forage Archives | Canadian Cattlemen

Hay disaster benefit kicks in for Manitoba growers

By GFM Staff January 12, 2020

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

Crops, Forages, Machinery

Vermeer buys TMR mixer maker Schuler

By GFM Staff December 10, 2019

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

Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder cattle market drops on soft demand

By Jerry Klassen November 26, 2019

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were down $4-$6 while calf prices dropped $5 to as much as much as $10 in some cases. Comments from order buyers reflect very sluggish demand for this time of year. Ontario farmers have harvested about 50 per cent of the corn crop and buying interest from […] Read more

The attendees at this Atlantic forage field day took in research updates and extension information at the AAFC Nappan Research Farm in Nova Scotia.

Forages, News, News Roundup

Record turnout at forage field day in Nova Scotia

Forage: News Roundup from the September 30, 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

By Amy Higgens, Tanya Dykens October 7, 2019

Agriculture and Agriculture Canada (AAFC) and Maritime Beef Council co-hosted an Atlantic forage field day this summer at the AAFC Nappan Research Farm, located near Amherst, Nova Scotia. This was the third year that the event was co-hosted, and it proved to be the biggest turnout yet with 120 farmers, agriculture advisors, academics and government […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Oats

Oats market steady, watching harvest

By Phil Franz-Warkentin August 19, 2019

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

Hay and silage day attendees take to the field June 20, 2019, for equipment demonstrations at Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives north of Brandon.

Forages, Hay

Don’t let hot air spoil your silage

Silage expert highlights dry matter and nutrient loss at a recent hay and silage event in Manitoba

By Alexis Stockford July 26, 2019

If you think you’ve packed that silage enough, pack it again. That’s among the tidbits from John McKinnon of JJM Nutrition Services in Saskatoon as Manitoba farmers prepare for what’s potentially another bad forage year. Late rains, a delayed or even skipped first hay cut, thin stands, frosts and a generally cold spring all have […] Read more

While some producers have seen below-average yields due to dry weather, others are struggling to finish haying in wet conditions. Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.

Crops, Forages, Hay, Markets, Weather

Prairie hay shortage on horizon

By Marlo Glass July 19, 2019

MarketsFarm — While rain across the Prairies has eased concerns of an all-out drought, worries of a hay shortage going into winter haven’t ceased. Darren Chapman, a Virden, Man. producer and chair of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA), explained that regrowth following the first cut of hay has been strong. First-cut hay crops […] Read more

Research showed that more complex forage mixtures are likely better able to cope with weather variations than monocultures.

Livestock, Research

Exceptional forages for marginal lands

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

By Reynold Bergen May 1, 2019

Tame forages often outperform native species in head-to-head comparisons under optimal growing conditions. This may not be the case on marginal land, with its tougher environments, poorer soil, rougher topography, harsher climates and precipitation extremes. Beef production is expected to rely more and more on marginal land, at least while returns from cash crops exceed […] Read more

Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

Consider more than cost during a winter feed shortage

Producers need to ruminate on logistics, pasture conditions and animal welfare, too

By Piper Whelan December 27, 2018

After a hot, dry summer in the Cypress Hills, Rick Toney knew some budgeting was in order to ensure his cows would be properly fed this winter. Toney, who ranches near Gull Lake, Sask., and serves as the chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, runs around 500 cows in addition to a small backgrounding lot. […] Read more

The new Livestock Centre of Excellence at Clavet, just 20 minutes outside of Saskatoon, is also more convenient for researchers and students.

Forages, Livestock, News

New name and facilities for Western Beef Development Centre

A new facility at the University of Saskatchewan includes both cow-calf and forage research

By Angela Lovell October 26, 2018

There are changes afoot at the Western Beef Development Centre (WBDC) including a new name, additional locations and increased research, teaching and outreach capacity. On April 1, 2018, the Western Beef Development Centre, a division of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), rolled into the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE).WBDC […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs firm on winter weather woes

CGC revises domestic canola usage downward

Prairie cash wheat: Bids mostly lower

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