Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Summer has arrived in North Texas and so has the hot weather, which results in lower quality pastures and decreased calf gains. How do you compensate for the lower quality forage when you want and need your calves to grow? Supplemental protein may be the answer, and work done by Oklahoma State University on this issue resulted in the creation of a program called Oklahoma Gold.
This program basically involves feeding a high protein supplement such as cotton seed meal cubes (41 percent crude protein) to weaned calves beginning when forage quality drops below the needs of the cattle: July in our part of the county. Calves still on the cows present a different problem because it is difficult to feed the calves without feeding the cows.
I don’t know if calves can be trained to go into lots or a pasture separated by creep gates or not, but in my opinion, this would solve the problem.
In addition to supplementing protein, the program also includes the use of ionophores in the protein supplement. Gains from this program have improved by 0.60 pounds per head per day by using only one pound of supplement per head per day.
To see if this is something that may work for your operation, google Oklahoma Gold cattle feeding. The Noble Foundation also has the information available on their website including a cost vs return calculator to see if the program is profitable with the current feed and cattle prices.
To read more pick up a copy of the July 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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