Blood Sugar Woes in the Middle of the Night?
By Johanna Hicks, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Family and Community Health Agent
If you have diabetes, you might have encountered the dreaded “dawn phenomenon.” If your blood sugar is higher when you wake up in the morning than when you went to bed, you may be experiencing this effect. Your body naturally releases certain hormones to stimulate the body prior to waking up (beginning around 4 a.m. in order to prepare for the day. These hormones cause blood sugar to rise and the cells to be slightly more insulin resistant, thus higher readings in the morning.
Having a snack that consists primarily of healthy fat and protein is best. According to Rebecca Dugas from Diabetes Daily, some examples include:
- Small handful of nuts
- Spoonful of nut butter
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Meat and cheese roll-up
- Hard-boiled egg
- Greek yogurt
- Handful of seeds (such as sunflower kernels)
Some people, usually those who are on insulin therapy, find that their blood sugars bottom out at night. The “Somogyi effect” may require a carby bedtime snack. The Somogyi effect (also called reactive hyperglycemia) is when a low blood sugar in the middle of the night (usually 2-3 a.m.) prompts the liver to release glucagon. Glucagon converts your sugar stores into glucose to counter the hypoglycemia. However, sometimes the liver pumps out too much and your sugars rise higher than they should in response.
If you’re seeing high blood sugar readings in the morning after a low blood sugar in the wee morning hours, try having a bedtime snack that has around 15-20 grams of carbs combined with some protein and/or fiber, such as:
- Cheese and crackers
- Peanut better on a slice of whole-wheat toast
- Cottage cheese with pineapple
- Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries
- Hard-boiled egg and a medium/small banana
- Whole wheat crackers with tuna
To reiterate the three bonus tips for everyone:
Exercise portion, carb, and calorie control. Know how much you need and understand what a serving size actually looks like.
Choose healthy snacks. Again, this requires you to know what’s right for you and your particular needs. Stay away from things that are pure sugar, contain high fructose corn syrup, or have more arbs in one serving that most people with diabetes should have in an entire day.
Eat mindfully. Focus on the food and avoid distractions.
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education workshop
If you are engaged to be married, seriously dating, or already married, this workshop is for you! Topics covered are: marriage expectations, communication, conflict resolution, money management, and goal setting. Put this date on your calendar and be sure to call our office to sign up. Registration is free and engaged couples will receive a certificate to present to the County clerk’s office to save $60 upon applying for a marriage license.
- When: Saturday, August 13
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Where: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, Hopkins County, 1200 West Houston St., Sulphur Springs
- Call: 903-885-3443 to sign up.
Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided. The certificate for engaged couples is good for an entire year, so even if you aren’t planning to marry until August 2023, the certificate is still viable.
Closing Thought
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County,
P.O. Box 518, 1200-B W. Houston St., Texas, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; at 903-885-3443 or [email protected]
July 27 Chamber Connection: Stew Sponsorships Letters Go Out Next Week; Vendors Market, Cook Team Apps Available
By Butch Burney, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO
Registration for the 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival, set for Oct. 22, is open.
To register, go online to the Chamber’s website at HopkinsChamber.org/stewcooks, email [email protected] or call 903-885-6515. The cost to enter is $100 per stew pot, with $150 coming from the sponsor to pay for ingredients.
This year, stew cooks can also pre-order a T-shirt with “Stew Cook” on the back for $15.
Register now to reserve your spot from last year.
We also are taking applications for our vendor market at the stew. Cost is $75 for Chamber members, $100 for nonmembers. Go to our website at HopkinsChamber.org or call Amanda at 903-885-6515 to register.
Our sponsorship letters will go out next week, so be looking for those!
Stewcomers Meeting
For those who are interested in cooking up a pot of stew for the Stew Festival, the Chamber will have a Stewcomers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11.
Participating in the meeting does not obligate you to cook in the Stew Fest, but it will give you information on the process, including recipes, timelines and what to expect. Email [email protected] for more information on the meeting.
Leadership Apps Available
Leadership Sulphur Springs is back for another year, and registration has begun.
Leadership Sulphur Springs is a community leadership development program sponsored by the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. The course was created in 1989 with the concept of offering leadership training and community involvement for emerging business and community leaders. It is a nine-month session, with meetings held once a month.
