Farm & Ranch
North Texas Cattleman’s Conference set for Oct. 24
DENTON – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Denton County and the Denton County Extension Agriculture Committee, in conjunction with Cooke, Grayson, Collin and Fannin counties, is hosting the North Texas Cattleman’s Conference.
The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m. at the church located at 8690 Liberty Road, said Brandon Boughen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Denton County.
Preregistration is required by Oct. 20 to receive lunch. Registration will be $35 per person if preregistered or $40 at the door, he said. Registration forms can be found on the website for AgriLife Extension for Denton County at http://denton.agrilife.org/agriculture-natural-resources. Participants will receive two pesticide applicator continuing education units and two Beef Quality Assurance credits.
The main entre of lunch will be steak, and refreshments will be made available throughout the day, Boughen said.
“This year we have chosen the topic of ‘Managing Risk to Increase Economic Sustainability in Your Cattle Operation,’” he said. “Anyone who raises cattle for profit understands that sustainability equals staying in business and there are more and more factors today than ever before.”
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jude Capper, a self-employed sustainability consultant and an adjunct professor in the department of animal sciences at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, he said.
“She specializes in communicating the importance of livestock industry sustainability and the factors affecting sustainability,” Boughen said. “Dr. Capper also specializes in enhancing the knowledge and understanding of stakeholders within food production from the rancher and farmer through to the retailer, policy-maker and consumer.”
Boughen said six other speakers will round out the day’s program, speaking on topics ranging from “replacement heifers to adding value to your product and marketing.”
Agricultural equipment dealers and representatives from several feed, pharmaceutical and other agricultural sector companies will be on hand to answer questions.
“Today we hear the word ‘sustainable’ everywhere, and I’m not sure most people understand what it means for a business to be sustainable,” Boughen said. “Producers who attend this conference will not only learn what economic sustainability is, but will get ideas to put to use in their operation.”
For more information, contact Boughen or Pamela Hill, office manager at the AgriLife Extension office in Denton County, at 940-349-2894.
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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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