Ending a forage relationship with a field can be hard to do for producers looking to move on with their rotations. It can take time and money, not only for the present job but also into the future as well if done poorly. “Farmers remove their forages for a variety of reasons,” said Brian Nybo […] Read more
Tag Archives forage
Producers often don’t report wildlife damage
Mitigating losses | Eighty-eight percent of those surveyed say wildlife affects their livestock operation
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — Wildlife affects beef production, but a new study shows more than 60 percent of cattle producers never report damage to crops or livestock resulting from that wildlife. It doesn’t surprise researchers but is an issue for producers who think more compensation or better programs to deal with wildlife should be made […] Read more
Red fescue made better with spit
Researchers and ranchers know the problems certain grasses can cause grazing animals. However, researcher Dawn Bazely might have found a solution: moose drool. Bazely, a biology professor at York University, and colleagues Mark Vicari and Andrew J. Tanentzap have found that saliva from moose, reindeer and caribou affect red fescue grass and the fungus epichloë […] Read more
Know client when shipping hay
Type and purpose important | Producers could improve their marketing, says a hay exporter
OLDS, Alta. — Canadian hay exporters need to do their homework before shipping hay to the United States, says a Canadian specializing in hay exports. Jim Glen of Glen Isle Farms Ltd. said it’s important for farmers to understand what the customer wants rather than just try to sell what they have. Does the customer […] Read more
Making hay pay, means picking it right
Big bale value | It can be lost in picking, handling and transport, but with the right equipment and a plan it can be saved
BRANDON — Livestock producers and commercial forage growers are well aware of the financial benefits of closely managing cutting, conditioning and baling their hay. However, those best management practices disappear when it comes time to moving bales off the field, says Greg Haukaas. Haukaas, who farms at Mortlach. Sask., and runs Haukaas Manufacturing, said producers […] Read more
Growth regulator price key factor for ryegrass growers
STARBUCK, Man. — Manitoba forage seed growers hope a product will soon be registered in Canada that will potentially boost perennial ryegrass seed yields by 20 percent. The Manitoba Forage Seed Association (MFSA) is testing the efficacy of a Syngenta plant growth regulator this summer on a plot near Starbuck. Perennial ryegrass growers in Minnesota […] Read more
Fescue strain poses danger to pregnant stock
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — A strain of tall fescue known as Kentucky 31 has proven to be a hazardous forage grass for brood mares. Pregnant mares that have grazed on this tall fescue grass, especially in their last months of gestation, have longer pregnancies, difficult births, still births, poor milk let-down, thickened placenta, difficulty breeding […] Read more
Vermeer dampens its discs, lowers the load with rake design
LOUISVILLE, Ken. — Vermeer has taken its high capacity wheel rake system and suspended it in a good way. Large wheel rakes typically keep pressure in the ground using spring systems, the weight of the disc and machine or offsetting weight distributed from a neighbouring disc via a shared or tandem axle carrier. In most cases, […] Read more
Manitoba network helps forage growers locate U.S. markets
Getting the right price | Producers share information to get the best possible price
Six forage producers in Manitoba have found it possible to compete and co-operate on export sales to the United States. The producers, who belong to Manitoba Forage Marketers, manage their own farms and arrange their own sales, independent of the other members. However, they also share information about customers, prices and the most efficient ways […] Read more
