Pasture Archives - Page 24 of 103

Saskatchewan Crop Report: Harvest kicks off in Saskatchewan

By GFM Network News August 4, 2022

MarketsFarm – As the calendar turned to August, some combining has already started in Saskatchewan according to the province’s weekly crop report. For the week ended Aug. 1, the harvest has started for a select number of crops mostly located in the west-central and southwest regions. So far, one per cent of the province’s dry […] Read more

In those parts of the Prairies that have had quite a bit of moisture this spring, there is a risk of cattle being infected with liver fluke parasites that can affect overall animal performance.

Cattleman’s Corner

Beware of liver fluke invasion on wet pastures

Parasite infection can result in animal weight loss and reduced body condition

By Peter Vitti August 4, 2022

Most of the high water across the eastern Prairies will recede in the upcoming weeks, if they haven’t already. When cattle can be returned to these once-flooded pastures, the ground will probably be soaked, which will likely expand the territories of many cattle parasites such as the common deer liver fluke. To combat this invasive […] Read more

Figure 1. The fencer pushes out electric pulses, the cow connects the current through the earth and back through the ground rods to the fencer.

Cattleman’s Corner

Zapping your way to improved pastures

Electric fencing is an important tool to improved pasture and grazing management

By Sean McGrath August 2, 2022

In the last while I have taken an increasing number of calls about electric fencing. I think this is largely due to lack of rainfall in a lot of areas, but also a renewed interest in adding productivity to pastures and forage. Another big reason is that electric fence can be significantly cheaper to install […] Read more

No matter the growing conditions it seems like there is always another crop of rocks to be picked.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Livestock

Rain makes an excellent birthday present

A busy spring season looking after crops and livestock

By Heather Eppich July 27, 2022

May was a very busy month. Gregory and John did the pre-seeding land work, picked rocks and worked on the air seeder, with seeding officially started May 3. We had more foals and all the mares did well and the foals were healthy. In mid-May our good friend Josh helped us start to build the […] Read more

Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder market experiences calm before upcoming storm

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News July 26, 2022

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged. Once again, overall volumes were limited, with small strings and singles moving through auction barns. The quality was quite variable and offbeat stragglers were quite common. Buyers incorporate a risk discount on these cattle; therefore, prices do not represent […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Lower beef production means higher prices

As the U.S. herd contracts, this is the year for Canadian producers to increase numbers

By Jerry Klassen July 25, 2022

During the latter half of June, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $170-$173 f.o.b. the feedlot in southern Alberta. The market was up $2 to $3 from 30 days earlier. Prices were marking fresh 52-week highs as feedlots in Western Canada contend with a backlog of market-ready supplies. The fed cattle […] Read more

Jared Epp speaks to the crowd at AiM 2022 about stock dogs and herding. (Liam O’Connor photo)

Livestock

Lessons on stock dogs from Ag In Motion

'Our dogs do understand that they're worthy'

By GFM Network News July 23, 2022

Ranchers, and perhaps even dog owners, gathered around the Cattle Pen at Ag in Motion on Wednesday to learn about stock dogs and what makes them tick. Jared Epp from the Saskatchewan Stock Dog Association led that day’s demonstration and drove home four main points: showing leadership is key, the appearance of the dog doesn’t […] Read more

Andrea applying brisket I.D. tags to cattle before they head out to summer range.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Cattle welcome some green grass

And a team effort gets branding, vaccinating and tagging done in one operation

By Heather Smith Thomas July 19, 2022

May 20 Sunday morning I did chores early and got gates ready for moving cattle so we could brand and vaccinate. AWOL Alice was out again, but grazing in the buffer zone between the two electric fences, which made it easy to get her back in. Charlie came to help brand, and Dani’s friends Jack […] Read more

File photo of federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on a tour of one of the original ‘Living Lab’ sites in Quebec that led up to the launch of the national ACS program in 2021. (Photo courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

General, Machinery, Weather

Feds boost Living Labs’ reach to all provinces

Nine projects, including first-Indigenous led lab, share $54M

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News July 15, 2022

The first crop of federally-funded “Living Labs” backed by the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program, set up to prove carbon-sequestering on-farm processes, takes the concept to the six provinces where such farm-level labs weren’t yet in place. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Thursday in Calgary, announced $54 million from the $185 million, 10-year ACS program […] Read more

A Canada-wide map of drought conditions. Photo credit: Canadian Drought Monitor

Crops, Weather

Drought conditions remain in Alberta, Saskatchewan

By GFM Network News July 13, 2022

MarketsFarm — After copious amounts of precipitation alleviated the most severe drought conditions in Saskatchewan and Alberta, there were still some areas dealing with extreme dryness entering July, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. At the end of June, only 22 per cent of the Prairie region was classified in the Abnormally Dry (D0) to […] Read more

Daily Network News

Southern California honeybees show resistance to varroa mites

Pulse Weekly: SaskPulse optimistic despite input, crop price concerns

Canadian aquaculture should be classed as agriculture, industry groups say

Pasture