Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
Over the years Australia has had many different pests that have affected the rural industry in one way or another—from grasshoppers to mice to cane toads and rabbits, all of which have been able to be maintained, and in some areas eradicated. However there is one pesky problem that is a little harder to control: dingos, wild dogs, and their hybrid.
Dingos first originated in Asia 14,000 years ago and were brought to Australia by the Aboriginals 4,000 years ago. In 1788 when Europeans settled in Australia they brought with them domestic dogs, which over the years started to run free with the dingos that had long since escaped their Aboriginal masters. The dingos and the domestic dogs started to breed, and continue to do so today.
Almost all habitats in Australia are suitable for wild dogs, including bushland, coastal zones, grazing and cropping land, sandy and stony deserts, alpine regions and even urban residential areas. To read more pick up the February 2016 issue of NTFR.
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.
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.
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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