Eligible Manitoba forage growers can expect to share in a $5 million hay disaster benefit (HDB) for the 2019 crop year. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. (MASC), the provincial crop insurance agency, announced Friday that the HDB has been activated and benefit payments to eligible forage producers on about 1,500 claims will begin “shortly.” The HDB, […] Read more
Hay disaster benefit kicks in for Manitoba growers
Don’t be fooled by moisture content when buying feed
Moisture content is all over the map this year, which makes price comparisons more difficult
Reading Time: 2 minutes Knowing the moisture content of feeds is key when comparing prices. “The summer of 2019 was extremely challenging for anyone trying to put up dry forage,” said farm business management specialist Ted Nibourg. “More often than not, hay and greenfeed were baled at moisture contents greater than normal. In an attempt to salvage forage production this […] Read more
Vermeer buys TMR mixer maker Schuler
U.S. hay and forage equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corp. is expanding its reach in the cattle feeding business with a deal for fellow Iowa firm Schuler Manufacturing. Vermeer announced Wednesday it purchased Schuler for an undisclosed sum and that Schuler products will still “initially” be sold under the Schuler brand, but with an “intentional transition” to […] Read more
There are extra challenges in wintering cows this year
Early weaning, supplement feed, and feeding vitamins earlier should be considered
Reading Time: 2 minutes With feed quality and quantity “all over the map this year,” producers face challenges weaning calves and maintaining cows, says a provincial beef and forage specialist. “If calves were not provided with creep feed over the summer, weaning weights will be lower than in most years — as much as 150 pounds per animal,” said […] Read more
Harvest woes increase supply of alternative feeds
Prices are down and depending on the region, availability is up — but you need to do the math
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hay costs vary significantly this year, with prices in some areas with short supplies nearly double those in areas with adequate supplies. On the other hand, there could be numerous options for alternate winter feeds this year as some crops originally intended for grain are being harvested as feed. Alberta feed barley prices have dropped […] Read more
Proper hay storage can be the difference between a win and a wreck
Pyramid-style stacks are a no-no for your bales
Reading Time: 5 minutes How your hay looks heading into winter depends on two things — where you farm, and how badly you were hit by the never-ending rains this summer. If you’re on the Eastern Slopes in southern Alberta where the weather was good, you’re probably in luck. But heading farther east, conditions this summer were dry and […] Read more
Manitoba beef sector faces tight feed situation
MarketsFarm — An early snowstorm may have been the last straw for Manitoba livestock producers looking to put up feed ahead of winter. While the foot or more of heavy snow that blanketed much of the province over the Thanksgiving weekend has melted, saturated fields continue to limit corn silage harvests and hay cutting. “Feed […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Barley bouncing back, reducing need for corn
MarketsFarm — This year has been proving good for barley, according to trader Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. “A lot of acres went in and that takes the edge off of supply,” Pirness said of the barley crop throughout southern Alberta. There had been a switch to corn in feed rations last […] Read more
Oats market steady, watching harvest
MarketsFarm — Western Canada’s oats market is stable at prices a bit better than a year ago, as harvest gets underway and participants wait to see how much will move off the combine to the market. Early yield reports range anywhere from 80 to 140 bushels per acre, said Tyler Palmer, grain buyer with Emerson […] Read more
Watch for nitrate accumulation in hailed-out crops
There’s extra value in a salvage crop this year, but nitrates are a risk in crops such as canola and wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes The issue of nitrate accumulation needs to be considered when salvaging hailed-out crops. “Nitrate accumulation occurs in a plant when it is injured and is not able to convert nitrate to protein efficiently after a hail storm,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “In non-legume crops, water and nutrients are pushed into the […] Read more
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