Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
It finally cooled off, and we have received some much-needed rain at our place at Bellevue in North Central Texas. Cattle are looking better; the prospects of having early winter grazing from our ryegrass is good, the grass is growing, and hopefully our fellow producers will make that last cutting and avoid having to pay for all the high-priced hay being offered.
The cattle markets have not been too friendly the past couple of years, but as we have all witnessed over the years, that too shall change and hopefully for the better.
Just a thought. In my travels to the many trade shows, conventions, etc., I can tell I am talking to a non-Texan when I tell them I am from North Texas and they think I must be from around Amarillo. I then explain that while that is farther north in Texas than I am, that is the panhandle of Texas, not North Texas.
You get to North Texas before you get to the panhandle. Why do those Yankees insist upon saying they are from up-state New York as opposed to just North New York? We don’t live in up-state Texas, do we?
Back on the ranch, fall calving has been in high gear, and again we are seeing birth weights running five to six pounds lighter that we did with our spring born (in the middle of winter) calves, and while I’m not as smart as I am supposed to be, if one of you educated, smart and or intelligent folks know the reason, I would surely like to know why, so drop me a note.
With our grass being green here in September, it will really help getting our cows in shape to breed back later this fall and early winter. Breed back is all about nutrition and body condition, and around here we totally rely on our forages to provide the resource to do just that.
To read more pick up a copy of the October 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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