Farm, Ranch, & Dairy Magazine - Rocky Mountain/Heartland Edition - Winter/Spring 2025 by Ritz Family Publishing, Inc.

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WESTERN FAR M, RANCH, & DAIRY

a Ritz Family Publication

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Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this publication, however, the publisher does not assume responsibility for omissions or typographical errors. The publisher does not assume responsibility or is liable for the contents of any advertising herein. Publisher’s liability for errors in an advertisement is limited to a correct insertion in the next publication. In the event of a misprint, the publisher must be informed of such error prior to printing of the next publication.

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Pusher

some of the most things, though, challenges has left behind.

Durham Stalk Pusher

Burlington, Colorado. roller design was Simply roll over the anything more all, leaving the till farming.

The Durham Stalk Pusher

Strip Till farmers have long been considered some of the most progressive in the industry. Like most things, though, there have been challenges. One of those challenges has been tire and or trac damage caused by corn stalks left behind. Seeing a need to mitigate tire damage, The Durham Stalk Pusher was invented in 2008 by Galan Durham of Burlington, Colorado.

The idea may not have been unique, but the roller design was the first of its kind. The concept is simple.

Simply roll over the stalks to lay them down. There is no need for anything more aggressive or destructive to the corn stalk. After all, leaving the stalk in the field was the purpose behind strip till farming.

Durham Ag Tech has the best quality product among tire mitigation products and is able to boast that it is priced far more reasonably than some of the less user friendly designs currently being sold.

The top 4 reasons that the Durham Stalk Pusher should be your first choice when looking for a tire mitigation product are:

• Cost Effectiveness – An entire unit is priced at less than two tractor tires. This is BY FAR the most reasonably priced unit on the market.

• Ease of Mounting – No need to install multiple pieces to run over each row. That's just more parts that need maintenance. Our Generation III model hangs on the front weight bracket and works for most tractor models. We currently have units available for John Deere, Case and Caterpillar. Each Stalk Pusher arrives with complete mounting hardware and can be installed in under 2 hours.

• Total Clearance – Generation III models boast up to 25" of clearance! This is especially important to the folks that farm uneven terrain. With our oscillating bar, the roller truly follows the contour of the ground.

• Ease of Use – The roller system lays stalks flat, so in contrast to an individual skid system that may catch debris, this won’t catch trash!

The Durham Stalk Pusher has branched out all over the Midwest and has units running in North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Iowa and of course its home state of Colorado. Several customers have purchased multiple units so that they can have one on each of their tractors!

For more information on the Durham Stalk Pusher

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Restock The Hay Pile Or Raise $13 Soybeans? Why

The dry summer and fall of last year and the bitter cold this winter have combined to make hay a valuable commodity. This has made many consider putting cropland to a temporary hay crop, such as sorghum-sudangrass or teff. At the same time, the explosion in China soybean purchases has made raising soybeans a very attractive proposition as well. It is nice for a change to be faced with actual profitable choices! But when faced with two attractive choices, why not choose both?

One thing the cover crop movement has taught us is that growing crops in rapid sequence does not exhaust soil, rather it feeds the soil microbes that increase soil productivity. It is entirely possible to plant a crop of oats, peas or spring triticale (or a mix of all three) in March and have a hay crop made by May, in plenty of time to plant soybeans. Not only can the hay crop make as much revenue as we typically expect from a bean crop alone but growing the hay can create a nice stubble to control soil erosion and improve water infiltration and rooting depth and may offer weed control benefits as well. Spring triticale is an unfamiliar crop to a lot of people, but it is a real rising star in the forage and cover crop world. A cross between rye and spring wheat, it has hybrid vigor compared to either parent. Compared to spring oats, it can yield much higher, and is more competitive against weeds. The quality drops after heading relative to oats, but most people prefer to bale in boot stage to leave as much growing season for the following crop as they can. Peas add both additional yield and additional protein to the mix. Or maybe you would prefer to focus on hay and forgo the beans altogether. In that case, why not grow two hay crops rather than one? You can raise the oat/pea/spring triticale, then follow with a summer forage crop as well. For maximum tonnage you could try a crop of dry stalk sorghum-sudangrass, which offers the high yield of sorghum-sudan in a faster drying package. Alternately, teff grass offers a very rapid drying hay option, while cowpeas or mung beans offer high protein options, Can’t make up your mind? Plan all of them in combination to hedge your bets. If your pastures are beat up after last summer’s drought, you could pasture this crop in late summer and give your perennial pastures a much-needed chance to restore vigor and grow deeper roots to weather the next drought. And, if spending all summer baling hay and spending all winter feeding hay sounds less than appealing to you, how about planting a crop that can be stockpiled and grazed without all that work, such as a crop of brown midrib sterile sorghum, with some companion crops for added protein

