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
Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.
Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
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