Irrigating Alberta Fall 2016

Alberta

INSIDE

Bill Hacker Don Syvret Mark Porter Corny VanDasselaar Crystal Lintott

volume 20 • number 2 • fall 2016 • price $3.50 IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 1

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 2

volume 20 • number 2

FALL 2016

03 ................................................. Table Of Contents 04 ..........................................................

Ric’s Corner

06 ....................................................

Bill Hacker

07 ............................................................

Don Syvret

17

10

09 .......................................................... Farmers Edge 10 ........................................Corny VanDasselaar

14

11 ............................................................ Mark Porter 14 ............................................................

Alex Van Ee

15.....................................................Poor Pasture Action 16...................................................Ryan Gagley 17 ....................................................... Crystal Lintott 18 ....................................................Quad Rollovers

20

6 20 ......................................................... Hay Storage 21 .................................................... Electric Fencing 22 ................................................ Wildlife Welcome

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RIC’S

corner

But hail was forecast in numerous Alberta Environment weather warnings, warnings that continued well into this magazine’s publication deadline. Where the hail hit, damage ranged to total loss.

2016

may become one of the more confusing years on the production side of agriculture. The year started out dry. Dryland farmers were quick to act, in many cases, buying extra crop insurance with the projected prospects of a long, dry, hot year.

Irrigation farmers anticipated some extra activity to keep crops ahead of the anticipated dry weather.

Early on, Alberta Environment was forced to close some creeks and streams as natural flows declined. That rationing was also potential for the irrigators working directly from rivers, although through much of the season, reservoir levels were maintained at good levels.

Then came the rains. Dryland farmers in the Foremost area, linked closely with Manyberries where, as the story goes, about a quarter inch of rain fell while Noah was building his ark, started to smile. Dryland crops in most of southern Alberta reacted to higher-than-anticipated rainfall. Driving through most of southern Alberta was a joy – bountiful crops stretching as far as the eye could take in.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 4

Now that doesn’t mean that irrigation crops were immune from hail damage. Those that were in the way of the great white combine simply showed greater losses, partly because often the crops are higher valued with higher input costs.

There is no doubt that irrigated crops benefitted from the above-average rainfall. It wouldn’t compare to the benefit to dryland crops. In both sectors, producers were the beneficiaries from the higher rainfall levels, which hit most of southern Alberta, granted, in varying precipitation levels. Rain is never a negative in dry southern Alberta. It can come at inopportune times, like on a freshly cut hay crop or a swathed grain field. But it is never refused.

Time will tell the full production story in southern Alberta. That story for irrigated agriculture will continue strong, and the future is so bright. Irrigation districts continue to expand production acres as new producers enter the industry and others expand acres, all on the back of earned water use efficiencies at the irrigation district and farm levels.

Irrigation’s vital statistic – irrigation accounts for five per cent of Alberta’s farmland base that produces 20 per cent of agricultural production – will be shifting even higher on the production side. That is good news all around.

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 5

Bill Hacker

B

ill Hacker said goodbye to a 47-year life of service with the Southern Alberta Irrigation Industry this spring.

His career spanned as a worker role, and then owner for one of the early innovators in irrigation; Major Aluminum Products that evolved into Major Irrigation Ltd. in the irrigation infancy era, which included Oliver Irrigation.

He had a hand in the growth of the company, and even a location shift, and became manager in 1981. He and a partner bought the company in 1982. Hacker became sole owner and served as president until he closed Major in 2000. The previous year Major had been named Business of the Year in Agriculture Service by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

With good health and a strong urge to continue to serve irrigation and irrigation farmers, Hacker joined New Way Irrigation Aug. 26, 2001 to work for former company owner Tom Paterson. He enjoyed his work, immersing himself in the seemingly constant change and advancement in the technology side of the industry.

It also allowed him to continue a work association with many farm families, especially those in the Vauxhall-Taber region. “I have served some third-generation farm families.” Those associations began in 1970 with introduction of centre pivot sprinklers; most early buyers were potato growers. It was an era when producers were seeking better ways to apply water to the land, and greater uniformity of application. Labour saving became a major part of farmer management.

