Hay in the swath in northwestern Saskatchewan.


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


Cattle grazing at Glanton Farms.

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

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


When cows bale graze, are they letting good quality forages fall by the wayside?

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

A mild winter is great for access to feed, but make sure you have enough quality snow for a water source.

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



Winterfat is an excellent protein source for grazing cattle as it maintains its leaves late into the fall and early winter.

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[...]
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Protein kick needed for mature, dry forages

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[...]
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The Blood Tribe grows and processes timothy and alfalfa for export.

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[...]
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