Farm & Ranch

AgriLife -Texas crop and weather report for April 13

Published

10 years ago

April 13, 2016

NTFR

By: Adam Russell

Pigs pose problems for producers around the state

OVERTON — Wild pigs continue to plague farmers and ranchers in much of the state.

They are a year-round nuisance to producers, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist in Overton, but farrowing, the birth of new litters of pigs, typically peaks in the spring.

Higginbotham said farmers and ranchers in 253 of 254 Texas counties face a constant battle to prevent or reduce damages by wild pigs. The statewide population estimate is around 2.6 million wild pigs, and limited ways of controlling their numbers means they are here to stay, he said.

“Given the population numbers, there’s no way to eradicate them but you can reduce exposure to damage by managing their numbers,” Higginbotham said.

It costs producers time and money to repair damages and deal with the wild pig population, he said. Higginbotham said 71 percent of landowners with pastureland who responded to an AgriLife Extension survey reported damages by wild pigs.

A conservative estimate of statewide damages based on a decade-old study puts the annual cost to farmers and ranchers at $52 million. Producers spent an additional $7 million each year to repair damages and deal with wild pig populations, according to the same estimate.

Wild pigs are omnivores and will seek any food source for calories, Higginbotham said. They cause much of the damages to crops when they dig, or root, for food sources, such as grub worms, planted seed and plant roots.

Higginbotham said the wild pigs are especially damaging to hay pastures in East Texas. Pastures are rooted up and must be smoothed by farmers to allow hay equipment to access the land. Disturbed soil also creates weed control problems, he said.

Landowners should monitor for signs of wild pig activity, such as tracks, rubs against fence posts and trees, well-used trails and hair stuck on barbed-wire fences where they cross, he said.

“If you see the signs of hogs it’s best to take a proactive approach and try to reduce their numbers,” he said. “They may just be moving through your land but eventually they will cause problems. The more you reduce their numbers the more you reduce the damage they cause.”

Higginbotham said there are four legal ways to address wild hogs in Texas – trapping, snaring, shooting and catch dogs.

Hiring professional shooters to reduce wild pig numbers from helicopters represents a cost-effective way for farmers and ranchers in parts of the state with less tree canopy, but in East Texas trapping is advised, Higginbotham said. Corral-type traps work best, especially when a landowner can catch an entire family or sounder of pigs, he said.

But Higginbotham said it takes a process to trap effectively. Pigs must be “hooked” on the bait before placement of the trap, he said. The trap should then be baited to allow the pigs to get comfortable.

“It could take a week, it could take several weeks depending on how much trapping pressure they’ve experienced,” he said.

Higginbotham suggested landowners speak to their local AgriLife Extension agents for tips on what works best in their area to trap wild pigs.

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

CENTRAL: Corn planting was completed. About 35,000 acres, or 50 percent, of corn acreage was replanted. Sorghum has been replanted as well. Timely rainfall helped activate fertilizer put out by landowners. Bermuda grass began to emerge. Hay was planted. Cattle were doing well with very little supplemental feeding. Tanks were full and creeks were flowing but there were still long-term concerns about continued precipitation. Crops were growing and cotton was in the ground. Insects have not made a large-scale impact, but rust has been found on some wheat. All counties reported soil moisture and overall range and pasture conditions were good. Livestock conditions were 100 percent “good” as well. Overall, 95 percent of crops were in good condition.

ROLLING PLAINS: It had been a few weeks since the last rainfall and producers were finding the top layers of soil were either dry or drying as they continued preparing fields for cotton planting. There was plenty of subsoil moisture, but the topsoil was problematic. Cotton producers plowed in pre-emergent herbicides. Pastures and rangeland were trying to green up, but without any moisture, the process has been slow. Wildfires have been an issue over the past couple of weeks because there was plenty of fuel and wind to spread fires. Producers have plenty of winter wheat for grazing and livestock were in good condition. There could be a fair amount of wheat baled for feed. Cows were calving in some areas. Some producers were beginning to ship gain cattle, but most said they would wait until May. Some cattle producers were feeding supplement, but only on a small scale.

