The conference is co-sponsored by the Bryan County and Grayson County Extension Services, the Bryan County Cattle Producers Association and the Grayson County Beef Committee. They include updates on the status of hoof and mouth diseaseand B.S.E. and their threat to livestock producers, dealing with wildlife damage from cyotes and feral hogs, and the high cost of nitrogen fertilizers and ways to maximize its efficiency. The program will also include a presentation on new bermuda grass varieties for the Texoma region. Door prizes will be given away by trade show participants. Short summer and fall forage supplies in many areas of the state have resulted in thinner cattle, which can decrease pregnancy rates in cowherds.
Several factors can help ensure that pregnancy rates in stressed cowherds remain high.
The greatest influence on re-breeding rates in beef cows is their body condition, or degree of fatness, at calving. Cows calving in a body condition score of about six or better, on a scale 1 to 9, stand the best chances of re-breeding in time to calve again by the same times next year. Cows in this body condition have a smooth finish with no more than their last one or two ribs easily visible. Probably the most important thing a rancher can do right now is ensure that cattle are getting enough protein and energy in the diet. If a rancher isn't sure, we recommend that they have their forage and hay tested.