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 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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