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WINTERFAT — A PROTEIN-RICH FORAGE · WHEN TO FERTILIZE

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Radish to the rescue 10 Winter graze cows on ryegrass 26

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Established 1938 ISSN 1196-8923 Cattlemen Editorial Editor: Gren Winslow 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 (204) 944-5753 Fax (204) 944-5416 Email: gren@fbcpublishing.com Field Editor: Debbie Furber Box 1168, Tisdale, SK S0E 1T0 (306) 873-4360 Fax (306) 873-4360 Email: debbie.furber@fbcpublishing.com

Contents canadian cattlemen · APRIL 2015 · Volume 78, No. 4

 manag ement

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Yearlings graze Graeme Finn’s pasture.

to rejuvenate a pasture focus on legumes and weeds 18  researc h

FEATURES Radish to the rescue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

President: Bob Willcox Glacier FarmMedia Email: bwillcox@farmmedia.com

All barley is not created equal . . . . . . . . . . . 14 To rejuvenate a pasture focus on legumes and weeds. . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Contents of of Cattlemen Cattlemen are are copyrighted copyrighted and and may may be be reproduced reproduced only only Contents when when written written permission permission is is obtained obtained from from the the editor editor and and proper proper credit is is given given to to Cattlemen. Cattlemen. credit Cattlemen and and Canadian Canadian Cattlemen Cattlemen are are Trade Trade Marks Marks of of Farm Farm Cattlemen Business Communications. Communications. Business

Portable pastures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Winterfat, a protein-rich forage for cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Winterfat, a protein-rich forage for cattle 24 It’s an ice-cream forage.

Ryegrass works for winter grazing cows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Verified Beef Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 What’s all the fuss about corn on the Prairies?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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When to fertilize forage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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Vet Advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists, Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided. Our commitment to your privacy: At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-1362.

Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 Holistic Ranching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Ryegrass works for winter grazing cows

Congratulations!

Research on the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Prime Cuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 CCA Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Straight from the Hip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 News Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Purely Purebred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

To our April survey winner, Darrel Petersen, Moose Jaw, Sask. This month’s survey is on page 46.

Market Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Cover Photo: Supplied by Graeme Finn

Sales and Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

The Markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1

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 COMMENT

By Gren Winslow

Vanishing cows

Expansion plans still on hold for another year

here were no surprises in the January 1 cattle inventory numbers released last month by Statistics Canada. Despite current prices and a general feeling of optimism bubbling through the industry, producers see no need to expand the cattle population now. We started the year with fewer beef cows (3.8 million), fewer replacement heifers (531,000) and fewer beef calves (99,400) than last year. By comparison the Americans are in a more expansive mood. When North Dakota livestock economist Tim Petry recently lined up the two reports it painted two very different pictures. Total cattle numbers in the U.S. were up 1.4 per cent compared to a 2.5 per cent decrease in Canada. Beef cows increased two per cent in the U.S. and declined two per cent in Canada, beef replacement heifers increased four per cent in the U.S. and declined 1.5 per cent in Canada, cattle on feed in the U.S. increased 0.6 per cent but decreased 8.7 per cent in Alberta and Saskatchewan. U.S. cattle slaughter declined 7.1 per cent in 2014 while Canadian cattle slaughter increased 3.3 per cent. Cattle prices were record high in both countries in 2014 but with the lower Canadian dollar 2014 beef imports from Canada increased 11.9 per cent and U.S. beef exports to Canada declined 22 per cent. In other words the Americans are starting to expand while Canadians are content to keep selling while the getting is good. It’s not hard to understand why this is happening. Living with BSE for more than a decade left many producers battered, bruised and needing to rebuild the equity lost on their herd through the years. This latest BSE case only stretches out the time the cloud will remain over Canada which doesn’t exactly give the industry a shot of confidence for the immediate future. The heavy discounting that has gone on at the border due to the American’s country-of-origin labelling legislation is another ding to the confidence. The promised final decision is coming down from World Trade Organization next month, but even assuming Canada and Mexico are successful Ottawa would not be in a position to post retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods overnight. Pressure is building in the Congress to fix this mess but so far the Obama administration shows no sign of giving up on it. Market analyst Kevin Grier who publishes the Canadian Cattle Buyer points to the more erratic returns for Canadians while the American cow-calf man has been posting positive returns since 1999, with the exception of ’08 and ’09, and massive profits in the past year as a key to the difference in attitude. Age is another factor. Many producers are simply too old to stick it out for another turn. The young ones may want

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to expand but at the moment the sheer cost of buying your way up is enough to test the nerves of any stockman. Even if they wanted to expand, Grier says there may not be enough uncropped pasture and rangeland around to handle an expanded herd. One way or another all these factors came into play when cow-calf producers across the country made their choice to hold or sell heifers last year. On a net basis more went than stayed. With 100,000 fewer calves in the West this year compared to last and nearly 110,000 fewer steers and slaughter heifers available the implications for the packers and feedlots are rather bleak, according to Grier. “It is difficult to see anything other than feedlot capacity downsizing and business rationalization. The argument is similar for packer plant capacity.”

espite a general feeling of D optimism bubbling through the industry, producers see no need to expand If there is one bright spot in the January report it was found in Ontario which has a couple of thousand more cows than last year and a similar bump in replacement heifers. Ontario’s cow numbers are still down 90,000 from 2002, but for the moment they seem to have stopped the slide. Beef Farmers of Ontario is actively encouraging an increase in the cow herd by promoting a plan to allocate Crown land to producers starting farms in the northern Clay Belt. Land is still priced low enough there to make beef production feasible, according to a study done for the BFO. It all hinges on the province’s willingness to release some Crown land. So far, as reported elsewhere in this issue, they have the ear of Premier Kathleen Wynne for their concept. The addition of 30 economically viable farms per year, each requiring 2,500 acres, over the next 20 years would result in another 100,000 more cows in Ontario. If this seems a tad ambitious, remember what Ontario farmers did with their Corn Fed Beef program. Canada’s National Beef Strategy doesn’t really address our declining herd numbers. It calls for a 15 per cent increase in production efficiency over the next five years along with an improvement in competitiveness, beef demand and connectivity across the industry. All are worthy goals but they won’t mean much if we don’t have enough cattle to reach them. c

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 THE INDUST RY

NewsMakers Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) president Dave Solverson and vice-president Dan Darling were acclaimed to their positions for another year at the association’s annual Dave Solverson meeting last month in Ottawa. The new directors selected by their provincial associations to sit on the CCA board for 2015-16 are John Anderson from B.C., and Colin Campbell and Tim Smith from Alberta. Dan Darling The outgoing board members are B.C.’s Martin Rossmann, Rob Somerville and Larry Delver from Alberta and Lynn Grant from Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan lost one board position this year due to a drop in its assessment which is based on the number of marketings during the past year. Lar r y Schweitzer o f Hamiota Feeders, Hamiota, Man., moved up from vice-chair to chair of the National Cattle Feeders’ Association in an election at the group’s Larry Schweitzer annual meeting earlier this year. Schweitzer represents Manitoba Beef Producers on the NCFA board of directors. He got his start in the beef industry as a cattle buyer and feeding cattle at other feedlots before establishing Hamiota Feeders in 1998 as a valueadded enterprise to his grain farm. The

custom backgrounding and finishing lot has expanded from its original 4,000-head capacity to 12,500 head today. Ryan Thompson of Ceylon, Sask., representing the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, joins the executive as vice-chair. Herb Groenenboom of Coalhurst, Alta., representing the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, is the officerat-large. Jeff Warrack of Strathmore, Alta., replaces Bill Jameson of Moose Jaw, Sask., as past chair. Representatives from provincial associations rounding out the NCFA’s board of directors include Michel Daigle, La Federation des producteurs de bovins du Quebec, August Bremer of the British Columbia Cattle Feeders’ Association and John Lawton of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association. Two vacancies remain to be filled as of mid-March: one from Alberta and one from Ontario, where the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association is now under the umbrella of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Wanda McFadyen stepped down as the executive director of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association at the end of March after a year and a half on the job. She’s a former executive director of the Manitoba Beef Producers and Farm Stewardship Association and marketing manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. No replacement had been announced at press time but the experience of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association suggests it may be a hard post to fill. The CFGA has been seeking a part-time executive director ever since consultant Ron Pidskalny quit

in November. The group had interviews scheduled for prospective replacements in late March. In mid-March the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association appointed policy analyst Patty Englund interim CEO in place of Craig Douglas and announced it was moving the SCA head office from Saskatoon to Regina by the end of June.

(l-r) George Ward, Eileen McElroy Clayton, Roy Clark

Eileen McElroy Clayton of Chestermere, Alta., was recognized in February by the Western Stock Growers’ Association for her 25 years of service to the organization as a director and for many years its treasurer. George Ward of Arrowwood, Alta., was recognized for more than 60 years of service in various capacities, including president. Past president Phil Rowland of High River, Alta., was appointed treasurer to replace Eileen on the WSGA executive. Zone 5 director Ryan Copithorne of Jumping Pound, Alta., was elected second vice-president, joining returning president Aaron Brower of Aden, Alta., and returning first vice-president James Hargrave of Walsh, Alta., on the executive. Neil Ward of Fort St. John was elected as director-atlarge. A second director-at-large position is yet to be filled as are director positions in Zone 8 and Zone 9 after Gary Etherington of Dewberry, Alta., resigned. Dr. Greg Keefe is the new dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College. Besides his doctor of veterinary medicine degree he holds a master’s degree in business administration, specializing in agriculture, from U of Guelph, and another in epidemiology. c

C at t l e m e n · A p r i l 2 0 1 5

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 our histo ry

Predators cause heavy losses Canadian Cattlemen, November 1949

n September 15 the Western Stock Growers’ Association sent a questionnaire to its 1,350 members to determine the extent of livestock and poultry losses caused by predators. As of October 18 there were 85 returns received. An analysis of the returns at hand gives alarming and important information and is as follows: These returns covered 62 points in an area extending from Watino in the Peace River to Cardston and Coutts in the south and four Saskatchewan points in the east. The entire range area is considered as being represented in the returns. The 85 reporting members disclose that over a period of five years loss to predators, both wildlife and human, aggregated 4,803 head of livestock and poultry valued at $73,997. This is an average annual loss of $14,770 for this reporting group of members. A breakdown of losses discloses that coyotes destroyed 1,091 sheep valued at $11,575, 83 cattle and calves valued at $4,295 and 2,646 poultry valued at $4,817, a total destruction by coyotes of 3,820 head of livestock and poultry valued at $20,687. Oddly enough, over the five-year period only 14 cattle valued at $1,250 were destroyed by wolves. Bear accounted for 10 cattle valued at $1,800 and 300 sheep valued at $3,500.

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Skunks took 30 poultry; cougars four cattle and beaver, by having 11 cattle and calves drown in their dams, accounted for a loss of $900. The largest reported loss from predation is to human predators or cattle rustlers. The reporting members over a five-year period lost to the cattle rustler 364 cattle valued at $41,645, 166 sheep valued at $1,730, 32 horses valued at $1,350 and 39 poultry worth $110 or a total of 601 units valued at $44,835. The occasional member reported losses of poultry to badgers and weasels. As to recommendations, with two or three exceptions, all were unanimous that the bounty on coyotes should be restored in some form. This could take the form of a per-head bounty throughout the year on both coyotes and pups or the fur market could be subsidized in such a way to make the killing of predators remunerative; some recommend the supervised use of 10-80 poison. Several of the members observed that the coyote by killing rabbits, field mice and gophers, kept these two forms of wildlife under control. It was also agreed that bounties should be paid or continued on wolves, bears and cougars and should be placed on skunks. Relative to opinions on control of human predators there was a wide diversity of opinion ranging from “hang ’em” to long

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SerVinG manitoba FarmerS Since 1925 | Vol. 73, no. 3

disease a north American first Where it came from isn’t as important as how it will be contained when it comes to verticillium wilt in canola By Shannon VanRaes

manitobacooperator.ca

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AiminG Beef leaders strive to hiGh drive industry forward Goals include boosting production efficiency by 15 per cent and increasing carcass cut-out value by 15 per cent in just five years

anitoba prides itself on welcoming newcomers, but the canola sector won’t be rolling out the welcome matt for this one — verticillium longisporum. The disease was discovered in a Manitoba canola field late last fall and visually identified at Manitoba Agriculture’s Crop Diagnostic Centre. That determination was later confirmed by molecular analysis at the National

O C T O B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 4

Big shows offer a chance to reconnect

For more of the past from the pages of our magazine see the History section at www. canadiancattlemen.ca.

Search ag news and stories from the sources you trust.

Every year, Alberta’s farm shows attract hundreds of thousands of visitors — and socializing remains the major draw

BY JENNIFER BLAIR AF STAFF

see DISEASE on page 7 »

Cows aren’t straying far from the feeder during these cold January days. By Alexis Kienlen staff

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High costs slowing cattle herd expansion Canada’s beef cattle industry is poised for expansion, but will high capital costs cause delays?

co-operator staff, with files from Dave BeDarD anD reuters / st. Jean Baptiste

usiness gurus call them Big Hairy Audacious Goals — and now Canadian beef leaders have to figure out how to achieve the ones they’ve set for their industry. “You have to pick a place to get to,” said Trevor Atchison, co-chair of the National Beef Strategic Planning Group. “You can’t make every goal in life, but if you don’t set something that’s higher than what you have today, you can’t strive to get there.”

photo: laura rance

The group, comprised of the country’s main beef industry players, released a document entitled Canada’s National Beef Strategy earlier this month. It sets the bar high with three specific goals to be achieved by 2020: Boost production efficiency by 15 per cent, increase carcass cut-out value by 15 per cent, and reduce cost disadvantage relative to global competitors by seven per cent. “Maybe the goals are more ambitious than what we can complete, I don’t know,” said Atchison, a cow-calf producer and backgrounder from

Pipestone, who is also vice-chair of Canada Beef. “But it’s in every producer’s best interest to try and get there to keep the industry healthy and grow it, with increased numbers that we’re going to need to maintain the market share for the global beef business we have today.” The 30-page document (available at www.beefstrategy.com) contains many items that are long-term propositions, including improving genetics, forage see BEEF BUSINESS on page 6 »

trong prices are signalling that it’s time to start retaining heifers and build the herd — but rising capital costs could cause some producers to hold off. “There’s lots of opportunities, but it’s costly,” said Rick Dehod, farm financial specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. A decade of pain and low prices means many producers have other priorities than expanding at the moment, he said. “A lot of those ladies and gentlemen for the last 13 years have kept their cost of production down, and they’ve really managed their farms well and survived,” he said. “But they’re behind on some of their working capital and some of the things that need to be done. “I’m sure they’re going to take their profit and meet some personal goals and some farm goals prior to keeping those cows back.” That’s the plan on Jake Meyer’s farm south of Lethbridge.

