Houston drought conditions worsen, livestock owners worried about animals
HUMBLE, Texas - Sixty-nine percent of Texas is in a drought and it's already wreaking havoc on livestock and crops throughout the state of Texas.
"It's gonna get real expensive," said Darolyn Butler.
Butler has owned Cypress Trails Ranch Horseback riding in Humble for nearly 50 years. She says she can only recall two other times more than a decade ago, that a drought hit as hard as the one we're in right now.
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"2011 and 2012 it was the worst I've seen, we had 18 months with no rain and this is what it's reminding me of, and I'm like please don't do it again," she said.
Not only does she have to worry about keeping the 80 horses on her property cool in the extreme heat, but now she has to worry about keeping their food supply stocked as well.
"With the drought, I don't know if my hay producer is going to be able to produce enough hay for me," Butler explained.
Her supplier, "Hay Girl" on Facebook, is based in Waller, Texas. The owner sent FOX 26 images of dried-up hay fields and says she's been having to bring in hay from outside the state just to keep up with her orders, which ultimately puts a higher price tag on those bales of hay.
"Right now, I'm paying almost $1,000 a week for hay to feed the horses that are here. My hay will go up in the range of $200 to $500 a week," she said.
She also shared that this drought puts the grain she feeds her horses at risk as well.
"It's a custom grain made of oats, grain, and barley, and all of those crops are going to be impacted," said Butler
Between the feed issues and the dried-out vegetation surrounding her ranch, Butler is hoping this drought comes to an end before more damage is done.