Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
In 2006 in the midst of Australia’s worst drought in 100 years, with no feed left on the place and no agistment (grazing) available, my family put all our cattle on “the road chasing feed”. We were not pioneering by doing this but were following an Australian tradition spanning over 200 years. Travelling Stock Routes are areas of crown (government) land reserved for use by stock. Travelling Stock Routes (TSR) are an integral part of rural Australia with the sheep and cattle industries being dependent on them. They are used as supplementary grazing areas in times of drought, flood and fire, and more importantly they also provide an alternative to road transport for moving cattle between ranches or to market. A TSR can be easily distinguished from a normal country road by the fact that the grassed area between the road and the land holder’s fence is very wide, therefore allowing stock to graze on native vegetation safely, as they travel. To read more pick up the November 2015 issue of NTFR.
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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