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FINED: Both railways penalized for missed grain targets » PAGE 3

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VO LU M E 1 1 , N U M B E R 2 2

terms in prison with lashes. The general feeling, however, was that the cattle rustler was getting off too lightly in fines and sentences when brought to the bar of justice. All were agreed that brand inspection, especially in districts away from the stockyards should be tightened up. A few were highly critical of the RCMP and its interest once information has been laid. Some pointed out that large losses occurred in the meat lockers and the local butcher and some method of checking the hide should be developed before meat is delivered to either locker or local butcher. Bills of sale should be given where stock is sold and if resold the seller should produce bill of sale covering the original brand. All were agreed that the practice of clearing the last brand on the animal, if declared by the shipper, was unsound. In view of the fact that in certain areas of Saskatchewan no brand inspection is required, the Alberta government should co-operate to bring about inspection in Saskatchewan for only in this way will the Alberta ranchers contiguous to the Saskatchewan border have any measure of protection. c

Before there were smartphones, Twitter and Facebook, farmers perfected the art of social networking the good oldfashioned way — face to face at meetings, trade shows, and conferences during the busy winter season.

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BY JENNIFER BLAIR

nd that’s still what keeps ’em coming back for Alberta’s two biggest farm shows. “For agricultural folk, whenever they gather, networking is a major component of what they do,” said Dave Fiddler, show manager for Farmfair International. The Edmonton event has grown from humble beginnings 41 years ago into one of Western Canada’s largest — and lon-

gest running — farm shows. With nearly 300 exhibitors and 90,000 visitors over the week-long show, Farmfair attracts farmers from across the country who come to talk shop about beef. “It’s where the beef industry comes to meet,” said Fiddler. “It’s the largest beef event in Alberta, and that is the major draw.” Over the years, Farmfair has added equine events and sales, entertainment, and competitions to appeal to a broader audience

SEE BIG SHOWS  page 6

AG SCHOOL SAVOURS ITS SUCCESSES  PAGE 2

Network

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 varieties

By Debbie Furber

Radish to the rescue The last seven-inch rain reduced his cover crop options to one — Tillage Radish

even inches of rain in one shot late last June left Kevin Elmy with little choice but to throw out the notion of generating income off some of his land that year. Instead, he planted the waterlogged fields to Tillage Radish in hopes of at least conditioning the land. Elmy’s Friendly Acres Seed Farm near Saltcoats, Sask., has been growing cover crop species for a decade or so. Tillage Radish was added five years ago, mainly as part of cover crop mixtures. He sets up on-farm trials to evaluate the adaptability of forage and field crops introduced to Saskatchewan in the past dozen years. His normal field rotation today is soybeans, canola, winter triticale, short-term alfalfa, and grazing corn. The farm has rolling sandy loam and clay loam soil, so there is some natural drainage, but five years of above-average snowmelt and rainfall has taken its toll. When spring 2014 left 120 acres too wet to seed as usual in May, his initial intention was to wait until he could get onto the land to plant a cover crop of annual ryegrass, Tillage Radish and crimson clover for short-term grazing. The idea was to soak up the excessive water, compete with weeds and salvage some revenue. Then came a seven-inch rainfall. It drowned out some grazing corn and converted the 120 acres to a sea of foxtail barley. When he was able to get on the land in early August he simply used a disc for the weeds and spikes to level it before seeding straight Tillage Radish at seven pounds per acre. From experience he knew this seed has great vigour and pops out of the ground quickly when it has good seed-to-soil contact. The main concern is residual activity from herbicides such as Pursuit used on previous crops. It can fry radish seedlings. His rule of thumb is if the field is safe for sowing canola, it will be good for radish. The August weather was rather unexceptional with daytime temperatures in the low 20 C range and nights between 5 C and 10 C. By the time the first frost hit in September, the radish leaves were six inches in diameter and the two- to three-inchdiameter tubers were a foot long with taproots drilling down 24 to 30 inches. “It didn’t take a lot of heat or growing days to be frost tolerant and stayed green under the first snow. Three nights in a row of -9 C in late October and it was done. Later seeded, it tried to act like a biennial staying vegetative the first year,” he observes. It is an annual and if planted

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before the third week in June, it will flower and set seed too early. Having a tight carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, the tubers and above-ground growth will rot quickly this spring, releasing 60 to 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Fair warning, though, rotting radishes do stink, he adds. The rotting tubers give off heat, helping to warm the soil and the decaying leaf material releases an acid that has some natural herbicide activity. In his experience, leaving the rotting residue on the surface controls weed seedlings between seed rows of the subsequent crop until mid-June. Drill openers push the decaying matter off to the side enough that the acid doesn’t interfere with germination of the new crop. Elmy says the combination of warmth and weed control creates ideal growing conditions for corn the following year under normal growing conditions. All crops do well following radish, however, it is a brassica, so you could be setting the stage for disease issues by growing canola or other brassica crops directly on the heels of a radish crop. Elmy doesn’t feel confident jumping right back into his normal rotation first thing this spring because that particular field doesn’t have great topography for drainage should 2015 bring more of the same. Snow cover had been average for the area into February and he expects the land will be OK for seeding if March is kind and there’s an early melt so the water gets away. Instead, he is planning on growing a springseeded cover crop to take off as greenfeed in July. In the meantime, planting the Tillage Radish crop met his goals. It smothered weeds, used water, and the roots made vertical slices that definitely cracked the hardpan as evidenced by September rainfall that soaked away nicely without run-off or leaving standing water on the field. The overarching goal was to limit losses. As the old adage goes, the first loss is the cheapest. The first loss was losing a year of production from the grazing corn and flooded acres. Chemfallow wasn’t an option for meeting his goals because herbicides are most effective applied when weeds are small, so the weed growth wouldn’t have used much water. There’s always the concern of contributing to herbicide-resistant weed problems with repeated use of the same herbicide group on the same field, as can be the situation during a string of wet years. Compaction is another issue on wet ground as air is pushed out of the soil with each pass. Goal setting and planning ahead are among

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varieties

the best-management practices for cover cropping that have come to the forefront in the northern U.S. where producers have been cover cropping for longer than on the Canadian Prairies. “The recommendation is to have seed inventory on hand so that if the opportunity for growing a cover crop is there, you can go ahead and plant it rather than trying to round up seed for the mix you want at the last minute,” Elmy says. Some varieties can be difficult to source on short notice, others are fairly common. Crops he likes because of their adaptation to the Prairie region include the legumes crimson clover, hairy vetch, sunn hemp, white clover, red clover, alsike clover and fenugreek; the brassicas Tillage Radish, purple-top turnip, appin turnip, forage rape, kale and hybrid brassica (a turnip-radish cross); the grasses sorghum sudangrass, RootMax annual ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, fall rye, winter triticale, oats and the millets; and the broadleafs buckwheat, sunflower, phacelia and chicory. “Your choice of species and when you seed will depend on your reason for planting the cover crop,” Elmy explains. The most common goals are to smother weeds, break the hardpan, reclaim nutrients, build organic matter, or as a grazing opportunity. The wet years in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba have shown that cover cropping is a good strategy for using excess water. Commonly a cover crop is planted in spring for greenfeed ahead of a winter annual, and replacing hailed-out silage crops with mixtures suitable for late-season grazing. In Elmy’s case, if the drowned-out acres were not as prone to flooding, his cover crop goal last year would have been to provide protection for a winter triticale crop. The mixture he plans on using this spring would have been planted in early August with winter triticale seeded directly into it the third or last week of August. Tillage Radish is a great fit for weed control, reclaiming nutrients and breaking the hardpan, but there are better choices for building organic matter and short-term grazing, he says. High-fibre crops, such as oat are best for building organic matter. For grazing add some oat, winter triticale or fall rye to create fibre. Cattle will readily graze Tillage Radish, but by itself, it’s far too rich in protein at 30 to 35 per cent and has a relative feed value of 275 to 300, compared to the 120 to 140 relative feed value cows need. For more information visit www. friendlyacres.sk.ca or give him a call at 306744-2779 or 306-744-2332. c

“ Your choice of species will depend on your reason for planting the cover crop.” Kevin Elmy, Saltcoats, Sask.

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2014-12-05 3:01 PM

 vet aDvi c e

CREATING NO-FLY ZONES

n important component of planning for spring grazing is fly control. What products to use, steps to monitor fly populations and timing of treatments are elements contributing to the control of pests that cost the North American industry nearly a billion dollars every year. Flies of economic importance on western Canadian range are horn flies (Haematobia irritans); face flies (Musca autumnalis); and stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans). Warble or gad flies (Hypoderma bovis and Hypoderma lineatum), once a huge economic concern to the cattle industry, were practically eliminated with the advent of systemic avermectins and pour-on organophosphates. Pesticide resistance has severely limited the range of effective fly control products so it is wise to consult with your veterinarian to learn what products are most effective in your geographical area, the different classes of control products that are available and the all-important issue of when they should be used. Economic impact

The horn fly is considered one of the most important blood-feeding pests of pastured cattle. Between 200 and 250 flies per animal is sufficient to trigger economic losses. The irritation and blood loss they cause reduce milk production and change grazing patterns and reduce weight gains on calves by 20 to 27 pounds. Studies in both Canada and the U.S. report reduced weight gains in yearlings on grass as high as 18 per cent. Horn flies have been implicated in the spread of mastitis in brood cows and they are also important vectors for anaplasmosis and bovine leucosis. Face flies feed periodically through the day. As the name implies, they persist around the face consuming secretions from eyes and nostrils. Data does not exist on the number of face flies needed per animal to cause economic loss. While annoying, heavy infestations do not seem to cause reduced weight gains in pastured animals. However, face flies often play a role in transmitting pink eye from one animal to another during outbreaks.

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Fly behaviour

Understanding basic habits of the three main fly types helps formulate control options. Horn fly

Horn flies are normally found on the backs, sides, and polls of cattle but shift to the belly during the heat of the day. They feed on blood with both male and female flies helping themselves to some 20 to 30 blood meals per day. After mating, females deposit eggs in fresh manure. Eggs hatch within a week and mature in the soil beneath the manure pat. When adult flies emerge they are capable of flying several miles in search of a host. Their entire life cycle is completed in 10 to 20 days depending on weather. Under ideal conditions, horn flies produce as many as 35 generations in a single summer. Monitoring fly numbers on the cattle is a tedious but important part of any control plan. They should be monitored weekly in fly season and treatment in the form of back rubbers, dust bags, insecticidal ear tags, pour-ons, oral larvicides, and sprays brought out when numbers reach 200 flies per animal. Insecticide ear tags were once the hallmark of horn fly control until resistance ended their usefulness in many areas. Rotating insecticide classes every year with ear tags and seasonally for other application methods has extended the usefulness of these products. Two tags per animal may be required for maximum benefit. Oral larvicides find their way into the manure to prevent fly larvae from developing into adults. To be effective they need to be consumed daily to keep up with local fly populations as well as the migrating flies from untreated herds across the fence. Recent U.S. research has shown patch burning of pastures is tremendously effective at reducing horn fly populations. Where it is feasible, patch burning could be considered as a part of an overall integrated pest management strategy. Face fly

Face flies are non-biting and feed on animal secretions, nectar and dung liquids. Adult female flies typically cluster around an animal’s eyes, mouth and muzzle, causing

extreme annoyance. When they find wounds on an animal’s face they will also become blood feeders. Face flies are present throughout the summer with populations peaking in late July and August and are most numerous along waterways, and irrigated pastures. Face fly control can be difficult because of where flies feed and the significant time they spend away from their hosts. The best method of reducing face fly numbers is using a treatment that forces animals to come in daily contact with an insecticide through dust bags, oilers, sprays or insecticide-impregnated ear tags. Both cows and calves must be treated for effective control. Stable flies

In some areas, stable flies are significant pasture pests. They are blood feeders found mainly on the front legs of cattle. Their bite is painful and the cattle react by stomping their legs, bunching up in the corners of pastures, or standing in water to avoid these pests. Female stable flies deposit eggs in spoiled or fermenting organic matter mixed with animal manure, soil and moisture. Winter hayfeeding sites using hay rings are prime sites for larval development throughout the summer when enough moisture is present. The most common breeding sites are in feedlots or dairy lots, usually around feed bunks, along the edges of feeding aprons, under fences and along stacks of hay, alfalfa and straw. The economic threshold of five flies per leg is easily exceeded on many pastures. Adult stable fly control on pastured cattle can be difficult based on the amount of time the fly is away from its host and the fact that stable flies can roam at least 10 miles or more. Cleaning up wasted feed at winter feeding sites is one positive step to reducing fly populations. Bottom line: we’ll never eliminate flies or fly problems, but if you plan ahead you can reduce the negative impact they have on your cattle during the pasture season. c Dr. Ron Clarke prepares this column on behalf of the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners. Suggestions for future articles can be sent to Canadian Cattlemen (gren@fbcpublishing.com) or WCABP (info@wcabp.com).

