In the USA and specifically the ranches of Texas hydroponics is becoming an increasingly popular option for the production of livestock feed. This growth in popularity of hydroponic methods can be seen as a response to the current drought in the area and the result of dry spells on crop prices. It is through increased adoption however that the ranching community is now realising the benefits that hydroponics can deliver to their ranch and business more widely.
Within Texas ranchers have experienced a significant increase in the costs of hay as livestock feed due to the dryer conditions. Such dry conditions mean that livestock breeders are forced to import their feeds, which works out far more expensive due to the costs of fuel.
Hydroponics however provides a solution because it uses relatively small amounts of water, ideal in times of drought and can be grown in a greenhouse, which leads to faster harvesting. In fact the speed of production is one of the key attributes of hydroponics in livestock farming with estimates for a harvest ready crop of feed ranging between seven to ten days, whatever the weather.
As well as being cost effective and a rapid form of growth, the controlled nature of hydroponic production helps farmers to create highly nutritious feed, ranging from oats and wheat to barley and corn.
The advantages of hydroponics are now becoming clear not only in agriculture but also in the raising of livestock. Not only can a hydroponic solution be more cost effective than importing feed but through delivering value, increased nutrition and more efficient use of land, it can help ranches and livestock farms more widely respond to climatic and financial pressures now and in the future. With ranchers facing pressures from urbanisation and a huge range of factors the flexibility that hydroponics provides can help to make ranching businesses more secure and responsive to the factors affecting livestock farming. In specific reference to land, because hydroponics utilises little real estate, ranches can become less dependent upon leased land, helping to increase robustness for their business.
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