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Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Seems like yesterday we were hoping spring would arrive as soon as possible and now, we are turning the page and heading into winter this month. If you have been keeping up with me the last few months, I have been doing a few exercises to see what it is going to cost us to get our cattle through the winter. The last one I used had hay costing 10 cents per pound and our cows consuming 20 pounds per day. I have also assumed a 30 percent loss of hay when fed in round bale feeders, which now makes our daily cost per cow for hay at $2.60 per day.
Now for those of us feeding a protein supplement, it appears our daily cost will be 85 cents to one dollar per day plus the cost associated with putting all this out. We now have approximate cost of $3.50 to four dollars per day. If winter is 120 days long, we are now looking at $450 per cow. If we figure in our pasture lease, equipment necessary to feed and labor, $500 may be closer. If you figure you wean a 90 percent calf crop, you then jump to $550 per weaned calf sold. I just had to get this off my chest because the drought along with feed and hay prices has put many of us in a bind to the point of throwing up our hands. The good news is that cattle prices are supposed to be great in the not-so-distant future but they need to be if we are going to survive our current predicament.
To read more, pick up a copy of the December issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Lloyd
Vaccinations are a critical component of maintaining the health and well-being of horses, especially in environments where they are exposed to other animals, such as in the sport, show and performance arenas. Horses, like all animals, are susceptible to various infectious diseases that can spread quickly and cause serious harm.
A routine vaccination schedule helps prevent the spread of these diseases by preparing the horse’s immune system.
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.
Having herds on a controlled breeding schedule means that we have a predictable calving schedule, and while it’s only over a couple of months, for us it does fall right after the start of the year. I lobby annually to call ours the “Winter calving season”, but I am outvoted and my husband still refers to it as Spring. Unlike producers in our Northern States, we don’t have to contend with brutally harsh winter weather, and on those rare times we do, thankfully it is not for extended periods. Regardless of whether you have a Spring or a Fall calving schedule, the health of a newborn calf begins with the mother’s health, and the mother’s health is largely dependent on the producer.
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.
Join us for the Lone Star Open (LSO) Auctioneer Championship, set to take place on Sunday, February 2, alongside the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (FWSSR).
This exciting event will feature a $20,000 prize for the grand champion auctioneer, as well as insightful presentations on the auction method of marketing and the dynamic auctioneering profession.
To read more, pick up a copy of the January edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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