Larry Grant believes poor water quality is responsible for the low pregnancy rate among his heifers this fall.
When a veterinarian checked the 82 females recently, only 61 were pregnant, or about three-quarters of them. Usually, the conception rate for his heifers is 90 to 95 percent.
“Even the vet commented, ‘this is odd,’ ” he said.
The Val Marie, Sask., rancher said hot, dry weather has caused poor grass, a water shortage and low quality in the water that he does have.
He said those factors are “definitely related” to the low pregnancy rate. If all producers experience the same problem, it will be a significant financial blow to the rural economy next year, he said.
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On the other hand, he’s willing to spend money to prevent a similar situation in the future.
But Grant said programs that assist landowners to build pipelines and install pumps won’t do them any good this fall if the applications aren’t approved until next spring.
Mark Geremia, with Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration’s national water supply expansion program, said it’s true some programs have later deadlines.
The call for applications to the expansion program will go out this fall, be gathered over the winter and screened and rated to make sure they meet the criteria. The application deadline is March 1.
The program is not operated on a first-come first-served basis, he said. It also doesn’t share the cost of work that producers have done before PFRA approval.
Other programs available include an equipment rental program from SaskWater that provides pumps so producers can fill dugouts. SaskPower offers incentives to those who want to install solar and wind powered pumps.
The National Farm Stewardship Program assists farmers who want to eliminate direct access to water holes, thereby better managing riparian areas.
Grant said that’s exactly what he’d like to do.
He did an environmental farm plan assessment on his land earlier this year and would like to begin addressing weaknesses.
He has been investigating the costs to improve spring-fed water holes. Just to put 1.5-inch pipe in the ground, using his own tractor on a supplier’s plow, would cost 65 cents per foot. Two-inch pipe costs 85 cents.
Then he would need a trough. Coal truck tires would serve that purpose and cost about $850 each.
A solar pump with wind charger came in at close to $10,000.
“Then you need something to mount it on, and hose to run from the water source,” Grant said.
One quote for a trailer to mount this equipment on was $5,000 and labour was $1,000.
Grant said those types of costs make it prohibitive to do the work without some help, but he can’t wait for bureaucratic approval.
“Our cows are going to be out of water here shortly where I’ve got grass,” he said.
Many ranchers in Saskatchewan’s southwest have been hauling water for a long time. Poor moisture conditions for a year or two have them seeking long-term solutions.
Feed shortages are also on ranchers’ minds.
Hay crops produced little this year unless they were just one or two years old. Even then, yields were one-quarter to one-third of last year.
“I’ll make the cow herd fit the feed stack,” said Grant, who has about 200 cows at present.
