Reading Time: 2 minutes “Violent whiplash” is how forage markets in the western United States are described by Joshua Callen of the Hoyt Report of Idaho. He spoke at the recent Canadian Forage and Grassland Association convention in Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia. The West Coast generally sets the hay price in North America and its markets experienced […] Read more
Export hay prices show serious decline in 2023
Less demand from China, better U.S. growing conditions and Japanese vertical integration affect markets
Canola meal shows benefits for milk production, lower emissions
New study reviewed 20 years of nutrition research, finds high inclusion rate works well
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new review in the journal Advances in Dairy Research indicates canola meal provides numerous dairy ration benefits. The international journal review examined 20 years of canola meal studies in dairy rations, revealing it’s a high-quality protein feed capable of boosting milk production and reducing dairy herd methane emissions. “It’s rare to […] Read more
The climate-friendly cows bred to belch less methane
Research conducted partially at the University of Alberta underpins the effort
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – When dairy farmer Ben Loewith’s calves are born next spring, they will be among the first in the world to be bred with a specific environmental goal: burping less methane. Loewith, a third-generation farmer in Lynden, Ont., in June started artificially inseminating 107 cows and heifers with the first-to-market bull semen with a […] Read more
CowBytes is back
Software tailors feed rations with available supplies
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council says CowBytes is once again available. The ration-balancing software allows cattle producers to formulate their own feed rations while considering various combinations of feed and byproducts at different prices, and in doing so, can find a way to reduce feed costs while still meeting production targets. Ensuring that cattle are […] Read more
Company targets precision feeding in hog barns
Funding heats things up for Manitoba ag-tech startup
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A Canadian agricultural tech startup hopes its product will raise the bar for feed monitoring systems in hog barns. “Our sensor goes right on the feed line within the barns, as opposed to general load cells, which go on the bins, or laser systems that are at the top of the bin […] Read more
Have a plan to make the most of your forage
Start the grazing season with a plan and you’ll lower cost of production over time
Reading Time: 2 minutes Developing a grazing plan is an important first step to ensure effective grazing management on an operation, and it can help save a producer on cost of production in the long run. A grazing plan that matches animal numbers to predicted forage yields should be made before animal turn out. Several key steps should be […] Read more
Are feed-efficient cattle the best bet for climate change?
Researcher aims to find out if those cows are better able to deal with sweltering heat and bitter cold
Reading Time: 3 minutes Your most feed-efficient cattle also may be the best when Mother Nature turns the thermostat way up or way down. And that’s increasingly important, says a leading beef researcher. “Significant extremes have become more noticeable,” said Gleise Silva, an expert in cattle nutrition and an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. “What I would […] Read more
It’s more rare these days, but grain overload has a big impact
Mixed rations and better storage have cut cases, but take care when increasing grain in a ration
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grain overload has been drastically reduced over the years thanks to nutritionists, total mixed rations and fewer incidents of accidental ingestion. But I want to review the condition, treatment and, most importantly, the ways to prevent it. Grain overload occurs when there is over-consumption of a carbohydrate source, most often grain. I have treated severe […] Read more
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