Hacker was also involved in industry, serving as initial president of the Alberta Potato Industry Association that celebrated 25 years in 2015. Hacker has also been an information source for a few producers new to irrigation, and always followed a personal directive on communication. “Whether on the phone or in the office, if I was helping a farmer I gave 100 per cent attention until all his questions were answered. And if I had to shift a customer to another company official, I would make sure the customer had been satisfied.”

It might be time for Hacker to slow down now; which means planning more time with his family.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 6

Don Syvret T

he Eastern Irrigation District and the farmers it serves are winning the water conservation war, and a new computer program developed by the district’s information services technologist has added fingertip awareness of water use across the 300,000acre food-producing belt.

Mark Porter’s Irrigation Recording and Management App provides managers and farmers with the most detailed information of water use across the district.

Don Syvret, south division superintendent who supervises ditch riders on about half the district lands, said the app with the Irrigation Data Recording System gives producers and the district almost instant updates on water use and distribution with the click of a computer mouse. It updates the amount of water available any day, district operation, how many farmers are irrigating, how many are shutting down irrigation and how many producers are seeking water.

know water is a hot commodity and it should not be wasted.”

Still, water distribution to farms often can’t be rushed.

The district gives itself 48 hours to fill a producers request for irrigation water, and requires 24 hours notice to shut down water to a farm. If water is readily available in an area, a request to supply it can be be sooner.

EID Map

In use only a few years, Syvret said the ditch rider staff has been reduced to 16 from 20, likely the streamlined level needed to meet the needs of producers. The expansion limit set by the EID board is 311,000 acres for total protection.

He said EID has evolved over time to improve district systems, including much more pipeline installation, a major factor in water conservation. In that same time, more producers have adopted new low-pressure centre pivot sprinklers that conserve energy costs while increasing the volume of water reaching the crops, often replacing the old standard flood irrigation or even wheel-move sprinklers. Syvret credits the infusion of younger farmers, often sons and daughters, for the modernization of irrigation. “Some old-school farmers are not likely to change (equipment and operations) when a sale of the farm is possible. That is one reason I like to see family farms carry on.”

The infusion of youth is likely the major reason farmers have accepted the water conservation goal. “Young farmers

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 7

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Farmers Edge S

ome say the job isn’t done until the paperwork is finished.

When Farmer’s Edge in Lethbridge was contracted to do soil test work on a small irrigation farm west of here, one result expected was a blueprint of the condition of the land. Since that work, a bountiful barley silage crop was seeded and harvested.

The contract farmer surveyed the soil test results sheets and proceeded to seed the crop and apply fertilizer in one pass. It appears the results of the soil tests provided a sound basis for the work done. Those results also provide a basis for work on the proposed fall-seeded crop planned this year.

Ross McKenzie of Lethbridge, a renown retired soil fertility specialist for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, now called Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, reads soil test reports like a textbook. He is pleased, for the most part, on the health of the soil in both partial quarter sections served by pivot sprinklers, including the organic matter. Three per cent organic matter is considered the standard. One parcel showed four per cent and the other five per cent. “This is very positive.”

He also liked the state of nitrogen in the soil at the time of the soil test. One parcel, there was 42 pounds of nitrogen in the zero to six-inch layer and 102 pounds in the six to 24-inch layer, for a total of 140 pounds. “That is quite high.” The other parcel showed 274 pounds of actual nitrogen available, likely the effect of more organic breakdown in this field.

The disappointing statistic is phosphorus and potassium, both exhibiting low levels. Phosphorus was tested at six to seven parts per million, about 13 to 14 pounds. “This is very deficient. You should try to build this up over the next years.” The potassium level was considered very deficient, and a concern especially when harvesting a cereal crop as silage. Potassium is stored in the cereal straw, and when silaged, is gone from the field. If harvested for grain, 80 per cent of the potassium is put back in the soil.

McKenzie said a good application of manure would solve the supply problem for both potassium and phosphorus.

In fact, manure would eliminate the need for commercial potassium fertilizer for up to eight years.

The sulpher content was considered adequate. “It was quite high in one field, and a little low in the other.”

