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 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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