Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2023

NTFR

Is spring yet? If you are like me, this seems like the longest winter we have ever had. When spring does arrive in full force, it will be a photo finish regarding our hay inventory and the emergence of green grass.

With the winter we have had, regarding costs, this has also been the most expensive when it comes to the price of hay and feed. Happiness is winter in our rearview mirror around here.
Spring will arrive this month in most parts of Texas, and with it will come new calves and breeding decisions.

Those cows that made it through the winter are probably in fair to decent shape and will need a month or so of great grazing to get back in shape, while they are also nursing a calf.
In the case of first calf heifers, they are trying to grow and put on weight without their permanent incisors.

These young females are asked to do a lot and may need a little extra help, nutrition wise, to get rebred on time and continue calving during the target months. Around here, if a heifer is born in February or March, we expect her to calve at age two in the same month she was born. It does not always work out, but that is our goal.

With bull turn out for spring calving cows and heifers being mid-April to mid-May, we certainly hope and expect them to be gaining weight and be in shape to conceive as early in the breeding season as possible.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

Farm & Ranch

Acorn Toxicity

Published

4 days ago

November 21, 2024

NTFR

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.

Farm & Ranch

Silver Bluestems

Published

5 days ago

November 20, 2024

NTFR

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.

Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

Published

2 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

NTFR

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.