Applicants should have lived or worked in Hopkins County for at least a year, have demonstrated a concern for the community, possesses high standards of persona quality and integrity, willing to commit the time required for the program, have the endorsement of their employer to take the necessary time away from work.
To apply, go to the Chamber’s website at HopkinsChamber.org, email [email protected] or call 903-885-6515.
The cost is $500, usually paid by the applicant’s employer.
Breakfast Hours
Come get some breakfast treats during the Chamber’s next Business Before Hours, hosted by Nunez Roofing, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Chamber office.
Whether you’re a member of the Chamber or not, come on for one of the best networking events.
Jet Ski Championships
Four days of championship jet ski racing is coming to Sulphur Springs on Aug. 4-7 for the Jettribe Mid-America WaterX Championship. Racers from all over the USA, and even as far away as Australia and England, will battle it out to see who takes home the championship trophy.
Spectators can watch the race action for free from the shores of Lake Coleman. Just bring some shade and chairs. There will be food, ice cream, power sports merchants, and family games. Check out www.jettribe.com/sulphursprings for more information!
Free vendor space is available. Food registrations are full, but merchant and game vendors are welcome to apply. All registration requests must be made online: www.jettribe.com/vendors.
Crowds of 400-plus racers, their families, and local spectators are expected throughout the long weekend. Vendors can attend any day(s), you do not need to be present all four days. Pre-registration is required for a FREE 10 x 10 vendor booth space. There is a limit to one vendor per sales category, and space is limited to first-come, first-served basis.
Ribbon Cuttings
- We hope that you will join us for a ribbon cutting Monday, Aug. 1, at 9:15 a.m. for the CHRISTUS Mobile Athletic Training Room at Gerald Prim Stadium. There will be a ribbon cutting on Monday, with plans to do a tailgate before one of the Sulphur Springs Wildcat football home games.
- Lacy Shirley with Supreme Lending had a ribbon cutting at noon Friday, July 22, at the Chamber office. Please welcome Lacy to the business community.
- LegenDairy Heifer, an ice cream and refreshment truck, will have a ribbon cutting with its unique vehicle at the Chamber office at noon Friday, July 29. The public is invited to the event.
Business of the Week
Our Business of the Week for July 27 is Sulphur Springs Health and Rehab. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook to find out more about this outstanding business.
2 Women Arrested On 1 Controlled Substance Charge Each
Two women were arrested by deputies over the past 4 days on 1 controlled substance charge each, according to arrest reports.
Hillcrest Drive Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Wilkerson stopped a Dodge Ram pickup at 6:33 a.m. July 22, 2022, on South Hillcrest Drive south of Houston Street for a defective tail light and an expired registration. While talking with the driver, Wilkerson noticed a pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke marijuana containing burn marijuana in view in the truck.
He had Lesa Danielle Burns step out of the vehicle. A records check revealed the woman to be wanted on two local traffic warrants, so Wilkerson placed the 43-year-old Fruitvale woman into custody then conducted a probable cause search of the pickup. He reported finding items of drug paraphernalia and a small bag containing a crystal-like substance he believed based on his law enforcement training to be methamphetamine.
HCSO Sgt. Todd Evans soon arrived to assist Wilkerson by transporting Burns to jail at 6:39 a.m. The suspected contraband was taken as evidence and the woman’s vehicle impounded. The suspected methamphetamine weighed 0.054 gram, including packaging, and tested positive for meth. As a result, the woman was booked into the county jail at 8:01 a.m. Friday, on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance as well as the speeding and driving while license invalid warrants. A drug-free zone enhancement was added to the controlled substance charge due to the vehicle’s proximity to an elementary school (about 78 feet away).
Burns, who jail reports show is also known by Lisa Danielle Dick and Lesa Danielle Dick, was released from Hopkins County jail later July 22, 2022, on a $10,000 bond on the controlled substance charge. Fees owed on the traffic charges totaled $877.50, according to arrest reports.
West Shannon Road Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s office Deputies Drew Fisher and Isaac Foley reported stopping a Chevrolet Equinox at 3:02 a.m. Monday, July 25, 2022, in the 1600 block of West Shannon Road for a traffic violation.