Magnesium levels were 10 times the amount needed for the crops grown, and there is no need for sodium for the same crops. The other tested inputs, micronutrients, were considered “quite good.” They include copper, boron, iron, manganese, zinc and chlorine. McKenzie said the Ph level was eight, “high but not uncommon in this area.”

McKenzie pointed to the planned seeding of a fall rye crop this year, suggesting the only fertilizer inputs he would recommend include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

He would add 40 pounds of phosphate with the seed and sideband 40 pounds of potassium. Nitrogen could be a gamble because of soil variability. He would add 50 pounds of nitrogen at seeding, and broadcast another 50 pounds as early in the spring as possible.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 9

Corny VanDasselaar imagery equipment for zone testing a field to complement vegetative index information across a field. It allows the sample collector to determine where and what is sampled.

Every field is unique.

VanDasselaar, a senior precision agronomist and licensed seed crop inspector, works with eight in the Lethbridge Farmers Edge hub. All soil samples are shipped to the company’s lab in Winnipeg for testing. He said the value of the work begins with soil testing. “We collect accurate samples and the final information is optimized by the efficiency of the sample collection. That collection is the basis for data and recommendation. That helps the lab make the most accurate recommendations.”

VanDasselaar said the goal is to help a producer attain optimum yield. “We look at what is the optimum nutrient mix needed to grow a crop and then choose the fertilizers to attain the yield goal,” he said. “That is what makes the soil test so important – that is why we are so confident in the starting point for each producer. It is also why we recommend soil testing every couple of years so we can build a reference check in the various soil zones to help producers meet their expectations.”

He said the entire process goes back to the thoroughness of the soil test. “The key is to collect accurate samples, collecting information obtained by the efficiency of the sample collection. That collection process is the basis for data and fertility recommendations. It is the science of soils.”

Soil sampler Ryan Watson checks soil plugs (above)

F

armers Edge is a perfect fit for Corny VanDasselaar in the wide-ranging reaches of Canada’s major irrigation belt in southern Alberta.

VanDasselaar calls Farmers Edge a fertility recommendation company. One of its strengths is data collection in an increasingly detailed technical world that is increasingly relying on optimum fertility information.

The company uses soil-testing techniques that include providing nutrient application maps to guide fertilizer application equipment, even if included in the seed drill, across a single field. That work is tied into satellite

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 10

Watson checks hard copy of field soil zone, copied on computer, to establish zone fertilizer requirements

Mark Porter W

ater is never in abundance for Alberta’s giant irrigation industry, it seems, but optimum management of the resource can help make best use of available supplies.

The Eastern Irrigation District, with about half its 300,000 acres of irrigated land dependent on river flow and the rest from reservoirs, wanted to make sure it was managing its water resource most efficiently.

Enter Mark Porter, EID’s information services technologist, who, armed with the basic goal of optimizing water use, started with some scratches on paper to move from concept to field operation in five to six months.

“We have revised (the district’s Irrigation Data Recording System’s Irrigation Recording and Management App) several times on feedback from ditch riders and users since,” he said. The app is tied in with the EID’s Geographic Information System that has been in place for many years.

It is designed to inform district water managers of the upto-the-minute consumption of water by irrigators, starting with all lands being irrigated at any time, the number of farmers close to shutting down sprinklers and the number

waiting to begin irrigating. It uses a color-coding system when maximum consumption is nearing, a feature that is most important in very dry years when demand for irrigation water is generally higher.

“It gives the district the ability to make better (water management decisions) a lot quicker,” said Porter.

Everybody has instant access to the water status, leading to improved water use and management decisions.

Porter said the system is available to other irrigation districts. So far, the Bow River Irrigation District at Vauxhall has signed on, tweaking the program slightly to better accommodate that district’s own data.

“Our goal is to make the app easier and more convenient to use, and soon, to be able to use it on a smart phone or tablet,” he said. “And the program can be expanded to include land sections (compared to individual field parcels), where checks can be made on surface leases, for instance.”

Porter said the chosen name for the current version of the software is IRMA (Irrigation Recording and Management App). The mapping portion of the software is running on ESRI ArcGIS Server. The water usage data is stored in a database system called STORM.

