The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will present the multi-county 2012 West Texas Livestock and Range Conference on July 17 in Garden City.
The program starts at 8 a.m. at the Glasscock County Community Center, 117 S. Myrl Street, then departs on a tour of the McDowell Ranch at 8:50 a.m. and returns to the center at 11:45 a.m. for lunch and the remainder of the program.
Counties involved in the program are Glasscock, Howard, Midland, Martin, Upton, Reagan and Ector.
“Conditions have sure changed since last year’s conference when we—like most of Texas—were getting hammered by record-setting drought,” says Rebel Royall, AgriLife Extension agent in Glasscock County. “We visited three stops on the McDowell Ranch last year when conditions were going from bad to worse. This year, we’re going back to those same three stops to see what conditions are like after some moisture.
GET LATEST. The 2012 West Texas Livestock and Range Conference is July 17 in Garden City.
“This year’s overall theme will center around range health and recovery, basically where we go from here in terms of ranching in Far West Texas.”
The McDowell Ranch tour topics will be brush and weed management, proper cattle stocking rates, and determining forage production and the treatments needed to increase production.
The afternoon program topics and speakers will include:
--“Feral Hog Damage To Native Range” by Tim McDermott, Wildlife Services, Howard County
--:”Pesticide Laws and Regulations” by Perry Cervantes, Texas Department of Agriculture
--“Can a $2,500 Cow Breakeven?” by Drs. Stan Bevers and Rob Hogan, AgriLife Extension economists
--“Rangeland Health,” by Dr. Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist
--“Beef Cattle Herd Health and Management,” by Dr. Bruce Carpenter
--“Brush and Weed Control Chemicals” by chemical company representatives
The program will conclude with speakers together on a panel discussion of changes in forage condition from 2011 to 2012, cattle management production scenarios, and brush and weed control. The session ends with a speakers/participant question and answer period.
Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units can be obtained. Individual preregistration is $25 by July 10 or $35 thereafter and at the door. To pre-register or for more information, call Royall at 432-354-2381 or contact any of the Extension offices in the participating counties.