Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Isn’t it nice to be able to complain about all the rain we have had although it does cause us some grief when it comes to baling hay, working cattle, and so forth?
Just five years ago we were wondering if we would still be in the cattle business next year, next month and for some of us, next week.
Many producers did have to sell out their entire herds when the stock tanks and ponds went dry and the extended outlook was bleak.
Cattle prices were getting above our wildest expectations and the outlook was as bright as the sun. We had seen our last poor day, or so we thought.
Fast forward to the spring of 2015 and then to the spring of 2016.
The rains came, the stock tanks and lakes filled up and over flowed, the grass grew, cattle got fat and cattle prices fell about 35 percent or so, and now that’s the hand we have been dealt, and we can either be glad that we got to experience the best cattle market in the history of mankind, or we can be upset that it is not as good as it was.
It is your choice, and just like life itself, it is what you make of it. At our place, the ride was great but we are now dealing with the hand we were dealt and will hopefully be making the best of it. Let’s just look around at the beautiful landscape that is in front of us from all the rains and enjoy the moment. Life is good. To read more pick up a copy of the July 2016 NTFR issue.
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.
-
Country Lifestyles2 years agoScott & Stacey Schumacher: A Growth Mindset
-
Country Lifestyles8 years agoStyle Your Profile – What your style cowboy hat says about you and new trends in 2017
-
HOME8 years agoGrazing North Texas – Wilman Lovegrass
-
Equine1 year agoThe Will to Win
-
Country Lifestyles5 years agoAmber Crawford, Breakaway Roper
-
Outdoor10 years agoButtercup or Primrose?
-
Country Lifestyles9 years agoJune 2016 Profile – The man behind the mic: Bob Tallman
-
Country Lifestyles8 years agoDecember 2016 Profile, Rusty Riddle – The Riddle Way