and energy? Many people are using this very economical means of wintering livestock now with great success. In the fall, you can add yet another forage crop, drilled right into the living stubble of the summer mix as soon as it is hayed or grazed off in late summer. At first glance, this seems to doom the new seedlings to certain failure, as they are competing with the regrowth of the established summer crop for moisture and light. But it doesn’t work that way. The transpiration of moisture from the regrowth of the summer crop cools the soil, dropping the temperature as much as 30 degrees relative to the air temperature. The cool-season seedlings need only 10% of the moisture at 80 degrees as they do at 100 degrees, so drilling a cool-season pasture mix of oats, triticale, rye, ryegrass, turnips, radishes and peas right into unkilled stubble of a summer annual mix can actually increase the survival of the seedlings. After a hard freeze has killed and thoroughly dried the summer plants, they can be grazed off right along with the green growth of the cool-season mix, saving on winter hay needs and providing much higher quality nutrition than hay. Besides, you also save the cost of termination! Best of all, the growing of crops in rapid succession provides those vital soil microbes a continual flow of nutritious root exudates for improving soil structure and water-holding capacity for better crops in the future.

8,000+ New Ag Parts Available At

• AXLES • BLADES • DISC BLADES • HARROW SPIKES • S-TINES • VERTICAL TILLAGE PARTS • TEETH • GRAIN GATES • GRAIN

STORAGE • TOW ROPES • V-BELTS • ZIP TIES AIR CONDITIONING • AUGER TUBES • BELTS • DRIVETRAIN PARTS • 4WD KITS • DISCHARGE PARTS • ENGINE • EXHAUST • FEEDER HOUSE • FILTERS • GRAIN TANK PARTS • LANKOTA • LIGHTS • MUD SCRAPERS • RADIOS • STARTERS • AUGER DRUM • DIVIDERS • PTO SHAFTS • SICKLE PARTS • MANUALS • ROCK BOXES • STEERING • SEATS • STEP KITS • WEIGHTS • ENGINE • DECALS • MIRRORS • MOISTURE

TESTERS • BALE SPEARS • BALER PARTS • BEAN METERS • CLOSING WHEELS • HOPPERS • GAUGE WHEELS • HITCHES • RUBBER TRACKS • SEED LUBRICANTS • SHOP SUPPLIES • SHANKS • YETTER PARTS • CAMERA SYSTEMS • EXHAUSTS • HOSES • PRESSURE GAUGES • STEERING • AXLES • BLADES • DISC BLADES • HARROW SPIKES • S-TINES • VERTICAL

TILLAGE PARTS • TEETH • GRAIN GATES • GRAIN STORAGE • TOW ROPES • V-BELTS • ZIP TIES

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One Call of Wyoming

One Call of Wyoming is a nonprofit organization that administers the 811 notification center within the state of Wyoming. Any entity within the state that owns/operates any underground facilities shall, by statute, register their location and contact information with the notification center, there are few exceptions to this requirement. If a person is involved in any activity in which earth, rock or other materials on or below the ground is moved or otherwise displaced by means of hand or power tools, power equipment, explosives or other means, and includes grading, trenching, digging, ditching, auguring, tunneling, boring, plowing in, pulling in, ripping, scraping and pipe installing, EXCEPT TILLING OF SOIL AND GARDENING OR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES. They must call the notification center by dialing 811 in Wyoming or from out of state dial 1-800-849-2476 at least 2 full business days, and not more than 14 full business days, prior to beginning their excavation.

Once the notification center (811) has been contacted, the center will send out notifications to our member, operators/ owners, to let them know of your intended excavation activity near their underground facilities within the next 2 to

14 business days. The members must respond to the excavator within the 2 full business days and either clear the described dig area or mark their facilities within the described dig area in some fashion within 2 feet of the actual facility location. PLEASE, for your safety and for the safety of the general public, and the protection of our vital underground infrastructure. Submit your request online at www.onecallofwyoming.com or dial 811 from within Wyoming, or if calling from out of state please dial 1-800-849-2476 at least 2 full business days prior to beginning, ANY excavation activity.

