Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
In 1805 Dr. John Macarthur built Australia’s first commercial dairy herd in Eastern New South Wales.
In 1891 Australia had an influx of gold miners chasing the mother lode. Along with a population growth comes the demand for more food, and as a result of this particular boom Australia’s dairy herd grew quickly to one million head.
By 1900 there was not a town in Australia, no matter how remotely located, that did not have its own supply of fresh milk.
Six thousand dairy farmers nation-wide are producing 9.7 billion litres of milk annually with bulk of the milk production occurring in the south eastern states of Australia; however, dairy farming is also well established across temperate and some sub-tropical areas of Australia.
Because of their suitability to a wide range of environmental conditions and large milk production capabilities, the Holstein Friesian is the most popular breed used for milking by dairy farmers in Australia, with the average herd size being 284 cows and the average cow producing 5,730 litres of milk a year. 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.
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