grazing Archives - Page 8 of 9

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock, The Dairy Corner

Dairy Corner: Rain can compromise good quality hay

Feeding and management options to consider

By Peter Vitti August 15, 2016

The other week I was driving in southern Manitoba and saw a group of dairy cattle grazing tall lush pasture. The grass was up to their bellies and I thought: “When was the last time that our pastures looked so good?” The next field had cut hay in wide swaths that looked rained-on and bleached. […] Read more

Alfalfa and chicory helped carry the cattle through the dry pasture conditions.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Rain at the right time

A sudden turn in moisture conditions made all the difference

By Kim Nielsen August 11, 2016

I am back up on 4 Clover Ranch near Rocky Mountain House, Alta., having arrived a week ago and getting our custom grazing operation going with cow-calf pairs trucked in as this is written. Meanwhile back at our Alcheringa Pastoral (Australia), Helen happily reported that our steer sale in late May had gone well. We […] Read more

These Hereford steers on another nearby pasture have plenty of forage, however, the quality over the hot, dry summer is declining.

Cattleman’s Corner, Forages

Grazing challenges in a dry environment

Dung scores and gut fill are important indicators of how cattle are doing

By Kim Nielsen March 29, 2016

When I arrived back in Australia in late October last year, Helen had organized the purchase of some steers and they were happily grazing on our farm and had adjusted well to the electric fence, skim grazing over the new seeding I had seeded earlier in May. October is springtime and the growth was pretty […] Read more

Cow-calf pairs grazing a very productive pasture that has made a tremendous comeback after 14 years of managed grazing.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Restoring vigour to tired pasture

This planned grazing system appears to be returning about $77 per acre

By Kim Nielsen March 7, 2016

When 4-Clover Ranch, near Rocky Mountain House, Alta. came into existence in 1992, there was one particular pasture close to the farmyard that the previous owner was reluctant to show us. He called it sodbound and needing a good plowing. I hesitated to follow his plowing advice as it had a good southerly slope and […] Read more

Proper grazing management is a vital tool in restoring and maintaining healthy and productive forage stands.

Cattleman’s Corner

Good grazing management helps renew pastures

By Albert Kuipers August 21, 2015

The question about how to rejuvenate a pasture economically has been around for as long as I can remember. Breaking up and reseeding a pasture can be expensive and time-consuming. Grey wooded soils with tough old bluegrass/fescue sods are particularly challenging to get a decent seedbed developed. It is often recommended to grow cereals for […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Livestock, Weather

Sask. to open protected grasslands for grazing

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News July 14, 2015

Crown-held native prairie and other grasslands held for wildlife conservation in Saskatchewan will be opened up to ranchers needing grazing land for cattle in dry areas. Environment Minister Herb Cox announced Tuesday the province will make about 90,000 acres of Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) land available to cattle producers. The same grazing lease […] Read more

Lynn using the tractor and blade to clear grass and debris from a ditch that will carry water for hayfield irrigation.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Cows can’t wait to head for green grass

Rancher's Diary: A quick look back at May as the spring season got underway with the end of calving, and time to start irrigating

By Heather Smith Thomas June 29, 2015

May 5 – Last Wednesday Andrea helped Lynn put up a temporary electric fence along the south side of the pasture where the cows and calves are. This will keep the calves from eating gravel along the ditch bank and keep them away from the elk panels on that side of the field (the backside […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Tips to help keep horn flies off your cattle

Even a couple hundred of the tiny horn flies can knock 20 pounds off a calf

By Peter Vitti June 19, 2015

A few years ago, a friend in Saskatchewan asked me to help him treat his beef cows before they went on pasture with pour-on insecticide for horn flies. His job was to push up the cattle in the chute and my job was to use the applicator-gun and squirt pour-on liquid along each of the […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner

Basic steps to increasing grazing profits

Knowing how much cow-calf pairs eat and properly managing  their grazing program helps to reduce grazing costs

By Sean McGrath March 4, 2015

As we progress through the spring and into grass season, many of us have the temptation to “kick the cows out to grass.” After feeding, calving and doing chores all winter, turnout is a welcome relief. While grazing is generally cheaper than feeding, turnout also represents the beginning of a season of lost profit potential […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Forages, Pasture

Proper mineral supplement can prevent grass tetany

Follow these management tips to help protect against deficiencies

By Peter Vitti June 16, 2014

Many parts of western Canada suffered through one of its longest and coldest winters in decades. It’s anybody’s guess that arctic temperatures and belly-high snows predispose beef cows to grass tetany when green lush grass sprout across pastures. However, proper nutrient supplementation to the cows’ early spring diet eliminates risk of this highly preventable magnesium-deficiency […] Read more

GFM Network News

Carney wins admiration globally but struggles to lower food costs at home

CBOT Weekly: Additional soybean purchases strengthen U.S. soy

Trump, Xi discuss Taiwan and soybeans in call aimed at easing China, U.S. relations

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