Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
I certainly hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends and hopefully December will bring a time when we can pause and be thankful for all the blessings we have in our life that make our daily tasks rewarding. Being successful is not rewarding in itself unless we can share it with someone.
For all the prayer warriors out there praying for rain, you did a great job, and I understand this October was the wettest in recorded history, and the army worms, all I can say is wow!
What a show of destruction they were able to pull off over night with complete fields destroyed in the blink of an eye. When I read that each moth could lay 2,000 eggs, I knew we were in trouble just from the sheer numbers we saw in our pastures and in the Friday night lights.
Hopefully we have those critters behind us since their voracious appetites for our winter and summer pastures came at a time when we were recovering from the summer drought and looking at high-priced hay.
Meanwhile, back on the ranch, we got our fall calves fence lined weaned with little or no sickness despite the ever changing weather and continued rain.
They then received vaccinations for the virus complex, blackleg and dewormed. The vaccinations were repeated two weeks later since one vaccination is not 100 percent effective and the second hopefully gets those covered.
Doing what we can to minimize calf morbidity is not only beneficial to our business, but the industry as well since calves that do not get sick because they were vaccinated will hopefully not require antibiotics in the future, and that is something our customers are concerned about.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 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.
-
Country Lifestyles2 years agoScott & Stacey Schumacher: A Growth Mindset
-
Country Lifestyles8 years agoStyle Your Profile – What your style cowboy hat says about you and new trends in 2017
-
HOME8 years agoGrazing North Texas – Wilman Lovegrass
-
Equine1 year agoThe Will to Win
-
Country Lifestyles5 years agoAmber Crawford, Breakaway Roper
-
Outdoor10 years agoButtercup or Primrose?
-
Country Lifestyles9 years agoJune 2016 Profile – The man behind the mic: Bob Tallman
-
Country Lifestyles8 years agoDecember 2016 Profile, Rusty Riddle – The Riddle Way