Reading Time: < 1 minute Many beef producers are looking for alternative feed sources to get their cattle through the winter. Some hope to work with neighbouring farmers to obtain that feed. The question is how to value it in a way that provides value to both the farmer and the cattle producer. Buyers and sellers need to consider accessibility, […] Read more

What to consider when valuing a crop for livestock feed

Seaweed saviour? Marine algae touted as fix for cattle burps
Everyone’s hyped over GHG-fighting seaweed, but is it safe and does it make sense?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Cow burps continue to be headline news, with many — from Bill Gates to a Calgary startup — backing seaweed to save the planet from methane-belching cattle. But despite the hype, slipping a little seaweed into cattle feed is unproven science that needs more study, says one of the leading experts on the issue. “The […] Read more

Alternative feeds: There’s a lot to watch out for
That includes additive effects, binding of calcium, toxic weeds, and crop residues
Reading Time: 2 minutes Editor’s note: This is part of an article recapping some of the points made during a July 29 webinar. Some of the information from the webinar was in a story in the Aug. 9 edition of this paper and the full webinar can be found on the BCRC Blog and locating the Aug. 10 entry […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Alternatives in greater demand
MarketsFarm — Price increases for feed barley and wheat in Western Canada have caused more feeders to look elsewhere for sustenance for their livestock. Prices over the last year have shot up 25 to 40 per cent, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. “Any time you run into a high-priced commodity market, the cost of feeding […] Read more

Different options for feeding cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Considering alternative feeds? The Beef Cattle Research Council has a web page that looks at a number of feeds other than hay, other forages and grains. “There are many alternative feeds that can supplement and even improve the diet,” the web page states. These range from crop residues, chaff, oat hulls, and screenings to DDGs, […] Read more

Forage supplies starting to dip on dry Prairies
CNS Canada — Forage supplies are starting to dwindle across Western Canada following a long, cold, winter and rain is needed soon to make for a good forage crop this year. “People tended to kind of blend hay this year and they managed to get through. But the prolonged cold spring really I think put […] Read more