Farm & Ranch
The Dr. MbDonald Column – I coulda been sued!
By Dr. Steve McDonald, DVM
I was traveling down a seldom used road on my way to a ranch for a day of bull fertility testing. There, about 30 yards off the road, was a cow. The dead calf with the swollen head was several feet behind her, and she had prolapsed. She was lying there, obviously exhausted. I did not know who she belonged to, but by the brand of beer cans lying alongside the gate I made a guess.
I decided to stuff her prolapse, since it was fresh and I would be unable to reach who I thought was the owner for the rest of the day. She made no attempt to rise, and I was able to replace her uterus in short order. Since I wasn’t sure who the owner was, I duct taped a business card to her bum.
I went on to spend the remainder of the day testing bulls. I told the cowboys there what I had done, and one of them mentioned that if she died, the owner would certainly waste no time giving me a call, and if she lived the card would certainly “fall” off.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. Call 940-872-5922 to subscribe!
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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