Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
May flowers will be in bloom this month, and along with them we will see what I usually consider the best month of the year for cattle. As we transition from cool season forages to warm season grasses, we can expect to see our cattle transform from a long winter to a robust spring look, and at this point in time I am hoping for a normal year. It has been a while since I have experienced normal.
With spring calving hopefully behind us, it is time to take care of our annual vaccinations for both the cows and calves. At Pullen Angus, the most important vaccination for calves is blackleg, and for cows it is Leptospirosis. These two diseases are by far and away the most costly pathogens we encounter. In addition, our calves will also receive their initial IBR complex vaccinations and be dewormed. Deworming calves, in my opinion, pays huge dividends for the increased weight gains we realize. At this same time, here on native grass in north central Texas, we will deworm all animals two years old and younger. In some cases, we will deworm some poorly doing cows. For folks in higher rainfall areas that run cattle in higher concentrations, deworming all cattle is probably necessary several times a year.
To read more, pick up a copy of the May issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
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 Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
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 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.
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