Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Summer has arrived in North Texas and so has the hot weather, which results in lower quality pastures and decreased calf gains. How do you compensate for the lower quality forage when you want and need your calves to grow? Supplemental protein may be the answer, and work done by Oklahoma State University on this issue resulted in the creation of a program called Oklahoma Gold.
This program basically involves feeding a high protein supplement such as cotton seed meal cubes (41 percent crude protein) to weaned calves beginning when forage quality drops below the needs of the cattle: July in our part of the county. Calves still on the cows present a different problem because it is difficult to feed the calves without feeding the cows.
I don’t know if calves can be trained to go into lots or a pasture separated by creep gates or not, but in my opinion, this would solve the problem.
In addition to supplementing protein, the program also includes the use of ionophores in the protein supplement. Gains from this program have improved by 0.60 pounds per head per day by using only one pound of supplement per head per day.
To see if this is something that may work for your operation, google Oklahoma Gold cattle feeding. The Noble Foundation also has the information available on their website including a cost vs return calculator to see if the program is profitable with the current feed and cattle prices.
To read more pick up a copy of the July 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
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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