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 Nutritio n

By John McKinnon

Don’t Procrastinate Planning Next Winter’s Feed Supply

s w inter slowly gives way and your thoughts turn to calving and seeding, it is understandable that next winter’s feed supply may not be first and foremost on your mind. However, depending on the nature of your operation (hay versus silage versus extensive winter grazing) you may or may not have the luxury of time when making decisions regarding your 2015 winter feeding program. Furthermore, there are several relatively recent developments in winter feeding strategies that may fit your operation. For example, if you have traditionally grown barley silage as a forage source, the availability of relatively low heat unit corn varieties may provide an alternative. Similarly, alternatives to traditional hay-based feeding programs such as swath grazing annual cereal crops, seeding annuals for greenfeed or grazing standing corn all require advanced planning if one wishes to utilize these as winter feed options. The following discussion compares the relative feed value of some of these options in an effort to help you with planning next winter’s feeding program. First let’s compare barley versus corn silage. Cattle producers in Eastern Canada have been familiar with the value of corn silage for many years, but for many western Canadian producers, it is a relatively new option. The primary benefits of growing corn for silage include the potential for increased dry matter (DM) yield and superior silage in terms of energy content. To illustrate, let’s compare barley silage at 65 per cent moisture and harvested at the mid-dough stage of maturity with corn silage at 65 per cent moisture and harvested at an optimal stage of kernel starch formation (i.e. one-half to two-thirds milkline). Under these conditions barley silage will typically range in total digestible nutrient (TDN) content from 60 to 65 per cent (DM basis) while corn silage will typically range from 67 to 72 per cent TDN (DM basis). This difference in energy content translates to less feed dry matter required for maintenance or gain purposes and thus the potential for more efficient performance when corn silage is fed. While corn silage is usually superior in terms of energy content, it should be noted barley silage at 10 to 12 per cent crude protein (CP) is typically two to three percentage points higher in this important nutrient. Achieving optimal whole plant moisture and maturity characteristics for ensiling barley is typically not an issue for growers. Failure to do so is usually associated with harvest management (i.e. timing of cutting, packing, covering) rather than with the environment.

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In contrast, with corn silage, environmental issues such as inadequate moisture or failure to achieve sufficient heat units over the growing season can have a marked negative influence on dry matter yield and on the energy content of the resulting silage. For example, lack of sufficient heat during the growing season will result in immature cobs (i.e. lack of starch content) which in turn will reduce the energy content of the silage. As well, harvest likely will have to wait for a killing frost to reduce whole plant moisture levels to less than 70 per cent for ensiling. In such cases, the dry matter yield is reduced and the economics of growing corn for silage become questionable. Not everyone has the luxury of using silage as a forage source and must rely on putting up hay or some other form of conserved forage to generate a winter feed supply. Most of the recent innovations in this area have focused on reducing the cost of feeding (bale feeding under extensive situations; grazing stockpiled pasture with strategic supplementation of energy and/or protein supplements). While not completely eliminating the need for hay, one innovative alterative that has generated interest among cow-calf operators is grazing standing corn. As with silage, growing corn for winter grazing has potential to generate a large volume of feed with a nutrient profile that matches or exceeds most hay crops. For example, data generated by the Western Beef Development Centre on five different corn varieties showed that whole crop corn sampled in November of 2011 ranged in CP content from 6.7 to 9.7 per cent and from 57 to 67 per cent TDN (DM basis). These values meet or exceed the energy requirements of beef cows throughout gestation. Forage dry matter yields ranged from 4.0 to almost 6.0 tonnes per acre while grazing costs averaged $0.94 and ranged from $0.70 to $1.40 per head per day. As with growing corn for silage, it is critical to select a variety that has been developed for your local area in terms of corn heat units. Corn needs heat for optimum growth and development and failure to achieve adequate heat units will reduce yield and nutrient content of the crop. As well, a certain degree of caution is necessary when grazing corn as unlimited access can result in overgrazing of cobs and issues with grain overload. In closing, I realize it is only April but it is never too early to start thinking about your winter feeding options. Whether you grow silage, put up hay, utilize extensive grazing strategies or are looking to alternatives such a standing corn, now is the time to be making decisions before the passage of time makes them for you. c

John McKinnon is a beef cattle nutritionist at the University of Saskatchewan

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 varieties

By Debbier Furber

All Barley Is Not Created Equal

mproving the quality and efficiency of feed was the topic of the day at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference workshop put on by the Feed Coalition, an alliance of Alberta producer associations and research organizations. Alberta alone grows more barley than all of the U.S. and not many know barley quality better than researchers with Alberta Agriculture’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) at Lacombe, Alta. Over the last 41 years, the centre has released 32 barley varieties, 23 of which are feed varieties, and since 1993 has developed 30 nearinfrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) quality characteristic calibrations for barley. An NIRS scan is like a sample’s fingerprint because each component in a sample absorbs differing amounts of light energy from the spectrum, explains Lori Oatway, cereal quality research scientist with Alberta Agriculture’s feed crops branch. The NIRS fingerprints are compared to chemical analysis results to develop unique mathematical equations for each characteristic for each grain type. The equations are then used to calibrate the NIRS instruments to predict each characteristic. Developing NIRS technology for quick, accurate sample analysis has been an FCDC priority because there are at least 20,000 and upwards of 40,000 samples from the breeding program to scan between harvesting the plots and March when breeders need to make their selections for planting in spring. The more data collected from the FCDC’s

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and collaborators’ research projects and feeding trials, the stronger the calibrations become over time. From equations for protein, starch, lysine and moisture calibrations 22 years ago, researchers are now working on calibrations for complex traits such as digestible energy content, protein digestibility and fibre digestibility.

Lori Oatway

“Feed quality is one of our highest priorities and all of our varieties (feed, hulless and malt barley classes, triticale and winter wheat), are screened for feed quality traits both as grain and forage in all trials,” Oatway says. “When we develop a variety, the lines are assessed for yield because we want you to have a high return on your investment, so we want varieties that yield the most on the least amount of land with the least amount

of inputs. We look at agronomic traits, with lodging resistance and earliness being very important, and we look at the enhanced quality traits. For disease resistance, we have collaborators around the world testing resistance to stripe rust, smut, fusarium head blight, root rot, scald and blotch. “Choose your variety carefully because quality can’t go beyond the genetic potential of the variety. Varieties are unique, that is we can’t just say it’s a two row or a six row and know its quality. Different varieties are developed for different reasons so not all varieties within the classes have equal quality traits.” To illustrate her point, Oatway highlights some of the quality characteristics of a few FCDC varieties. Amisk, a six-row feed barley, is unique because of its improved plumpness (five per cent better than the two-row malt leader, AC Metcalfe), so it processes quite evenly and is useful for forage as well. Bentley was bred as a two-row malt variety, but its high yield (13 per cent higher than AC Metcalfe) is comparable to feed barley yields. It’s marketed as a triple-purpose variety, so if you are planting barley in hopes of getting a malt premium, but that doesn’t work out, you won’t lose anything on yield potential or biomass production. Sundre is a smooth-awned six-row feed with a very good disease and yield package. Another smooth-awned variety, Gadsby, Continued on page 16

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va r i et i es

Continued from page 14

is a two-row feed barley with a nice plump kernel along with strong grain and forage yield. It has performed well in feeding trials because of its unique quality traits being higher in starch and digestible energy content and lower in fibre than Xena. For detailed information on FCDC varieties, go to Alberta Agriculture’s website and search for FCDC then click on the link at the bottom of the page (www1.agric. gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/ fcd5616). Choosing barley varieties for forage

“Knowing all you can about the variety you choose is really important because it gives you clues as to its role in your feeding program. It is the first way to reduce risk of loss,” says Vern Baron, Agriculture Canada research scientist at Lacombe. Looking at plots, seed guides and advertisements will tell you something about the varieties for forage but each has its limitations. For instance, leaf content will be important because it is a very nutritious component of the plant, but it may only represent 10 per cent of the crop dry weight. There are characteristics you can’t see, such as stem cell walls and other undigestible material, but that could be offset by starch in the grain. At the silage stage, grain may represent 35 to 45 per cent of the weight, and stems, which are the least digestible, may represent another 35 to 45 per cent with awns and chaff making up the rest. So looking at plots likely won’t tell the whole yield and quality story. There are also a lot of varieties with very good forage potential that aren’t marketed as forage types. Baron recommends studying results from replicated standard agronomic variety trials, such as the western co-operative barley forage trials used for variety registration and provincial trials. They provide the best yield and quality data because of the controlled production schedule with harvest at the proper stage. Choose varieties with the best performance in the trial location closest to your farm to reduce agronomic risk associated with soil type, environment and disease pressure. Finally, yield and quality for the same variety differs from year to year and location to location, so look at yield and quality stability across locations and years to narrow your choices to varieties with the least variation in performance. High quality results in higher rates of

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gain for backgrounding feedlot animals and, while feed quality is important for swath grazing beef cows, high yield always dominates in the economic analysis for swath grazing, he says. High yields translate into lower cost per unit of production and higher carrying capacity to decrease acres used for swath grazing or graze more animals on the same amount of land. In swath-grazing trials at Lacombe, triticale planted in the first part of June yielded 50 per cent more tonnage than late-seeded barley. The corn cost more to seed, therefore, would have to yield more and have higher quality, which it did, Baron says, but the high-yielding triticale saved the most money compared to the barley silage-barley straw control.

Vern Baron

“We like to see low variation for quality with high yield. We see a lot of material in the system with relatively low quality variation but not high yielding, probably typical of barley-breeding programs for grain,” Baron says. “We also see varieties with the best carrying capacity (yield) but the fact is they’re just not that high for forage quality (high digestibility and low fibre resulting in good rates of gain); other varieties that provide better rates of gain tend to be lower yielding, so we have some work to do to bring information together so we can do a better job selecting material for new lines.” New rate-of-gain index in development

Baron is heading up development of a new selection tool currently called a forage utilization spreadsheet. It ranks barley cultivars according to their economic merit based on animal production traits, such as rate of gain for backgrounding or carrying capacity

for swath grazing, and can be used for other feed crops as well. Quality and yield information for each variety is entered into the spreadsheet to project rate of gain and cost per pound of gain for each variety. The rate-of-gain component factors in all of the feed-quality parameters. In Baron’s barley example, this information was obtained by NIRS predictions for varieties that have been released by the FCDC, new lines in development and other varieties grown for years at FCDC sites (Lacombe, Olds, Trochu, Calmar). The cost-of-gain equation factors in the value of each kilogram of feed produced (cost of growing the crop divided by yield), the amount fed and the estimated rate of gain. Therefore, the ranked results are specific to a growing region and to the class of animals being fed. “The sole purpose is to compare varieties grown within the trial and the comparison is best for those managed the same way,” Baron says, stressing that the new tool isn’t a ration-formulating program to balance all ingredients in a ration or figure out a leastcost ration. “It could be used along with existing data from the trials or a producer could use it to compare varieties where the basic yield and quality data is supplied. One way or the other, you will be able to use the information to help choose the variety that would be the least risky to grow and feed in a backgrounding program on your farm.” His example compares barley cultivars grown in the Olds-Edmonton area and fed to 550-pound steers on a full silage diet. Surprisingly, a food-type two-row barley ranked the highest with a rate-of-gain projection of 1.94 pounds per day at a cost of 32 cents per pound of gain. Another food type ranked second in the two-row class with the same rate-of-gain (1.61 pounds) and costper-pound-of-gain (38 cents) projections as the third-ranked six-row feed barley. In the six-row category, a semi-dwarf variety came out on top with potential to produce 1.87 pounds of gain per day at a cost of 34 cents per pound of gain. A variety specifically bred as a feed-forage type ranked lowest among both the two-row and six-row varieties with a projected rate of gain of 0.93 pound per day at a cost of 66 cents per pound of gain. “The reason these costs of gain may seem low to the cattle feeder is that they are determined using plot yields, which are usually greater than one might get from farm fields. The average of the varieties’ estimated rates

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varieties

of gain were about 1.2 pounds per day. So we can see that there is some exceptional genetic material that hasn’t necessarily been identified for the feeding industry,” says Baron. “I knew there would be differences, but was surprised to see the amount of difference,” Baron says. “The quality traits that appear to be the most important for rate of gain are acid detergent fibre for digestibility and neutral detergent fibre for intake, but we would also like to have high starch content because that’s rapidly digestible and we would like to have high fibre digestibility.” Taking it a step further, Baron wanted to see how variety choice would affect risk on the farm. Quality data from the spreadsheet for varieties in the Lacombe trial and five years of cost-price data for 550-pound steers fed for 150 days was used to create a distribution of gross margin for each variety. The cost-price data included purchase prices in November, trucking, induction costs, feed costs, yardage and April sale prices with a slide for 700-weight cattle. At the end, they looked at rates of gain and break-evens for each of the five years to come up with the probability of loss depending on the variety chosen.

