Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Our first frost of the year usually arrives in mid-November, which means forage quality will be dropping soon. How soon is soon? Around our place we figure we need to begin protein supplementation two to four weeks after our first killing freeze. I’m not really sure how quickly our grasses lose their food value after a freeze, but we like to begin feeding around December 15 and hopefully wind up about 100 days later.
Our winter-feeding program consists of supplementing with protein either liquid or dry and since we have native grasses and a conservative stocking rate, we do not feed hay except to the calves we are developing as future herd sires. With that said, our winter feed cost is usually in the $50 per head range for 100 days for cows that are going into the winter in pretty good condition.
Doing the math, you can see what you are losing on those cows that are not bred or nursing a calf, which makes it ever more imperative to identify those cows that are not paying their own way. The calves you do get to sell will have to make up the difference on those cows that are just eating and not raising a calf on an annual basis. With the current cattle market, there is not much room for error.
What affects your and my bottom line more than a good accountant? Let’s take a look at our expenses and income over the course of a year and see where we stand.
Our costs:
-Feed
-Fertilizer
-Fuel
-Leases
-Bulls
-Replacement females
-Essentials (i.e. Four-wheelers, tractors, RTVs, pickups, tractors, and other metal)
Income:
-Calves sold
-Cows sold
To read more pick up a copy of the November 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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