Farm & Ranch
The Dr. McDonald Column
By Steve McDonald, DVM
He’s dead now. He died several years ago of heart failure, I think. He was an old man who brought cattle in for me to work on. I used to dread seeing his truck and trailer pull into the clinic parking lot for two reasons: first, his cattle were of the type that tried to run over or away from you, and they didn’t care which one they chose to perform.
Second, Grady was totally without fear and would unhesitatingly climb into a pen with a cow showing murder in her heart. I guess he was not aware that at 80 plus, he was too slow to escape when the animal charged him.
To avoid this from becoming a disastrous consequence, I instructed our staff to be especially vigilant when Grady was afoot in the pens; not allowing him to open gates or enter into any pen with an agitated animal.
It was a tall order. Grady had been around cattle all his life, and he knew what to do. He was eager to help. He was just, at his age, a little slow on reaction time to be safe. Over the years, we had several close calls with Grady leaving a gate open, and him narrowly escaping being run over by an irate cow.
It finally happened. Grady brought in a Limousine bull with a swollen jaw and a sour disposition. We unloaded the bull, put him in the head gate, examined him, and discovered he had a broken jaw. There was nothing we could do for him, so we made ready to load him back on the trailer. His attitude was very combative.
To read more pick up a copy of the August 2017 NTFR issue! To subscribe 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.
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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