Submitted by One-Call of Wyoming’s Administration Office Locate Number 1-800-849-2476

Stalk Knockers

Stalk Knockers are the most user friendly and lightest weight option on the market. No need to be removed when trailering, saving valuable time. They were invented by two farmers in southwest Iowa looking for a better solution for managing stalk residue on their own farm. www.stalkknockers.com .

Introducing the Eagle II Tine System

CurseBuster®:

Soil Regeneration Unlimited has finalized five years of field scale operations amounting to over 5000 acres on a fifteen-foot frame. The new service-free design has required no maintenance or repair during this time period.

CurseBuster®

the Eagle II Tine System

Introducing the Eagle II Tine System

The system also modifies the tine attachment design while retaining the individual tine replacement capabilities. The use of two robust external clamping rings which are pulled together onto the tine base beveled corner provide the clamping force to retain the tine to the 8 inch outside diameter roller surface. Three transverse ½” capscrews with Allen heads and a locking style nut which is held in a hex shaped recess hold the clamping rings without any wear on the fasteners. This system has never required retightening of these three fasteners.

CurseBuster®

the Eagle II Tine System

These clamping rings also provide the historic soil engagement necessary to prevent soil heaving thereby amplifying tine created fracture forces in front of and directly under the roller. There are nor shapes which could aggravate wrapping of crop residues.

The system also modifies the tine attachment design while retaining the individual tine replacement capabilities. The use of two robust external clamping rings which are pulled together onto the tine base beveled corner provide the clamping force to retain the tine to the 8 inch outside diameter roller surface. Th ree transverse 1/2” capscrews with Allen heads and a locking style nut which is held in a hex shaped recess holding the clamping rings without any wear on the fasteners. Th is system has never required retightening of these three fasteners.

A dowel pin in the 8 inch center element locates the tine positions. No more guessing about proper positioning of tines to form the new helical pattern. From now on there will be no more trying to figure out if the roller is clockwise or counterclockwise. The tine patterns are the same everywhere. The tines will remain mirror-imaged in order to create the same highly effective soil density reduction that has been the hallmark of CurseBuster®

CurseBuster®

Soil Regeneration Unlimited has finalized five years of field scale operations on a fifteen-foot frame. The new service-free design has required no period.

Now perhaps the best part of the new design... the bearing system. First of all we are going to be using four commonly available tapered roller bearings; two on each end of the roller. They are installed into a robust ductile iron casting and hidden inside the roller. The spindle is tightened before installation into a totally protected environment.

Now perhaps the best part of the new design… the bearing system. First of all we are going to be using four commonly available tapered roller bearings; two on each end of the roller. They are installed into a robust ductile iron casting and hidden inside the roller. The spindle used is tightened before installation into a totally protected environment.

the Eagle II Tine System

The system also modifies the tine attachment design while retaining bilities. The use of two robust external clamping rings which are pulled corner provide the clamping force to retain the tine to the 8 inch outside transverse ½” capscrews with Allen heads and a locking style nut which hold the clamping rings without any wear on the fasteners. This system these three fasteners.

Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette seal which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

Once installed, a fully-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette seal which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

These clamping rings also provide the historic soil engagement necessary amplifying tine created fracture forces in front of and directly under the could aggravate wrapping of crop residues.

Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette seal which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

The external attaching arm is easily removed in order to gain access to the seal if it should ever require replacement. The cassette type seal is commonly used on semi-trailer hubs. All of the sealing surfaces are located inside the seal body eliminating the possibility of contamination through an external lip system which is prone to wear the spindle surface.

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level.

These clamping rings also provide the historic soil engagement necessary to prevent soil heaving thereby amplifying tine created fracture forces in front of and directly under the roller. There are no shapes which could aggravate wrapping of crop residues.

Tillage-Seedbed

A dowel pin in the 8 inch center element locates the tine positions. No more guessing about proper positioning of tines to form the new helical pattern. From now on there will be no more trying to figure out if the roller is clockwise counterclockwise. The tine patterns are the same everywhere. The tines will remain mirror-imaged in order to create same highly effective soil density reduction that has been the hallmark of CurseBuster®.

A dowel pin in the 8 inch center element locates the tine positions. No more guessing tines to form the new helical pattern. From now on there will be no more trying to counterclockwise. The tine patterns are the same everywhere. The tines will remain same highly effective soil density reduction that has been the hallmark of CurseBuster®.

