MINTO, Man. – Until two years ago, Bryan Jackson overwintered his cattle in pens with loose housing.
Hay bales were fed out of round bale feeders. Straw bales were rolled out every few days to keep the cattle dry.
But in late 1998, Jackson started to rethink the winter care of his 40 cows.
He bought a used bale processor and experimented with keeping his cattle on pasture during much of the winter.
The bale processor served a double duty.
Towed behind a tractor, the processor was able to blow straw into the loose housing sheds. When loaded with a round hay bale, the processor also was effective at feeding out a row of hay across open pastures.
Read Also
Government, industry seek canola tariff resolution
Governments and industry continue to discuss how best to deal with Chinese tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, particularly canola.
This past winter, Jackson’s cattle spent much of their time away from the pens.
They had access to the shelters, which were needed during the coldest winter days, but the cattle seemed to favor a field east of the farmyard during the day.
A grove of trees bordering Jackson’s yard blocked winds blowing from the north or west.
Jackson believes there was less hay wasted because of the change in his overwintering method. Almost all the hay, fed in rows across the field, was eaten.
“When the ground is frozen, what they leave behind they’re just not interested in eating.
“I’m sure there was more wasted with the feeders than there is in the field.”
He continued to bed the loose housing. He also placed straw packs in the pens and on the field, which was planted to alfalfa and meadow brome grass seven years ago.
Because the cattle spent much of the winter in the field, less bedding was needed in the pens. That meant less straw and manure buildup in those pens and in the loose housing.
In the spring, Jackson harrowed the field to spread the straw packs and manure left by the overwintering cattle. The residue provided added nutrients to the grasses growing there.
“I think that feeding the cattle out there is really helping the soil. There’s a lot of manure going back into it.”
Jackson also found that his cows, a commercial herd of Simmental cross, stayed cleaner throughout the winter months.
Besides feeding hay, he supplemented their diets with range mineral and salt.
Swath grazing is one method of extending the grazing season, but Jackson has shied away from that. The greatest deterrent has been the risk of swaths buried under heavy snow.
“I’ve thought about it, but it just doesn’t appeal to me.”
