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
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
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
Alternative feeds can cause health issues
Too much sulphur can lead to polio and a shortage of nitrogen can reduce feed intake
Reading Time: 2 minutes Using unusual feeds such as canola, straw, and slough hay increases the need for feed testing, says a provincial forage specialist. “Knowing the quality of the forage being used this winter is going to be critical to make it through on a short feed supply,” said Barry Yaremcio. Many canola crops being cut for silage […] Read more
Hay prices stabilize in Sask., Man.
CNS Canada –– Timely rains have drastically improved the forage crop outlooks for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, while also putting prices back into their normal ranges. “Skyrocketing hay prices have stabilized… supplies are good,” said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage crop specialist in Regina. Prices are mostly back down into the $80-$100 per tonne range, he […] Read more
When it makes sense to have cattle custom fed
Freight costs, yardage, and the ‘opportunity cost’ of your labour may be the deciding factors
Reading Time: 2 minutes Trucking in hay is very expensive this year, but you still have to run the numbers to decide if it’s better to buy feed or have cattle custom fed, says a provincial farm business management specialist. The first step is to calculate the cost of putting feed into the feed bunk, said Dean Dyck. This […] Read more
Boosting hay stand conditions
Reading Time: < 1 minute Many hay stands, especially older ones, are in poor condition following this year’s drought and in need of a fertility program, says a provincial forage specialist. “Doing it in spring is good, but although doing it in fall might lose a little bit of the nitrogen component, it allows for a very early effect on […] Read more
Wet weather continues to stall harvest, pastures, hay rate poor
Alberta crop conditions as of September 15, 2015
Reading Time: 2 minutes Following a brief dry spell to the middle of last week, wet weather over the weekend slowed down or completely halted harvesting operations across the province. Most of the province received rain, from less than 5 mm in northern areas of Peace and North East Regions and small areas in South Region, to over 30 […] Read more
What to ask when purchasing hay
Reading Time: < 1 minute Hay supplies and prices have been at a premium, but when purchasing hay it is important to keep quality in mind. There is always a risk when buying hay from unknown sources, including poor nutritional quality; a different species mixture than you expected; excessive dust or mould; or a high proportion of weeds. Here are […] Read more
Province creates online listings for alternative feed uses
Reading Time: < 1 minute In response to numerous calls to the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Ag-Info Centre about options for alternative use of crops, a new category has been created under hay and pasture listings on the department’s web page. “Called Standing Annual Crop, the new category gives producers the option to list their crops for alternative uses so […] Read more
Short on feed? You need a multi-pronged plan, says expert
Get your winter feed in place now, fatten up light cows, save your pastures, and talk to your neighbours
Reading Time: 4 minutes Faced with tight hay supplies and high feed prices, producers are naturally focused on how to feed their livestock over the winter — but they need a comprehensive plan, says a forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “If you don’t do a good job feeding these cows properly this winter it’s going to affect […] Read more
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