Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
This has been an expensive winter to own cattle from a supplemental feed perspective. As of February 1, we had already purchased our total used during the winter of 2016-2017, and if that groundhog is right, we have another six weeks of winter, which will translate into more feed required.
The drought this past fall and now well into winter has resulted in little, if any, winter grazing. So here’s to hoping spring will be arriving soon.
It seems I have a few friends each year who lose calves to a clostridial disease we call blackleg, due mostly to the fact they did not vaccinate. My observation has been that the calves you find with blackleg are dead, had been doing really good, weigh in the 400-pound range and may be close to a water source. In all my years I have only seen one calf that I knew had blackleg that was alive.
This problem can usually be avoided with just a basic vaccination program, which includes a blackleg vaccination when calves are two to three months old. If we have late born calves that are at least walking, we will vaccinate them regardless of their age, and recently published articles have indicated that unlike conventional thinking, calves under two months old will also get immunity.
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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