Farm & Ranch
Stocking Rate: Should I be that concerned? Volume 1
By contributing writer Tony Dean
There are a lot of factors in the ranching business you can’t control, like the weather. But of all the decisions you can control, stocking rate is one of the most critical. The decision of how many acres to allow for each grazing animal affects almost every aspect of the business, both long term and short term. For many producers, stocking rate is a very difficult subject to discuss and do something about. But it’s an important decision because your grass is the foundation of your ranching business. So yes, you should be concerned.
What is the reasoning behind a correct or incorrect stocking rate?
The basic concept of a correct stocking rate has to do with how grasses grow. Most of our grazing on Texas rangelands is from summer perennial grasses. The leaves produced each summer by these grasses, such as Sideoats grama, are the “food factory” that keeps the grass alive and healthy. The leaves must not only produce energy for summer growth, but also for seed production, root development, and storage of energy in the root and crown of the plant. A correct stocking rate will allow a level of grazing that will leave enough of the leaves on the grasses so the plants can maintain themselves.
An incorrect stocking rate, or one that is too heavy or not managed correctly, can result in excessive grazing use on rangeland plants to the point that the plants cannot maintain themselves. To read more pick up the May 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
Farm & Ranch
Managing Show Cattle Through The Winter
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Double M Ranch & Rescue
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Acorn Toxicity
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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