Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Seems like only yesterday that we were so excited to see spring finally roll around, but here we are expecting the first freeze of the year which usually comes around the middle of November for us in north central Texas.
What happens to our grass quality, for those that have grass, when this occurs? The quality doesn’t decrease immediately when a freeze occurs but actually declines over a period of two weeks or so. If we have grass, it will be around the first of December before we will begin feeding a protein supplement and or hay. This will usually continue for 120 days or until about the first of April.
As I mentioned in an earlier article, we doubled our acres of ryegrass and clover this year and with each month of grazing we get between the first December and the first of April, we will be saving approximately $120 per cow. After that, we will be able to let our grasses rest until around the first of June while grazing winter annuals that are at their highest quality and quantity. For our fall-born calves, we would expect gains of three pounds per day for at least 100 days for a total of 300 pounds and at two dollars, that’s worth $600. If these calves were weighing 400 pounds going on the winter annuals, we are looking at calves that, based on today’s market, will be worth $1,500 to $1,700 per head.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, 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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