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Alex Van Ee A

lex Van Ee got his feet wet in the world of excavation and trenching with his father, Henry.

the day, being able to get the job done right and on time.”

Alex said the company realized early the importance of meeting environmental requirements for its work.

That helped them earn a Certificate of Recognition for Small Employers.

He credits reputation for securing a recent contract to build an inlet at the Belly River to enable water to be diverted for irrigation. That contract included a two-week fisheries window, the only time work could be done in the river.

He said much of the work is standard edition, but often “tricky” projects have to be handled. “We do a lot of different jobs, and we learn from all of them. That makes us a much more efficient company.” Van Ee said efficiency is vital in the excavation and trenching work in irrigation.

“We work to stay competitive because our customers like to see a quick solution to every problem so they can get back to irrigating.”

Work continues to grow, and Alex is looking for a full-time employee. The idea is to get jobs done more quickly and then to get to more of them.

Henry & Alex working (Alex in the trench) So it seemed natural, after working at other jobs for a time in this agricultural community, he got directly involved. He became a partner in early 2014 when Alex and Henry formed Lexcon Trenching and Excavating.

Alex knew the agriculture sector would be the main work area, but the irrigation sector has become the focus for Lexcon. “We do about 80 per cent of our work in the agriculture sector, and 80 per cent of that work is in irrigation,” said Alex. “Our major irrigation work is still trenching for main line pipe from pump stations to centre pivots. We have done thousands of feet.”

They invested in trenching equipment to be able to do the best job for farmers, and when special jobs come up, they have the option of investing in more equipment or renting.

“It all comes down to being able to do the best work to make sure we have satisfied customers, and at the end of

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 14

Winter can be slow in the earthwork industry, but emergencies like broken water lines in livestock watering systems need quick attention, regardless of weather. To keep busy in winter, Lexcon does snow removal work in Fort Macleod. It isn’t needed on farms where producers do that work.

Alex looks forward to meeting future challenges, and with two sons playing with tractors in the sand box, he could have his homemade employees. “I hope they will continue to enjoy playing, and eventually, working in agriculture,” he said. “Agriculture has a huge role in the Alberta economy.”

Poor Pasture Action T

here are advantages of weaning lambs early, especially in years where pastures are not abundant, says a provincial official in Alberta Agriculture’s AgriNews.

“When good quality pasture forage is limited, flock milk production is reduced,” says Susan Hosford, sheep industry specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

“Lamb growth rates also decline and action needs to be taken. Ewes will start mobilizing stored fat to minimize weight loss. “Losing too much weight or body condition could result in the ewe taking longer to start cycling, reduce conception rates and potentially reduce the number of lambs born per ewe next year.”

Total forage consumption by the flock is reduced when the lambs are taken off pasture and put into a drylot pen or fed a creep ration when on a separate pasture away from the ewes. Dry ewes consumes 30 per cent less feed, require 35 per cent less protein, and roughly 50 per cent less energy on a daily basis compared to a lactating animal. They can maintain themselves on a lower quality feed (less alfalfa) which also helps reduce the cost of feeding the ewes.

In many operations, lambs are weaned at 60 days of age or when they are at 45 pounds. Lambs can be weaned earlier and often are as orphan lambs, when peak milk production starts to decline or when feed for ewes is in short supply.

“Young animals are very efficient in laying down bone and muscle,” says Barry Yaremcio, ruminant nutritionist with the provincial Ag-Info Centre. “As the animals get older, they start to deposit fat during growth. Depositing fat is a very energy dense tissue. This reduces average daily gain and feed efficiency of the older animal. The younger the animal, the more challenging it will be to keep the animal healthy and growing at acceptable rates. For early weaning to be successful, the lambs must be

accustomed to and readily eating dry feed.”

Lead feeding the hay and grain mixture the lambs will receive after weaning prior to the weaning event is one tool used by producers.

The protein content in the entire ration should be a minimum of 15 per cent and have a total digestible nutrient (TDN) content of roughly 68 per cent. The grain component in this mixture will be roughly 30 to 50 per cent of the ration on a dry matter basis.

Without adequate amounts of protein and energy in the ration, the lambs will not thrive and illness could be a problem.

