Farm & Ranch
Ranching Down Under
By Samantha Hall
In 1805 Dr. John Macarthur built Australia’s first commercial dairy herd in Eastern New South Wales.
In 1891 Australia had an influx of gold miners chasing the mother lode. Along with a population growth comes the demand for more food, and as a result of this particular boom Australia’s dairy herd grew quickly to one million head.
By 1900 there was not a town in Australia, no matter how remotely located, that did not have its own supply of fresh milk.
Six thousand dairy farmers nation-wide are producing 9.7 billion litres of milk annually with bulk of the milk production occurring in the south eastern states of Australia; however, dairy farming is also well established across temperate and some sub-tropical areas of Australia.
Because of their suitability to a wide range of environmental conditions and large milk production capabilities, the Holstein Friesian is the most popular breed used for milking by dairy farmers in Australia, with the average herd size being 284 cows and the average cow producing 5,730 litres of milk a year. To read more pick up a copy of the July 2016 NTFR issue.
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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