Production — page 177

Forage versus grain Don Surminsky, a farm management agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Yorkton, Sask., said he believes forage crops can be much more profitable on marginal land than grain crops. But, he said it’s a hard sell. “The biggest obstacle to the conversion of marginal lands to forage crops is that many farmers don’t […] Read more

Two-in-one trailer Lift-Off Stock Trailers Manufacturing has introduced a 2.44 metre-wide, two-in-one trailer. The company, based in Pilot Butte, Sask., says it developed the product because stockgrowers wanted the extra width to cross-tie show animals, but still liked the benefits of a flat deck. The new design gives 2.44-metre shoulder room for animals, but is […] Read more

Renting grain storage When there’s a big crop to harvest, a choice between buying and renting grain bins needs to be made. If producers have enough storage for normal crops, they may prefer to rent space if they can. In situations like this, a common question emerges about how much grain bins should rent for. […] Read more

Cheaper moisture tester Farmex Inc. has introduced a new digital grain moisture tester. The MT3 has the same accuracy as Farmex’s top model, the 16-grain Moisturemaster, but costs less. The MT3 is designed for wheat, corn and soybean farmers who don’t need direct readout information for other grains. The hand-held MT3 has a 16-character, dot […] Read more

When drying grain, farmers should make sure they have adequate air flow, says a paper by University of Saskatchewan agricultural engineers. The bioprocess engineering group at the university says depth of grain and the horsepower of the fan are key factors in successful aeration. Moisture can be removed from grain without adding heat to the […] Read more

Easier truck access St. Front Enterprises Ltd. has developed a new extendible ladder for truck boxes. The ladder, made of 2.5 centimetre steel tubing, fits snugly against the truck box but when in use, the extendible section angles away from the box, allowing easy mounting. The ladder comes in a 1.2 metre length, suitable for […] Read more

Canola as poultry protein The demand for white meat in poultry has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. For producers that means looking at ways to improve breast yield. “Soybean meal is currently the primary protein source for commercial broiler diets in Alberta,” says Martin Zuidhof, poultry specialist with Alberta Agriculture. “Soybean is not […] Read more

Camrose Kwik Clip A do-it-yourself fencing system has been developed by Arnold and Mark Scabar of the Camrose, Alta. area. The patented Kwik Clip system uses spring steel clips to attach wire to steel rods that can be installed permanently or temporarily. The system can be used with cattle, elk and bison and is also […] Read more

Safe storage of pulse crops Many acres of lentils and dry peas were harvested during the last hot weeks of August. Some of these crops were binned at high temperatures. Proper storage techniques are now essential to maintain the value of the crop, said Ray McVicar, crop development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “As autumn proceeds, […] Read more

Cattle antibiotic A new broad spectrum antibiotic for cattle has recently received regulatory approval in Canada for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease complex. Nuflor, made by Schering-Plough Animal Health Canada, is similar to chloramphenicol, an effective antibiotic that was removed from the market because of human safety issues. In clinical studies, Nuflor has demonstrated […] Read more