“Move the ewes and lambs into the weaning pen for three to five days prior to the weaning event. Have the ewes teach the lambs where the water, feed bunk or feeder are in the pen, along with the loafing area,” says Hosford. “Move the ewes out of the pen when weaning occurs and leave the lambs in the area they have become accustomed to. Anything that reduces the stress on the lamb will minimize illness and a loss of performance after weaning.

Pay attention to the weaned lambs. Watch them closely.

If there is any signs of sick or lethargic lambs quickly assess and treat them. If possible separate them for easier monitoring and care. The immune capabilities of these young animals are not fully developed. It’s possible that a problem could spread rapidly resulting in many animals becoming ill and requiring treatment.

“Early weaning can be used to help manage limited pasture resources. If managed properly, both the ewes and lambs can thrive and do well.”

For more information, contact Barry Yaremico at 1-403-742-7926.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 15

Ryan Gagley T

he United Nations in the realm of co-operation has nothing over the Eastern Irrigation District.

Ryan Gagley, engineering manager for the 330,000-acre diversified crop production oasis, said the district and the County of Newell have embarked on an off-season water recovery project designed to remove natural water flow restrictions to free irrigated land and ditches of excess water caused by weather issues, including snow melt.

Gagley, with the EID for 12 years, after education in Medicine Hat and the Southern Alberta Institute

of Technology, before taking over the engineering department this year, said common boundaries for the district and county with many of the same ratepayers helped officials build the partnership. The work is being cost shared by the partners, and a detailed priority list has been hammered out, although changing conditions and problems allows for some flexibility. Two priority projects have been completed with a project cost-shared fund of up to $3 million per priority site.

Such water issues have always plagued district ratepayers, and often “solutions” might have been installation of a culvert to move water from a ditch and field. Often, it simply transferred the problem to the other side of the road. Now, detailed engineering allows the co-operators to build a system to collect all the problem water into a distribution system to move it to normal water channels.

“Easy, with this program, we have 50 years of work ahead,” said Gagley. A major benefit is enhanced productivity on the previously wet areas of a field, areas where producers could not dry a wet spot soon, or even at all.

Optimum use of district staff is another factor in the project, said Gagley. About five years ago the district looked at finding work that could keep men and equipment working.

A key is prioritizing the problem areas, completing the survey and design work for a given year, and attempting to get one project built every year.

Since 1935, the EID has been supporting: Agriculture Municipalities Industry Recreation Wildlife through sustainable and integrated management of water and land resources.

“Where Water Works Wonders”

Eastern Irrigation District Phone: (403) 362-1400 | Fax: (403) 362-6206 | Email: eid@eid.ca | www.eid.ca P.O. Box 128 | 550 Industrial Road West | Brooks, Alberta | Canada T1R 1B2

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 16

Crystal Lintott Row after row of file folders in an open area in the Eastern Irrigation District offices on the southern extremes of this bustling farming community is the work home for Crystal Lintott.

And if she needs more information, she has access to a realm of files in the basement.

The age of information is no concern for Lintott – she welcomes every tidbit, when combined, provides some of the most detailed history of a pioneer-era irrigation district.

On this visit, Lintott, EID records management administrator, was studying 1913 photographs of the famous EID aqueduct, idled some years ago by more modern water distribution systems. Idled? Not so in this case. The aqueduct has been preserved and interpreted through the combined efforts of the Government of Alberta, Environment Canada, and the federal Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and the Eastern Irrigation District as a monument to the pioneers who developed the region. Interpretive guides offer site tours and public programs through the summer visitor season. Repairs to the monument are planned, and officials are seeking information on construction plans so the aqueduct can be restored to its original condition.

Lintott said several book writers have used the archives extensively. “It helps anybody interested in old records and activities.” And several teachers have used archive information when discussing the district and the irrigation industry. Even people seeking information on families who were part of the local irrigation industry are frequent visitors.

Irrigation Mainline Drain Tile Installation Trenching Backhoe Service Excavator Service Utility Septic Systems Pump Sites

Henry Van Ee 1.403.330.8625 Alex Van Ee 1.403.892.7042 IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 17

Quad Rollovers R

ecent research has proven that mounting a crush-protection device manufactured and tested by an engineer on a quad can reduce deaths due to rollovers by 30 per cent.

