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 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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