Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
We are definitely in the season of holidays, family and being appreciative of what we have. While our ventures can be enduring and rewarding at the same time, the real question I ask myself is, “Who are we doing this for?” While most of the time it is for ourselves because we love what we do, in the long term, we probably do this for our families, our hired hands and the ones that put as much towards our success as we do. Our circle is our community and while we certainly want to do good in life it also gives us as much or more pride to see others do good themselves.
Winter officially begins this month and with that comes the feed and hay bills. This year was really tough on our native forages due to the drought and heat combination. Our pastures haven’t been this bad in 20-plus years. We normally don’t overgraze our pastures, but it is obvious now that we did this year while not noticing we were doing so. The moisture we did receive did not keep our forages growing because, in my opinion, the extreme heat shut the plants down. So, the normal $400 to $500 winter feed bills for 120 days of feeding are going to increase. As I mentioned in earlier articles, we did double our winter forage planting this year so hopefully we will see some relief from store-bought protein supplements.
To read more, pick up a copy of the December 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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