While talking to deputies, the 22-year-old Dallas woman displayed signs of nervousness and deceptiveness, Fisher alleged in arrest reports. When the deputies advised the woman of her rights, she allegedly admitted to having methamphetamine in her vehicle. Deputies looked and reported finding a clear bag containing what amounted to be 0.564 grams of what appeared to be meth.
Amy June Snyder was taken into custody at 3:13 a.m. Monday and transported to Hopkins County jail, where she was booked in at 3:47 a.m. on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance charge and was also charged on a city no driver’s license offense.
Snyder was released from Hopkins County jail later July 25, 2022, on a $5,000 bond on the controlled substance charge, according to jail records.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Brashear Man Jailed On Deadly Conduct Charge
A 47-year-old Brashear man was jailed Monday, July 25, 2022, on a deadly conduct charge, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Deputy Dan Turrentine and Sgt. Richard Greer responded at 3:20 p.m. Monday to check on Donnie Massey. As they arrived on the property they heard what sounded like a gunshot from the shop area. A man holding a pistol then appeared in the shop doorway. When Sgt. Greer ordered the man to drop the pistol, he complied, dropping it to the shop floor.
Greer recognized the man as Donnie Massey, who about a minute later opened the shop door and walked outside empty-handed. Greer ordered the 47-year-old Brashear man to the ground, he kept walking toward the officers. When he continued advancing after being instructed several times to get on the ground, Greer deployed his Taser. Massey then dropped to the ground.
Turrentine put handcuffs on Donnie Eugene Massey Jr. and placed him into custody at 3:30 p.m. Deputy Kevin Lester then arrived and placed the man on the back seat of Turrentine’s patrol vehicle. Turrentine transported Massey to Hopkins County jail, where the Brashear man was booked in at 4:59 p.m. July 25, 2022, with deadly conduct-discharge of a firearm.
Massey remained in jail on the charge Tuesday, July 26, 2022, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Dekalb Man Reported For Wandering Around Rest Stop Exposing Self To Passing Motorists, Arrested On Warrants
Cumby Police arrested on warrants a Dekalb man reported for allegedly exposing himself to by-passers Monday afternoon, according to arrest reports.
Cumby Police Chief Jeff Hundley responded at the rest stop on the west side of Interstate 30 near mile marker 111 at 12:15 p.m. Monday, July 25, 2022, where he was told the man had been wandering around in black underwear, exposing himself to passersby.
Hundley reported finding Jonathan Wayne Dalby inside the outer men’s restroom on the north side of the main building. He reported the the 43-year-old Dekalb, Texas man was indeed clad only in black underwear. Dalby claimed he had spilled Dr Pepper on his clothing and took them off to change. He told the officer he hadn’t exposed himself intentionally to anyone, but has seizures from time to time and spilled the drink all over himself prior to the chief’s arrival, Hundley noted in arrest reports.
Hundley relayed to dispatchers Dalby’s ID information. A records check showed the Dekalb man to be wanted on two Dallas County warrants with full extradition applicable. He placed Dalby into custody and transported him to jail.
Dalby was booked into Hopkins County jail at 1 p.m. July 25, 2022, on two Dallas County warrants for possession of the Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. The offenses, according to arrest reports, occurred on July 19, 2022. He was held in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, July 26, 2022, for Dallas County on the warrants, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
TWC Receives $3.66 Million Award from U.S. Department of Labor for Apprenticeship Expansion
AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will add new apprenticeship opportunities with $3.66 million in grant funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The grant is the seventh consecutive award from DOL to support the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Texas.
“TWC continues our work expanding the availability of apprenticeship programs that benefit both employers and employees by combining upskilling with income-generating work,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “This additional expansion funding will support efforts to innovate and improve TWC’s apprenticeship program to better connect the Texas workforce with valuable opportunities.”
The funding will increase the number of apprentices by creating new and expanding existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Apprentices are full-time, paid employees who earn while they learn. Employers, local education agencies, local workforce development boards, and apprenticeship training committees seek funding for related classroom instruction for adults in registered apprenticeship training programs through TWC. Currently, there are 650 registered apprenticeship programs in Texas with 21,598 active participants.
“The earn while you learn model of apprenticeships provides job seekers with education by experts in their chosen field while obtaining wage increases as they master new skills,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “It’s a win-win since this model is also what many employers need to recruit, retain, and retool their workforce.”
