Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
In the early 1900s Australian stockmen started using what is now known as the Australian Stockwhip. It originated from the English hunting whip and evolved into the whip still used by stockwomen and men all over Australia today to encourage stock such as herds of cattle and flocks of sheep to keep moving during gathering or when sorting in the pens.
A whip is the Australian equivalent to a Texans rope; cowboys and girls carry one all the time. The stockwhip is also a mandatory piece of equipment during Australian cow horse challenges.
Unlike the Florida cow whip some of you may be familiar with that is made from inexpensive nylon, the Australian stockwhip is five and one half to six feet long and is braided from red hide, green hide, and often Kangaroo hide. Kangaroo hide allows the whip maker to produce a much finer braid that Kangaroo hide whips are renowned for.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922!
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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