The external attaching arm is easily removed in order to gain access to the seal if it should ever require replacement. The cassette type seal is commonly used on semi-trailer hubs. All of the sealing surfaces are located inside the seal body eliminating he possibility of contamination through an external lip system which is prone to wear the spindle surface.

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level.

Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette seal which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

CurseBuster® Applications

Tillage-Seedbed Preparation/Manure Application

Now perhaps the best part of the new design… the bearing system. First of all we are going to be using four commonly available tapered roller bearings; two on each end of the roller. They are installed into a robust ductile iron casting hidden inside the roller. The spindle used is tightened before installation into a totally protected environment.

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level.

Now perhaps the best part of the new design… the bearing system. First of all we available tapered roller bearings; two on each end of the roller. They are installed hidden inside the roller. The spindle used is tightened before installation into a totally Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

The external attaching arm is easily removed in order to gain access to the seal if it should cassette type seal is commonly used on semi-trailer hubs. All of the sealing surfaces nating the possibility of contamination through an external lip system which is prone to

How many field operations do you want to combine into one pass? Dan runs CurseBuster to weed, mulch the surface, fracture soil up to 11 inches deep for large root system development, apply seed and “incorporate” dairy manure (not bury it). Optional rear hitch pulls the grain drill or corn planter when he wants. You can do this while building the fungal population in your soils.

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level.

Tillage-Seedbed Preparation/Manure Application

CurseBuster® Applications

Preparation/ Manure Application

Weed Control/Cultivation/Crimping

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level.

CurseBuster

Once installed, a full-synthetic multi-viscosity gear oil is added to the cavity of the hub. It is sealed with an SKF cassette seal which is observable from the exterior of the roller.

How many field operations do you want to combine into one pass? Dan runs CurseBuster® to weed, mulch the surface, fracture soil up to 11 inches deep for large root systems development, apply seed and “incorporate” dairy manure (not bury it). Optional rear hitch pulls the grain drill or corn planter when he wants. You can do this while building the fungal population in your soils.

Tillage-Seedbed Preparation/Manure Application

Watch Active Carbon levels soar because the soil can breathe deeply and plants can build extensive root masses. The way in which the roller speed is controlled by the Eagle Tine design, wrapping is never a problem even in vines. The adjustability of the rotary harrow system permits removal of small weeds and non disturbance of the cover crop root system thereby preserving the allelopathic and/or synergistic influences of cover and companion crops.

Tillage-Seedbed Preparation/Manure Application

Genesis 2:5 KJV “…for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the Earth, and there was no man to till the ground.”

Weed Control/Cultivation/Crimping

Soil Air & Water Management-Classic Aeration

Weed Control/Cultivation/Crimping

CurseBuster® Applications

Tillage-Seedbed Preparation/Manure Application

Weed Control/Cultivation/Crimping

This tool is the fit for rolled down cover cropping that produces crop root systems that are unmatched. Plant green, then till to 9 inches and improve emergence, never move a seed. You want to try legume living mulch corn, this is the only way to succeed. Watch Active Carbon levels soar because the soil can breathe deeply and plants can build extensive root masses. The way in which the roller speed is controlled by the Eagle Tine design, wrapping is never a problem even in vines. The adjustability of the rotary harrow system permits removal of small weeds and non disturbance of the cover crop root system thereby preserving the allelopathic and/or synergistic influences of cover and companion crops.

Soil Health advancement happens fastest with perennial crops in the rotation. These crops need to regrow roots every year to stay vigorously productive above and below ground. Properly timed “cultivation” that relieves compaction and the macro pore clogging of silt soil particles is needed.

This tool is the fit for rolled down cover cropping that produces crop root systems that are unmatched. Plant green, then till to 9 inches and improve emergence, never move a seed. You want to try legume living mulch corn, this is the only way to succeed. Watch Active Carbon levels soar because the soil can breathe deeply and plants can build extensive root masses. That way in which the roller speed is controlled by the Eagle Tine design, wrapping is never a problem even in vines. The adjustability of the rotary harrow system permits removal of small weeds and non disturbance of the cover crop root system thereby preserving the allelopathic and/or synergistic influences of cover and companion crops.

