Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
I’m so happy spring is here I can’t stop grinning.
Bull decisions are made this time of year that can impact our herds for the next 10 to 20 years if we retain heifers.
While bull suppliers like us focus on producing potential herd sires that are virgins, with calving ease, below average birth weight, good weaning and yearling weights, plus good carcass traits that result in a bull’s calves meeting CAB requirements down the road, most of our customers have their own criteria when selecting a new herd sire.
Our customers want a bull that is gentle, good looking and throws a live calf that will have a good weaning weight. Reading the EPDs on a bull is like reading a Chinese novel for most folks, so in our opinion, responsible breeders make sure the bulls they sell have the traits (EPDs) the customer needs for his operation. This may involve asking questions i.e. are you using him on heifers or cows or both, do you sell your calves at weaning, do you retain heifers, do you retain your calves as stockers, do you send your calves to the feedlot.
To read more pick up a copy of the April 2018 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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