“The two-row and six-row varieties that ranked near the top would have at least been better than breaking even four out of five years and most of the six-row varieties would have made money four out of five years,” Baron says, adding that the distribution may have been different for varieties grown in another area where two-row types may have had an advantage. Keep in mind factors such as resistance to leaf diseases and lodging. Lower varieties on the index would have been successful in only one or two years. One year the market was so good money was made regardless of the variety fed. In another year all trials lost money, although choosing a variety with a higher rate of gain and higher yield would have helped limit the loss. The hitch is that when you buy your seed for spring you don’t know what will happen six months to a year down the road. “So we see that it differs from year to year how important it is for you to choose the best variety. So it would make some sense economically for you to choose the better types. It would provide the best chance of success,” he says. c

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 COVER STO RY · m a nag e m e n t

By Duane McCartney

To rejuvenate a pasture focus on legumes and weeds

raeme Finn and his wife Heather rent 3,200 acres of pasture on long-term lease to graze 1,000 yearlings and their beef cow herd year round near Madden, Alta. They rely on intensive rotational grazing of high-legume and annual crop pastures so you can understand why each pasture was assessed for potential productivity before it was rented. In the past, most of those pastures required major rejuvenation primarily to get rid of the weeds, particularly thistles. “I mainly sod seed my pastures,” explains Graeme. “My goal is to start off with a clean seedbed and for weed control and existing vegetation control I use a fall and/or spring burn-off with glyphosate. If chemicals will help me, I will use them,” says Graeme. “My planting depth is critical and I aim for seeding at one-half inch in depth. “I seed a very heavy mixture of different legumes mainly alfalfa, vetch and sainfoin with the grass. The more legumes the better… like up to 60 per cent. The vetch and sainfoin help to prevent bloat. When I am sod seeding, I like to use 10 pounds per acre of a grass blend of AC Knowles hybrid bromegrass, smooth leaf tall fescue and orchardgrass. The legume mixture of Splendor 4 alfalfa, Veldt milk vetch

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and sainfoin is seeded at five pounds an acre. After a couple of years there is more vetch and sainfoin repopulating in the stand. I find that a mixture of grasses and legumes gives me the best milk production and weight gains for my grazing cattle. Do not be afraid of using legumes; with grazing management they can be the best thing for your pastures. “I still have lots of alfalfa in my pastures after 10 years. I don’t graze my pastures like a hay mower. I have lots of plant height left at the end of the grazing period to be used as solar panels for future plant growth. “I firmly believe that in my area it is essential to not graze the newly seeded pasture for the next 12 months. This is critical and I have found that this long initial rest period will extend the life of my pastures for up to 10 to 12 years. Depending on the situation, I will graze the new stand in the late fall or stockpile graze it lightly in the winter. I have a grazing plan where the cattle will graze while the newly seeded pasture is locked out for the year’s rest period.” Sod seeding using a direct-seed drill at sixto seven-inch spacings costs about $62 per acre for chemical plus seed. If he has to break the old pasture and cultivate before seeding, his costs climb closer to $150 plus seed.

“High-quality forage has low fibre, high protein and tastes good. The sugars in the plant are the immediate product of photosynthesis which hasn’t yet been incorporated into the plant structure. The less mature the plant, the greater the proportion of total dry weight of the plant that is made up of cell-soluble material. This is good grazing. In immature plants, a much higher amount of cellulose may be digested, while in mature grasses less than 25 per cent may be digested,” he says. “Overgrazing, is the most harmful practice to any pasture. You always need to leave sufficient grass to be a solar panel. Overgrazing will also shorten the life of your pastures and increase your costs. “I use rotational grazing as it is both beneficial to the cattle and the pasture land. Electric fencing is one tool that I use to make grazing easier. I always provide fresh water and I supply this through plastic pipelines and strategic placement of watering points. I also stockpile forage for fall-winter grazing and this is very important to my year-round grazing program for my beef cows. I find that when cows graze late in the fall and early winter, when the legumes have seed heads, they will spread these seeds around the field. “By having a good mix of grasses and

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legumes in the pasture stand I can improve the soil fertility as well as the production of the livestock. By having multi species in a pasture stand I can have good productive grazing from spring to fall. “I have also found that good plant diversity suppresses the spread of weeds, harmful insects, diseases. It also broadens the nutritional opportunities of grazing livestock.” By inter-layering legumes throughout the grass canopy Graeme creates a more efficient pasture than is possible with just grass or legumes alone. This also lessens the threat of bloat, as the cattle can graze a mouthful of grass followed by a mouthful of alfalfa or other legumes. He also uses annual forages to control weeds with heavy seeding rates of forage rape and annual ryegrass. These crops grow so thick they cover the soil and smother encroaching weeds. There is basically no space for the weeds to grow. Overgrazing is the most common way weeds take over a pasture. In travelling across central Alberta and Saskatchewan last fall, I was hard pressed to find any pasture that had not been severely overgrazed, some almost to the ground. Only Kentucky bluegrass and creeping red fescue remained, two grasses not noted for high forage production. As a result, Canada thistle and other weeds dominated the landscape. Canada thistle is considered by livestock producers to be the most problematic pasture weed on the Canadian prairie. Its roots spread one to two metres a year and can extend six metres. Root pieces as small as half a centimetre long can produce viable plants. Canada thistle is a very aggressive weed and takes light, moisture and nutrients from surrounding forages. Dr. Ed Bork at the University of Alberta and his graduate students studied how Canada thistle responds to clipping of the surrounding plants. “We found that continuous clipping down to a height of approximately one inch every 14 days simulated maximum stress on forages… and resulted in the lowest grass production on fertilized and unfertilized pastures sites. “High-intensity/low-frequency sites clipped to approximately one inch every six weeks provided the second-highest grass production, showing once again that a rest period is critical to forage regrowth. Deferred grazing sites were clipped once at the end of the growing season (mid-August) following unimpeded growth throughout the summer. “The highest forage biomass came from fertilized and unfertilized plots in the www.canadiancattlemen.ca

deferred grazing sites. Thistle growth was highest in the continuous grazing system, followed by low-intensity/high-frequency, high-intensity/low-frequency and deferred grazing systems, in that order.” In another study, Bork and his team evaluated high-intensity/low-frequency, low intensity/high-frequency and continuous grazed pastures.

turn kept most of the thistles in the early growth stage or rosette stage, when they are at their most palatable and nutritious, averaging 18.6 per cent crude protein and 83 per cent total digestible nutrients. The cattle consumed some thistles in the low-intensity/high-frequency pasture, but not enough to provide effective control. “Cattle didn’t touch the thistles in the continuous grazing system, letting them advance to the late-flower state,” says Bork. The weeds had more stems, were pricklier and harder for animals to eat and digest than young thistles. “A year after producers had reverted back to continuous grazing, the thistles had not recovered on the high-intensity/low-frequency pastures, and a big increase in total forage productivity was still evident. The greatest thistle control coincided with the grazing system that gave the best forage production and best utilization of thistle.” Eat them down

High-intensity/lowfrequency grazing produced the most forage and fewest thistles Dr. Ed bork University of Alberta

Thistle coverage was in excess of 32 stems per square metre on continuously grazed pastures. Thistle counts dropped somewhat to 24 stems per square metre by the end of the third year on low-intensity/highfrequency grazed pastures and managed to achieve 40 per cent forage utilization with two weeks rest between grazing periods. Cattle in the high-intensity/low-frequency pasture were allowed to graze 70 to 80 per cent of the available forage over five days, and then the pasture was rested for six weeks. This combination was hardest on the thistles at fewer than two thistle plants per square metre after three years. High-intensity/low-frequency was the most effective system because the recovery period was sufficient for the grasses to remain competitive so the cattle ate the thistles rather than selectively graze around them. That in

Initial research in Utah and Colorado has looked at ways of enticing livestock to eat weeds. Cattle can be trained to eat thistles over seven days in a pen. On the first day they are fed grain. Over the next few days the grain is reduced and the thistles introduced so that by the end of the week the cattle are consuming straight thistles. It is important to put these cattle immediately in a thistle-infested pasture so they don’t lose their taste for them. Calves grazing alongside their mothers will also learn to eat thistles and this behaviour will be remembered throughout their grazing life. Graeme has used goats to graze buck brush on his pastures. The key, he says, is to keep the goats or cows in a concentrated area with electric fencing to get them to graze a specific weed right down to the ground. Later in the day they must be let out for water. Clark Brenzil, provincial weed specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture sums it up very well. Prevention is the key and cheapest way to control weeds on pasture and rangelands. Once the weeds are introduced, you need to find them and eradicate them right away. You want no survivors. Some weeds have the potential to spread a million seeds per plant across your pasture and rangelands. Detailed information on pasture rejuvenation and weed control on pastures can be found at www.Foragebeef.ca. Look for the invasive species and pasture rejuvenation section. c Duane McCartney is a retired forage beef systems research scientist in Lacombe, Alta.

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 grazing

By Steve Kenyon

Portable Pastures

y farm is a bit different than most. I look at everything on it through a gross margin looking glass. It has to make a profit. If it doesn’t then I need to change it, adjust it or dump it. We have limited equipment and enjoy keeping it simple. We do not have a whole lot in the way of assets and basically our whole operation is portable; much like most new young farmers starting out. We manage 3,300 acres of land leased from private owners and don’t currently own any of the land that we operate on. Don’t get me wrong, I believe land is a great investment, but it needs to be purchased with after-tax dollars. The risk that we run in operating in this manner is the possibility that we might lose land. It does happen, but at the same time we are regularly gaining new pieces of land. For this reason, we need to be portable. I do not own any cattle. I am a custom gra-

zier; so my job is to manage herds of cattle for my customers on the land that we lease. In most cases, I can graze my customer’s animals at a lower cost than the owner can. This is because I lease smaller pieces of land from multiple landowners and join them together as one large grazing pasture. I can then assemble larger herds to manage at one location. Instead of finding smaller pieces of land all over the countryside and then managing multiple small herds, the cattle owner can send me one large herd and forget about them for the summer. With the high cost of labour and equipment, it is very expensive to manage a number of smaller herds all over the countryside. My time and equipment costs divide out much better on a larger herd. With more small farmers jumping out of the industry, and bigger farms getting bigger, these services are in high demand. I still have multiple pastures. Last season

I managed five herds in four different locations on 21 different pieces of land. This is why I need to be portable. I have to effectively get around to all of these pastures as inexpensively as possible. My 1992 Geo Tracker is a very cost-effective way of travelling to, and between pastures. It also works as my ATV once I’m there. With all of the different locations over 3,300 acres, it makes sense to have a portable corral. This includes a portable tub system for processing, along with heavy-duty panels so I can set up a corral anywhere. Not only does this give me the flexibility of one system for multiple locations, it also saves me from having to clean the manure out of the corrals afterwards. I just remove the corrals from the manure. With this system, I have to be able to load and transport these panels quickly and inexpensively which is one of the reasons that I own a bale truck and a flat deck trailer. Oh, did I mention that I have never owned

If you are going to pasture cattle in many locations you need inexpensive but portable equipment that is easy to pick up and move.

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grazing

a tractor? My bale truck is much more portable than a tractor. Its main purpose, of course, is to feed cattle. I can load up two round hay bales at a time with my bale truck and transport them relatively quickly to any of my pastures. It is a lot faster to feed with a bale truck than with a tractor and with it I can easily unroll the bales. It can also haul my flat deck trailer with my corral panels or a water tank. It also pulls my stock trailer, hauls my garbage dumpster to the dump, moves water systems, operates my pellet feeder, and if need be, takes my family to town. It is an all-around versatile piece of equipment. Those arms on the bale deck are like extensions of my body now. It can haul wood chips, deliver feed totes and carry my ATV along with about 91 other applications. (I’m going to write a book about the ‘101 Uses of a Bale Truck.’) It is portable and versatile and I love it. However, my advice to you is that if you want a bale truck, don’t buy a bale truck. Buy a truck and put a deck on it. A bale truck has a very hard life bouncing over frozen cow dung all winter long. Used bale trucks are usually quite beat up.

I have also accumulated a number of other portable devices to work with on our farm. We have a portable hog cage. We raise all-natural pasture-raised pork using the same grazing concepts as we do with the cattle. With the use of the cage and some portable electric fencing, we rotate the hogs around to provide them fresh grass all summer long. Every year we can graze the pigs in a different location. The whole system is quite portable. I also picked up a portable chicken barn a couple of years ago. With the help of some portable electric netting, we also rotate the chickens around on pasture. The barn is on skids so it is very easy to drag around. It is much easier to move the chickens with a barn by just closing the door at night. (I do not enjoy herding chickens.) The downside, the barn has a floor so it has to be scraped out once in a while. This I will rectify soon by getting a different barn. I am quite proud of my fleet of portable solar-powered rock pickers. With my business I provide off-site watering systems at every pasture for the cattle. I purchased my first solar-powered watering system 15 years

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ago and quickly realized it required a lot of labour to move it around all of the time. I needed to find a trailer to mount it to. I had an old rock picker that I brought with me from Saskatchewan that was not used anymore but it had a solid tub that worked perfectly as a portable water trough that I could mount my solar system on. I now have three of these, all imported from Saskatchewan. I think every farm in Saskatchewan has one of these oldstyle rock pickers in the bush somewhere. These can be very inexpensive to set up. As you can see, my business is very portable. If I lose a piece of land, I pick up, and move on to another. Mobility gives me the flexibility I need with my operation and it saves me a lot of time and money. I know we all love the lifestyle that farming gives us, but in the end, we still need to make a profit. How could you lower your costs to make your business more successful? c Steve Kenyon runs Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd. in Busby, Alta., www. greenerpasturesranching.com, 780-307-6500, email skenyon@greenerpasturesranching.com or find them on Facebook.

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 Holistic R a nc hi ng

By Don Campbell

our annual conference

bout 150 people attended our annual HR conference at Manitou Beach near Watrous, Sask. David Irvine’s keynote address gave us two tasks for an integrated, successful life, individuation (growing up) and connection (having relationships). He says an integrated family business has four main points: 1. People have their own goals and support each other in achieving those goals. 2. Caring, without attempting to save people from their unhappiness. 3. Concern, without worry. 4. Respect for each individual’s journey — without compromising yourself. He ended his talk by discussing the four seasons to life or a family business: dependence, growing up, partnership and letting go. David took the Monday morning session as well with a discussion on improving family communication that touched on conflict resolution and dealing with anger. His definition of maturity is: 1. The ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised. 2. Finish a job once you start it. 3. Carry money without spending it. 4. Being able to bear an injustice without wanting to get even. He says we are all leaders in that we have the capability to take responsibility, contribute, build, talk about solutions, show loyalty, mastery, right wrongs, with the courage to let go and the ability to see discomfort as an opportunity. Our producer panel this year included Allen and Arlette Seib, Sam and Janeen Covlin and Richard and Sue DeBruijn who told us about their family businesses. This is always one of the highlights of our conference. Arlette talked about their sheep operation and the setting up of a website for their operation, www.ranchingwith-sheep.com. Sam and Janeen shared the story of how they direct market grass-fed beef, pastured pork, pastured chicken, free-range turkey, free-range duck and goose, pastured free-range eggs and grass-fed raw pet food. They have their own abattoir. Their website is www.coolspringsranch.ca. Richard and Sue shared their story about why they left two good off-farm jobs and moved from Ponoka, Alta., to Stump Lake, Sask., to establish a custom grazing operation. Jodie Griffin then gave us some insights into the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program that gives producers the option to purchase price insurance for a future date. Blain Hjertaas followed with an excellent presenta-

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tion on regenerative agriculture which builds the soil by increasing organic matter and sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As organic matter increases so does water retention minimizing run-off and the biological life which translates into more nutrient-dense food being produced. As organic matter increases so do yields making farmers more profitable. In short everyone wins. Blain’s talk was very inspiring. Linda Edgecombe talked about breaking busy. Linda says the need to be “busy” has become the new norm which has wound us into the most unproductive, stressed-out and basically unhappy demographic in the past 30 years. Then she gave us some tools to get back on track. Tuesday opened with a talk by Greg Smith who moved from South Africa to Canada a few years ago with his wife Lisa and their two children to establish a ranch at Debden, Sask. He gave us a heart-wrenching account of life in South Africa which made us all realize how blessed we are to live in Canada.

