Page 37 of Ashes of the Past
If we don’t get rain soon, this is going to be a problem.
“What’s John’s normal protocol for a drought? We can move the cattle to the shadier spot, but there’s more that needs to be done.”
“First thing, we gotta keep ’em from overgrazing what little grass is left. Once they eat it down to the dirt, it won’t come back even if we do get rain.”
“Probably a couple of days for each section?”
“Depends on what’s there, but I’d say no more than three or four days in one spot. And we’ll need to check water every day, too. Some of these tanks are gettin’ shallow, and if they dry up or get fouled, we’re in trouble.”
“We’ll have to haul water if it comes to that. Got enough tanks on the trailers to make it work?”
“Yeah, we can rig up the big ones if we have to, but it’s a pain. I’d rather start culling before we get to that point.”
“Culling? You think it’s that bad already? It’s only been a week.”
“Not yet, but we gotta have a plan in place. We don’t know how long this will last, either. We had a four-week drought when I first started at the ranch. John’s dad was the only rancher in the area who didn’t lose a lot because he prepared immediately for the worst. He had a plan in place from the beginning, and each week that we went without rain, other things would fall in.”
“That’s smart. We can start with the older cows and any that aren’t breedin’. No sense wastin’ feed and water on animals that aren’t pulling their weight.” I say.
“Makes sense.”
“What about supplementing? We got enough hay stored up to keep ’em going?”
“Not for long. Prices are through the roof right now, and even if we could afford it, there ain’t much to buy. We might need to start feeding cubes or protein tubs to stretch what we’ve got.”
“Cubes’ll help, but they won’t fix the water problem. You think we need to start drilling?”
“Could be worth it, but that’s a big expense, and no guarantees we’ll hit water. We’d have to talk to John about that one.”
“I’ll go into town later today and get some cubes and tubes on order. I’ll see about more hay, too. I want to make sure we’re ahead of everything.”
“One way or another, we gotta keep these cattle alive and in decent shape. Ain’t no point in lettin’ ’em suffer or lose value.”
“All right, we’ll start rotating the pastures immediately. I’ll check the tanks and see which ones might need hauling. You make a list of cows we can cull if it comes to that. And I’ll go into Marley’s Feed Store, but I’ll also call around, see if we can lock in some hay or cubes before the prices climb even higher.”
“Got it. And if we don’t see rain in the next week or two, we’ll need to revisit this plan and tighten things up even more.”
I sigh as I look out at the dry field. “Yeah. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
By the time we reach the yard, the sun is climbing higher, and I can already feel the sweat sticking to my back. The smell of coffee and bacon greets us as we dismount and tie the horses to the post.
Inside, Brynn is in the kitchen, her back to us as she wipes down the counter. She turns when she hears us, her expression wary. Her face is tinged with worry, and she looks exhausted.
“I was just about to clean everything up,” she says, her voice clipped.
“We’ll take care of it,” I tell her, pulling off my hat and hanging it on the rack behind the door. “You’ve done enough.”
Her eyes narrow, and I can see the fight brewing. “I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”
“Brynn,” I say, my tone firm, “we can do it.”
“I’m not…” she says quickly.
Why is this woman always looking for a fight with me?
“Don’t you have to get Olivia to school? Or open your shop? We’re all grown men here. We can clean up a kitchen properly.”
She crosses her arms, her gaze sharp. “I know what I need to do. There’s a strict time for meals around here because of it. It’s on you if you can’t make it in time for that. I won’t allow someone to mess up my day because they don’t value my time.”
