In order for dairy farms to produce milk, the cows first have to produce calves, many of which are classified as surplus calves that are destined for the beef industry or veal operations, rather than being raised as dairy cow replacements. Across North America more than five million surplus dairy calves are produced each year…. Read More
Category: Feeding
Pricing structure, insurance options, and cattle movement are all top of mind for Alberta’s cattle feeders. Janice Tranberg, president of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association (ACFA), sat down with RealAgriculture’s Kara Oosterhuis at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference last week to talk about what ACFA is focused on for 2023. Tranberg says that the last… Read More
New demand for canola oil is driving a wave of expansion in canola processing capacity, and along with it, there’s going to be a large increase in the supply of the main byproduct — canola meal. The amount of canola processed in Western Canada is expected to grow by around 50 per cent in two… Read More
Highline Manufacturing Ltd made its entrance into the tow-behind total mixed ration (TMR) market at Agri-Trade at Red Deer, Alta. The 750-cubic-foot tub is built for the extreme conditions of North America — where feeding can happen in very cold, windy, muddy, and snowy conditions. Bob Cochran, general manager of Highline Manufacturing Lt., says the… Read More
As corn and soybean planters roll on in Ontario, first-cut forage is nearing optimum harvest timing. The question many dairy producers will wrestle with in the days ahead is whether to continue planting corn and soys or park the planter and harvest forage. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs forage specialist Christine O’Reilly… Read More
Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has announced $110,291 towards CBS Bio Platforms’ development of enhanced, sustainable feed. RDAR funding will drive research led by CBS Bio Platforms, a leading international feed technology company headquartered in Calgary, to develop processes that release previously inaccessible plant components and make them usable in poultry and swine diets. The… Read More
The Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) is planning to return to Stratford, Ontario, for a live dairy industry showcase on April 6 and 7, 2022. CDX has not run its traditional tradeshow since 2019 — the event was cancelled in 2020 and a virtual program was presented in 2021. “Things will look different,” says CDX founder and… Read More
If you’re a cattle feeder who’s been following the value of the Canadian dollar, you’ll know it’s not moving in the right direction for people in the export market. Combine that with rising feed costs and the price of feeder cattle, the input costs for the feeder are not headed toward higher profitability. Lethbridge barley… Read More
If you’ve been watching the feed market, it’s been quite fascinating to say the least. Despite reaching record levels of production of barley in 2020, we are seeing feed barley as high as $6 in Southern Alberta. The numbers we are seeing are in the range of 50 cents higher than malt prices, and feed… Read More
If hay has seemed in shorter supply over the last few years, it’s because it has been. In a recent webinar series exploring grazing cover crops and annual forage, Ontario forage specialist Christine O’Reilly shared a nearly 40 year trend line of both hay production and livestock numbers for the province. Since the early 90s,… Read More
Farmers are taking a closer look at their soil’s health lately, and measuring the impact of cover crops or different types of strip-tillage. In this episode of Soil School, we’re talking about overall soil health and nutrition and we’ve got a great example of what you can achieve when you combine soil health and balanced… Read More
When winter kill makes it tough to grow alfalfa, what can dairy producers turn to for a protein source for milking cows? Believe it or not, forage soybeans may be a fit. That choice is gaining popularity with dairy farmers in eastern Ontario. “It’s hard to beat good alfalfa from a protein-grown-on-the-farm standpoint, but the… Read More
A new transmission will help Massey Ferguson mid-range 5700 Global Series tractors be more efficient workhorses for livestock and and hay operations, says AGCO, the tractor’s manufacturer. Two new models, the MF5710D (100 HP) and MF5711D (110 HP), will feature the convenience of the Dyna-4 transmission, making the tractors a strong fit for loader work,… Read More
Dairy calves experience many challenges in early life, and producers need to be diligent in the hours and days after birth to ensure calf health and reduce mortality. Overall, research shows that eight percent of calves die within 48 hours of birth — this includes those born dead or those that die within the first… Read More
Highline Manufacturing has released the first North American designed and manufactured self-propelled feed mixer on the market last week at Ag in Motion at Langham, Sask. The AccuMix 1000 was designed for feeding cattle in all conditions — including extreme ones. “It’s a thousand cubic foot tub, 300 horsepower CAT engine,” says Bob Cochran, general… Read More