Farm & Ranch
AG Elsewhere : Montana
Photo & Description by Jean Stimpson
ICE, ICE…CHOP!
“Our temperature today as I write this is 10 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Montana rancher’s wife, Jean Stimpson in early February. Depicting the picture she said, “The creek freezes over and we have to chop ice for the cows to water. Besides feeding hay everyday when the temps drop into the single digits, we also feed straw before it gets dark. It gives them warm bedding to lay on and a little something to munch on.” Stimpson added, “It’s interesting to watch the cows when it gets really cold, they group-up and mill around each other, working their way from the middle to the outside as the ones in the middle warm up and move to the outside to allow those to push to the middle so they can warm up.” As March arrives, temperatures can get up into the 30s and 40s, which then causes the ice on the creek to start breaking up. However, Stimpson said that can cause other problems, like when trying to cross the creek or ice jams, causing flooding. Stimpson concluded saying, “March is when we start calving this year, hoping for not-so-cold of weather. We love calving season and the promise of spring!”
To read more pick up a copy of the March 2018 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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