Research into cheaper ways of finishing cattle got a boost last week, with more than $5 million in funding announced for projects at Agriculture Canada’s Brandon Research Centre spanning the next five years.
The $4 million from federal coffers, $900,000 worth of in-kind support from the provincial government, and $250,000 from the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, will be used to find ways to put pounds on cattle with forages instead of expensive grain.
“The project’s aim is to develop new technology that will use grass, forage feeding systems and byproducts from the grain processing industry like distillers grains as feed alternatives,” said Merv Tweed, MP for Brandon-Souris, at a news conference held last week.
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“The goal is to help livestock producers continue to be profitable by providing alternatives to the rising cost of grain-based feed.”
Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk noted the livestock industry is facing challenging times with the cost of hay and feed grains doubling in the past 18 months.
“That has had a significant impact on the bottom line of any farmer or feedlot operator. I say to those who aren’t in the business, ‘Just think about what would happen to your business if your costs doubled in 18 months,’ ” said Wowchuk.
“We have to look for short-term assistance, but we also have to look for long-term solutions. I believe this is one of those long-term solutions.”
With barley at $4.25 a bushel and hay at $55 to $65 a tonne, alternative strategies such as year-round grazing and byproducts of ethanol production are needed to help cattle producers retain profitability, said Martin Unrau, president of the MCPA.
Unrau said feed prices may seem high now, but they are likely to rise more in coming years as more hay land is seeded to wheat and corn for the ethanol industry, he said.
“It is extremely important to have research programs in place to move our industry forward. Cost of pro-duction in cattle operations must be brought down,” said Unrau. “New feeding options and production methods must be part of management strategies if the cattle industry is going to prosper in Manitoba.”
Joe Bouchard, MCPA vice-president and chair of its research committee, said it makes sense to do the research in Manitoba given the province’s strong cattle genetics and capacity for growing good quality forage.
“We’re going to have to work with the researchers to find out how to put as many pounds on the cattle as we can as cheaply as possible using forages,” he said.
Eliminating grain from cattle diets won’t be the target, he said, but pushing it back farther in the finishing process could allow producers to save on feed while still delivering the tender, well-marbled product that consumers demand.
Extending the grazing season and coming up with forage mixtures that could replace the energy and feed value of grain-based rations could go a long way to put profitability back into cattle production, said Bouchard.
Traditionally, producers in Western Canada have weaned calves at 500 to 600 lb., then placed them in backgrounding lots where they are fed a 70-30 mixture of forage and grain to boost their weights to 800 to 900 lb. before going to the feedlot for a higher concentration of grain-based finishing rations.
“This research will help eliminate some of the grain needed in the second stage and use more forages to get them up into the higher weight class,” he said. “Then just use the grain to finish them off.”
Beef research scientist Shannon Scott said future work would be a continuation of past projects, which have included various studies ranging from the pros and cons of fertilizing alfalfa and grass mixtures, the economics of early and late calving, the use of oats and field peas for swath grazing, and finding optimal plant rest periods for managed grazing.
“We will be orienting more of our research towards forage-based beef production in order to reduce costs of production,” said Scott.