COASTAL BEND: High winds depleted much of the topsoil moisture. Soil moisture conditions were becoming critically low due to the lack of rain. It had been a month since most of the region received measurable rain amounts. Planted crops needed rain to help roots develop and row crops, hay fields and pastures began to show signs of stress as well. Cotton planting was in full swing and wheat looked good. Corn, grain sorghum and cotton were doing well but suffered due to low moisture levels in other areas. Cattle and livestock were in good to excellent condition. Pecans were leafing out and pecan nut casebearer activity was being monitored.

EAST: Dry, windy conditions were reported around the region. Topsoil was drying out. Most counties reported pasture and range conditions as fair to good with subsoil and topsoil as adequate. Ponds and creeks were full. Farmers were planting vegetables. Jasper County reported crops were doing well with some watering taking place. Application of herbicides and fertilizers to pastures started. Cooler night temperatures slowed warm season forage growth. Winter pastures were looking good. Producers were preparing hay fields for the first cutting. Some producers bailed crimson clover and ryegrass. Livestock were doing fair to good. Some producers stopped supplemental feeding. Spring calving continued along with calf working and sales of cull cows and market-ready calves. Feral hogs continued to pose problems across the area.

SOUTH PLAINS: Producers were in need of moisture throughout the region. Bailey County producers received light scattered rainfall. Sub and topsoil moisture levels in Cochran County have improved with some rainfall received last week. Pasture, range and winter wheat needed rain. Producers continued preparations for spring planting. Floyd County producers needed moisture to help suffering dryland wheat crops. Moisture before planting cotton and corn would also help. Weather was warm and windy. Crop and range conditions were less than ideal in Hale County. Lubbock County experienced light rain of up to one-third of an inch. Isolated rain and hail occurred in the southeast portion of the county. Average minimum soil temperature at 8 inches was up to 56 degrees. Corn planting will begin soon. Field preparation and equipment maintenance was ongoing as planting time approaches. Producers remained concerned about the prospects of a profitable season in light of depressed prices. Scurry County received 0.75 inches. Temperatures were about average. Yoakum County had steady precipitation all day on April 8 and soil moisture increased.

PANHANDLE: Conditions were dry and windy with temperatures near to slightly above average. There was high fire danger as soil moisture levels were mostly short. Producers were actively irrigating. Conditions remained dry in Collingsworth County. Winter wheat looked healthy but needed water. Wheat continued to head out at a rapid pace and was coming along nicely. Conditions in Deaf Smith County were almost perfect for producers. Preparations continued in fields for planting season with center pivots running on wheat fields. Pre-watering on corn fields began in preparation of planting. Wheat was still in a holding pattern with many dryland fields needing water. Irrigated wheat looked good. Silage chopping was expected to start soon. Irrigated triticale was growing well. Graze-out wheat was continually stocked with extra animals to graze down wheat to avoid any forage losses. Hutchinson County was in dire need of rain. Moisture to begin the 2016 crop season was short. Lipscomb County winter wheat was hurting from lack of moisture. Windy, dry weather continued to deplete soil moisture levels and cause wheat conditions to decline in Ochiltree County. Summer crop pre-plant activities continued. High winds prevented herbicide spraying. Cattle on range were still being supplemented. Randall County remained dry. There has been less than 1 inch of rain there since January 1. Corn on pre-irrigated fields was expected to be the only planting done in the near future. Cotton and sorghum acres were not expected to be planted until some type of pre-plant moisture arrived.

NORTH: Topsoil moisture varied from short to adequate with some surplus. Days were warm and nights were cool. Ground temperature was right at 65 degrees. Wind dried topsoil to allow more field work. Bermuda grass greened but was not growing. Winter wheat looked decent across the county. Some fields were inconsistent in growth. Many producers were expected to start baling winter forages soon. Cattle were in good condition. Feral hogs were highly active. Small grasshoppers were out on warm days.

FAR WEST: Glasscock County received two-tenths of an inch of rain. The effects from a slight freeze started to show in some wheat crops. Damage was minor and generally limited to low lying areas. Overall, wheat crops look good. Pre-emerge herbicides were applied to cotton, and planting of sorghum continued. Howard County reported rain but no measurements were available. High winds were reported in Hudspeth County where farmers planted crops. Winkler and Loving counties received 0.25-1.25 inches of rain. Conditions in Reagan County were very dry and high winds caused crop and range conditions to dry up. Farmers in Upton County prepared the fields for planting. Goats and lambs continued to kid. Livestock and wildlife were still receiving supplemental feed. Upton County received rain showers. Across the district pasture and range conditions were poor. Subsoil and topsoil were short and all counties needed rain.

