Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
I was really worried we would miss spring this year because we missed the rain in February, March, and the biggest part of April, but low and behold, it arrived. Our pastures finally turned green and our cattle started putting the weight back on they had given up over the winter due to the lack of grazing from our planted winter annuals and our native winter pastures. In the not-so-distant past, I recall realizing that we had indeed missed spring because of one of the frequent droughts that seem to pop up from time to time in our part of the world.
Around our place, all the calves have been vaccinated for blackleg, IBR and dewormed with a white wormer. Their mommas and daddies received lepto-vibrio with the mommas and daddies two and under receiving a white dewormer. One thing we did run into was ear ticks on mainly our yearling heifers. There were a lot of them on the backs of the ears and inside the ears. We used an ear tick spray for those inside the ears and a pour-on down the back for those on top of the ears. Now, with the abundance of forage we have been blessed with, it’s time to enjoy watching our cattle bloom and the fruits of our labors pay off.
To read more pick up a copy of NTFR magazine. To subscribe 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.
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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