No matter what type of operation you are, whether cow/calf or stocker, utilizing your pasture as efficiently as possible is critical. Correct pasture management is necessary to ensure that pounds produced will overcome your costs. One way to boast grazing efficiency is to achieve better grazing distribution.
Page 38 of 39
As with most of the country summertime here in Texas tends to be hot and dry. Along with the weather your pastures can suffer during this time. Two common types of pasture grass people use are either a type of fescue or bermudagrass. Here are some tips for both of those to help them survive.
How confident are you that your animals are getting their fair share? Many producers wonder if they are feeding enough to get any benefit from their animals. With the social structure of the herd some more timid animals may not be able to consume enough to get any benefit. The space each animal has to eat can play a factor. When cows are given 36″ of trough space per cow all were able to eat. But giving them too much space could cause the opposite effect. When individual trough space was increased to 71″ more fighting took place.
According to the 2012 USDA census of agriculture report 86% of Texas’ cow/calf operations had 100 head or less. There has been a continuing trend over the last couple of decades where cattle operations have shrunk in size but increased in total number. You may think just because you are a small ranch that you don’t matter. But know that every producer contributes to the safest most wholesome food supply in the world. As a member of this group there are some points to consider:
Your cattle equipment plays a key role in your operation as livestock require veterinary care as well as routine health checks. It is important to select equipment and latches that will minimize risk for both producer and livestock. The equipment you are using should be designed for the task that you are doing. In order to get the most effective use of your equipment you should look at it as an investment.
Continue reading
Any trip to the local feed store and you will many different types to feed your animals: meal, pellet, block, or textured. With many different choices deciding what the “best” feed is depends on many different factors. What type of livestock are you feeding? Will there be more than one species of animal being fed? The production goals of those animals? The equipment you have available? What is the topography of the pasture? In truth any of those forms can work for you. You may even know people who use the different types, and each type has it’s pros and cons.
W
hether or not to use creep feed is a question that many producers ask themselves. There are many advantages as well as disadvantages so producers must assess financial variables with production goals to determine if it is a valuable option for them. Creep feeding has been shown to be beneficial when high quality pastures is either inadequate or not available. Here are 3 factors to consider when making your decision:
Continue reading
As we approach summertime it is a good idea to revisit your ranch’s marketing plan. Every operation should develop and maintain a marketing plan for their animals. Think of it as a blueprint to build a house that is a profitable ranch. Course with markets always fluctuating your plan needs to be flexible and easily updated to any changes. Here are 5 questions to consider when developing your plan:
A common occurrence during the first part of spring is when the grass starts turning green ranchers turn the cows out. This time of year should be approached with caution because early spring grass could be limited on growth or volume. When it is like that your cows can use more protein and energy than they’ll take in.
When it comes to your cow’s nutritional needs protein, energy, and minerals are usually first on the list. However ruminants also need roughage in their diets as well. A minimum level of roughage is necessary in order to keep their rumen working like it should.
Products
-
I love my wife
$22.99
-
Farm Strong
$22.99
-
Hay There
$22.99
-
Ag Philosophy Classic Hoodie
$41.99
-
Ag Philosophy Classic Tee
$24.99