“Quads are great machines for use on the farm because of where they can go and the tasks they can do,” says Don Voaklander, director, Injury Prevention Centre, University of Alberta. In an Alberta Agriculture and Parks news release, Voaklander says, “Quads have a high centre of gravity, a narrow wheel base and low pressure tires that allow them to travel into places and over rough ground that few other vehicles can handle. However these features also make them unstable and prone to rolling over.”

Rollovers are the leading cause of death to quad riders. An average of 15 Albertans die each year while riding quads.

Of these deaths, seven die because the quad rolls and crushes or suffocates them. The average quad weights between 350 and 400 lbs, some reaching as high as 600 lbs. “Body armour and other protective gear offer little protection in the case of a rollover. Even a helmet doesn’t guarantee you won’t suffer a severe head injury if the quad rolls,” says Voaklander.

A crush-protection device is a hair-pin or circular device mounted on the quad behind the rider. It extends to around the height of the rider’s head. Studies show that riding a quad is not affected by the quad bar. It does not

interfere with handling or comfort; in fact, riders report forgetting that it is there.

Should the quad lose balance and begin to roll, the device can stop its motion. This results in the quad being tipped on its side and the rider safe from being crushed. If the quad has too much momentum and keeps rolling, the device creates a space under the quad for the rider. This reduces the chances that the rider will be crushed or trapped under the quad. They are aftermarket products that range in price from about $660 to $1,360. They can be mounted onto most quads and instructions allow a quad owner to install the device.

There are several actions that quad riders can use to reduce the chances that their quad will roll. These include: learning safe riding techniques; not driving after drinking alcohol; not carrying a passenger on a quad built for one; using the quad only if it is suitable for the task; riding an appropriately sized quad for your strength and ability; not riding on a slope that is too steep; and avoiding sharp turns and maintaining a safe speed.

“Even a skilled rider who is doing their best to ride safely may experience an unexpected event that results in a rollover,” says Voaklander. A device can help avoid serious injury or death. Once installed, the device is a passive safety measure, offering protection without rider action. It will help protect any rider at all times. For more information contact Stacy Rogan, U of A knowledge translation coordinator at 1-780-492-9222.

Taber Irrigation District

TID is the centre of Specialty Crop specialty crop production and value added Country processing in Alberta including sugar beets, (Established in 1915) hay, potatoes, corn Taber is the centre of specialty crop production and value added andpotatoes, many other processing in Alberta including sugar beets, hay, corn vegetable crops. and many other vegetable crops.

TID

4420 - 44 Street, Taber, Alberta T1G 2J6 Telephone: (403) 223-2148 • Fax: (403) 223-2924 Email: tid@telusplanet.net Email: tid@taberirrigationdistrict.ca

Visit Our Website: www.taberirrigationdistrict.ca TABER IRRIGATION DISTRICT Serving over83,000 82,000acres acresand and 750 750 water area Serving over waterusers usersininthe theTaber Taber area

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 18

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - FALL 2016 • 19

Hay Storage W

hile hay quality varies across the province, how to store that hay for the best results doesn’t.

the bottom, two in the middle and one on the top. That’s actually the poorest way to do it,” says Yaremcio. “If it rains after the stacks are made, or if snow melts during the winter, all that moisture will work its way through the stack from the top down, and cause spoilage wherever the bales contact each other.”

“We’ve got a mixed bag this year,” Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says in an Agri-News news release. “Some people cut their hay early, got caught with the rains and had it discolour before it even got into the bales. Others are cutting now and may be looking at plants that are more mature than optimum. In both cases, quality may be down a bit.”

He says the mushroom stack, with bottom bale flat and the second one on top, is better than the pyramid but still will end up with a lot damage. “The best method, however, if you have the space, is to put single bales in rows with the individual bales in the rows separated by about six inches so they don’t touch.”

Yaremcio says that, no matter what the case, feed test to know what you’re starting with, and work from there.

