Farm Help

How do you recommend producers prepare for direct marketing products and livestock off their farm?

You can’t blame cattlemen for feeling they’ve been victims of circumstances – from BSE scares that cut off export demand, to a recession that sapped domestic consumption, to droughts that have prevented herd rebuilding.

There is some information that is mandated by law that the feed manufacturer has to provide on a feed tag. A custom formulated feed would be the only exception to the mandated law.

It is important to reduce noise when handling livestock. Animals are more sensitive to high frequency noise than humans. They can hear high pitched noise that humans cannot hear. Human hearing is most sensitive at 1,000 to 3,000 Hz and the auditory sensitivity of cattle and sheep is greatest at 7,000 to 8,000 Hz.

If you drive down a road in northwest Arkansas during this time of year, you're likely to see tractors in the field pulling a rotary mower, or 'brush hogging' machine. Now is a good time to take care of that brush, weeds and other scrub that's sprung up in your fields this rainy summer. "The primary benefit of brush hogging is to clean up a pasture so it can be better managed. This may be as simple as cutting tall, un-grazed grass or it may mean cutting three-foot tall pigweed or large brush," John Jennings, a University of Arkansas Extension forage specialist, said.  Jennings added that the temporary removal of thorny or un-grazeable species allows livestock to have access to underlying forage. Sometimes clipping pastures may reduce eye problems, but a good grazing plan would be more effective to keep the grass under control than brush-hogging alone.

About one-quarter of the cows in this part of the country calve in the fall, and Tom Troxel told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor there are pluses and minuses to having a fall calving season.

It is important to reduce noise when handling livestock. Animals are more sensitive to high frequency noise than humans. They can hear high pitched noise that humans cannot hear. Human hearing is most sensitive at 1000 to 3000 Hz and the auditory sensitivity of cattle and sheep is greatest at 7000 to 8000 Hz.

There is some information that is mandated by law that the feed manufacturer has to provide on a feed tag. A custom formulated feed would be the only exception to the mandated law.

If you drive down a road in southwest Missouri during this time of year, you're likely to see tractors in the field pulling a rotary mower, or 'brush hogging' machine. Now is a good time to take care of that brush, weeds and other scrub that's sprung up in your fields this rainy summer. "The primary benefit of brush hogging is to clean up a pasture so it can be better managed. This may be as simple as cutting tall, un-grazed grass or it may mean cutting three-foot tall pigweed or large brush," John Jennings, a University of Arkansas Extension forage specialist, said.  Jennings added that the temporary removal of thorny or un-grazeable species allows livestock to have access to underlying forage. Sometimes clipping pastures may reduce eye problems, but a good grazing plan would be more effective to keep the grass under control than brush-hogging alone.

Every Saturday Wendal Rogers, a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grassland conservationist, and his 90-year-old father, Noel, drive to every pasture on their 160-acre farm near the Finley River in Christian County. It’s how they take stock of what needs fixing, cutting or rotating. Over the years they’ve worked closely with the NRCS and the Christian County Soil and Water Conservation District to take advantage of cost-share programs and other incentives and advice to build up their fields of Caucasian bluestem, put in fencing and water systems and manage weeds.