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North Dakota’s relatively snow-free winter has helped reduce stress during calving season despite raising drought concerns, according to Monica Fitterer, NDSU Extension agent for Kidder County. “This year’s calving season has been pretty nice. We didn’t have a lot of storms,” said Fitterer. The state’s calving was 63% complete as of April 20, on par with the average, with 73% of cattle reported in good to excellent condition.
While early cold weather in February and March posed challenges, especially during periods of freezing rain when calves struggled to maintain body temperature, conditions were considerably better than recent winters with heavy spring snowfall. Fitterer advises ranchers to keep calves out of mud to prevent diseases like pneumonia and scours. She also recommends careful pasture management: “Not turning out too early… making sure we’re not overgrazing” to protect native grasses. With cattle prices near record levels, Fitterer notes that reducing herds may be less financially painful if drought conditions worsen this summer.
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