
Tag Archives Forages

Planting summer annual crops for fall and winter pasture
Extending the grazing season can reduce production costs for cattle. Annual crops can fill in some gaps, or improve soil health before replanting a permanent pasture or seeding another crop. “A good perennial stand is the most cost-effective forage, and a good long-term investment, but annuals can be a good interim plan,” says Graeme Finn […] Read more

A systems approach to cutting hay
Forages: News Roundup from the April 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Deciding when to cut hay often comes down to a gut feeling. “And lots of times, that can get you into trouble,” said Ryan Sommerfeld of RPS Gelbvieh, based near Medstead, Sask. Sommerfeld outlined his simple methods for cutting and baling hay at a regional agricultural update in Turtleford, Sask., in early March. Sommerfeld avoids […] Read more

Local producer groups take reins of guest instructor opportunity at Assiniboine Community College
Associations: News Roundup from the March 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Students studying forage and pasture management at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Man., are getting a little more mud on their boots and some real-life experiences rolled into their course curriculum this winter session. Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI) have designed a guest-instructor schedule from the excellent […] Read more

Consider more than cost during a winter feed shortage
Producers need to ruminate on logistics, pasture conditions and animal welfare, too
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

Bale grazing trial looks at feed waste
Grazing: News Roundup from the December 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Bale grazing is a common winter feeding practice but how much forage are those cows leaving behind? Alberta Agriculture and Food recently shared results from one trial that examined that question. The Lakeland Agricultural Research Association (LARA) measured waste from bale grazing over four winters, from 2008 through 2011. The study was done using the […] Read more

Strategies for year-round grazing
With careful forage management, cattle can harvest their own feed year-round
Winter feeding is the biggest input cost when raising cattle, so many producers try to minimize the number of days they have to feed hay. In some situations, with careful forage management, cattle can harvest their own feed year-round, especially in mild climates. Even in northern climates with cold weather and snow, year-round grazing can […] Read more

Five tips for grazing corn this winter
Corn grazing is becoming more popular across Canada because producers can grow more biomass on less land. If you are planning on grazing corn this winter, here are five tips to help you make the most of the corn grazing season:

The Matador Community Pasture: A unique educational experience
Nutrition with John McKinnon
One of the privileges of a faculty position at a Canadian university is the interaction one has with undergraduate students. In my case, I co-teach a class where we take students on a seven-day tour of livestock operations across Western Canada. We cover everything from hogs to dairy, bison, chickens, meat and milk processing, and[...]
Read more
Read more

Protein kick needed for mature, dry forages
Nutrition: Supplementation will be important this year in many parts of the Prairies
In the fall and winter, most native forages and tame pastures are low in protein (unless fall rains have stimulated new growth), yet many stockmen try to extend grazing as long as possible through winter because winter feeding is the most expensive part of raising cattle. Depending on the protein source, adding a protein supplement[...]
Read more
Read more

Dormant seeding forage crops — sometimes it pays to delay
Forages: News Roundup from the Oct. 22 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
For many producers 2018 was another dry year with poor conditions for seeding perennial forage crops. Since good moisture is the key to good forage establishment, fall may provide a better opportunity. Some producers delay seeding forages till fall because there is more time available after harvest and if left till spring, inevitably forage is[...]
Read more
Read more