Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen
Late August and early September rains allowed us to get our discing done, our ground packed and our ryegrass seed and fertilizer broadcast.
Now all we need is moisture and good growing conditions the next few weeks and our fall and winter grazing will be made, but when you’re farming outdoors anything can happen but since we do we are required to be optimists, which we are, and hopefully we will have at least somewhat normal or above normal moisture. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and our optimism high for the weather and our pastures.
Fall calving is underway here at Pullen Angus and in addition to our fall calving cows we have 40 first calf heifers shelling out calves like clockwork. Bred to our low birthweight bulls and having heifers weighing about 1,000 pounds, we don’t expect any problems, but we do check them twice a day to be on the safe side.
To read more pick up a copy of the October 2019 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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