THE widespread drought is not only impacting the region’s stoic farmers, but also children who are seeing first-hand just how tough life has become.
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Currently, 100 per cent of the state has been declared in drought and farmers have been hand-feeding stock for months on end.
Oberon siblings Kody, 12, Charlie, 5, Jock, 8, and Rhys Robinson, 10, live on a cattle property and they sat down with Fairfax Media to talk about how the drought had changed their lives.
Ryhs said it was quite easy to explain to people what a drought meant to farmers.
“It’s where all the farmers out west and all that have got no stock and no water and can’t feed any of their cattle,” he said.
His younger brother Kody helped with the explanation.
“There’s no water in sight, there’s no rain, it’s all just wind and dust and there’s hardly any feed left,” he said.
The siblings all agree that a drought means a very tough time for farmers.
“We’ve only got one paddock with grass,” Jock said.
While Kody said: “There’s hardly any water left in the dams. It’s green but there’s no feed”.
Charlie said it took a long time to feed the cattle and that he and his siblings help their parents to do the feeding.
“We have to give them bales of hay,” he said.
While Kody said that Charlie “sits in the tractor”.
The brothers said that the community could help out farmers who were doing it tough.
“Donate hay and money and feed for the farmers,” Kody said.
Rhys said: “Donate to Buy a Bale”.