Dry times

Managing your land and stock during dry times

In dry times it is important to make risk management decisions early. Below are some useful links, tools and resources that you might need, to make the necessary management and financial decisions on farm, and most importantly to look after your mental health in tough times.

Dry times, livestock and farm finance

This series of fact sheets is for farmers to manage livestock and farm finances in dry seasons. They were produced by Primary Industries and Regions SA and the Department for Environment and Water with the support of MacKillop Farm Management Group and SheepConnect SA.

Other publications

These publications can assist you with decision making and management during dry times.

Cattle

Crops

Sheep

Soil management

Shelter

Horses

Tools and calculators

Tools and calculatorsThese tools and calculators can help determine and predict feed demand and budgeting, stocking rates, livestock condition scoring, climate impacts, pasture growth rates, weather and climate forecasts.

Confinement feeding videos

These videos, developed by Birchip Cropping Group, provide guidance on establishing and managing confinement feeding. The case studies were produced by Agriculture Victoria on farms which have established confinement feeding lots.

Support services

Industry links - Livestock and crop management

Dry times

The Drought Resilience Podcast

Listen to honest accounts of the drought from farming families in Orroroo, Eudunda and Keyneton. The Drought Resilience Podcast, produced in partnership with Talking Livestock and Voice it, features four South Australian sheep producers who have battled consecutive years of drought. Each interview reveals how they navigated their businesses and families through the financial and mental hardships, including practical coping strategies such as containment feeding. The Drought Resilience Podcast is supported by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and National Landcare Program.