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'It's not there to be bought': Hay shortage leaves ranchers worried

With rainfall totals drastically lowered through May and June, some cattle farmers are reporting a hay shortage.

CENTRAL TEXAS — Central Texas ranchers are struggling this season to feed their cattle with homegrown hay. High temperatures and drought conditions are causing a hay shortage on ranches throughout the area.

Ranchers thrive off May and June for the rain to grow enough hay to go into the dry season and feed their cattle. Rainfall totals are way down this year relative to last year -- just above four inches in June of 2017, and this year there was all but six-tenths of an inch.

Ranchers tell KVUE this makes business difficult.

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Hay shortage leaves Texas ranchers scrambling for cattle feed

"They kind of warned us that we were gonna have this dry, dry period in here. But they didn't predict it would be an extended one necessarily," said Larry Mellenbruch, co-owner of Lazy Two Cattle Company. "We could turn off and not see another one for several more months, but I'm hoping this is a break in the weather."

According to The United States Department of Agriculture, ranchers paid $45 per bale of hay this time last year. On average this year, they are paying $55 per bale.

"The serious ranchers will be buying their hay this time of the year because they know how much they're gonna need in the wintertime, and they're out there now trying to buy hay and it's not there to be bought," said Mellenbruch.

Mellenbruch's farm usually produces 2,000 bales by Christmas, but they haven't even reached half of that this year.

He remains hopeful that the rain can take a turn for the better and hopes that he and all ranchers in the area can reach their hay bale goal.

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