moderate drought) - D2 (severe drought) covers a large band from Iowa to Ohio. Recent rains have improved drought conditions from Missouri to Wisconsin in the last couple weeks.”

Elizabeth Harsh, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association executive director, said the state’s historic drought and impact on families has been the association’s top priority this summer and fall.

“Even with a few rain showers, the impact will linger for quite a while,” she said. “We have had families hauling water since June and that creates such an economic impact. The thing we are most concerned about is folks marketing their cow herds and sending them to town because they are hauling water and don’t have the hay.”

She added, “We were very pleased that the USDA has provided emergency funding for haying and grazing for conservation acres. We just don’t know the long-term ramifications (of the drought). Grass was short and cows didn’t have the nutrition, and didn’t breed back,” adding, as a result, farmers are losing income.

John Chism, Kentucky Department of Agriculture director of animal marketing, said, “Extreme drought conditions in Kentucky have impacted the agriculture industry, with cattle producers among the hardest hit. With limited access to water, many farmers have been forced to haul water from distant municipal sources – sometimes miles away – to sustain their livestock.

“Pasture conditions across the state have deteriorated significantly, particularly in central Kentucky, where some counties have gone without measurable rainfall for several weeks,” he said. “The drought has not only led to reduced pasture quality but has also resulted in a below-average hay crop, leading producers to start the winter-feeding season much earlier than usual.”

He said these extreme conditions have prompted the USDA to issue a disaster designation for nearly 50 Kentucky counties, further underscoring the widespread and critical nature of the drought’s impact on Kentucky’s agricultural sector.

“The economic impact of these drought conditions will be felt for years,” he said. “Due to poor pasture growth and a shortage of quality forage, some females failed to breed, and many calves weaned at lower weights than normal. This reduced gate receipts in a year already marked by exceptionally high input costs.”

Todey said, “The pasture conditions are more limited right now because we are at the end of the growing season.”

When asked how the drought conditions are affecting Tennessee cattle on pasture and finding other water sources, Andrew P. Griffith, University of Tennessee professor of agricultural and resource economics, said, “There has been both a reduction in pasture production and available surface water because of the drought. Thus, there are a portion of producers who have been feeding hay earlier than normal, which is eating into hay stocks and increasing feeding costs.

“At the same time, several producers have had to haul water or supplement water sources to keep animals watered,” he said. “The other alternative has been moving cattle to locations where water was available. Again, all of these alternatives increase the cost of keeping cattle fed.

“I have only talked to a few producers specifically concerning this subject,” he added. “The main thought is that they are thankful for the (USDA Farm Service Agency) Livestock Forage Disaster Program that has helped offset some of the additional feeding costs they are incurring. One thing it has done on the production side is kept producers from retaining heifers to grow the beef cow herd.”

Brian Shuter, Indiana Beef Cattle Association executive vice president, said, “Most areas of Indiana did not really experience much of a serious drought during 2024, other than here in the fall; it has been really dry. There were some areas that were drier than others, but for the most part, it wasn’t too bad.

“Producers that are in the areas that have been dry have had to start feeding hay a little earlier as the fall regrowth we normally get was limited,” he said. “Hay supplies in most areas of the state seem plentiful, so hopefully we won’t have significant effects from the dry weather for those areas.

“Some producers have had to haul water to cows in areas where ponds or other features used for water have dried up,” he added. “I haven’t heard of too many people getting in too much of a bind to find water so far, though.”