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 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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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