Saturday, March 21, 1998

Cattle on feed numbers are up in Texas

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market from Texas feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 2.6 million head as of March -- up 5 percent from a year ago.

In the United States, cattle and calves on feed in feedlots of that capacity totaled 10.3 million head in March, about 1 percent above the March total last year.

Tarleton intern working for Farm Bureau

Stephanie Renfro, a student at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, has begun her student internship with the Texas Farm Bureau.

Renfro is a senior agricultural services and development major at Tarleton.

She is under the supervision of Ned Meister, TFB Commodity and Regulatory activities director.

During Renfro's 10-week internship, she will receive training in agricultural policy, gain leadership skills and learn more about the state's largest farm organization.

This internship arrangement has been made by a mutual agreement between Texas Farm Bureau and Tarleton State University.

Rule changes for the 1998 grain sorghum contest

Pat George of Tulia says there are several changes for the 1998 Grain Sorghum Yield and Management Contest.

George is chairman of the contest committee.

"One division was eliminated and two new divisions were added," George said. Beginning this year, contestants may enter the irrigated ridge-till division or the dryland mulch-till, but the irrigated no-till division has been dropped."

The contest will now have five divisions: dryland conventional till, irrigated conventional till, dryland no-till, irrigated ridge-till and dryland mulch-till.

Complete rules and entry forms are available from the NGSP office , P.O. Box 530, Abernathy, Texas, 79311, or call (806) 298-4501.

Taylor County 4-H'ers show well in Angelo

Stacy Brazelton came through with the "Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Fryer Rabbits" at the 1998 San Angelo Livestock Show this past week.

Brazelton is an 10th-grader at Trent High School.

Jason Holloway, a Wylie High 11th-grader, showed the first-place European steer of the heavyweight competition.

Kyle Miller, assistant Taylor County Extension agent, said the Taylor County 4-H'ers were glad to return home after an outstanding showing in San Angelo.

Range Field Day is April 23 in Nolan County

A special Range Field Day is 9 a.m. April 23 on the Bob Fee Ranch south of Roscoe in Nolan County.

Topics will include rotational (or deferred) grazing, stocking rates, burning, brush and weed control, multiple species grazing and introduction of improved species of forage.

A panel will be offering suggestions on ways to make these types of pastures more productive -- but the emphasis will be on sharing of experience and knowledge by all who attend.

In addition, a workshop is included in the Field Day to demonstrate management options that may help productivity on marginal range sites.

The Range Field Day will be held on the west side of the ranch and is open to anyone interested in range and livestock management.

From Interstate 20, take Exit 230 for FM 1230. Go south for eight miles until the pavement ends. Then turn east for one mile. You should go across the cattle guard on the right as the road turns back (left) north.

Panelists will be Stan Reinke, Texas A&M area range conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Steve Nelle, USDA wildlife biologist, both of San Angelo; F.T. (Ted) McCollum, Texas A&M livestock specialist, Amarillo; and Kent Mills, nutritionist, Ezell-Key Grain Co., Inc., Snyder.

Ezell-Key and the Nolan County Soil and Water Conservation District will sponsor a hamburger lunch to conclude the field day.

For more, contact Nolan County Extension Agent Zachary Wilcox at (915) 236-6912.