Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Fall has arrived in North Texas, and here at Pullen Angus we have finished our spring calf weaning, pregnancy tested our spring calving cows, tagged and weighed our fall born calves and are making plans for the coming winter months.
One thing we also do this time of year is take a look at our cow age and cull the cows that have gotten quite a bit of age on them and making it through the winter may be somewhat iffy without special attention, which does not exist around here routinely.
At what age do we cull cows? As we were going over the list of cows we were considering culling, I noticed most of these cows were born in the fall of 2003 and the spring of 2004, which made them 13 and 14 years old. All these cows had a spring born calf recently pulled off and had bred back.
While we might be able to get another calf out of them, it comes with more risk than we are willing to take, and we know that when cows reach this age and time in their life, their calf weaning weights will drop pretty dramatically. Also, culled cow sales are a pretty significant part of our income, and the better the condition the cow is in the more dollars she will generate.
To read more pick up a copy of the November 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call us at 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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