Farm & Ranch
Cow-calf grazing systems highlight upcoming event
ARDMORE, Okla. — In 2014, the Noble Foundation launched a new research initiative – Forage 365 – aimed at providing a sustainable year-round grazing system. As part of this initiative, researchers will develop a system of forages (plants consumed by grazing animals) that enables ranchers to graze cattle year-round and use less or no hay.
To provide an update on one of the research projects, the Noble Foundation will host a Forage 365 Research Update: Cow-Calf Forage Systems from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, April 29, at the Noble Foundation Pasture Demonstration Farm, located west of Ardmore, Oklahoma.
“It is important for cattle producers to see the results as each project continues,” said James Rogers, Ph.D., Noble Foundation research agronomist. “Showing yearly results allows the producers to see the progress, give us feedback and ask questions. While the project is focused on ranchers, Forage 365 will ultimately benefit all those in agriculture and the consumers who depend on it.”
In October 2015, this research project was started with the objective of developing cow-calf grazing systems that enable bermudagrass pastures to be grazed into the fall and winter and to reduce winter supplementation. Results from the first year of the study will be presented as well as discussion on the importance of monitoring cow body condition and the impact it has on cow productivity. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the pastures and discuss the project one-on-one with the researchers.
There is no registration fee for the seminar, but preregistration is encouraged. To register, please visit www.noble.org/agevents or contact Maggie Scott at 580-224-6375.
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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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