Winter is approaching which meant emoving old fence rows and bringing livestock home before the cold and the snow at the Eppich family ranch.
Tag Archives dugouts
Fall clean-up and bringing animals home at the Eppich ranch
Removing old fence rows means new pasture options for Spring 2026
Saskatchewan clarifying certain on-farm PST exemptions
More items to be specified as exempt in tax regulations
Saskatchewan farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns about some inconsistencies in how and when provincial sales tax is applied to purchases of on-farm equipment will be dealt with in a revised list effective late next week. The province said Wednesday in a budget release that a “number of clarifications” will be made to its Provincial Sales Tax […] Read more
Les Henry: Your guide to finding water in the ground via wells
They’re often a good solution to the water problem in pastures
The drought of 2021 has left pastures with dry sloughs and dugouts. A good solution to the water problem in pastures is often a well, or multiple wells. Many former community pastures had several wells with old-fashioned windmills that filled the need in spades. In our soil salinity work of the 1980s and 1990s, we […] Read more
Les Henry: Is your slough water safe for cattle?
If you’re looking to sloughs for water, screen them with an EC meter to be safe
As the drought drags in many parts of the Prairies, there is great concern about crops. Many areas started the season with little subsoil moisture reserve and most areas have had too little rain. In some cases it is almost none — at my Dundurn farm, the total rainfall for the year to date as […] Read more
Make sure livestock have water
Situation can get serious quickly if a pump fails, or a water hole dries up
Water is the most essential nutrient of life and even though most areas have more than enough water this year, it’s always worth talking about the risk of water deprivation. Insufficient and poor-quality water can reduce weight gain and depending on the water source, there can be other issues such as foot rot and potential […] Read more
Prairie drought conditions improve
CNS Canada — While drought conditions in Western Canada have improved following late-season snowfall, it isn’t a completely rosy picture just yet. “We have seen significant departures from normal in terms of precipitation (on the Prairies over) a long period. The winter hasn’t been above average (for precipitation) so there hasn’t been a whole lot […] Read more
Alta. cuts ranchers’ water pump rental fees
Ranchers and farmers renting the Alberta ag ministry’s pumps and pipes to move water for livestock watering and domestic use in dry areas may now get the equipment for half the going rate. The province announced Thursday it will cut the rental fees charged under its annual Water Pumping Program, through which producers, or groups […] Read more
Drought brings its own package of health risks for livestock
Pests, toxic plants and disease can all thrive under dry conditions
With the current lack of runoff moisture and few spring rains across much of Western Canada, certain disease conditions may become more prevalent. It will pay to be extra vigilant this year when checking your herds. We commonly see more blackleg and all the other clostridial diseases in dry conditions. With shorter grass, cattle and […] Read more
Snow can be an excellent water source for cattle
Eating snow is a learned behaviour which may take a few days for livestock to adjust
For eons, wild animals in Canada especially the large herbivores have relied on snow as their primary water source through the winter. It has been shown that some wild species like reindeer actually prefer snow if given a choice. Canadian ruminants, especially pregnant beef and bison cows and heifers, can do well eating snow. On […] Read more
Skating on thin ice
Farm Safety
Recently an Alberta cattle producer had a run in with ice that she’ll likely never forget. It was late November and a balmy 3 C. She was moving bales with a tractor when about 15 of her cattle spied an open gate, raced through it towards a dugout on the farm, and proceeded to fall […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
