Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
It’s a wonderful time to be in the cattle business with the abundance of grass we have grown this year. If you’re not trying to bale hay, combine wheat or farm, what more can we ask for? I’ve seen it stated 75 percent of our forage growth occurs by July 15 each year and with stock tanks (ponds or pools if you’re east of Interstate 35) full, this year is shaping up to be a great year for weaning weights, breed back and healthy cattle. If your grass has been short all year, you can consider yourself over stocked or in one of the areas that have missed the rains.
Internal parasites need moisture to multiply on our grasses and as such, they must be thriving. We finally got all our cows and calves worked the first of June which included Lepto-Vibrio for the mature cows, blackleg and the IBR complex for the calves, and deworming everything with safeguard.
A lot of folks don’t deworm calves, but in my opinion, that is a costly mistake and omitting blackleg is always a huge mistake. If you missed deworming your cows and/or calves this year, you can simply put deworming blocks out free choice and accomplish the same thing.
To read more pick up a copy of the July 2021 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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