The Apprenticeship Building America grants were awarded to only 30 recipients across the nation and will ensure access to quality apprenticeships by strengthening, modernizing, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeships programs.
“As the state of Texas continues to grow, employers have a burgeoning need for skilled workers in an array of career fields,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Registered apprenticeships provide our Texas employers with yet another option and are a win-win situation for the employer and apprentice, which addresses the growing needs of our Lone Star State.”
From 2016 through 2021, 65 new Registered Apprenticeship Training Programs have been developed, adding approximately 4,000 new registered apprentices in Texas, using DOL apprenticeship expansion funding. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.ApprenticeshipTexas.com. TWCs Apprenticeship Texas Conference is September 22-23, 2022.
Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers, and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and its services in coordination with its local workforce development boards network, call 512-463-8942 or visit https://twc.texas.gov/. Subscribe to email updates to receive notifications about TWC programs and services.
Ribbon Cutting Slated Aug. 1 At Prim Stadium For CHRISTUS Mobile Athletic Training Room
Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic Open, Offering High Risk Maternity Care in Sulphur Springs
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
[email protected]
Please Join Us for a Ribbon Cutting
Please join the CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute along with CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs at Gerald Prim Football Stadium for a ribbon cutting of the CHRISTUS Mobile Athletic Training Room (M.A.T.R) made possible through the Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation and a generous donation from Alliance Bank! The ribbon cutting will be on Monday, August 1st, at 9:15am at Gerald Prim Stadium, 1200 Connally St, Sulphur Springs. We hope to see you there! Look for an invite soon for a M.A.T.R tour and tail gate to be held before one of the SS Wildcat Football home games this August.
Maternal Fetal Medicine
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic has opened their Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic in Sulphur Springs.
OBGYN Physician Dr. Martin Fielder says: “Having high risk maternity care here in Sulphur Springs means our pregnant patients with the most risks won’t have to leave the county to receive specialist care. Leveraging our extensive experience with telemedicine, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic can now offer access to the Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists in Tyler, Texas to our patients in the Sulphur Springs service area. They will utilize the latest technology 3D/4D ultrasound machine generously gifted by our Hopkins County Health Care Foundation to evaluate and care for our high risk mothers.”
High risk pregnancies include things such as those that involved a mother with a complicated disease process such as diabetes, heart condition, or who has experienced recurrent pregnancy loss. There are those that involve an unborn baby or babies with a difficult diagnosis such as congenital heart disease or a genetic condition, or those where both mother and baby are affected with complex conditions. Our CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic providers will work to get those patients the care they need.
Women’s Health
We are prepared to support each woman’s healthcare needs at any stage of life. Whether you come in for a routine gynecological exam, preparing to give birth, or need treatment for a disorder, we offer many services and treatments. Our provider team includes Darryl Doughtie, MD; Martin Fielder, MD; and Certified Nurse Midwife Deb Logan. To schedule an appointment, please contact their office at 903.439.4917.
The Birthing Center
At CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital Sulphur Springs, we want to be there to help celebrate one of life’s special milestones: the birth of your baby. We created the Birthing Center with your family in mind. Our friendly and experienced physicians, midwife, and nurses are ready to provide the care you need before your delivery, during your stay and after your baby is born.
- Level II NICU (32 weeks and greater) with
- Dedicated physicians and local pediatricians ready to care for your newborn
- Level II Maternal designation
Before your delivery: Free Virtual Childbirth and breastfeeding classes are held monthly. You may also schedule a tour of our Women’s Birthing Center. For more information on classes and tours, please call 903.439.4091.
During your stay: CHRISTUS has LDRP rooms for one room throughout your stay. Our goal is to make you feel the comfort of home during your labor and delivery experience with an “at home” experience. We offer different pain options for labor including Nitrous Oxide, and have new state-of-the-art Birthing Beds.
After the baby is born: We have a special meal planned just for mom, and a gift for your little bundle. We also have a Mom’s support group! Call or text Kristi Couch for more information at 903.348.4767 or find us on Facebook: Breastfeeding is Best Support-BIBS. You do not have to breastfeed to join, all moms are welcome!