WEST CENTRAL: Dry, warm and windy conditions continued. Light scattered rain showers were reported but were not significant. High winds caused extreme range fire concerns in many areas. All areas needed rain. Field activities continued to increase as planting season began. Weeds continued to be an issue and required control. Preparations for row crops were mostly complete and producers waited for moisture to plant. Producers sowed some spring seeded hay crops. Some cutting and baling of wheat and oats began. Sudan planting started. Grain sorghum was planted but needed additional rainfall to emerge. Winter wheat and oats were planted for winter grazing. Field preparations for cotton planting continued. Winter wheat progressed quickly with the warm, dry weather. However, drought stress was becoming a factor in wheat crops. Wheat conditions were fair to good with some rust showing. A large number of wheat acres continue to be grazed out. Some wheat was harvested for forage. Winter grains were beginning to head out. Range and pastures began to decline due to dry conditions. Forages began to show stress. Winter grasses were still doing well and coming on. Tanks remained in good condition with plenty of water. Livestock remained in fair to good condition. Cattle prices held steady.

SOUTHEAST: Weather provided excellent growing conditions for warm-season plants in Brazos County. In Fort Bend County, most producers had planted crops but needed rain. Livestock were in good condition throughout the county. Hay producers cut winter ryegrass remnants to promote warm-season forage growth. Soil moisture levels throughout the region varied widely. Most levels were adequate to surplus with adequate being the most common. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied widely too, mostly from excellent to good, with good being most common.

SOUTHWEST: Recent rains helped forages, and spring growth of grass and wildflowers. Pecan trees continued to leaf out, and hay producers shredded winter weeds and prepared to fertilize hay fields and pastures. Livestock remained in good condition. Spring shearing was underway.

SOUTH: Temperatures began to rise, with cool nighttime temperatures and no rainfall was reported in any counties. Mild temperatures were reported in Atascosa and Brooks counties. The majority of crops in Frio County were being irrigated. Potato crops were in the flowering stage in Frio County and the majority of wheat and oats were headed. Sorghum and corn were completely planted and corn was emerging. Cotton planting began. In Live Oak County, conditions were good for field activities and crop spraying as winds calmed enough to prevent a drift. Topsoil moisture conditions declined in McMullen County. Dry-out could impact further range and pasture improvement until topsoil moisture levels improve. Range and pasture conditions remained fair to good in McMullen and surrounding counties. Body condition scores on cattle remained good. Soil moisture conditions were 98-100 percent adequate in Atascosa County, 50 percent adequate in Frio County, 80 percent short in Live Oak County and 70 percent adequate in McMullen County. Pasture conditions were average in Brooks County. Fog and mist provided some moisture, but the lack of rainfall took its toll. Livestock prices remained steady. In Jim Wells County, weather conditions were favorable for field work. Row crop producers progressed well with planting crops. Some producers finished planting, and a few hoped to be done soon. No significant rainfall was received in the last few weeks, but some rainfall was forecast. Range and pastures throughout Jim Wells County were good and improving. Livestock conditions were good. The local cattle market experienced a five cent drop in 500-pound steers as compared to the previous week. Offerings and demand remained steady. In Kleberg and Kenedy counties, temperatures were cooler than normal. Soil moisture conditions were 100 percent adequate in Brooks and Jim Wells counties and 70-75 percent adequate in Kleberg and Kenedy counties. Maverick County did not receive rainfall and temperatures reached 80 degrees during the day. Nighttime temperatures continued to be quite cold. Crop farmers continued to plant but most have already finished. Pecan orchards started to turn green and look healthy. Also in Maverick County, Coastal Bermuda grass was ready for the first cut. Producers will make either round or square hay bales. All wheat and oats were maturing well across Zapata County. Early reports from producers indicate yields should be average or a little better compared to last year. Native range and pastures continued to provide adequate forage for grazing livestock and no supplemental feeding was reported. In Zavala County, corn, sorghum, carrots and onions made good progress following irrigation. No insect pressure was reported on any crops. Soil moisture conditions were 35-50 percent adequate in Dimmit County, 70 percent short in Maverick County and 100 percent short in Zavala County. Range and pasture conditions continued to improve with recent rainfall in Starr County. Spring vegetable crops were also progressing well and soil moisture conditions were 90 percent adequate.

