This year's drought and hot weather has destroyed hay crops, which is the main source of food for cattle in the fall and winter. Now the state is having to get creative to save the cattle and farms.
RALEIGH -- State leaders say the drought has created a massive problem for cattle ranchers across the state. The dry weather has destroyed hay crops, which is the main source of food for cattle in the fall and winter.
Now the state is having to get creative to save the cattle and farms. Even long time farmers say it doesn't get much worse than this.
"I've never seen it this dry, and I've been farming since 1963," said cattle farmer J.F. Lancaster. "We've had dry spells and crops suffered, but we'd usually get rain at some point and they overcome it."
Cows graze on grass in the spring and summer, but farmers must use bales of hay to feed the cattle in the fall and winter. The problem is the drought has wiped out hay crops across the state.
During the 2002 drought, the state needed 10,000 bales of hay. This year, that number is up to 800,000.
The drought has devastated corn and soybean crops, as well, so for the first time ever, the state is trying to use those dried up crops to make hay.
"It also gives a salvage value to some of these crops that are so badly damaged and hopefully we can create some additional commerce in North Carolina by salvaging these badly-damaged crops," said state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
The cows won't mind but they will need some extra help.
"On the corn stalks, they will need some additional help with protein supplements and energy compared to what you would do with normal hay," explained Matt Poore, an agriculture expert at N.C. State University.
It's unclear how much hay the drought-stricken crops can make, but at this point farmers are willing to try anything.
"Yes it'll work," Lancaster said. "It'll get us through. I mean it won't be the best, but as the saying goes in the cattle industry... better than a snowball."
If it doesn't work, as many as one-third of North Carolina's 25,000 cattle farmers could be forced to call it quits.
To make matters worse, hay supplies are low in neighboring states, as well, and farmers say it's too expensive to bring in hay from outside the region.