While water plays a central role on any farm, it can also serve as a serious burden when it comes too often, or too heavily. Handling the rainy season on your farm means anticipating the issues that will arise and preparing accordingly.
Livestock diseases
Pathogens and parasites love wet conditions, as do ticks and worms. Dewormers and mite and tick sprays can be applied to your livestock in order to protect them from these pests. Hoof and foot conditions become more common, especially if the floor or bedding of the animal is allowed to get or remain wet. Goats and chickens are especially susceptible to this. It may be necessary to provide foot baths for your animals, trays that can be filled with soap and anti-footrot chemicals in order to remove manure, soil, and other contaminants from the animal’s feet.
Ticks
Ticks are actually arachnids rather than insects, related closely to spiders. As a parasitic creature, ticks of all types survive solely on blood. Most tick species can go over a year without eating, only pausing for three ‘blood meals’ throughout their lifespan. Brown dog ticks, American dog ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, lone star ticks, blacklegged ticks, Rocky Mountain wood ticks, and more are all some of the kinds of ticks you can find in America. It’s well-known that ticks can cause Lyme disease in humans -- this disease can also be passed on to horses. Horses with lyme disease suffer from many of the same symptoms as humans, including lethargy, joint pain, fever, and general stiffness.
Certain parts of the U.S. will be subject to different ticks, and therefore different tick-borne diseases. Many cows may be at risk of a bacterial disease called Anaplasmosis, or Texas cattle fever, a parasitic disease.
Ticks are much more likely to cause issues for your livestock in the rainy seasons, when grass is saturated, and the ticks need to leave the wet ground. They hop onto unsuspecting animals' legs and settle in for a long, happy meal. This can be prevented by keeping grasses and brush short, removing leafy debris, and preventing livestock from wandering into wooded or areas with tall grasses.
Feed, hay and grazing
Feed or hay that is allowed to get moist is in serious danger of rot or mold. A study done by the University of Utah states that even less than an inch of rain can cause up to a 10% loss of hay yields. Carbohydrates, protein, and minerals are all stripped as hay is beat down upon by rain. Mold that grows within feed can allow bacteria to move into your animals, causing diseases like colic. Minerals are also easily lost within animal feed when moisture infiltrates the grains.
Consider where you store your hay, is it in a dry place, separate from any other buildings? Hay is highly flammable, and the resulting fire can generate enough heat to combust. It’s best to store hay far from other buildings, especially where people or animals live. Ventilation and dryness are key in storing hay. Hay should never be stored directly on the floor, as air needs to circulate underneath the bales, preventing moisture. Even concrete sweats during some months. Pallets are a great solution for this. When stacking hay, it’s important to alternate their direction and orientation in order to allow more air to pass through the material. If done correctly, this is also a very stable way of stacking the bales and is easily covered by a rain cover. Large round bales can be stored with the flat sides facing each other, as though stacking barrels. Be sure that they are stable, and that bottom layers are larger than the top, to create a solid base. Oftentimes, a pyramid-like structure is best.
More rain means more and greener grass. While this grass is pretty, alluring to livestock, and widely available, it's very low in fiber and nutrients while being high in water content. Animals that gorge themselves on freshly watered grasses will get full long before they get the nutrients they need to thrive. Allow grass to dry or dry it yourself before offering it to livestock. Eating green grass also presents the risk of ‘green grass tetany,’ which results from an excessive intake of potassium. Symptoms include loss of coordination, staggering, or laying down on the cow’s side. Lush, freshly watered grass is full of nutrients, including potassium. This can be avoided by adjusting how much magnesium you provide your cattle and watching how much lush grass they consume.
