Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
May flowers will be in bloom this month, and along with them we will see what I usually consider the best month of the year for cattle. As we transition from cool season forages to warm season grasses, we can expect to see our cattle transform from a long winter to a robust spring look, and at this point in time I am hoping for a normal year. It has been a while since I have experienced normal.
With spring calving hopefully behind us, it is time to take care of our annual vaccinations for both the cows and calves. At Pullen Angus, the most important vaccination for calves is blackleg, and for cows it is Leptospirosis. These two diseases are by far and away the most costly pathogens we encounter. In addition, our calves will also receive their initial IBR complex vaccinations and be dewormed. Deworming calves, in my opinion, pays huge dividends for the increased weight gains we realize. At this same time, here on native grass in north central Texas, we will deworm all animals two years old and younger. In some cases, we will deworm some poorly doing cows. For folks in higher rainfall areas that run cattle in higher concentrations, deworming all cattle is probably necessary several times a year.
To read more, pick up a copy of the May issue 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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