Farm & Ranch
The Importance of Sire Selection
By Lindsay Allen
The old saying, “you get what you pay for,” rings true when it comes to selecting sires for your herd. Not to mention, with cattle prices at an all time high, purchasing bulls involves a higher price to pay. Dr. Trent Smith, associate professor of beef cattle and breeding genetics at Mississippi State University, said, “Today, cattlemen are looking at the price of bulls and thinking they can’t afford to purchase any, but the reality is they can’t afford not to.”
A bull should be viewed as an investment to the operation and not a cost or expense. Dr. Larry Boleman, associate vice chancellor for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, echoed that statement, when he said, “Bull selection is the foundation for building a profitable beef herd. The producer’s goal in profitable beef production is to improve the average performance and quality of the offspring through genetic improvement.”
“When looking at the impact a bull has on the herd, it’s significant. A cow will produce one progeny per year, while the bull will produce as many progeny per year as the number of cows he settles. The price of bulls these days make cattlemen question the purchase, but calf prices are up as well,” Smith commented.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. Call 940-872-5922 to subscribe!
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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