Reading Time: 4 minutes Letting cattle ‘pick and choose’ what they want to eat is no substitute for feed testing. The quality of forage needs to be matched to the animal’s needs — and those nutrition requirements are going to change throughout the year. And that’s why you should test your forages, say experts and groups such as the […] Read more
Put your forage to the test – and money in your bank account
High-quality forage will save the cost of supplementing, and avoid costly calf losses
Converting hay land to crops in spring is challenging
Fertility, soil moisture, herbicide applications, and a substantial seeding delay must all be considered
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers should consider a number of factors before deciding to terminate hay land to seed an annual crop. “Traditionally, forage stands have been terminated in the fall by using one of three approaches — tillage only, herbicide application combined with tillage, and herbicide application followed by direct seeding into sod,” said provincial crop specialist Mark […] Read more
Fed steer prices seen improving towards spring
The average Canadian beef cut-out value has strengthened about 10 per cent since the start of the year
Reading Time: 2 minutes A number of factors have been affecting recent fed steer and hay markets. Jason Wood, provincial livestock market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, has an update. Wood says that the Canfax reported price for Alberta fed, or slaughter, steers averaged just over $151 per cwt for the week ending February 8, 2019. That price […] Read more
Some points to consider when shopping for horse hay
Our own senses are wonderful tools — choose hay that is as fine stemmed, green, and as leafy as possible
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hay selection is an important aspect of horse ownership. The type and quality of hay the horse eats can make a big difference in its overall nutrition, and its value in a horse’s diet is unquestionable. The extra dollars spent on sourcing good-quality hay and its proper storage is invariably cost effective on many levels […] Read more
Hay losses will be especially costly this year
Winter can be hard on both the weight and quality of hay — and push up feeding costs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hay goes on a diet in winter, but how much weight it loses depends on how it was stored. “Over the course of a winter, bales weather and lose both weight and quality,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “This poses the key question of what kind of value losses occur when storing […] Read more
Know what you have for livestock feed and use it strategically
You’ll need higher-quality feed later on, and the last thing you want to do is overfeed
Reading Time: 2 minutes When planning your feeding program, keep the good stuff for later. “Using higher-quality feed early in the season could mean it is not available later in the season when the cows really need it,” said livestock extension specialist Andrea Hanson. “It could get costly for the operation, either by increasing feed costs or reducing cow […] Read more
Province-wide farm aid unlikely, says Alberta Beef Producers chair
While many producers are in dire straits, feed shortage is not technically ‘a disaster’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta Beef Producers is gathering the facts on the feed shortage in the province and preparing a case for government aid for drought-stricken ranchers. But although the federal government has now made much of the province eligible for its tax deferral program, direct aid is unlikely, said ABP chair Charlie Christie. “My gut feeling right […] Read more
Grazing hayfields is an option this fall
However, there are some factors to keep in mind and you need to introduce cows properly
Reading Time: 2 minutes Grazing hayfields this fall is an option for keeping livestock out as long as possible, says a provincial forage and beef specialist. “Most hay stands will have a significant amount of alfalfa in them,” said Karen Lindquist. “Higher-quality hay typically needs to have a legume component to provide sufficient protein and energy to meet animals’ […] Read more
Prairies’ dry weather may stem U.S. cattle stampede north
Winnipeg | Reuters — Parched pastures and crops in Western Canada are driving up cattle-feeding costs, and farmers and analysts expect the changing economics to stem a recent stampede of U.S. cattle being brought over the border. Canada imported 65,035 head of cattle from the U.S. from January through June, nearly double the pace of […] Read more
Feed skyrockets in many areas — but there are options out there
Hay is uneconomical in some areas, forcing producers to either cull or find alternative feed sources
Reading Time: 5 minutes Record-setting temperatures in mid-August have added pressure to an already desperate situation for cattle producers across Alberta. “There are some people who are going to be really short on feed and pasture,” Alberta Beef Producers executive director Rich Smith said in mid-August. “Some people are in a really tough situation. The heat last week was […] Read more