Need a COVID Booster?
Net Health is offering Adult and Pediatric vaccines and boosters this week at 100 Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. You may walk in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily (July 25-29). No appointment is necessary. They will continue to provide this clinic every four weeks as listed: July 25-29, August 22 – 26, September 19 – 23, and October 17 – 21.
CHRISTUS On Demand Care
CHRISTUS Health has expanded access to health care across ministries in Texas and Louisiana with the launch of CHRISTUS On Demand Care. These virtual visits allow patients to meet with a CHRISTUS Health caregiver through live video from their smartphone, tablet or computer for their urgent care needs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday, and even holidays. This service compliments scheduled virtual visits that are already in high demand and available to new and existing patients.
Built specifically for a consumer’s health care needs in mind, CHRISTUS On Demand Care providers can treat anything from allergies to rashes to even the flu, all from the comfort of a location and a time that’s convenient for the user. The virtual visit allows someone to be placed in a queue and to be seen by the first available CHRISTUS board-certified provider. If further testing like blood work or consultations is necessary, CHRISTUS On Demand Care can also help facilitate referrals and provide other helpful instructions.
There is no additional cost associated with a CHRISTUS On Demand Care visit. Nearly all major medical insurances cover these visits. Depending on the insurance plan, one might have a co-pay, but just like seeing a provider in a traditional office setting. Medicare and Medicaid also currently cover virtual visits like CHRISTUS On Demand.
To schedule CHRISTUS On Demand Care visit christushealth.org/virtual-medicine or go to your MyCHRISTUS account (formerly known as “MyChart”) and click on virtual visit or On Demand Care. Look for the launch of our MyCHRISTUS app, coming soon!
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report — July 18-24, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week of July 18-24, 2022, included:
Arrests
- David Jeffus, 22 years of age, of Frankston was arrested on July 19, 2022, for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.
- Payne, Shannon, 47 years of age, of Mt. Pleasant was arrested on July 20, 2022, for failure to identify, duty on striking a fixture or highway landscape valued at $200 and evading Arrest.
- Cole Weems, 45 years of age, of Winnsboro was arrested on July 22, 2022, for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance.
Calls for Service
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 112 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
- The Winnsboro Police Department issued 15 citations and 29 warnings during this reporting period.
Building Resiliency in Historic Cemeteries
Texas Historical Commission invites all with an interest to participate in the sixth and final webinar in the Cemetery Disaster Training series— Building Resiliency in Historic Cemeteries. This series trains stewards of historic cemeteries to better prepare for and respond to disasters.
A resilient historic cemetery has the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruptions—including those brought on by natural disasters.
The upcoming webinar will focus on the key components for building a resilient cemetery. Learn how to set attainable goals in the areas of preservation maintenance, safety, community involvement, and funding support to ensure historic cemeteries can endure whatever challenges they might face.
This webinar will be held on Zoom, Thursday, August 4, at noon. Participation is free, but you must sign-up to receive the Zoom link. Click here to REGISTER.
This project is made possible by a grant from the National Park Service’s Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund to address the consequences of Hurricane Harvey on historic properties in Texas.
Cemetery Disaster Training Resources
The first five webinars in the Cemetery Disaster Training series addressed fundamental actions cemetery stewards can take prior to disaster striking, as well as steps to take immediately after an event. Click here to view previously recorded webinars.
This project is made possible by a grant from the National Park Service’s Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund to address the consequences of Hurricane Harvey on historic properties in Texas.
Drought Will Always Be Part of Risk With Forage Production, Livestock and Production Systems
Strategies To Help Mitigate Effects Of Drought Events
By Dr. Mario A. Villarino, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hopkins County, [email protected]
Knowing how to cope with unexpected reality is always hard. This is what by definition is a stressful situation. We all know it: is hot and is dry out there! According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, even when the production system is irrigated, drought will always be part of the risk associated with forage production, and by extension, livestock production.
One immediate, and dramatic, strategy that can mitigate the negative effects of future drought events is to adjust the stocking rate of the cow herd to 75% of what could be maintained based on long-term precipitation and forage production records. This stocking rate should be based on several years’ observations of the quantity of forage produced under typical management strategies.
