Hi BrianHWA
As a fellow PNW Wetsider the kick you in the pants decision on grass fed beef in the necessary “must feed hay annual cycles”.
Normally they are never taken into a thrid must feed hay - no growing grazing grass - winter. So . . . slaughtered out at ~18 months old.
This year NOT normal. Summer drought killed off all of the free grazing by mid-July forcing early feeding out of what should have been winter saved back hay. Self-made hay will be gone before next springs new grass. This will/would force buying out of eastside shipped-in hay. This forced unusual hay “supply and demand” cycle has already driven up hay prices 2X.
Smart now to herd reduce BEFORE this upcoming winter. Hay price/availability forcing premature herd reductions will short term depress beef-meat retail prices. Retail prices then spike up next year with less beef cows available coming to maturity.
Again. The only way to dampen cycles dependencies is to as much as possible step up-and-out, stand aside, and raise your own meats.
My free ranging chickens been loving this drought bug filled year and been self-forage feeding better than in the last three, too wet, no-summer years.
Ha! Just fine untill the drought wild rabbit reduction forced the coyotes to eating MY chicken too or starve. Four laying hens, one rooster, 5 half-growns ran down in one day and ate. Took me and .357 rifle six days early/late sitting to get the bullet points hammered into my brother coyotes that MY chicken meat was going to be too expensive for them to harvest.
Couple of neighbors complaining of missing cats now.
Rural life is always active and real-life intersting.
Regards
Steve Unruh