Area ranchers headed into the winter months after March’s wildfires need to keep three things in mind – precipitation, grazing history and forage quality.
Dr. Ted McCollum, beef cattle specialist in Amarillo, said these three management factors will help producers determine their herd’s grazing and nutritional program.
Fire is not something that is necessarily unfriendly, McCollum said, but can be when it is at the wrong time of the year and under the wrong conditions. A fire during the early winter months could have been a lot worse than the fires of 2006 or this year, because they occurred close to the typical timing of prescribed spring burns.
Now producers need to pay close attention to all their pastures and what condition they are in to determine the nutritional needs of the herd through the winter, he said.
—
Through the application of science-based knowledge, AgriLife Extension creates high-quality, relevant continuing education that encourages lasting and effective change.
Connect with us: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or InternetTV.
Learn more about Opportunities to Support Extension.