Reading Time: 2 minutes With the early spring, some farmers, ranchers, and acreage owners are turning out livestock four to six weeks earlier than usual. “Some of the turnouts are due to a lack of feed, and for others it is necessary to get the cows out of the corrals,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. Under […] Read more
There can be a steep price for early grazing
The choices aren’t great, but a forage expert warns that early grazing can cost you dearly down the line
‘Coexistence plan’ for GM alfalfa released
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Seed Trade Association has released a “coexistence plan” for GM alfalfa production in Western Canada. “The plan does not advocate for or against the commercialization of GM alfalfa, or favour any one system,” the association stated in a news release. It also doesn’t “consider the potential impact of GM alfalfa hay on the […] Read more
Take care to remove or properly chop netwrap
Cattle will eat netwrap and this can lead to reduced gain and even, in some cases, sudden death
Reading Time: 2 minutes Should you be worried about cattle eating netwrap? The short answer is, maybe. Like twine, cattle will eat netwrap and it can accumulate in the rumen and cause impaction and bloat. The buildup, even if not severe enough to cause noticeable health issues, can reduce voluntary feed intake by three to five pounds a day. […] Read more
It was a big year for greenfeed in 2015
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers in Alberta harvest significant acres of annual crops for greenfeed and silage every year, but production statistics are not available from Statistics Canada, nor any other source. “To fill this gap, we initiated a greenfeed and silage production survey in 2002,” said provincial crop statistician Ashan Shooshtarian. The latest survey (available at agriculture.alberta.ca) shows […] Read more
Don’t graze cattle too early this spring
It’s tempting to start grazing when pastures green up, but nutrient quality is poor
Reading Time: 2 minutes Pasture recovery is an important topic on the heels of last year’s dry conditions, particularly given this year’s poor snow cover in the central and southern regions of Alberta. “If we have a dry spring, producers will need to balance potential feed shortages with the need to protect their recovering pastures,” said provincial forage and […] Read more
Counties say GM alfalfa not wanted here
Councillors and forage industry members concerned about potential loss of markets if GM alfalfa allowed in Alberta
Reading Time: 3 minutes Councillors from counties across the province have voted to keep genetically modified alfalfa out of Alberta until international markets become more accepting of the crop. At a meeting of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) earlier this month, 59 per cent of Alberta’s county councillors voted to keep the province free of […] Read more
GM alfalfa may already be in Alberta
Accidental contamination of foundation seed heightens fears that forage and hay markets worth hundreds of millions are in peril
Reading Time: 7 minutes Genetically modified alfalfa has somehow made its way into Alberta — raising fears that western Canadian forage seed growers and hay exporters could be shut out of markets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Alberta Farmer recently learned that a batch of foundation seed contaminated with Roundup Ready alfalfa was sent to a forage seed […] Read more
Winter is the ideal season for healthy weight loss in horses
Horse Health: Hay nets are a good way to prevent horses from overfeeding during the colder months
Reading Time: 3 minutes Is your horse carrying too much weight? The answer to this question is an important order of business, and best asked at the beginning of the winter season. If the answer to this question is yes then the winter season is the ideal time to implement intervention. Weight loss is far easier in the colder […] Read more
Put more jingle in your jeans this winter
Shopping around, alternative feeds, and how you store your hay can make a huge difference to the bottom line
Reading Time: 3 minutes With cattle prices off their record highs, many producers are sharpening their pencils. And it can be well worth it. “We have to watch our input costs — that’s the one thing we can control,” said Dean Dyck, a farm business management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “If our incomes go up but our […] Read more
Can you really afford not to feed test?
You’re rolling the dice if you’re not testing feed, and it’s not hard to rack up a five-figure loss if you guess wrong
Reading Time: 2 minutes I often hear farmers and ranchers say feed testing is expensive and I know lots of you guys don’t feed test. But feed testing and using that information to balance livestock rations is a whole lot cheaper than over- or underfeeding them. Let’s say you’re feeding your critters some pretty good-looking hay. You’re making sure […] Read more
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