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 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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