Farm & Ranch
Protecting cattle from parasites – The Horn Fly
By Jessica Crabtree and Dr. Jered Harlan
Standing water left behind by torrential spring rain poses as the ideal attraction for pests such as flies and mosquitoes. While mosquitoes offer us humans much misery, the true threat to our livestock is horn flies. Among the livestock pests include the horn fly, face fly, house fly, stable fly, screwworm fly, blow fly, cattle grub (heel fly), deer fly, mosquito, black fly, lice, mites and ticks. For the current conditions, specifically in Texas, in this article we will mainly be discussing the top fly that makes cattle suffer, the horn fly.
Controlling external parasites is an important part of avoiding financial ruin in the $12 billion Texas dairy and beef cattle industry. There are multiple things associated with parasites that lower animal quality. That includes feeding on their hair and hides, reducing meat and milk production, causing weight loss and transmitting disease. To read more pick up the August 2015 issue.
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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