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Farm & Ranch

Tumble Windmillgrass

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2026

NTFR

By Tony Dean

Tumble windmillgrass is a short, compact perennial bunch grass that is adapted to almost every corner of Texas. It can grow on almost any soil, but prefers coarse textured soils.

The most obvious characteristic about Tumble windmill is its large seed head sporting 10 to 16 laterally spreading branches, each approximately two to six inches long, arranged in one to three whorls.

When mature, the seed head will break off and be caught up in the wind, making Tumble windmill one of the great wanderers of the plains. It can tumble great distances, spreading itself in the process. This wanderer seems to like parking in your garage on windy days, as well as dancing around windy corners of buildings and any other place the wind decides to carry it.

Tumble windmill can also spread by short stolons. The upper leaves are very short, while the lower leaves are often much longer. The leaves are light green with a purplish seed head that fades to pale reddish at maturity.

Tumble windmillgrass provides poor forage for livestock and wildlife, although most grazers will use the forage in early spring when tender.

Since Tumble windmill can grow in poor soil conditions, it is useful as a component for a prairie grass mix used on disturbed areas. This grass does not usually dominate a pasture but can often be found in smaller amounts. Proper grazing use along with rotational grazing can cause the plant to be replaced with higher successional plants.

Farm & Ranch

Looking for Low-Maintenance Poultry? Geese are Your Answer!

Published

6 days ago

April 13, 2026

NTFR

Unless you are a fan of Dickens and Doyle, geese probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of poultry. But maybe they should be. And the aim of this article is to get you acquainted with the aristocrat of poultry.

Let’s start with the basics. Geese are domesticated waterfowl. Twelve breeds are recognized by the American Poultry Association, but dozens more are available. Much like ducks, all domestic geese breeds descend from two species. The overwhelming majority of breeds originate from Greylag geese (Anser anser). This species is native to Europe and Central Asia. These are the stockier, heavy geese that feature prominently in German fairy tales as a symbol of wealth and which Victorians loved to consume at Christmas. These geese come in various sizes, colors and dispositions. Here are a few examples: Cotton Patch geese are a small, variably-colored, extremely heat tolerant landrace native to the South. These were raised to consume weeds in cotton fields in the days before commercial herbicides. They are quite rare today and lay a variable number of eggs. American Buff geese are medium-sized, tan colored, very docile geese of uncertain origin. They are excellent meat birds. They are decent layers and wonderful mothers. Toulouse geese are the largest breed at up to thirty pounds. This ancient French breed is dark grey in color. They are bred to become very fat and so must be managed carefully to maintain fertility. They are very gentle, but require somewhat more shelter than other breeds.

A native of parts of China, Mongolia and Russia, the Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) gave us both the Chinese goose and the African goose. Both have large bulbs on their heads and are similarly colored, but are otherwise very different. African geese are quite large, maturing at around twenty pounds and prized for their meat. These gentle giants are often recommended for beginners. Chinese geese are the egg champions of the goose family. They produce multiple clutches in a year, equaling up to a hundred eggs annually. They are small geese with males weighing about twelve pounds and females ten. They are nervous and the loudest breed, but this makes them suburb as “watch geese” and perhaps the best all-purpose breed.

Now that we are a bit acquainted with various breeds, we can find out just why someone may want to keep geese. Before we go over their benefits, you may be surprised to learn something surprising about geese. Geese are so rarely seen in the United States today that they can seem unusual, even exotic. As such, you may reasonably expect that geese are hard to manage, require expensive feeds and must be waited on hand and foot. The surprise is that geese are actually significantly easier to take care of than chickens. In fact, I would venture to day that geese are the lowest maintenance poultry there are.