I challenged the audience to invest 90 per cent of this increased income in ways that boost future profits

I followed Greg with a short presentation on the current financial opportunity in the cattle business. Based on a herd of 200 cows income has increased by about $110,000 or 75 per cent from 2013 to 2014. The same percentage holds whether you have 10 cows or 1,000. I challenged the audience to seize the opportunity by investing 90 per cent of this increased income in ways that boost future profits so they will be able to look back in 30 years and say, “yes, I remember the good times.” I can see where I invested my money. I am still enjoying the benefits. Our final speaker was Linda Edgecombe who explored what it means to be a leader. She showed us how to become change resilient no matter what challenges we face. Our annual conference is open to everyone. Please consider attending next year. Happy trails. c Don Campbell ranches with his family at Meadow Lake, Sask., and teaches Holistic Management courses. He can be reached at 306-236-6088 or doncampbell@sasktel.net.

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 researc h

By Debbie Furber

Winterfat, a protein-rich forage for cattle

If seed were available winterfat would be a natural for well-managed pastures, which is why Agriculture Canada is taking steps to register the plant.

he native grassland shrub, Krascheninnikovia lanata, is known as winterfat for good reason. Its protein level holds steady around 14 per cent into fall and ranges from nine to 11 per cent throughout winter, with yearlong digestibility running between 55 and 65 per cent. That’s more than enough protein to meet the seven per cent requirement for maintaining dry cows and most of the year even exceeds the 10.5 per cent requirement for lactating cows, says Dr. Mike Schellenberg, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Swift Current. Schellenberg, who first started evaluating winterfat’s potential in the early 2000s, sees this shrub fitting into western Canadian grazing systems as an excellent source of protein for very-early-spring grazing and extended grazing well into the fall and winter months. The best results in one feeding trial were achieved when winterfat made up 20 to 35 per cent of the forage.

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For example, Schellenberg says the protein level of western wheat grass in one study at Swift Current declined from 14.6 per cent in May to 5.5 by October and 3.7 the following February. It can drop as low as two per cent. Digestibility of western wheat grass is typically around 30 per cent or lower from fall through the winter. Providing winterfat with western wheat grass and alfalfa improved the effective digestibility percentage of western wheat grass by approximately 10 per cent. Winterfat thrives best when grazed after it has stopped growing for the season. There’s no worry about leaf loss because winterfat holds its leaves until new growth begins in the spring and the stems remain palatable throughout the winter. It is a fairly large plants, growing 18 inches high and just as wide, making it easy to find when snow is on the ground. Old plants can reach heights of three feet and still be palatable. Schellenberg has seen cows that never ate winterfat enter a pasture not grazed in 20 years and head straight for

mature winterfat patches and graze them down to nubs before moving on to the grass. Winterfat probably got its name during those pioneer cattle drives that followed the winterfat stands from Texas to Saskatchewan. It’s also called winter sage, white sage, feather sage and sweet sage because it looks like sagebrush. To tell them apart rub the leaves. Winterfat has no sage odour. Its strength as an “ice-cream forage,” as Schellenberg calls it, has in part been its downfall. A century of continuous preferential grazing by cattle and wildlife dramatically thinned it out, although differing lines of it can be found as far north as the Yukon and south to New Mexico. As a plant, winterfat is well adapted to the Canadian Prairies. It withstands extreme cold, severe drought and moderate to high soil salinity, but doesn’t fare as well in highmoisture environments, or areas prone to flooding or acidic soils. It has long taproots with fibrous roots closer to the surface and a bushy structure

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research

that traps snow for moisture, making it a valuable plant for pasture rejuvenation, erosion control and reclamation sites. “Longevity has more to do with pasture management than anything. The key is to make sure to allow time for the plants to regrow before the next grazing,” Schellenberg stresses. If grazed before June, plants can regrow to pre-grazing size by the end of summer. In his experience with the winterfat plots at Swift Current, removing 50 per cent of the growth in early spring actually increased vegetative growth but not seed production. Recovery will be slow when grazed any time from the beginning of June through August and in this case, the stand may need a full year of rest before the next grazing.

neighbouring annual crop growers are likely to consider winterfat a weed. It establishes quite readily on cultivated land. If direct seeding into crop stubble, eliminate weed competition beforehand with a herbicide. When seeding directly into an existing tame forage stand, follow the recommended practice for sod seeding all forages — a herbicide application to control weeds and knock back established forages to give the new forages a window to get started.

Establishment

“Winterfat is fairly easy to establish. The seed doesn’t have a lot of vigour to push up from depths, but my impression is once it’s past its first year, it should be OK and is fairly vigorous,” Schellenberg says. He has two rules of thumb for success: sow the seed no more than one-quarter inch deep and eliminate or reduce competition from other plants before seeding. The seed is actually a fruit covered with hairy bracts. If soaked in water you will see a small plant unfold, he explains. The tiny hairs don’t seem to bother grazing animals in the least, but can be quite irritating to people so you’ll need to wear a mask when handling the seed. Broadcasting is recommended because the bracts prevent seed from flowing evenly through a drill. Mechanical removal of the bracts is possible, but not a great option because the process can reduce seed viability, leading to poor germination. His observation is that the bracts are nature’s way of anchoring the seed in place to aid establishment. He recommends broadcasting your total seed mix at the rate of 300 pure live seeds per square metre (30 per square foot), followed by harrowing to just cover the seed. Packing has a negative effect on seedling emergence, likely because of damage to the seed. Seeding is best done in late fall once the soil temperature falls below the freezing mark so the seed won’t germinate. This timing prevents the loss of seed viability that occurs under storage conditions, which can be up to 50 per cent during just one winter in storage. Early-spring seeding while moisture is sufficient for germination is an alternative. Whichever works best for you, choose a calm day because the seeds float on the wind and www.canadiancattlemen.ca

It’s strength as an “ice-cream” forage has in part been its downfall Dr. Mike Schellenberg scientist, Swift Current

Winterfat is a member of the goosefoot family, which is a broadleaf, therefore, avoid using broadleaf herbicides with residual soil activity, such as 2,4-D and Banvil. Glyphosate labels indicate that germination of any crop can be inhibited for 10 days after application, he adds. The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency is presently determining beneficial management practices for establishing winterfat in existing native grassland. As for the best seed mix, Schellenberg says it will depend on your region and intended use. He suggests sowing it with a non-aggressive grass species and a nitrogenfixing legume to support winterfat’s high protein level. He continues to evaluate winterfat’s productivity at differing inclusion rates in various mixtures. His findings to date are that winter-

fat holds it own with crested wheat grass and western wheat grass and does well with alfalfa. If the intended use is for fall and winter grazing, you may want to consider later-maturing grass and legume varieties such as Indian rice grass and native prairie clovers. Seed availability

Currently, there is no Canadian source for winterfat seed. Ducks Unlimited collected seed from 13 sites across Saskatchewan but seed multiplication and commercialization has been left stranded so far. The good news is there will likely be a Canadian seed supplier within the next few years. Agriculture Canada has maintained a winterfat seed orchard at Swift Current and Schellenberg will be working through the registration process and a couple of smaller seed companies have expressed interest in bidding on the rights to multiply and sell the seed when the time comes. Until then, you could try contacting native seed vendors across the Prairies listed on the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan’s website (www.npss.sk.ca) to find out if by chance they have collected winterfat seed from the wild. As of early 2015, none identified winterfat in their offerings. If you can’t wait to give it a try, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has just released a winterfat cultivar called “open-range,” which Schellenberg says does have viability here. He cautions producers to be wary when buying seed from other U.S. sources because most of it is collected from the wild in New Mexico and Colorado and those lines aren’t viable in northern climates. Remember that winterfat seed quickly loses its viability in storage, so be sure to ask for a current germination test on seed from any source. The NRCS reports that germination of fresh seed can be as high as 85 to 95 per cent, but commonly drops to less than 25 per cent after three years. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s winterfat fact sheet is now available online. The easiest way to find it is to Google the title, Winterfat — Packed with protein for fall and winter grazing (www.agr.gc.ca/eng/scienceand-innovation/science-publicationsand-resources/technical-factsheets/ winterfat-packed-with-protein-for-falland-winter-grazing/?id=1417531635096), or contact Dr. Michael P. Schellenberg at mike.schellenberg@agr.gc.ca. Additional information is available on the NRCS website www.nrcs.usda.gov under the plant materials publications tab. c

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 managem e n t

By Heather Smith Thomas

Ryegrass works for winter grazing cows The only drawback is some extra birth weight on the calves

ndy Schuepbach, a registered Hereford breeder in southern Alberta, uses two varieties of ryegrass to provide fall and winter feed for his cattle. The high protein content of these grasses eliminates the need for any other protein source. “We grow barley for silage, and after it’s seeded we seed 10 pounds of a mixture of Italian ryegrass and annual ryegrass. The Italian ryegrass has phenomenal feed value. We bale a little for our calves but use most of it for winter grazing,” he says. The Italian ryegrass has fine leaves and is very palatable so young calves do well on it. Calves won’t eat coarse feed, and this grass is very soft. “We calve in February and March, and always struggle with ulcers in the calves. We have a lot of windbreaks and open-face sheds with bars across, halfway back, so the calves can get into the back part. This is where we set up a round bale with panels around it. The calves can eat the bale through the panel bars,” he explains. “When we start AI with the cows, the

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calves are two to three months of age, and by that time 100 calves will clean up a big round bale in a week. Since we started feeding them the Italian ryegrass we have nearly eliminated the ulcer problems.” The calves always need something to nibble on, and this feed does not irritate their gut. “In the old days, when we started using the Italian ryegrass, we cut it every year and baled it, but most of the time I sold it because I didn’t need such high-powered feed for our beef cows. But it was a huge challenge to get the Italian ryegrass dry enough to bale in October or early November. It was nearly impossible,” he says. “So then we used it for our weaned bull calves for a few years, letting them graze it instead of trying to bale it. That didn’t work very well either. When we weaned in September there was no frost on that grass yet and it was just too green, too powerful. Those calves grew; their growth was phenomenal, but they didn’t put on any weight. The feed was too green, too high in protein, and it just went through them like water.”

For the last six years Andy has been grazing it with the cows instead, in December and January when it’s been frozen and is drier. “It is too good a feed for the cows, but they can harvest it themselves and I don’t have to go out and feed them,” Andy says. The cows start calving February 1, and the high protein adds a few pounds to birth weight, and an occasional calving problem, but he feels that the advantage of not having to feed hay outweighs the disadvantage of higher birth weights. He tested the feed value some years back, when they were trying to cut and bale the ryegrass. “We had a 200-acre pivot and only got half of it baled. The other half we couldn’t get dry enough to bale. I decided the cows can graze the rest of it in the swath,” he says. He took samples for analysis on the 10th of January, three months after cutting, as well as the new growth the cows were eating. “The regrowth was 13.2 per cent protein and had 193 relative feed value index. The dairy industry wants hay when it hits 150 or higher, so this grass at 193 was nearly

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straight sugar. The remains of the swath had a relative feed value of only 109 but the protein content of the swath, three months after cutting, was 26.3 per cent. We have never tested anything that high,” he says. The main cost is the fertilizer. “Depending on how good a stand we have after we take the silage crop off the field (the barley and first growth of ryegrass) we put on something between 150 to 200 pounds of urea 4600 fertilizer per acre, which adds cost. But if you don’t fertilize it to get the regrowth, it doesn’t do very well at all,” explains Andy. “One of the first years we grew ryegrass and were taking off the silage, my father-in-law started to fertilize behind us. He caught up to us and we had about eight swaths left. He

stopped and let us finish and then he fired up again, to put on that last bit of fertilizer. He forgot to turn the PTO on for the spreader so it was mostly all deposited in a line behind the machine. We ended up with a foot-wide line where every plant was burned out. On each side there was a five-foot area where everything was lush and thick. Then the rest of it, that didn’t get any fertilizer, even though it was under irrigation, didn’t grow enough to pay for the seed and the seeding.You can’t get away without fertilizer. But we really like this crop because it gives us an extra five to six weeks of grazing in the fall for the entire cow herd and provides excellent feed,” he says. The only drawback is the higher birth weights. “If a person were calving in April,

several months after being on this kind of feed, it probably wouldn’t make a difference. But for us, starting to calve the first of February (after grazing ryegrass during December and January), it really puts more weight on those calves before they are born.” For the past three years they’ve grazed the ryegrass until the middle of January, which means the cows that start calving the first of February are at highest risk for larger calves. Andy has been using Italian ryegrass for about 12 years. “Another Alberta Hereford breeder — east of us, in the Brooks area — that we shared a bull with at that time, had used ryegrass for many years. He told Continued on page 28

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Continued from page 27

me about it when we started our irrigation. Ranchers in his area had been irrigating for about a generation longer than we have; he was in one of the earliest irrigation districts. He blows the ryegrass seed on after he seeds the barley. Then he just harrows and packs it in. We use an old hoe drill that we rig up so that it knocks down the high spots, and we roll it afterward.” He feels this crop is well worth what he puts into it. “For us, in our area that is very sandy, it works very well. Many people wonder why we don’t grow corn because it gives more yield for silage, but I would worry about our sandy soil blowing away if we tilled it for corn. The Italian ryegrass has such an extensive root system that it holds the soil. It has a root mass like quack grass. For our area, it works very well,” Andy says. “The richer, heavier soil you have, the better it does. It really likes manure, and in soils with lots of organic matter it does even better than in our sandy soil.” A person wouldn’t need much fertilizer on ground

