One of the worst periods of prolonged drought in Oklahoma state history is easing after nearly a year.

The state experienced its hottest summer yet, and 69 percent of the state still was in exceptional drought at the end of summer, but thanks to November rains, only 10 percent of the state is in exceptional drought, said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

The worst may be over, but 85 percent of the state still remains in drought to some degree, compared to three percent at this time last year, McManus said.

Now, farmers are dealing with the repercussions of the drought.

“I couldn’t even get a cutting of hay off the fields this fall,” said Brad Burnett, owner of Ivy Acres Farm, which provides cage-free eggs to OU. “We let it grow in the summer and cut usually in September, and that lasts for the whole year, but nothing grew.”

Burnett and other area farmers are having to find their hay, the main food source for their livestock during the winter, from Nebraska and Iowa at much higher prices, he said.

To cope with the heat and dry conditions this summer, Burnett said he had to use a lot of creativity to keep his chickens cool. He rigged misters in his barn to spray the chickens and even resorted to hosing down the ground.

“Obviously, you have to get them in the shade, but they would come back in the barn, and it can still get to 110 degrees with no rain in a month,” Burnett said. “We would mist them down a couple times a day and do whatever we could to keep them cool.”

Chickens conserve energy when it is this hot out, which includes decreasing their egg output, he said. Luckily, because it was summer, OU did not need as many eggs as usual.

Burnett’s story is not unique, said Chris Kirby, who works with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry.

Kirby works with the Farm to School program, which buys food from local farmers for schools. Most of the farmers she works with experienced problems similar to Burnett’s.

The eastern half of the state is expected to recover from drought conditions throughout the winter, but the western half might get worse, McManus said.

Winter is a time of low water demand because there is no vegetation, but it also is a very dry period, which could make the drought worse in areas, according to a press release.

Burnett, whose farm is in central Oklahoma, said he is starting to see some of his dried-up ponds coming back and is thinking his grass will be OK by spring.

“Nothing in the past has been close to this,” Burnett said. “I don’t even remember it not raining and being that hot for that long. It was scary because we really didn’t know if we would survive. Hopefully, that’s a one-time deal.”

AT A GLANCE: 2011 Oklahoma drought

November 2010 Drought condition percentages (numbers have been rounded)

Exceptional: 0 percent

Extreme or worse: 0 percent

Severe or worse: 0 percent

Moderate or worse: 3 percent

Abnormally dry or worse: 53 percent

Nov. 2011

Exceptional: 10 percent

Extreme or worse: 40 percent

Severe or worse: 60 percent

Moderate or worse: 86 percent

Abnormally dry or worse: 93 percent

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

INFOBOX:

Drought conditions explained

Abnormally dry: Short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or pastures.

Moderate: Some damage to crops, pastures; streams, reservoirs. Wells can become low. There can be some water shortages developing or imminent. A voluntary water-use restrictions are requested.

Severe: Crop or pastures losses are likely. Water shortages are common. Water restrictions are imposed.

Extreme: There are major crop and pasture losses. Widespread water shortages or restrictions.

Exceptional: Exceptional and widespread crop and pasture losses. There are shortages of water in reservoirs, streams and wells creating water emergencies.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitors