Farm & Ranch
Plants Toxic to Livestock
By Jessica Crabtree and Dr. Jered Harlan, DVM
More than 100 species of toxic plants populate the pastures of Texas. These plants pose the number one threat to producers: death of livestock. Besides direct loss, the unfortunate presence offers an indirect loss in reduced conception rates, reduced weaning weights and overall reduced production. Warning signs can prevail in the form of animals off feed, losing weight and/or appearing unhealthy— poisonous plants may be the cause.
There may be some difficulty at diagnosis. Some toxic plants symptoms are easily indentified, while others go undetected other than death. Some can cause death within minutes while others take months. As a producer, the first step at the presentation of a dead cow is deciphering the cause, disease or toxic plant.
Toxic plants should be considered in situations of cattle loss if the forage supply in a pasture is sparse due to overgrazing, drought or poor season growth, if animals have been recently moved to a new location, if animals were released to the new pasture hungry, if herbicides have been used recently as a method of weed control, if the pasture has recently been fertilized with nitrogen or if a new forage source has been fed.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922 today!
Acorns. (Courtesy photo)
Johnson grass. (Courtesy photo)
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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