Farm & Ranch
The invention that changed the West
By Jessica Bartel, editor
There are many collectors in the world who value such items as marbles, stamps, coins, baseball cards, trinkets, even shoes. Each separate item holds a numerical value as well as value to the collector. But, what if the piece were an historical item? Something that there was little recognition of and to find an example would be so rare and would mean you are a master collector? State, national and international clubs have developed over the years for collectors of barbed wire and barbed wire tools. Some may be surprised, but hunting precious, dated and sometimes never-before-found pieces of barbed wire can become an enchanting adventure.
Avid barbed wire collector and current president of the International Barb Wire Collectors Association, Bill Marquis has collected barbed wire for more than 50 years. Marquis began collecting the wire at age 15. Since then he has written a tool fencing book and assisted in other publications. There are many subjects associated with the domestication of the Wild West. Those things include the infamous Colt 45 and windmills, but perhaps barbed wire had the most altering and lasting affect.
With more than 11,000 different types of barbed wire, there are less than 400 patents with variations to each. To read more pick up the September 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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