Farm & Ranch
Drone use in agriculture
By Lindsay Allen
It’s hard to talk about the future of agriculture without talking about technology. As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they are more commonly referred to, continue to gain popularity and capability, those in the cattle business have the opportunity to use this technology to their advantage.
The U.S.-based Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International predicts that agricultural uses will eventually account for 80 percent of the commercial market for drones. The numerous uses of drones in agriculture allow farmers and ranchers to make better management decisions and increase productivity.
“Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drone technology, is in its infancy, so new uses are only as limited as one’s imagination. For beef producers, examples could include counting cattle, watching herding habits, checking on fences and for rustlers, locating and identifying weeds to be sprayed, monitoring calving and heat synchronization, checking for sick animals and feed intake, scouting rough terrain areas inaccessible by vehicles, and biosecurity,” according to Bob Schultheis, natural resource engineering specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Drones really can be used in all areas of the industry. Take for instance Penny Bowie, owner of Omni Advertising and Graphics Inc. of Newnan, Georgia, who purchased a drone that is used in her cattle advertising and her real estate sales with The Auction Way Company.
To read more pick up a copy of the January 2017 NTFR issue.
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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