Geese are unique among poultry in that the vast majority of their diet is made up of grass. Some meat birds are raised entirely on grass. It may be a good idea to supplement their grass with some chicken feed and scratch grains, but you will find that, when grass is plentiful, they will generally not bother with anything else. Geese are excellent pasture birds. A simple wire pen that can be moved every other day is enough to keep them happy. Unlike chickens, geese do not scratch up a yard and are not nearly as messy as ducks. If moved promptly, the area they occupied will swiftly grow back greener, thanks to all the free fertilizer, which they produce in abundance. Few geese can fly with any proficiency and even then, only when they are young. One wing’s feathers can be easily clipped, if their escape is a concern.

Geese are also almost absurdly hardy. They not only love rain, they seldom if ever go inside. Shade and perhaps a windbreak are their only real needs for shelter. In sub-freezing temperatures, they will scorn a shed and simply sit in the snow. There is a reason that goose down is so valued for comforters. It is extremely good at keeping them warm. The clever little birds know exactly when they need to bend down over their feet to keep them warm and hide their heads under their wings for the same purpose. In the summer, geese require shade and access to water at all times, but are otherwise unbothered. Geese keep their bodies very clean and are, owing to a small oil gland and their meticulous grooming, waterproof. They will soil water almost instantly, so do not worry about keeping it clean, just be sure they have enough. Without water, they may die in the heat and regardless (like ducks) cannot keep their bills and eyes clean, which could cause disease. Provide multiple water tubs to reduce fighting. Geese will dig up the mud around their waterers, so they should be moved each time they are filled. They will appear to be eating the mud, but are actually filtering it in the water through the serration in their bills. This is to find food, as well as small rocks for their gizzards. With a bit of caution, geese will weed a garden for you and clean it up at the end of the season.

Geese need little more from you than water, basic protection from predators and grass. In return, they offer a number of benefits.

In the first place, Geese offer a dark, rich, beef-like meat. Geese are often butchered between twelve and twenty weeks old. At this time, their weight will vary by breed, but as an example, the commonly raised meat breed Pilgrim geese will weigh around thirteen pounds. The carcass weight will be about sixty to seventy percent of the live weight. If one cares to process it, goose fat is highly valued in the culinary world and contains almost no saturated fat. It is comparable to olive oil and may be used in the same applications.

Especially if you have selected the Chinese goose, eggs are another offering of your new favorite poultry. These eggs are roughly the equivalent of three chicken eggs. A fried goose egg, sausage or bacon and a pancake makes a very nice dinner or hearty breakfast. Alternatively, you can incubate and hatch goose eggs quite easily. The goslings are so valuable that it’s a wiser financial move to only consume the first couple of eggs laid in the spring, which are usually infertile. Goose eggs are easily candled without any special equipment. Infertile eggs or those that die early on can be blown out and made into painted or dyed eggs.

If you hate waste, and wish to use all but the “honk,” so to speak, the feet are rich in collagen and highly prized in the rest of the world. The liver of a goose is extremely healthy and famous as foie gras. A more familiar byproduct of butchering is down, which can be made into extremely valuable bedding. Be sure to clean and dry feathers carefully first. If raised by hand and handled very often, geese will be quite friendly to their owners and make loyal pets. Some people will actually hold their geese in their laps and gently pluck the down from their flock.

Lastly, geese are often kept as watch animals. Geese are extremely observant night and day and will loudly complain when they see something unfamiliar anywhere in the vicinity. It takes a very short time to learn the difference between the normal sounds of geese and the sound of their panic. Please know that while they may scare away small predators and they are nearly always too big for hawks, a goose is largely defenseless against most predators. Keeping geese near a livestock guardian dog is a great idea. The extremely intelligent birds will rapidly learn the dogs are a source of safety and will alert the dogs to anything they see as a threat. Geese can usually be kept with other poultry without problems. They will not directly protect their avian brethren, but the others will learn to hide when the more observant geese voice a concern. In mixed flocks, the noble geese stride around the yard, aristocracy among poultry.

Geese are immensely versatile, the most low-maintenance poultry there is and should have a place on any property.

Farm & Ranch

Changing the Way We Handle Hay

Published

4 weeks ago

March 22, 2026

NTFR

Few machines have reshaped livestock operations as much as the round baler. Before its arrival, haymaking was slow, labor-intensive, and limited by the storage and handling of small square bales. The round baler mechanized the process, producing large rolls that could be handled with tractors instead of back-breaking labor. Today, those big bales are a familiar sight across Oklahoma, Texas, and much of the world, stacked along fence lines or dotting pastures.

