Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen, [email protected]
Spring has finally arrived. We have been waiting for it to get here since the first freeze last fall, and with its arrival, our overhead will be reduced by about three dollars per head a day. While grass is certainly not free, the now green grass will be our salvation for the next several months, when winter will once again make its presence known.
If you were able to make it to spring, we all need to take a look at where we stand, what we did right and what we did wrong. We also need to take a look at where the market is and what we can do to capitalize on this up tick we are currently experiencing.
When we discuss what we did wrong, it may be more about what went wrong, and we can certainly begin that discussion with the weather. There is not much of a cure for a drought and with that comes a lot less forage and, in many cases, inadequate water supplies. While we can and did purchase additional hay, we also had to begin feeding a month or two earlier than normal. When the lines at the sale barns began growing longer in early July, I had doubted those producers, the ones selling out, were doing the right thing. But as time and expenses increased, I thought they may have been the smart ones.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR Magazine. 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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