Glacier FarmMedia — There’s been lots of grass in pastures across Ontario this summer, which has made for easier work for farmers managing their feed inventory. However what does that mean for rotational grazers, when the grass is growing well? Related stories: The Latest News and Stories from Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show James Clark, territory […] Read more
Tag Archives rotational grazing
Production per acre called best focus
A cattle producer says the most profitable ranches make the most efficient use of the available forage on their operation
Glacier FarmMedia – Which is more important, increasing profits or production? This is the question rancher and seedstock producer Kit Pharo posed at a recent holistic management gathering in Valleyview, Alta. Pharo has strong opinions and speaks his mind. “I may not always be right, but I am never in doubt,” he says. Pharo thinks […] Read more
Taylor Ranches win environmental award
Family earns Alberta Beef Producers annual accolade with low-cost operation that produces its own feed
Glacier FarmMedia – Taylor Ranches has won the 2024 Environmental Stewardship Award from Alberta Beef Producers. It’s an honour for the family, said Rob Taylor, who owns and operates the ranch with his wife Audrey and their children. Rob, Audrey, and their two youngest children, Courtney and Clayton, live along the Milk River Ridge southwest […] Read more
Beef producers have a variety of water options
Glacier FarmMedia – Water can often be in short supply on the Canadian Prairies, but there are tools to help producers effectively manage the water they have. Stockboss Waterers David Flundra says the idea for Stockboss Waterers started with wanting to design something better than what was on the market by using less, or no, […] Read more
Time, costs limit rotational grazing adoption
There are many terms related to the practice, which a researcher says should be standardized to improve consistency
Cost and lack of knowledge are two of the biggest barriers to rotational grazing, according to preliminary data studied by Brook McWherter, a natural resource scientist at Dalhousie University. Time commitment and/or access to labour, as well as available acreage, were also noted as barriers by Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM) participants. The study aims […] Read more
Sask. hosts virtual fence pilot project
The technology will mostly be tested in a forested lease and producers want to see how it will work with rotational grazing
A Saskatchewan rancher is ready to test virtual fencing on a large scale in tough conditions. John and Deanne Chuiko own and operate CJ Ranching near St. Walburg, Sask. They have about 400 cow-calf pairs and 400 yearlings. A pillar of their operation is holistic management and rotational grazing and their forested land lease. The […] Read more
Scientists studying other benefits of rotational grazing
Researchers to collect more data to test the argument that rotational grazing improves environmental and animal health
Champions of rotational grazing often say it improves soil health, compared to continuous grazing. Their argument is compelling. If a producer puts many cattle in a small paddock, for a short period of intensive grazing, it will concentrate manure and nutrients in that part of the field. Then, after a period of rest, the soil […] Read more
Rotational grazing merits questioned
The scientists behind the research, which was conducted at the Central Plains Experimental Range in northern Colorado, determined that cattle gained 14 percent less weight in rotational grazing because they consumed lower quality forage.
Rotational grazing has other benefits
Yes, rotational grazing can reduce the weight gain of individual livestock, says a specialist in rangeland ecology and management at the University of Alberta, but there are other benefits that may outweigh the lower gains per animal. “If you take a large area and sub-divide it into many paddocks, you are forcing more uniform distribution […] Read more
Feds fund climate change initiatives for agriculture
Twelve agricultural organizations across Canada will deliver nearly $183 million on behalf of the federal government to farmers who adopt beneficial management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Feb. 22 that a large chunk of that money will go to the prairie provinces and farmers who adopt rotational grazing, cover […] Read more