“If the hay was baled tough, and you notice the bales are slumping, have a slight tobacco smell, or a moisture probe reads over 40 degrees Celsius, some of the protein will be tied up with the fibre and unavailable to the animal,” he said. “In that case, a secondary analysis of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) needs to be done as well.”

Yaremcio says the bales should be left in the field for seven to ten days to cool off and for moisture to equalize throughout the bale before being put in the shed or feed yard. “When the hay does get stacked in the shed, you’ll still need some air movement through the shed to keep the bales cool.”

When it comes to stacking bales in the field, there are different methods for stacking.

One method is the pyramid style, with three bales on

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 20

If bales are weathered over winter, they can potentially lose from 100-200 lbs due to deterioration, protein content may drop one to two per cent, and digestibility, if used in the second year, can be down 10-15 per cent.

“For outside storage, hard-core bales are better than soft bale, and the tighter you can get them the better, and net wrap is preferable to twine.”

Yaremcio adds a hay shed is still the best solution.

“Considering the losses you can get with having bales stored outside, it can take about four years of retained nutrients and dry matter to pay for the shed.”

For more information, call the Alberta Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).

E

Electric Fencing

lectric fencing is an effective grazing tool cattle producers, including irrigation farmers, should consider taking advantage of throughout the grazing season, says a provincial agriculture official.

“The fence you put up doesn’t have to be permanent and expensive as electric fencing systems on the market today are very effective, mobile and easy to install,” says Andrea Hanson, beef extension specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in Airdrie.

“There are a number of companies in Alberta that sell electric fencing supplies. Some companies even provide a self-contained portable package deal with everything included.” Hanson says cattle need to be trained to the electric fence, “An electric fence is a psychological barrier, not a physical one. To an untrained cow, an electrical wire isn’t an impediment. However, once accustomed to the electric fence, some producers have even gotten away with putting up twine to direct cattle into holding yards.”

It takes a few days of training to get cattle used to an

electric fence and it may take even longer to train the producer to be confident.

“One method to train the cattle is to put up a perimeter hot wire in a small pasture or paddock and allow the cattle to discover it on their own,” says Hanson. “Cattle react in one of two ways; they either jump forward or they back up. If they do jump forward they may break the wire if it’s made of polyethylene, so gather them back up and enclose them again, fix the fence and allow them to challenge the fence for a second time. An animal testing the fence for a second time is usually prepared to back up. If an animal continues to challenge and tear down the fence, cull the animal or don’t include it in the bunch because it will be a problem for you. Check the herd often to ensure the herd hasn’t been spooked through the fence.”

“You may feel most comfortable moving the cattle into a more secure area at night so you sleep better,” adds Hanson. “Once you feel confident that the herd has learned what an electric fence is, you can put up a one wire fence in many locations to contain them and to utilize ungrazed areas. However, along traffic roadways, for liability and public perception purposes, a more solid barrier is needed.”

Contact Andrea Hanson at 1-403-948-1528.

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Wildlife Welcome T

he Eastern Irrigation district owns about 660,000 acres of land in the Brooks area, and Dan Buell helps ensure fish and wildlife is welcome to the non-irrigated areas.

Buell, land administrator for habitat and wildlife, says up to 300,000 acres have been devoted to development of wetlands, mostly in partnership with Ducks Unlimited. A key chore is to keep an eye on species at risk on that land base.

“Judging by the numbers, the program is working,” said Buell.

“It is a lot of caretaking of resources.”

He cautions that the big land base isn’t just for grazing, although about 535,000acres of the district’s owned land base is earmarked for community pasture. There are about 50,000 acres for private grazing leases and 15,000 acres for irrigation leases. In most cases, any development of wetlands is multipurpose – used by cattle and wildlife. It is a better use of district grass.

That wildlife habitat development has also spurred increased hunting activity, and increased spending in the area by hunters.

A large continent is out-of-town people come in hunting season.”

The work for habitat development is multi-faceted, said Buell. Partners in Habitat Development is the master plan, but Pheasants Forever is also vital, a program featuring the EID as an original partner. Another effort is a tree and shrubplanting program designed to increase wildlife habitat along leaky canals. That is kind of an extension of the original canal construction, which attracted the first wildlife because of their water leaking trends.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 22

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Fall 2016 • 24