BLACKFALDS, Alta. – Rod and Dixie Ball were thrilled when they learned
they had won a load of feed in the first Hay West lottery last month.
They were not thrilled when the hay arrived by truck at their
Blackfalds farm north of Red Deer. The bales, which were donated by
Ontario farmers, are obviously weathered and some are mouldy inside. A
handful of black, softened hay smells like a wet dog. A couple of bales
are blackened on the outside and others are full of dust.
Read Also
Dry summer conditions can lead to poor water quality for livestock
Drought conditions in the Prairies has led to an decrease in water quality, and producers are being advised to closely monitor water quality for their animals.
“This is two- or three-year-old hay,” Dixie said as she surveyed the
stack.
“There is no way it is anything but. It’s a shame.”
The donation of various-sized square bales is the equivalent of 25,
1,300 pound round bales.
The first draw in early August called 50 names. The Balls were told
they were number 58.
“I am assuming somebody went and looked at the hay and said ‘no
thanks,’ ” Dixie said.
They are grateful to eastern farmers for helping prairie cattle
producers. However, they are questioning the costs involved. Shipping
the hay westward cost $450 per tonne of taxpayers’ money, which the
Balls said could be spent better by moving hay around the province.
They have also heard warnings about noxious weeds arriving with the
hay. Alberta Agriculture experts have warned a variety of weeds may
appear in these loads so producers are advised to restrict feeding
areas to confine the spread of new weeds.
The Balls had hoped this gift from the first lottery in early August
would help them through the winter. Now, they worry their pregnant cows
might abort if forced to eat it. Some of it might be blended with other
feed, while some bales may be burned for smudge to keep insects away
from their horses.
Their farm, homesteaded by Rod’s grandfather in 1892, is in its fourth
year of drought. They received about 140 millimetres of rain this year,
most of it in August. While the fields look green again, the showers
were too little, too late.
This situation has forced hard management decisions. Last year they had
110 cows and decided to cull 30. They weaned their calves early this
year and shipped another 50 cows on Sept. 11 because they couldn’t
afford to feed them. They plan to winter 25 cows and rebuild their
numbers when conditions improve.
They have scrounged for feed wherever they can. A neighbour is letting
them have his straw off the combine for $30 a bale and another invited
them to cut hay in his ditches, which yielded 17 large bales.
They plan to supplement the roughage with pellets, but fear sky-high
prices that are close to $300 per tonne. A cow receives six pounds of
pellets a day.
In a good year they could cut 200 large round bales from 100 acres.
They managed to bale 90 bales in 2000, 60 bales last year and 34 this
year.
They have always purchased additional feed, but never travelled more
than 50 kilometres for hay, which they hauled themselves.
Like many ranchers, they have called the electronic hay listings and
the newspaper ads. The quoted prices are beyond what they can afford.
Many are listing hay at $150 or better per bale plus freight. They paid
$2.20 per loaded km to have their lottery hay delivered from
Wainwright, Alta. The total freight bill was $800.
“I could see feeding high-priced feed to cows if I knew we were out of
the drought. But when none of the ponds around here have water in them,
there’s no sense, because next year could be the same or worse,” Rod
said.
“It’s a guessing game.”
To keep the farm going this winter, the family will again depend on
Rod’s off-farm job as a trucker. Their original plan was to build a cow
herd that was large enough to allow him to quit and work on the farm
full time.
Maybe next year.