There are many ways to arrive at this figure, but working backwards from full stocking is the easiest strategy. Also, do not forget how cow size has changed over the years. If your ranch ran 100 cows 25 years ago, and the average cow size was 900 to 1,000 pounds, and your current average cow size is 1,250 to 1,300 pounds, then you are going to have to cut more than 25 cows to arrive at a 75% stocking rate. When stocked at 75%, livestock producers will usually not be overstocked during most drought years. This prevents having to purchase feed in an attempt to “feed your way out of a drought.” The 75% stocking rate will also reduce the need to sell cows at a time when many others are being sold.
During years of good forage production, stocker calves may be used as flex grazers to utilize excess forage. Calves may come from the producer’s own herd or may be purchased or grazed on a gain or per head per day basis. Excess forage in good years may also be harvested and sold as hay, or sold to local hay producers wishing to harvest more acres.
Forages should never be grazed “to the roots” under any circumstance; removal of most or all green leaves deprives the plant of the ability to convert sunlight into carbohydrates (energy) vital to plant growth. Decreased carbohydrate production results in decreased root production, thus reducing the plant’s ability to obtain necessary water and nutrients from the soil. The relationship between leaves and roots is critical at all times, but especially during drought. Besides allowing the plant to carry out optimum photosynthetic activity, adequate green leaf residue also reduces soil moisture evaporation and allows for better infiltration of precipitation that is received. Pastures where there is little or no forage residue have low infiltration rates of precipitation and much of the moisture received will run off. For bermudagrass, a target residue height should probably be no less than 4 inches, other species will be different depending on their growth habit. Some of the tall grasses should not be grazed shorter than 8inches to 10 inches.
If you do not make your own hay, drought management hay should be purchase in non-drought years and properly stored. Properly stored hay will retain its nutritive value for years. Buying hay in drought years is a losing proposition. Typically, the price of hay is high and often you are forced to buy what you can get, and it can be low in nutritive value. To stretch limited hay supplies, use corn or other plant by-products as substitutes for hay. Forage, however, should generally comprise 50% of the diet. One pound of corn will replace about 2.25 pounds of hay or use 450 pounds of corn to substitute for a 1,000-pound round bale of hay. Be aware, however, that attempting to “feed your way out of a drought” can be very expensive. Don’t be afraid to sell the cattle!
Fertilizer is never inexpensive, and all fertilizer nutrients have increased in cost dramatically. Thus, the first inclination of livestock producers is to not fertilizer during drought. This is seldom a wise strategy. Maintaining the proper soil nutrient status helps forages tolerate and survive drought. While nitrogen is generally the most limiting factor to plant production behind moisture, phosphorus and potassium are critical for root development, water use relations, and overall plant vigor. Thus, a well-balanced fertility program can help plants survive drought better than plants that are nutrient stressed and recover more rapidly after the drought has ended.
If fertilizer has already been applied, but there has been no significant precipitation, the fertilizer is still in the upper soil profile. With the exception of urea as a nitrogen source, which is subject to volatilization loss as ammonia gas to the atmosphere under certain conditions, the fertilizer investment in the pasture program will not have been wasted. When precipitation does occur, the plant will re-initiate growth and plant uptake of the fertilizer nutrients will take place. If fertilizer has not been applied, the tendency of many producers is to take a “wait and see” attitude regarding a break in the prevailing dry weather pattern. This strategy reduces financial risk but may result in missing the first good precipitation event.
Pay attention to weather forecasts and if it appears that the pattern may change and offer a higher potential for precipitation, make every attempt to get the fertilizer in the field before that first rain. The following key points should be remembered regarding preparation for the next, and inevitable, drought event. Realize that drought will always be part of the risk associated with forage and livestock production; no one is immune. For commercial livestock producers, attempting to feed their way out of a drought is usually not economically viable and careful consideration should be given as to whether or not this strategy should be attempted. The cow herd should be stocked for 75% of what the forage resource can produce based on long- term records. Well-fertilized forages tolerate drought and recover from drought better than poorly fertilized forages. It is generally better to have fertilizer in the field waiting on a precipitation event, than to withhold fertilizer until “times get better.” Do not be afraid to sell cows. Cull deeply before the drought becomes too severe. Drink plenty of liquids and remember to take “breaks” inside under air conditioning often. Take care of yourself.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