Weed Control/Cultivation/Crimping

Soil Air & Water Management-Classic Aeration

Genesis 8:21 KJV “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…”

Soil Air & Water Management-Classic Aeration

A standard 3/8” pipe plug is removed for adding the gear lube and checking the fluid level. SOIL REGENERATION UNLIMITED 4560 S. 390 E. • Wabash, IN 46992 260-706-3133 Cell

Genesis 2:5 KJV “…for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the Earth, and there was no man to till the ground.”

Genesis 2:5 KJV “...for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the Earth, and there was no man to till the ground.”

Genesis 8:12 KJV “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth...”

Soil Air & Water Management-Classic Aeration

Soil health advancement happens fastest with perennial crops in the rotation. These crops need to regrow roots every year to stay vigorously productive above and below ground. Properly timed “cultivation” that relieves compaction and the macro pore clogging of silt soil particles is needed.

Genesis 8:21 KJV “I will

will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…”

Genesis 8:21 KJV “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…”

Image by Thomas McSparron

Calmer BT Chopper® Stalk Rolls

No need to spend money on a new chopping corn head! Calmer BT Chopper® Stalk Rolls eliminate the need for a new corn head, and give you a field full of residue that is chopped, shredded, and in “confetti like” small pieces. Problems occur when you have corn heads with too many moving parts, there are more maintenance requirements. There are problems when you have too many machines going through the field, compaction stunts growth. There are too many expenses trying to get your field ready for over wintering with traditional chopping corn heads, added gas and wages for hired help. The Calmer BT Chopper is an upgraded stalk roll that replaces the stock rolls of the JD 40, 90, and 600 series, CASE-IH 2200, and 2400 series, and the NH 96c, 98c, and 996 corn

processing area of the stalk roll. The 10 very sharp blades of the Calmer BT Chopper then grab onto the stalk (grasp and control), and shred, chop, and place the residue on the ground in small 1 to 2 inch pieces. These pieces are not whole short stalks, they are small vertical and lateral pieces put on the ground evenly at each row. No windrowing to decompose slowly, or to keep the ground cold longer in the Spring. The residue is held down by the first frost, and decomposed more quickly by planting time. The exploded root balls are kinder to the tires. There are sprocket and patented beveled stripper plate kits available for the 40/90 corn head. There are patented beveled stripper plates available for the 2200/2400, and the 96c, 98c, and 996 corn heads. Call 309-629-9000 to talk to

CALMER BT CHOPPER® STALK ROLLS

TIRE TOWN INC.

The Hillco Wrap Twine Remover (WTR) safely removes netwrap and/or twine from round bales and large square bales without the need for the operator to get off the tractor.

When the bale is ready to be fed the knife and hooks are engaged to cut and grab the wrap. After the wrap is cut the hooks hold onto the wrap. The pressure on the squeeze arms is released.

The arms can be rotated up, out of the way, pulling the wrap off the bale. The bale is then dumped into the feeder. The tractor operator can release the hooks and dump the wrap in a pile outside the pen. The WTR can handle 4’x5’,

*Patent Pending

Image by Wolfgang Hasselmann

2024 GEA 8 Manure Pump, New GEA Vertical Super Pump; 8’ 6” Vertical Pump; Trailer; Twin PTO Option; New Condition. Call

2024 GEA SW450, New SW450 Cable Scraper Drive Call

Tractor Mounted Snowblowers Clear the Way in Record Time

Depending on where you live and how much stock you put in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the coming winter could be a snow-filled one. While heavy snowfall brings much needed moisture, moving it and making areas passable creates its own set of challenges. For light snows and smaller areas, bucket loaders and skid steers can get the job done, but when you live in an area where deep snow and high winds are the norm, it may be time to consider a tractor-mounted snowblower.

Clay Zimmerman of Evanston, Wyoming bought a HitchDoc HDS8205 two winters ago. He and his wife own High Uinta Pack Goats, the only pack goat rental service in the country.

“Where I live, it’s all rolling hills and normal snowfall starts at 6 feet deep. The gravel road is only maintained by my neighbor and myself.” For years, Clay’s neighbor

cleared the snow with a bucket mounted to his tractor and it took him all day. That just wasn’t efficient enough, so, Clay started looking into options for a snowblower to mount to his tractor.

“I looked at a dozen brands and even bought one before I bought the HitchDoc, but it wasn’t heavy duty enough.” After more research, Clay opted for the HDS8205 from HitchDoc. He mounted it to the front 3 point hitch of his 140 horsepower tractor so he wouldn’t have to look backwards the whole time and connected it to the hydraulics so he could control it with the joystick.

