Drought Effects on Livestock
Animal agriculture accounts for some 52,000 jobs in Arkansas and when value added is tallied, is an industry worth about $2.8 billion to Arkansas' economy. When drought hits, Arkansas' cattle industry is hardest hit. Very few acres of pasture are irrigated, leaving forage supplies vulnerable to drought. Reach out to your county agent for specific advice in your area and visit our livestock resources below for more information.
Hobby and small flock information
Get all of our animal and forage resources.
Publications
One highly successful program to add drought resiliency to a ranching operation is the 300 Days Grazing initiative. Read more on our pastures page.
Arkansas Animal and Forages Resources
- Drought Management and Recovery for Livestock
- Water Issues in Drought
- Long-Term Hay Feeding
- Feeding Horses During Drought
- Example Feeding Programs
- Early Weaned Calves
- Nitrate Accumulation
- Nitrate Poisoning in Cattle
- Mycotoxins in Livestock Diets
- Hay-Herd Inventory Balance - SPREADSHEET