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New Practices Pay Off for Established Angus Breeders
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Although they’re too humble to admit it, John and Gaye Pfeiffer have made quite a name for themselves within the Angus breed. Together, the couple has served on more cattlemen’s association and local community boards than one can count.
“We’ve always believed it’s important to give back to what makes your living,” says John Pfeiffer, fourth-generation seedstock Angus cattle producer in central Oklahoma. The Pfeiffers have an “open-gate policy” and can often be found sharing their farm story with dietitians, fast-food company representatives and anyone else who simply wants to learn more about beef production.
For John, the cattle business is a way of life. His great-grandfather bought his first registered Angus bull in 1907, and the Pfeiffer family has been in the Angus business ever since. Today, the Pfeiffers run 300 cows and farm around 3,000 acres near their home 50 miles north of Oklahoma City.
“We grow some corn and wheat, but we’ve found that we’re much better at breeding cattle than we are at farming,” John says, chuckling. “Most of the crop ground is used to create more quality feed for the cattle.”
The Pfeiffers use DuraCor® herbicide to help maximize quality forage production and keep cows in the right condition.
“We get about 32 inches of rainfall per year here, so we must ensure that we’re growing grass instead of weeds to take care of our cows,” John says. “DuraCor is a product that works really well for us, because it stays where it’s sprayed and controls our most challenging weeds, such as silverleaf nightshade, broomweed, ragweed and Russian thistle.”
He also appreciates the flexible application options and low-odor formulation that DuraCor offers.
“We’re seeing great results with drone applications, and we can get the product sprayed closer to the ground without leaving tracks,” he says. “And unlike some other herbicides, it doesn’t smell. That’s another advantage.”
DuraCor has been a great addition to the Pfeiffers’ pasture management program for the past few years, but John admits he was slower to adopt the product until he felt confident it would pencil out.
“I think you have to continue to try new things to move the cattle operation forward,” he says. “Sometimes they work, and sometimes you learn that things don’t work so well for your operation. But I have to say DuraCor is a product that’s worth the investment for us.”
Trying New Things
Most recently, John tested UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed on 20 acres of bermudagrass pasture that’s used for hay.
“UltiGraz saved us a trip across the field, and we had the prettiest bermudagrass that you could ask for,” he says. “There was no marestail or silverleaf nightshade in the hay like we typically see, and that healthy grass stand helped hold down Johnsongrass. It was very effective.”
After seeing the initial results, John says trying something new seems to be paying off again.
“That’s one thing we’ve certainly done right this year,” he says.
Under normal field conditions DuraCor® is non-volatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. UltiGrazSM with fertilizer is available for use with specific herbicides in the states of AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.