“ We bale a little for our calves but use most of it for winter grazing.” Andy Schuepbach, Claresholm, Alta.

where cattle have grazed extensively, leaving a lot of manure and litter. “Some of the ranchers are using Italian ryegrass in areas east of us, a region we call feedlot alley — where people have to be careful to not spread too much manure on their cropland. A lot of guys grow it there because it does so well in those situations. But some of them quit growing it because if you get moist conditions when you are trying to silage, all those green leaves down near the ground raise heck with the swather cutter bar and gum up the knife," he explains. “It all depends on what kind of weather you have. If it’s a hot, dry summer it makes

just a small thin leaf that you can barely see. But as soon as the barley is taken off and you fertilize and irrigate it, the Italian ryegrass really grows. In our cooler summers we’ve had lately, it makes a wider leaf and has a head start when we take the silage off. Within six to seven weeks after you take off the barley silage, you could probably cut 1.5 tons of hay. “We are a bit later; by the time we can seed it’s the middle of May or late May. For a while I am busy with the cows doing AI, so we just seed it when we can.” It still produces plenty of regrowth after the silage harvest, but he finds it best to graze the regrowth than try to make hay. c

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 CCA repo rts

By Dave Solverson

COOL decision in May

arch was a busy month with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) 2015 annual general meeting (AGM) in Ottawa. I am pleased to report that myself and vice-president Dan Darling were acclaimed to our roles for another year. It is a great honour and tremendous privilege to serve the CCA and I thank the board for its continued confidence in my leadership. I promise to do the best that I can in the year ahead. While on the subject of dedication to the organization, I’d like to thank outgoing board members Martin Rossmann (B.C.), Rob Somerville (Alta.), Larry Delver (Alta.) and Lynn Grant (Sask.) for their commitment and service over the years. The CCA also welcomed new board members John Anderson (B.C.), Colin Campbell (Alta.), and Tim Smith (Alta.) to the table. I look forward to working with them. What a time to be part of the CCA. There is much enthusiasm in the industry right now. Bull sales have been reaping record results and to my mind that demand speaks to a renewed interest in breeding, even if the latest Statistics Canada herd numbers (January) don’t necessarily indicate heifer retention is taking place. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend a few bull sales this spring and witnessed first hand the strong prices being achieved. On these occasions I was asked to say a few words wearing my CCA hat and my remarks were warmly received. It is very rewarding for me that CCA’s work is widely recognized and appreciated by producers. Many sale-goers thanked me for the work the CCA does on their behalf and encouraged us to keep up the good work. On that note, work continues to improve market access abroad. Later in March, I will be participating in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Minister Gerry Ritz’s trade mission to Asia. CCA will participate in the Korea and Japan portion of the trip and take part in roundtable discussions in Seoul and Tokyo. The CCA will meet with importers to continue discussions towards achieving a bilateral trade agreement with Japan that will benefit Canada’s beef producers. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellant Body’s decision on the U.S.’s mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) is expected by May 18. The CCA fully expects that the WTO will once again rule in Canada’s favour and deliver a final decision that is consistent with its three previous rulings — namely that COOL causes discrimination against imports of live cattle and hogs in the U.S. marketplace and violates the U.S.’s international trade obligations. The appeal is the U.S.’s final procedural option before Canada can request WTO authorization to retaliate.

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The Government of Canada has made it clear that it will impose duties on a targeted list of goods if the U.S. does not comply with its international trade obligations. The prospect of having duties imposed on U.S. goods increasingly has the attention of U.S. industry and congressional leaders. We expect that their efforts to find a real resolution to COOL will intensify after the report from the Appellant Body is released. Following the final ruling, there will be a few months while the retaliation amount is arbitrated before the governments of Canada and Mexico can bring duties that would come into effect. The CCA will continue its efforts in Washington, D.C., where we recently met with industry and congressional leaders, to advocate for a resolution that genuinely resolves the problem of COOL by eliminating the need for U.S. livestock buyers to segregate imported animals from U.S.-born animals. It is significant to note that once the final WTO decision is reached and the authorization to retaliate is given, the legal burden will shift from Canada having to prove non-compliance to the U.S. having to prove compliance — meaning Canada (and Mexico) can decide if we are satisfied that the U.S. has fixed the problem — if not, Canada can put the duties in place and they will stay in place until a resolution acceptable to Canada is implemented. I made a special point of thanking Minister Ritz and the Government of Canada for their efforts on COOL at the annual VIP reception in Ottawa. We had a good turnout — about 300 guests including a few dozen members of Parliament (MP), senators and staff, and other key influencers. During the CCA committee meetings, Dr. Harpreet Kochhar, chief veterinary officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, presented an update on their ongoing BSE investigation. The CFIA is undertaking a very thorough and complex investigation and as such it will probably take a few months before the three lines of the investigation are completed. The CCA fully supports the CFIA’s investigation and believes the work accomplished to date is such that it should encourage the countries that have imposed temporary restrictions to return to normalized trade relations. As a controlled-risk country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Canada is permitted to export beef from any age of animal given the established human and animal health controls it has in place. As indicated by the bull sales, prices for all cattle types have remained very strong (and even strengthened) which is a good indication of a rational response from the market regarding the temporary suspensions. c

Dave Solverson is president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Finding new benefits in small beef production Our smallest province understands small producers

The birthplace of Canada’s confederation is home to another nation. Picturesque Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), with its iconic red soil, is home to a nation of small beef producers. There are just over 400 herds, most in the five- to 50-head range. Much of what is produced here is consumed regionally. In many ways P.E.I. beef producers have had a head start on the importance of issues such as traceability. With fewer producers and natural boundaries of an island culture, it is not hard to trace back animals sold. Everyone knows everyone and cattle sales are often to a relatively small circle. Amanda Miller has a unique and personal perspective of this beef landscape. As co-ordinator for the Verified Beef Production Program (VBP) for P.E.I., and the three neighbouring Maritime provinces she works daily with them. That first-hand experience has led to a unique view of how small producers can use VBP to survive and prosper. Here are key points she thinks may apply to smaller producers across the country. Think bigger. There are management options and benefits available to larger-scale operations. VBP allows small producers to have many of the management benefits of much larger operations. And it’s not really costly to achieve. “Practically every producer who has taken the VBP course tells me they have learned something about their management system,” says Miller. “Simple things like the fact they need to change how they mark and store medicated feeds. Or if they have the tools to keep better records. “VBP gives them a management framework that is as effective as the largest operations in the business. We help them think about their management and what they are doing on farm and they can see how to make improvements.” Think as an industry. One of the biggest benefits of VBP for small producers is to think as an industry. “Most beef producers I work with understand that the public wants to know that their food is safe. Producers know VBP is a simple way to demonstrate they are doing what’s right for the cattle and for consumers.

Canada’s small beef producers can play a big role in building customer confidence.

“They know the importance of good records to manage drug withdrawals or broken needles. Thinking as an industry to maintain production standards provides protection for their markets and for them as individuals.” Engage government. Building bridges with government is a significant role for Canada’s beef organizations. There is no one formula or approach, but when it works, it is valuable for sustaining a beef industry. VBP has enjoyed solid support from the PEI Department of Agricultures and Forestry. Funding and programming available to cattle producers through the Livestock Development Program Beef Project helps them grow their business. Qualifying for that funding requires that producers complete a VBP workshop, either in person or online. Small changes, big impact. In so many cases it’s the little things that make a difference in profitability of small beef operations, says Miller. Each animal lost is so much a bigger factor for small producers. Anything that can be done to prevent that is huge. “Producers open up in our on-farm workshops. They like the fact this program is not costly and often that it has helped them tweak their management.”

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 straigh t f ro m t h e h i p

By Brenda Schoepp

Food Floats our Boat

ith the Canadian economy in complete disarray and a desperately low national GDP, governments are struggling to spur a little action. As the election looms and promises are made, even the retraction of interest rates seems an unlikely motivator. Agriculture has long been lost in the discussion of booming economies. Big oil and big metals dominated forecasts for decades without any central focus on food. But the rest of the world sees us differently. Considered one of the great breadbaskets on the globe, the Middle Eastern and Asian nations speak of Canada in the appreciative tone of a food artery. So important is access to Canada’s land, commodities, water and ports that investment is seen as a sure return. In North America last year investors in farmland who were outside of agriculture enjoyed a 12 per cent ROI. It seems that land, food and food processing is where the future is. This comes as no surprise if we consider that in Canada the manufacturing of food is the largest employer and leader of GDP, even over auto manufacturing. One in eight Canadian jobs is in agriculture or agri-food. In meat manufacturing processing dominates the West and in total employs nearly 65,000 people, yet the overall western contribution to agri-food processing does not equate to a portion of the eastern portfolio. Although Canada is seen as lagging from a global perspective in agricultural output and shares an aging population with the rest of the developed world — this is changing. New data suggests nearly 35,000 new farmers are contributing to agriculture and that over half of farms have the younger generation lined up to take over. This positive news sparks an exciting chapter in the production of food. In Canada, annual sales in farmers’ markets are over $1 billion. Many new farms are starting small and selling direct as they tap into the consumer desire for fresh and local foods. More than three-quarters of the value added in food is from small and medium enterprises, often driven by farmer innovation. When it comes to farm products, young producers are keen on forward contracts to secondary industries and food manufacturers. They understand the value of stretching out in the ag arena to develop their own markets, are educated and use social media extensively. Telling the story of food is just as important as the production of it. It is also a way to get into the kitchens of Canadian voters and influence their perception of food production and food economics. The reality is that although we tend to focus on those products that seem infinite, such as a hubcap, it is the finite carrot that has been the foundational piece in the development of

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society. Every civilization has been built around the need for access to food and water and with urbanization settling nearly 80 per cent of all global populations, including Canada’s, within 60 kilometres of port or shore, we are challenging our country to continue to produce and deliver food for all. Over 6,000 food manufacturers provide food to Canadians and consumers in 190 other countries. Food policy in Canada may over time shift from agriculture policy to social policy but our role as producers and processors in the meantime is to ensure there is a pathway for entrepreneurship, a focus on infrastructure for all products and an appreciation of food as the leading contributor to manufacturing GDP in the nation. Locking down resources for future farmers is foundational but encouraging that creative spirit is essential. Removing barriers to the development of a national policy protecting Canadian food would let creative minds know that what they dream can be. Restoring research and technology on the front of a national initiative will further drive innovators to the farm. There is room for every farmer and the farm of the future may look different. It may be owned and operated by immigrants, sport value-add facilities on site, have state-of-the-art international market transactions taking place for commodities or foods or handling flocks of consumers buying organic or local food at the farm stand. It does not matter. It all tastes good and it all contributes to the economic stability of the nation. As the ancient proverb says, “we have more than enough,” and Canada’s ability to succeed as a world superpower in food is only limited by her commitment to it. If there is one thing that may unite a nation, it is food. Just ask those who are without it. It takes four days to anger a hungry man and 10 days to starve a city when the transport is cut off. Protecting access to raw and value-added food and beverage products for Canadians and our export clients only makes sense, especially when food is a chief economic driver of the nation. Putting agriculture back on the balance sheet will only happen when every industry becomes strong advocates for the whole business of food. Our future success does not lie in division or condemnation. It does not lie in the narrow channelling of production or processing to benefit one sector over the other. It lives when we look at the entire economic picture — knowing that it is food that weaves the economic prosperity of a nation. c Brenda Schoepp is an inspiring speaker, consultant and mentor who works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and around the world. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2015

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Calling all farmers We need your help to tell a story that directly affects your livelihood.

As farmers we need all of the tools in our tool box, be they aspects of conventional, or organic production. The use of GMO technology is one of those tools and we need your help to protect it. KNOW GMO the MOVIE will be “an uplifting discussion about food” and is going to be a world-class, science-based documentary designed to show consumers what the words genetically modified actually mean. It will demonstrate how biotechnology is contributing to global food security, decreasing disease and conserving land, all in a sustainable manner. Filming across North America has already begun. If you care about how the story of agriculture is being told, we need your support to make this movie a reality. Please go to www.knowGMOtheMovie.com to learn more and to donate.

Robert Saik PAg, CAC Executive Producer

“Fear sells and is easy to believe. We made a mistake in not telling agriculture’s story. We assumed people understood what farmers did” lorie farrell

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Donations are tax deductible through the Farm & Food Care Foundation (KNOW GMO MOVIE)

We need the help of farmers to tell the story. Please visit

www.knowGMOtheMovie.com to learn more and to donate.

 researc h

By Duane McCartney

What’s all the fuss about corn on the Prairies?

hat’s the potential for silage and grain corn in Western Canada? That’s the question federal researchers Vern Baron in Lacombe and Karen Beauchemin in Lethbridge are trying to answer with the financial backing of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Beef Cattle Research Council’s Beef Research Cluster. “It is estimated that there is a potential to grow two million acres plus of corn in the western provinces,” says Baron. There have been increased breeding efforts by the major corn-breeding companies. They have massive funding available to develop new corn technologies, and we now have earlier lines and Roundup-resistant corn varieties. “The difference in producing corn silage in the environment of the prairie of Western Canada than in southern Ontario and the U.S. Corn Belt is we have a shorter growing season. Now we have short-season corn varieties that require 2000 heat units which equals maturity in 52 days using the Minnesota heat unit system. In that system a 2600 corn heat unit variety is equal to maturing in 78 days. We have several different varieties of early-season corn to choose from but we still have late frost in the spring and early frost in the fall.” Corn heat unit zones are mapped according to the growing season beginning on the first date in spring after three consecutive days with the mean daily temperature of 10 C and ending on the date of the average occurrence of -2 C in the fall. “The main objective of this research is to explore greater use of forages in beef cattle production, while maintaining animal performance and carcass quality. We want to develop new information to allow the beef cattle industry to decrease its reliance on grain, and make greater use of high-energy forages such as corn silage,” adds Beauchemin. “We want to establish relationships among yield, physiological maturity and nutrient content of short/mid-season hybrids and develop a means of predicting energy content of short/mid-season corn silage hybrids.” In Western Canada barley is still the major silage crop. In 2011, in Alberta, barley for grain was grown on 3.7 million acres, nearly half a million acres for silage or greenfeed. Barley needs cool, moist weather — 20 to

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New hybrids have expanded corn production but weather is still a limiting factor in the West.

