It’s always good to have a plan ready for if things do stay dry. For some, the first step might be to offload a few stock, and it’s worth thinking through which groups you may be able to sell first. Obviously your core breeding stock are the most important to hold onto, but it might be a good time to sell some older cull cows/ewes, or perhaps some steers or wethers. Reducing stocking rates can act as a bit of a pressure valve to buy some time while feed is scarce.

For some, offloading stock won’t be a viable option, and in these cases you may need to prepare for supplementary feeding. Whichever way you go, the key is to make a decision early. Think through your options and come up with a plan now, so that you aren’t caught out if conditions do stay dry.

Grain is commonly used as a supplementary feed, and it’s a good option in many situations. From an animal health perspective, there are several things to keep in mind.

The biggest risk whenever you’re feeding grain is ruminal acidosis or “grain poisoning”. The rumen is full of millions of tiny microorganisms, which help digest the plant material which the animal eats. There are different types of these microscopic bugs – and the population of rumen microorganisms adapts to the type of feed the animal is eating.

For this reason, any change in feed should be made gradually. A sudden increase in grain in the diet can cause an overgrowth of certain bugs which produce acid – this acid can damage the rumen, and in severe cases can be absorbed into the blood stream leading to severe illness or death. In mild cases of grain poisoning affected animals may simply look lethargic or restless (much like a horse with colic), with some diarrhoea. In more advanced cases the animal may be unable to stand, can look bloated, and may have very obvious diarrhoea.

The most important strategy in preventing grain poisoning is to introduce grain slowly – ideally over a period of 2-3 weeks. This means initially feeding only a proportion of the final daily amount. Gradually increase, until the final daily amount is reached.

It’s also important to avoid sudden changes to the timing and amount of grain fed. I’ve seen cases of grain poisoning when a couple of days of bad weather meant grain feeding was stopped then re-started. For these animals, the sudden removal then reintroduction was what caused the problem. Also consider the total proportion of grain in the diet.  Grain should never comprise 100% of the diet – there should be a minimum of 20% roughage (e.g. hay) in the diet. Some grains have a higher acidosis risk than others. Other supplementary feeds (like cotton seed, lupins, or dried distillers grain) have a much lower acidosis risk compared with cereal grains.