Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen, [email protected]
We make approximately 75 percent of our yearly summer forage by July 15 each year. How did you do? Summer just keeps marching along and with August looming, now is a great time to begin thinking about fall pastures. As mentioned in previous articles, we need to take a look at our current pasture situation as it relates to warm season grasses and fall and winter pastures.
It seems as though feed prices this fall will be comparable to last year’s prices, which were expensive with most, if not all protein cubes, costing more than $450 per ton. Based on this cost, and feeding four pounds of cubes per day, our winter cost for protein alone is $112 per head plus labor. Although hay prices have moderated this year, we are still looking at roughly $300 per cow plus labor. Now we have more than $400 per head required to feed a cow for 125 days which is just a third of the year.
To read more, pick up a copy of the August issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Ranchers across northeast Wyoming and the surrounding areas saw record moisture levels in 2023. The year 2024 has seen significantly less moisture to date.
By Lindsey Monk
People are finishing up brandings. Here, Danny Walter is shown getting it done.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
On July 6, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted in the Federal Register a proposal that radio frequency identification tags be used as official identification for cattle and bison. Following a period for public comment, the USDA APHIS released a statement on April 24, 2024, with the amended animal disease traceability (ADT) regulation for cattle and bison. The full press release may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/aphis-bolsters-animal-disease-traceability-united-states. Under the new rule, cattle and bison will need to be identified with tags that are both visual and electronic.
The USDA defines ADT as knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they have been, and when the animal disease event took place. A system that allows for efficient traceability of livestock in the United States is essential for animal health and reducing the economic effect of a foreign animal disease outbreak and other diseases on livestock producers as well as others whose well-being depends on livestock production.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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