21 C is best for growing barley while corn needs hot weather and likes 30 C temperatures. On average, Baron says Lacombe, Alta., sees five days above 30 C during a growing season yet the corn must be done silking by the end of July in order to fill sufficiently for silage by the first frost. “Barley silage can be planted at several dates and mature within the growing season. However, there is less flexibility for corn hybrids in short-season areas. Shorter-season hybrids can be grown in longer-season areas but it is risky to plant longer-season hybrids in short-season adaptation zones as a means of increasing yield,” says Baron. “Here at Lacombe we have average corn heat units (CHU) of 1850. Our silage yield was 7.8, 15.4 and 17.7 tonnes per hectare (4.37, 6.8, 7.9 tons/acre) in years when the CHU from planting to harvest were 1650, 1950 and 2250 respectively. In regions well adapted for corn, the grain fills rapidly and linearly over a three- to four-week period. Beginning about 14 days after silking, the corn kernel and plant can accumulate at about three to four per cent of maximum yield per day. However, in short-season areas where frost

can occur prior to or during the growing season, when the silage is between 25-30 per cent dry matter, grain filling will be limited. This will result in the starch or energy content being low and the kernel moisture above 50 per cent. “As long as growth is not interrupted by frost, later-maturing corn hybrids have higher silage yield than adapted ones within a maturity zone. The strategy is to use the whole arable season for corn growth. Hybrids growing at the same rate will yield more in the longer-season regions. Since the time of grain maturity occurs after the time of maximum silage yield a later hybrid can be chosen for silage than for grain. Thus hybrids used for silage can have grain maturity ratings 100 to 200 CHU later that that required for grain. As the corn heat units increase with later varieties of corn you will see higher yields,” he says. They planted corn at Vauxhall, Lethbridge, Lacombe, Elm Creek, Man. and Ottawa in 30-inch rows at 35,000 plants per acre. Silage yields averaged 6.8 tons/acre across all plots; 6.6 tons/acre at Lacombe and 7.3 at Lethbridge. In each location ear-

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r esearch

lier varieties were lower yielding than the average while later varieties yielded higher than the average. Grain corn yields increased over the years with the introduction of better varieties. In 2013, Alberta Corn Committee trials reported an average of 148 bushels per acre (bu./ac.) at Bow Island, Alta., and 160 bu./ac. for the best variety. In Manitoba the record yield in 2014 was 226 bu./ac., but the provincial average over the last five years is 97 bu./ac. These are very respectable yields for Western Canada. By comparison the average yield in the U.S. Corn Belt is 160 bu./ac. and the record is 350 bu./ac. What’s all the rush about growing corn in Western Canada? Is there a cost benefit? Baron says it all depends on the harvest quality of your corn and where and how you will market it. Depending on where you live you may be able to sell grain corn to distillers but this depends on the quality. You can feed it or sell it as high-moisture grain or silage for beef or dairy rations or winter grazing cows. Approximately 50 per cent of the dairy farmers in Alberta have tried or switched to corn for silage, some because they are continually having disease and lodging issues with barley for silage. Corn doesn’t lodge. With high grain prices they are finding the higher silage yields from corn offers an advantage to their operation. Corn costs about 1.5 times more than barley for silage and the harvest occurs at distinctly different times of the year, August for barley versus late September or early October for corn. Both have to be ensiled at silage dry matter between 30 to 40 per cent. Freezing corn to achieve the ideal dry matter percentage for ensiling may result in overdrying the silage resulting in hard, dry kernels which require further processing for efficient digestion by cattle. Beauchemin is evaluating the increased use of high-energy corn in feedlot rations. Both she and Baron are looking at the increase in fibre digestibility, and starch or energy content in corn along with the increased yields as compared to traditional barley-based rations. At Lacombe they are able to get 20 per cent starch with corn, compared to 30 per cent starch in the U.S. due to the immaturity of the Lacombe corn. On the other hand, a starch yield of 20 per cent in barley is unusually high. Corn silage that is processed with additional processing of the kernels is highly digestible (+92 per cent). An increase in the starch content of the silage with maturity has a positive impact on the energy content of the feed. As starch content in the kernels increases the digestibility of the remaining plant material decreases, but the overall energy content of the corn silage increases as long as the corn is processed. “In barley, it is difficult to attain the high starch content that we see in corn with high dry matter yields,” notes Baron. “However, the starch concentration in barley could be similar or greater than immature corn silage. To maximize intake and digestibility we recommend that corn silage be harvested between 35-40 per cent with no frost. Baron has been evaluating corn for winter grazing beef cows for a number of years. He has looked at the cost-benefit analysis of standing corn versus swathing the crop and the potential problems of grazing corn, especially potential grain overload. Total daily feeding cost averaged over several years were $ 0.78 per cow per day for swath grazing triticale, $1.05 for grazing corn, $1.24 for swath grazing barley and $1.98 for a traditional total mixed ration of silage, straw and limited grain. A full report is found on www.Foragebeef.ca. c

In an effort to bring more focus and value to our beef customers, Elanco Canada has decided to create two beef teams, one focused on feedlot, the other on the extensive market. Elanco Canada is pleased to announce that Robert Ehr, formerly Beef Business Manager for Elanco Canada has accepted the newly created position of Extensive Cattle Business Manager. In his new role, Mr. Ehr will oversee the management of our extensive sales team. Bob has been with Elanco over 25 years holding positions in sales, marketing and management.

Elanco Canada is pleased to announce that Dr. John Merrill, formerly Senior Scientist, Research & Regulatory for Elanco Canada has been promoted to Beef Feedlot Business Manager and Senior Research Advisor. In his new role, Dr. Merrill will oversee the management of our feedlot sales team, as well as be an advisor to our research team. Dr. Merrill has been with Elanco for 30 years primarily involved in field research and regulatory activities across species.

Duane McCartney is a retired forage-beef systems research scientist at Lacombe, Alta.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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 fertility

By Debbie Furber

when to fertilize forage

ertilizing forages pays off in the long run and could be a game changer if the race gets called on account of weather. Like any crop, forages need a significant amount of nutrients during the growing season to replace the nutrients removed with the crop, says Charlotte Ward, a forage specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (SMA). As a rule of thumb, if less than half the forage taken is legumes, fertilize the aftermath as a grass, focusing on nitrogen. If more than half is legumes, fertilize for a legume focusing on phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. Numerous studies show there’s no benefit in applying nitrogen to heavy legume stands because it only displaces the nitrogen the alfalfa would have fixed on its own. “Oftentimes we get caught up in the agronomy, but we don’t bring it back to how it pencils out on the farm,” Ward says. The economics of fertilizing hayfields boil down to the cost relative to the value of the expected increase in yield and the cost of baling and hauling the additional tonnage. It also pays to look at the cost of some other ways to get extra forage such as renting pasture or buying standing forage, baled hay, straw or supplements, sod seed legumes into an established stand, or ripping up cropland and planting more forages. In a webinar on forage fertilizer economics last month Ward made use of the SMA’s new Economics of Commercial Fertilizer for Hay and Pasture Calculator (found on the SMA website). If you want to use it you’ll need to gather some numbers to start. First, enter the type of fertilizer you plan to apply, the rate and cost per tonne with application costs, plus your expected dry-matter (DM) response. One pound of actual N per acre is expected to boost forage DM yield by 20 to 35 pounds per acre (lbs./ac.). Ward expects to gain 25 lbs./ac. more forage, pretty typical under good weather on the black soil of east-central Saskatchewan. Keep your expectations realistic, she advises, because many variables will affect the actual result… the level of nutrients already in the soil, past management prac-

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tices, organic content of the soil, the species in your mix, the list is endless. You will need the moisture content at harvest, plus your value of the standing hay (in dollars per ton as if it’s baled) to calculate a return on investment. The program ignores the cost of baling and hauling so Ward adds them at the end using prices from the provincial custom rate guide.

ture production from fertilizing and fertilizer cost/acre, to roll out the net return or loss. You’ll also need to add your land and establishment cost for accurate comparisons of various scenarios. SMA’s Hay Share Calculator can be used for that and to figure out the value of standing hay and hay rent shares. The land and establishment cost for the following scenarios came to $42/acre/year. What if you lose hay land?

“Fertility is an investment in your stand because it will keep plants healthy with improved vigour for early-spring growth. ” Charlotte Ward Saskatchewan Agriculture

The calculator churns out the value of the standing hay, the additional yield both as-fed and dry matter, the total fertilizer and application cost/acre, and the net profit or loss/ acre associated with the fertilizer application. The pasture worksheet requires input on cow weight, consumption as a percentage of body weight, unused production, and grazing fees. It calculates DM consumption in pounds/day, DM production from fertilizing, additional cow days/acre, added value of pas-

The starting point for this calculation is an old 1,500-acre hay stand that has never been fertilized. There’s very little alfalfa remaining and it typically yields 1.25 tons/acre (2,500 lbs.), or 1.66 bales/acre weighing 1,500 lbs. apiece. The total cost of production at $84/acre/year, or $50/bale, includes the land and establishment cost and harvesting and hauling cost. Thirty per cent of the stand (450 acres) is under water, leaving 1,050 harvestable acres from which to get the usual number of bales. Production will have to be bumped up to 1.78 tons/acre. That’s an extra 0.53 tons, 1,071 lbs./ac. as-fed, or 930 lbs. DM/ acre when baled at 13 per cent moisture. If one pound of N boosts forage DM yield by 25 lbs./ac., then 37 lbs. N/acre should suffice to meet the 930-lb. DM target. The calculator pegs fertilizer and application costs at $23,450 for the 1,050 acres. With haying and hauling costs added on, the overall cost per bale is $32.62. Alternatively, the producer could choose to fertilize fewer acres at a higher rate to get the same production. If half the hayfield had been fertilized with 50 lbs. N/acre, the cost per bale would have been $35.73. Land and establishment cost isn’t included in the comparison of the two application scenarios. Does it pay to kick-start an old hayfield?

Starting with the same hayfield, Ward worked through the economics of fertilizing to boost forage production by 250 bales (187 tons) compared to buying the bales or establishing a new hayfield. Fertilizing with 50 lbs. N/acre would increase forage DM yield by 1,250 lbs./ac., or 1,438 lbs./ac. as-fed. That works out to 2.63 bales/acre, or almost one additional bale

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fertility

an acre compared to the starting point of 1.66 bales/acre. Fertilizing 260 acres would meet the increased hay requirement. The additional 250 bales worked out to $12,000, or $48/bale. The bill for buying an additional 187 tons of hay at the local price of $80/ton is $15,000, or $60/bale and there would be transportation costs on top of that. The third option is to establish a new legume-grass stand with a higher percentage of legume in the mix. The expected yield is 2.0 tons/acre, or 2.67 bales/acre, therefore, 94 acres of additional land would be needed to produce the extra 250 bales. The total cost for this scenario is $101/acre, or $38/bale. “This looks like the cheapest way to increase production but it tied up 94 acres, which might not fit into your farm plan,” cautions Ward. The disadvantage is the lag in production unless a companion crop is grown to produce greenfeed the first year. The advantages are that it gives time to rejuvenate the old stand and it will be three years before the new stand will need to be fertilized with the goal of maintaining the high percentage of alfalfa and yield.

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Staying in front of the 8-ball

What does the economics look like if fertilizer is applied before yields start to decline? Ward looked at a three-year-old 150-acre stand that still contains 65 per cent alfalfa and yields 2.0 tons/acre. She wants to keep the stand for three more years but knows yield will start to decline to that 1.25 tons/acre range if not fertilized. In this case, the blend of 50 lbs. phosphorus, 40 lbs. potassium, and 10 lbs. sulphur per acre is geared toward alfalfa production. The cost of the one-time application to carry the stand through the next three years is $48.80/acre. Instead of getting 1.25 tons/acre in each of the next three years for a total 3.75 tons/ acre or five bales per acre, she expects to maintain 2.0 tons/acre/year for a total of 6.0 tons/acre or eight bales/acre. That’s an increase of 2.25 tons/acre (6.0-3.75), or 4,500 lbs. as-fed with 3,915 lbs. DM. The all-in cost without fertilizing is $252/ acre or $50.48/bale over the three years. Fertilizing increases the overall cost to $353/ acre, but the cost per bale is lower because

it’s spread over the higher yield, coming in at $44.14/bale for three years. “You are actually saving $6.34 per bale across the three years by fertilizing. Maybe that doesn’t seem like much, but you’ve maintained production and prolonged the life of the stand,” says Ward. Fertilizing to improve yield could produce extra hay to sell, support more animals or reduce the land requirement for hay production. Fewer acres to cover during haying season reduces time and labour cost and could improve chances of getting the hay put up in good condition. Her take-away message is to plan fertility rather than using it to fix a problem after the fact. “Soil fertility is an investment in your stand because it will keep plants healthy with improved vigour for early-spring growth and tolerance to (environmental) and grazing stresses. “Commercial fertilizer isn’t a substitute for good management, though. In lots of cases fertilizing doesn’t pencil out,” she says. Webinars on many forage and beef production topics are available free of charge at www.agriculture.sk.ca/Webinars. c