The modern round baler traces back to the mid-20th century. While early versions of hay-rolling machines appeared in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s, it was a man from Iowa who brought the design into practical use in America. In 1971, Vermeer Corporation, led by Gary Vermeer, introduced the first large round baler that could be mass-produced and widely adopted. His design gathered hay into a chamber, rolled it into a tight cylindrical package, and then wrapped it with twine before ejecting it onto the ground.

This solved a long-standing bottleneck. Small square bales required enormous labor — lifting, stacking, hauling, and feeding by hand. One person with a tractor and round baler could do in hours what once took a crew all day. The new bales were weather-resistant, stored easily outdoors, and reduced spoilage. They also fit well with the larger scale of modern cattle operations.

By the 1980s, other manufacturers such as John Deere, New Holland, and Case IH offered their own models. Improvements included variable chamber sizes, better pickup systems, and stronger tying methods. Round balers quickly became the standard for beef and dairy producers in Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond.

Though models vary, the principle remains the same. The baler picks up cut hay from the windrow and feeds it into a chamber with belts, rollers, or chains. As the hay circulates, it rolls into a tight cylinder. Once the bale reaches the set size — often 4×5 or 5×6 feet, weighing between 800 and 1,200 pounds — the machine stops feeding, and the bale is wrapped for storage.

The result is a dense, weather-resistant package that can be moved with a tractor spear or loader. Unlike small square bales that require dry storage, round bales can be stacked outdoors, especially when wrapped correctly.

The biggest evolution in round baling since its invention has been the way bales are bound. Early machines used only twine, usually sisal or synthetic. Twine is inexpensive and reliable, but it has drawbacks. Wrapping a bale with twine can take up to two minutes, slowing production. Twine also leaves more exposed surface area, allowing moisture to penetrate and spoil hay.

Net wrap was introduced in the 1990s as a solution. Made of high-strength polyethylene, it wraps the bale quickly — usually in 10 to 20 seconds — and covers more surface area. This tighter, more uniform wrap sheds water better and reduces spoilage, especially for bales stored outside. Net-wrapped bales also hold their shape better, making them easier to stack and transport.

Producers must weigh cost against efficiency. Net wrap is more expensive than twine, both in material and in required equipment, but many ranchers find the savings in time and hay quality worth the investment. Twine remains common for operations feeding hay quickly or storing it under cover, while net wrap dominates in large-scale or commercial setups.

In recent years, bale film wrap has also entered the market. Similar to plastic used in silage, film wrap can seal bales almost completely, reducing spoilage even further. While more expensive, it is gaining ground in wet climates and dairies where feed quality is critical.

The round baler is more than a machine — it changed the rhythm of haymaking. Producers can now harvest, bale, and store hundreds of tons of hay with a fraction of the labor once required. In regions like Oklahoma and North Texas, where cattle herds are large and hay is often stored outdoors, round balers became indispensable.

The machine also influenced land use. With the ability to bale quickly and efficiently, ranchers could harvest larger fields and manage forage with precision. It also reduced dependence on hired labor during peak hay season, a major benefit as rural populations declined.

While square balers still have their place — especially for horse hay and small-scale operations — round bales remain the workhorse of modern cattle ranching.

From its introduction in the 1970s to its widespread adoption today, the round baler has proven to be one of the most influential farm inventions of the last century. It solved the labor bottleneck of haymaking, improved storage and feed efficiency, and fit seamlessly into the mechanization of modern agriculture.

Whether wrapped in twine, net, or film, those big round bales are more than just scenery on a country road. They are symbols of an innovation that continues to save time, labor, and feed across ranch country. Like the steel plow, barbed wire, and windmill, the round baler is an invention that permanently changed the way we work the land.

References

Vermeer Corporation. History of the Round Baler. https://www.vermeer.com

John Deere Equipment. Hay and Forage History. https://www.deere.com

Oklahoma State University Extension. Hay Storage and Preservation.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Net Wrap vs. Twine for Round Bales.

Farm Progress. “Round Balers: The Machine That Changed Haymaking.”