Now Clay clears the snow for him and his neighbor in about an hour. Clay says his snowblower has enough power to throw snow 100 feet. Reflecting on his purchase, Clay said, “it’s been a life saver. It’s the best purchase I could’ve made.”

Manchester Manufacturing Company

Manchester Manufacturing Company has been engineering grain harvesting innovations since 1919. Force Feed Feeder Chains, Hillside Raddles, Plastic Inserts, and Weed Wipers are available. We can help your grain feeding problem. Available for ALL combines. If your combine won’t feed at the auger, especially in short, weedy or tangled crops, it’s because it isn’t feeding at the cylinder. We solved the problem by designing a slat with a flap on it. Each slat on our Force Feed Feeder Chain works like a beater to feed material into the cylinder. Our Hillside Raddle holds grain while harvesting on a hillside. The Hillside Raddle has patented lugs attached to the steel slats. These lugs prevent grain from sliding to the downhill side of the raddle pan before it reaches the chaffer, thus preventing overloading of the lower side of the chaffer sieve and cleaning shoe. We can replace your wooden slat raddles with steel slat raddles on all Gleaners built

before 1971. The Plastic Inserts convert the Force Feed Feeder Chain to an all-purpose chain to harvest all crops. They are ideal for grain stripping headers, handling only the grain and not the stalk and straw. They prevent wear on the feeder house floor, splitting,

cracking, crushing of grain. The Manchester Weed Wiper is the perfect solution for eliminating nuisance weeds from your crops. It works excellent on rye, weeds, Johnson grass, or any growth above your crop to be harvested. Available in a front mount boom system.

Image by Tom from Pixabay

Maui, Hawaii

Image by Lee & Laura Howell

Image

Rawhide Portable Corral

For over 22 years, Rawhide Portable Corral has been leading the portable corral market with its innovative design and ability to adapt the corral based on customer needs. One such need throughout the years was that of a windbreak. With the same design in mind as the Rawhide Portable Corral, John McDonald has developed a patent pending portable, foldable, windbreak on wheels.

“The portable windbreak will include a hydraulically raised loafing shed roof on both sides of the main frame and will utilize the same patented torsion axle suspension that we recently added to our portable corrals,” said John McDonald, Owner and Inventor of Rawhide Portable Corral.

The portable windbreak is designed so that it may also be used in conjunction with the portable corral. The Rawhide Portable Corral flexible pinning system can be used to pin them together if necessary. The options on the windbreak also include small calving pens on each side of the main frame and a head gate.

“We expect this to be another revolutionary product for the livestock industry, similar to when we first developed the Rawhide Portable Corral,” McDonald says.

This design has been something that McDonald and his team have been working on for quite some time. Designs were tested and used in the Kansas wind throughout the research and development process.

“Our goal was to get it exactly like we wanted it before introducing it to the industry,” McDonald says. “We have shared it with a few of our dealers early on and they are very excited about it and the potential impact it will have on the industry.”

Videos of the system may be found on the Rawhide’s social media channels and website. Anyone interested may contact Rawhide via their main office in Abilene, KS at 785.263.3436, contacting one of their dealers, or by the website at www.rawhideportablecorral.com

Beefmaster Heterosis Can Impact Any Herd

BBeefmaster is a beef breed developed in America that improves beef quality and production efficiency when crossed with any other cattle breed for commercial beef production. The breed originated in Southern Texas in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s. The Lasater family originally developed a large herd of Hereford cattle carefully selected to withstand the heat and insects of the Texas Gulf Coast region, but they were still not perfectly suited to that difficult environment. So Lasater began to experiment with incorporating Bos indicus or Zebu genetics, in the form of Gyr and Guzerat bulls from India and Nelore from Brazil. While the practice of crossbreeding was virtually unheard of at the time, they immediately saw a tremendous jump in productive traits, such as weight gain and reproductive rates. This is genetic advantage known as heterosis or hybrid vigor.

losophy known today as The Lasater Philosophy. The concept is to only select cattle for economically relevant traits, which he distilled to these Six Essential traits. It is the only breed in history to be selected only using pressure for productive traits, as opposed to aesthetics.

In 1937, the herd was closed to outside genetics with continued internal development to cull low-performers and upgrade all traits together equally. By 1954 the foundation herd was recognized by USDA under the name of Beefmaster.

