The Ranch Management University is an intensive 4.5-day event targeting new or inexperienced ranchers and landowners and covers the fundamentals of soils and soil fertility, forage establishment, pasture management, and utilization by livestock. Basic livestock management practices including castration, vaccination, and calf de-horning are demonstrated. Grazing management, stocking rate, body cond
ition scoring, and nutritional management of beef cattle are also highlighted. The basics of horse management and small ruminant production are also covered in addition to several wildlife management topics for those interested in managing white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkey, feral hogs, and farm ponds. Various forage species including bermudagrass, small grains, annual ryegrass, clovers, and native forages are also addressed for the workshop attendees. Approximately half of the workshop involves lectures and discussions while the other half involves field demonstrations of various how-to methods including soil sampling, hay sampling, and sprayer calibration. Additional demonstrations include hog trap construction and pond fisheries management. Plenty of time is allowed for interaction with Texas A&M University faculty with expertise and experience in all management facets of the soil-plant-animal interface and wildlife management. All meals (breakfast, lunch, and supper) and break materials are included in the registration fee. Attendees all receive a giant manual filled with all Power Point presentations and a resource CD with ~100 publications regarding all aspects of livestock production, wildlife management, soils and fertility, forages, weed management, and much, much more. WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE RANCH MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY?
• New landowners, whether you own 10 acres or 25,000 acres.
• Individuals who lived in the country as a child, moved to the city to make a living, but now have returned to the country to retire.
• Individuals who have inherited land.
• Long-time landowners who may have never had a good understanding of the soil-plant-animal interface.
• Anyone interested in natural resource management and land stewardship. RANCH MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY ATTENDEES WILL LEARN:
• How to develop a business plan and maintain appropriate records for your ranching operation.
• Basic soil science and differences in moisture holding capacity, inherent fertility, and thus production capability of the various soils found in Texas.
• How to sample soils and determine appropriate fertilizer application rates.
• How to select the right forages for your operation.
• How to establish and maintain forages on your property.
• How to make good hay, obtain forage samples, and understand forage nutritive value.
• How to select the right breed of cattle for your environment.
• How to castrate, vaccinate, implant, and de-horn calves.
• Why the use of the right stocking rate is critical for your production system.
• What marketing alternatives are available and how to develop a marketing plan.
• How to manage sheep and goats.
• How to manage horses.
• How to manage the wildlife species and ponds/fisheries on your piece of Texas.
• And so much more. Stay in touch with other Ranch Management University graduates and share your experiences. Go to www.facebook.com and search for Ranch Management University. Become a fan of the page to stay automatically updated. Also, for information on how to register for the next Ranch Management University, go to https://agrilifevents.tamu.edu and search for “ranch management.”
