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 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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