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Texas agricultural losses due to the 2011 drought reached a record $7.62 billion, making it the most costly drought in history, according to updated totals by Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists.
“2011 was the driest year on record and certainly an infamous year of distinction for the state’s farmers and ranchers,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “The $7.62 billion mark for 2011 is more than $3.5 billion higher than the 2006 drought loss estimates, which previously was the costliest drought on record. The 2011 losses also represent about 43 percent of the average value of agricultural receipts over the last four years.”
Use of total mixed ration (TMR) mixers mounted on wagons or trucks is on the rise due to greater returns to feeding and cow-calf operations in spite of greater feed and grain prices.
With spring rapidly approaching and the calving season well under way for most, it’s never too early to make decisions to maximize the value of your calf crop.
Ranch horses are still often the unsung heroes of the equine community. Most probably can remember famed equine athletes like Buck (“Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza”) or the rodeo star Scamper, but few remember the tough ol’ critter that kept a cowboy out of trouble and always did his job – except those who were around him.
The horse has a simple stomach, similar to that of a human. The reason he can digest grass and hay, which humans cannot, is because he has a different type of large intestine.
Whether you travel the APHA circuit, help the neighboring ranch or travel weekends to pursue your cutting hobby, close and/or enclosed quarters, temperature fluctuation, horse-to-horse contact, people-to-horse contact and the sheer volume of people and equines coming in contact with your horse increase the risk of illness and injury.
In 2011, the Western states experienced a severe outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus type 1 (EHV-1). This outbreak affected many equine enthusiasts through the loss and/or suffering of horses and the cancellation of many equine events.
One of the details often overlooked in ranch management is tack maintenance. Proper tack care protects the investment, improves safety and provides more comfort to the horse and rider.
The Stielow family raises registered Angus and Charolais cattle on their Bar S Ranch near Paradise, Kansas, homesteaded in 1900 by Ken Stielow’s grandfather. Ken went to Kansas State University and worked for the extension service for six years after getting degrees in ag econ, then came back to the ranch in 1975.
Horses are a valuable tool on ranches across the country to get work done. There is a certain amount of inner peace and tranquility acquired when quietly moving cows from one pasture to another.
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