It can be a challenge to talk about ranching in Canada without also talking about winter. For half the year, in most parts of the country, there is little that grows. That means that livestock feed needs to be grown within a very short timeframe, and the animals consuming it are fed for a lot longer than in many other parts of the world.
There are a lot of thoughts about how best to do this, and winter feeding is always a hot topic in cattle circles. In this report from the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing, Dr. Bart Lardner of the University of Saskatchewan and RealAgriculture’s Amber Bell discuss the logistics of growing different types of feed for cattle, and what some of the best feeding practices throughout the winter are.
Some of Lardner’s work has included looking at the animal, plant, and soil interface when adopting and integrating different alternate winter grazing programs (like grazing bales, swaths, stockpile and straw chaff residue), in order to validate what a lot of producers were observing when it comes to how these practices rejuvenate tired soils.
When discussing the logistics of moving into a winter grazing system, Lardner suggests starting small and having two or three different systems to extend the grazing season, to circumvent a bad year. He says the big thing to look out for is ensuring the cows are in good condition coming into the winter program, as they will have to deal with cold stress.
Lardner also explains the different ways to extend the grazing season, the logistics of growing corn and cover crops for grazing, and how to best ensure the process is successful and economical.
Watch the full interview from the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing below:
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