Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
It’s time to take a little time and smell the roses.
An old joke was about the time the older rancher (about my age) and his wife took a trip to Yellowstone to see the amazing sights. While telling his neighbor about all the wonderful sights, the neighbor thought this might be a wonderful opportunity for him and his wife as well.
When quizzed by the neighbor about their hotel accommodations, the rancher asked him, “What is that beautiful flower that has all those thorns on it?” to which the neighbor responded, “You mean a rose?” The rancher said, “yes that’s it,” looked directly at his wife and asked, “Rose, where did we stay when we went to Yellowstone?” which pretty well sums up my memory these days.
We will get back to the roses a little later in this article, but a few thoughts on hay first.
It’s summertime in Texas, and for many it is the time of the year to be making hay. Here at Pullen Angus, the only hay we feed is in our bull development pastures and for that purpose we purchase the hay we need. Our cow herd is grazed on native pastures and has standing hay in the form of native grasses and it is their source of hay during the winter.
During the drought of 2011, hay was pretty well defined as “anything looking like grass with a string around it.” Desperate times called for desperate measures and that was the first time in my lifetime that I saw several round bales of hay stacked a little way from the highway with a sign that read “Hay not for sale.” I even turned the car around and went back and took a picture of that sign.
To read more pick up a copy of the June 2017 NTFR issue. 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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