Working Ranch Magazine Summer 2025

Despite

Strategies to thrive during those extra dry years.

Drought the

complete mineral with Rumensin®, prebiotics, and probiotics, which give the ruminal bugs much-needed energy to digest poorer forage. These supplements help Runft’s animals stay healthy while maintaining appropriate body weight. He likes to wean calves when they are six months old after they have been on creep feed. “We keep a close eye on our animals,” Runft explains. “[We cull] older cows that only have another calf or two left in them, especially if their per formance slips. If they’re old or onery, we let them go in a hurry.” OVERESTIMATE WHAT YOU NEED Runft has also drilled additional water wells that run efficiently with solar panels. These new additions ensure cattle have fresh water during hot, dry summers. “If you’re going through a drought, and you think you have enough hay or silage put up for your cows, try to put up more for insur ance,” Runft advises. “We’ve utilized a lot more silage and we dang sure put up more hay than we have in the past. The best way for your balance sheet to look good and make your banker happy is to make sure you have enough feed

CODY CATTLE COMPANY

A

BY GILDA V. BRYANT

of necessity, Runft has learned to utilize several drought strategies for his fall and spring calving herds. He plants oats around March first, which he harvests and bales the first week of June. He feeds these bales to cattle after they finish rotational grazing on pastures, and corn and milo stalks. Runft has adjusted stocking rates so that a cow and calf graze on 12 acres instead of the usual six. Passionate about cattle, Runft provides min eral supplements year-round. During drought conditions, he feeds a

s we know, dryer weather patterns have led to severe droughts in the U.S. Ranchers unaccustomed to dry spells often fail to plan

for drought or stockpile feedstuffs or utilize savvy drought strategies including reducing herd size, adjust ing stocking rates, and fine-tuning mineral supplementation. Cody Runft and his family own the Cody Cattle Company, a Charolais seedstock operation, outside of Scandia in north central Kansas. Out

Rancher Cody Runft adjusted stocking rates during drought, allowing a cow and her calf to graze on 12 acres instead of six.

36 I SUMMER 2025 WORKING RANCH audited readers run 21 million head of beef cattle.