Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch
By Rayford Pullen
As we turn the corner and head into fall, those of us with fall calving cows will be getting ready for the new arrivals and weaning those spring born calves that are now six to seven months old.
Weaning weights and cow breed back may be below our normal averages, so with the short grass and hay predicament we find ourselves facing, making sure we are wintering productive cows is a must if we are to remain viable or at the least, minimize our losses.
Around our place, we have been identifying cows with any kind of problem for elimination from our herd.
That may be age, udder problems, condition, disposition, extremely hard-doing cows and those cows producing calves that don’t meet our criteria.
Pregnancy testing our cows is probably at the top of our list for cows to cull. With winter supplementation topping our list of annual cow maintenance costs, keeping only cows that have a positive economic impact for us is extremely important.
While annual cow cost per year varies greatly among producers, it’s bound to be $500 or more per cow and more per calf weaned.
If you have a weaning rate of 90 percent, which is above the average for most ranches, which is 86 percent, you have a cost of $555 in each calf sold. And, depending on your accountant, you may not want to actually know what it cost you on an annual basis to maintain each cow.
To read more pick up a copy of the September 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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