Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Fall has arrived according to the calendar and with that comes fall calving, weaning spring born calves and getting ready for the quickly approaching change in seasons once again. If you are in Bermuda grass county, we normally expect it to quit growing around Oct. 20 which is when nighttime lows begin hitting that 45-degree mark. While the quality of the forage will remain good, we just stop accumulating more forage.
This is not all bad as it allows our newly-sown fall pastures to begin growing as the competition for sunlight is now in the fall seeded crops favor, assuming the Bermuda grass is short. Being successful with overseeded fall pastures is dependent upon them being able to have sunlight as well as moisture with sunlight normally being the limiting factor. Just remember, grasses don’t grow in the shade.
Around here, we will continue to let our cattle graze the overseeded pasture, if it is four-plus inches tall or better, to help get our fall seeded pastures going. Once that occurs, we will take them off that pasture to allow it to accumulate knowing that the days are getting shorter and temperatures are getting lower which slows down plant growth.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.
Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
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