Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Turn your attention to 2015
By Rayford Pullen
2014 is in the bag and now we turn our attention to 2015. Decisions we make now regarding sires, donors, etc., will take at least nine months before we see a calf on the ground, seven more months before that calf is weaned and if we are hoping to produce better females, another 17 months before she calves. That’s almost three years. We hope the decisions we are making now are the right ones. Time will tell.
While going over our calving and weaning data for 2014, I decided to pull up how we did on birth weight and weaning weights by sire. What I found was it was certainly different than 2013 where our average birth weight for bulls was 83 pounds and our average birth weight for heifers was 77 pounds. This past year our bulls average 78 pounds and our heifers averaged 77 pounds. Our weaning weights were 15 pounds heavier this year for an average of 615 pounds for all calves weaned. And why was that? My only guess is the weather, nutrition, genetics used or perhaps something else. I don’t really know.
To read more pick up the February 2015 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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