By the early 1930’s, the ranch also incorporated Milking Shorthorn genetics, to augment milk production and carcass quality. They could immediately see that the three-way hybrid was far superior to the two-way crosses. The final composite ended up at roughly 50% Bos indicus and 50% Bos taurus (25% Hereford and 25% Shorthorn).

eefmaster is a beef breed developed in America that improves beef quality and production efficiency when crossed with any other cattle breed for commercial beef production. The breed originated in Southern Texas in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s. The Lasater family originally developed a large herd of Hereford cattle carefully selected to withstand the heat and insects of the Texas Gulf Coast region, but they were still not perfectly suited to that difficult environment. So Lasater began to experiment with incorporating Bos indicus or Zebu genetics, in the form of Gyr and Guzerat bulls from India and Nelore from Brazil. While the practice of crossbreeding was virtually unheard of at the time, they immediately saw a tremendous jump in productive traits, such as weight gain and reproductive rates. This is genetic advantage known as heterosis or hybrid vigor.

As Lasater developed the breed, he also formed a unique selection philosophy known today as The Lasater Philosophy. The concept is to only select cattle for economically relevant traits, which he distilled to these Six Essential traits. It is the only breed in history to be selected only using pressure for productive traits, as opposed to aesthetics.

As Lasater developed the breed, he also formed a unique selection phi-

The breed has rapidly grown around the world and has become known as the prime maternal cow for serious commercial cattlemen that appreciate their production

excellence, particularly in harsh desert or tropical environments. The breed has excelled across most regions of the United States and is the leading breed of choice for commercial cattlemen in Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Panama, Columbia and several other Latin American regions. With global demand for higher-quality beef growing geometrically, Beefmasters provide the perfect breed to cross on commercial cattle to improve production efficiency and carcass quality, while not sacrificing adaptability.

Commercial cattlemen have noted substantial economic gains from using Beefmasters to provide an average increase of 60 lbs., or more at weaning when compared with other breeds. They excel post-weaning as well, with faster weight gains, excellent feed conversion and carcass yields around 64%.

The breed has rapidly grown around the world and has become known as the prime maternal cow for serious commercial cattlemen that appreciate their production excellence, particularly in harsh desert or tropical environments. The breed has excelled across most regions of the United States and is the leading breed of choice for commercial cattlemen in Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Panama, Columbia and several other Latin American regions. With global demand for higher-quality beef growing geometrically, Beefmasters provide the perfect breed to cross on commercial cattle to improve production efficiency and carcass quality, while not sacrificing adaptability.

substantial economic gains from using Beefmasters to provide an average increase of 60 lbs., or more at weaning when compared with other breeds. They excel post-weaning as well, with faster weight gains, excellent feed conversion and carcass yields around 64% In a time when sustainability is becoming increasingly critical, Beefmasters have repeatedly demonstrated that they are highly efficient converters of both forage and feeds into lean, tender, high-quality beef. A recent study at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) demonstrated Beefmasters dominance when compared to 18 of the most widely used beef breeds in the United States.

In a time when sustainability is becoming increasingly critical, Beefmasters have repeatedly demonstrated that they are highly efficient converters of both forage and feeds into lean, tender, high-quality beef. A recent study at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) demonstrated Beefmasters dominance when compared to 18 of the most widely used beef breeds in the United States.

Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is headquartered in Bryan, Texas. Beefmaster ranks fifth in the U.S. in terms of membership and is the largest of the American breeds. The association has over 3,000 members registering around 19,000 calves annually.

Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) is headquartered in Bryan, Tx. Beefmaster ranks fifth in the U.S. in terms of membership and is the largest of the American breeds. The association has over 3,000 members registering around 19,000 calves annually.

Commercial cattlemen have noted

Beefmasters also enjoy a rapidly growing international footprint, with established associations in eight countries worldwide. T hese i nnovative cat tlemen have seen the tremendous strengths Beefmasters bring to their own genetic improvement programs. For more information about what Beefmasters can do for your operation, please visit us w ww.beefmasters.org. e

Beefmasters also enjoy a rapidly growing international footprint, with established associations in eight countries worldwide. These innovative cattlemen have seen the tremendous strengths Beefmasters bring to their own genetic improvement programs. For more information about what Beefmasters can do for your operation, please visit us at www.beefmasters.org