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 THE IN DUST RY

NewsRoundup associations Cattle feeders looking forward

The National Cattle Feeders’ Association (NCFA) has adopted a threepronged strategy that zeros in on research, growth and sustainability for cattle feeding in Larry Schweitzer Canada to improve the competitiveness of the industry. One step in this plan is a study by Noblepath Strategic Consulting scheduled for completion late this year that will outline the potential for strategic beef alliances and identify problematic regulations so cattle feeders can build a sound case for reform. “When it gets down to the end, we look forward to a white paper on the production and rules and regulations of each province to take to the governments, provincial and federal. They want to know what’s happening out here and this will help put teeth to it,” says NCFA chair Larry Schweitzer of Hamiota, Man., adding that the study will lay some of the groundwork for components of the new National Beef Strategy. One pilot project that is being closely followed is looking at a full e-certification system for the export and import of cattle at the Canada-U.S. border. The acceptance of certified e-signatures on shipping documents at three border crossings starting last July has smoothly sped up crossings, aided by the fact both national governments want to see this happen, Schweitzer says. The online system eliminates the need to run paperwork from the local veterinarian who inspects the cattle to a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian to be signed in triplicate and then back to the trucker. When the data is online border officials have the proper documentation on their screen before the truck arrives. Other projects with NCFA involvement include development of a feedlot assessment tool for animal care and an emergency preparedness plan for cattle feedlots that could be used anywhere in Canada. On another front the NCFA contributed

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$20,000 over two years to the Canadian Beef Grading Agency’s modernization initiative. Andre Roy from the Quebec feeders’ association is the NCFA representative on the grading agency board. The NCFA budgets for membership in the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC) and the new Barley Council of Canada and is actively involved with the National Beef Strategic Planning Group, the Beef Value-Chain Roundtable, Market Access Secretariat, Beef Cattle Trade Advisory Group, Beef Cattle Policy Advisory Committee and the new Council of Beef Advisors that will guide implementation of the National Beef Strategy. As a national group it has also provided input on proposed regulations for product-of-Canada labelling, feed ingredients and labelling, and livestock transportation while keeping the CFIA’s modernization initiative on its radar screen. Hosting summer feedlot tours and taking part in the Ottawa Advocacy Week each November are a couple of ways NCFA maintains positive working relationships with CFIA officials and fosters an awareness of Canada’s cattle-feeding sector and the association as its national representative. NCFA lobbying efforts on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been ongoing since the NCFA was formed in 2007 and ramped up in 2014 to have feedlots designated as primary agriculture, and exempt from the new TFWP fee and worker cap. The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is moving forward on the National Labour Action Plan recommendations. While layoffs in oil and gas industries have eased the labour shortage for Alberta feedlots, labour remains the biggest challenge for packers, followed by the uncertainties surrounding the new Safe Food for Canadians Act. On the trade front, the NCFA continues to urge Ottawa to stand firm on retaliatory tariffs against U.S. mandatory country-oforigin labelling and press for a first-comefirst-serve system for quota administration

under the Canadian-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The NCFA annual report is available on its new website at www.nationalcattlefeeders.ca.

Associations

Ontario looks north for more cows

Coming out of the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s annual general meeting this spring, president Bob Gordanier was reminded of the saying, “Opportunity never arrives. It’s here!” Bob Gordanier BFO’s northern cow herd expansion project presents an opportunity for beef farmers unlike any since the settlement years with the prospect of opening up provincial Crown land in the “great Clay Belt” of northern Ontario for beef production. The Clay Belt in the Cochrane District isn’t uncharted territory, surrounded by communities such as Timmins (700 km north of Toronto), up to Cochrane, Kapuskasing and Hearst along the northern route of the Trans-Canada Highway. But it could be the Continued on page 42

STAMPEDE

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last frontier for affordable land and ample access to water for beef production, encompassing 16 million acres of parkland-like terrain with some open land already used for agriculture, bush, swamp and forest. To put the opportunity into perspective, 13 million acres in all of Ontario are currently used for agriculture. The proposed beef herd expansion would require about five per cent of the 16 million acres released little by little as beef farmers buy in. The project aims to develop a premium northern beef system capable of expanding the provincial cow herd by 100,000 head with the addition of 30 economically viable (requires 2,500 acres) farms per year over the next 20 years. A feasibility study done for the BFO shows beef expansion of this magnitude is doable and economically viable for families in the

long term with affordable access to Crown land. The expansion would generate more than $3 billion in economic activity for northern communities while bolstering the supply of cattle to retain processing capacity and sustain the beef industry in Ontario. Premier Kathleen Wynne gave the concept a nod of approval in her mandate to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) last fall. Now, with an agreement on the broad vision in place, work begins on implementation. “This isn’t going to happen overnight and we won’t have details for a while,” Gordanier says. “The key is release of the Crown land. Say, for example a family purchases 500 acres of land bordered by Crown land, there would be an opportunity to expand by buying or leasing the Crown land. We are trying to get a pilot project and are very open to ideas and open to what should be in the stipulations.” Gordanier likens the government’s release of land for agriculture to creating an “agricultural preserve for the future of food production” considering seven million acres of land used for agricultural pro-

duction in 1965 now sit under housing and industrial developments. It’s not unusual for land in southern Ontario to sell for $10,000 per acre and Continued on page 44

STAMPEDE

By Jerry Palen

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upwards of $20,000 per acre in some districts. “Young farmers can’t afford to pay those prices and the current size of beef operations won’t support two or three families to bring the next generation in. “Someone has to move on,” Gordanier says. BFO is also looking at the feasibility of expanding beef production in Ontario with alternative strategies for feeding Holstein calves. Directors have twice visited the U.K. to gather information on a Holstein feeder value chain and assess its potential for Ontario. BFO’s Farm-to-City business model for producers who want to sell directly to consumers will roll out as a pilot project this spring with Toronto as the target market and VG Meats as the first participant. When complete, the model and website

for online ordering and payment, will be suitable for direct sales of other agricultural commodities, and to consumers in other urban centres. These initiatives stem from strategic planning sessions in 2012 when directors tackled the challenge of reversing the decline in the provincial herd, which has fallen from 410,000 to 289,300 head over the past decade. Several resolutions at the BFO meeting dealt with helping producers maintain the current level of production and participate in expansion efforts. Delegates had one concern with the expansion plan in that they asked BFO to ensure producers in the rest of Ontario be offered the same programs and incentives as those in the north. There is full support for BFO’s efforts to raise the loan limits and funding for the provincial feeder cattle loan guarantee and beef breeder co-operatives. Currently there are 18 feeder co-ops operating in Ontario serving the credit needs of more than 900 farmers plus eight breeder co-ops with nearly 300 members, 60 more than last year.

BFO is arguing for a guaranteed loan limit of $500,000 per member from the $250,000 set back in 2006. Back then the average value of feeder cattle financed through the program was $800. Last year in was $1,600, effectively cutting the number of cattle a producer could finance in half. To make the change the province would have to raise the guaranteed loan limit to $250 million from $130 million today. The risks are higher for all concerned but, as the BFO often reminds the province, no co-op has ever drawn on the guarantee in the 24-year history of the feeder program or the 13 years of the breeder program. BFO delegates would like to see both programs brought under one roof so that co-ops could achieve greater economies of scale by offering both options, while trimming administrative costs. They also recommend implementing a third-party review of an individual’s ability to pay when applying for new loans. The annual report and resolutions from the annual meeting are available at www. ontariobeef.com.

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NEWS ROU NDUP

Breeding Breeders will benefit from carcass data

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) believes the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) will become invaluable for cattle breeders, geneticists and beef researchers if significant numbers of producers can be encouraged to make use of the national database. And they aren’t the only ones looking forward to a more productive BIXS, according to a recent blog posting by the BCRC Information is the key, says Jennifer Stewart-Smith, president of Beefbooster. She believes carcass data along with production data will not only guide cow-calf producers, but seedstock breeding programs, as well. Michael Latimer, executive director of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council, says the information will be useful if it can be connected to a specific breeding program on the farm. Dr. John Crowley, a geneticist at the University of Alberta says carcass data would be a useful tool in understanding how the complex world of genetics influences traits in individual animals. Carcass data is the real report card on the efforts to develop breeding stock by the seedstock operator, the time and commitment of cow-calf Dr. John Crowley operators to produce a healthy weaned calf, and the management of feedlot operators in taking an efficient animal to market weight. “BIXS is all about information and the value of that information will help in the development of expected progeny differences (EPDs),” says Stewart-Smith. “But first we have to have the information. If all goes as planned with the flow of information it will be invaluable. We need to get that information back to the producer, and ultimately back to the seedstock operator as a guide for breed development. “We can use a number of tools now to develop animals with expected breeding values — desirable traits — but it is getting the carcass data on a large number of animals that really tells us which bulls have the proper traits to produce what the market wants. “BIXS has the potential but it needs the whole industry to get involved,” she says. “There needs to be a meaningful flow of information back and forth through the production chain involving seedstock breeders, cow-calf producers, cattle feeders and packing plants.” As a beef seedstock developer, Stewart-Smith says carcass data is valuable to the Beefbooster breeding program, but she also needs other information from the production chain to properly analyze and manage genetics. Along with individual cattle ID numbers, information most useful to her includes birth-date specifics — was it the actual birth date or the start of the calving season; gender of animal; feedlot intake date; feedlot in-weight; slaughter date; and carcass quality information such as carcass quality grade, rib-eye area, backfat depth, marbling, hot carcass weight, yield grade and lean meat percentage. “From these pieces of information we can calculate numbers that are important,” says Stewart-Smith. “For example, using feedlot in-date, feedlot in-weight, kill date and hot carcass weight we can estimate the average daily gain of a group of cattle and average daily gain is an indicator of efficiency. Also, using birth date, feedlot in-date and kill date we can calculate days to harvest — birth date to kill date — or days on feed.” www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Back at the breeding level, Stewart-Smith can use this data to improve and expand the EPDs associated with any bull. Beefbooster has developed EPDs for key production traits. “And using a selection index we weigh those traits according to their economic relevance,” she says. “With carcass data and other production information we can develop EPDs for all carcass traits and rate those for their economic importance.” While carcass data is important, Stewart-Smith says information on efficiency from the cow-calf and feedlot sectors may be more useful in developing EPDs. “Carcass information will be the icing on the cake, not the cake,” she says. “Too many carcass traits are antagonistic to cow-calf efficiency.” It becomes a balancing act. As they fine tune breeding programs to select for one trait, they don’t want it to be at the expense of another desirable trait. “We don’t want to select for one carcass trait and have it affect fertility, or some other feature. That’s where we consult with researchers at Livestock Gentec to help us in the process,” says Stewart-Smith. Michael Latimer agrees BIXS has potential to provide very useful information across the beef industry production chain, but that information has to be properly applied. “It will be valuable information for the cow-calf producer and ultimately purebred operations to receive carcass data, but it has to be made relevant to a breeding program,” says Latimer. “A producer can receive carcass data that tells them which calves had certain grades and other quality characteristics, but they have to be able to Continued on page 46

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connect that to a specific bull in the breeding program. If they have five or 10 bulls out on pasture during breeding season, for example, they have to be able to identify which ones are producing the most desirable carcass traits.” For the information to be truly useful for the commercial cow-calf producer he believes it may require DNA testing of animals to match sires and dams with individual calves, or more segregated breeding season management and record-keeping which identifies one or two bulls with a group of females. To be of value to the purebred operator, the cow-calf producer has to be willing to share that breeding information with the seedstock producer. “So BIXS has potential to provide very useful information in managing the on-

farm breeding program, but it may require some important management changes by cow-calf producers to make it truly useful,” he says. Dr. John Crowley says carcass data will be an important tool for all sectors of the beef industry and help direct research. “There are so many links in the production chain from the producer, then sometimes to a backgrounding operation, then to the feeder and ultimately to the packing plant and it turns out we are not always producing the end result product that everyone wants.” Crowley is a research associate with the University of Alberta’s Livestock Gentec centre and is involved in genomics research as part of the Alberta Bovine Genomics Program. He is also director of scientific and industry advancement with the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. While researchers are understanding and mapping the genetic makeup of beef cattle the real value is in learning how that relates to the various traits within the animal. Quoting Scottish geneticist Dr. Mike Coffey, Crowley says, “In the age of the genotype, the phenotype is king.” “Even though we are beginning to under-

stand the genotype — the genetic makeup of an animal — it is the phenotype or the traits of an animal that can be measured that are really important,” says Crowley. Having access to carcass data, from a large STAMPEDE

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number of animals across different breeds will confirm to researchers whether they are on the right genetic trail. “But the information will also tell us where research has to head,” says Crowley. “A much larger database will enable new genomic research. The key is having data on carcass type to get a better understanding of genetics. “BIXS is an excellent framework for connecting the whole industry and providing data flow to help us achieve breeding objectives.” c

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 NEWS ABOUT YOU

PurelyPurebred n The Canadian Hereford Association is looking to fill a couple of new positions. The first is a programs and media co-ordinator in the Calgary head office to help out with graphic design at the Canadian Hereford Digest and any graphic needs of the association. The successful candidate will also oversee the organization and implementation of projects under Breed Improvement, Mark of Excellence Shows and Marketing and help the team looking after the breed registry and performance recording program. The second position is for a youth program and foundation organizer to play a leadership role with the activities of the Canadian Junior Hereford Association (CJHA) and Bonanza and organize and implement fundraising and scholarships distribution for the Keith Gilmore Foundation. It’s a part-time position. For details contact the CHA at 888836-7242 or email herefords@herefords.ca.

CWA CEO Reed Andrew accepts the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Award.

n Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) received the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Award for social intervention last month. The award recognized CWA’s contribution to the community of Regina and the agriculture industry by attracting visitors, educating children and youth, and providing a marketplace attracting participants and visitors from all over the world. Over its 45-year history CWA has grown into a six-day agricultural exhibition where 200 employees and over 400 volunteers welcome over 127,000 visitors from across Canada and over 70 countries to showcase Canada’s high‑quality agricultural products, technology and livestock and over 6,000 schoolchildren can have hands-on experience of agriculture. The citation notes CWA generates about $37 million in economic activity and all profits generated by CWA go back into programming and facilities that benefit the community such as a six‑rink skating facility and soccer complex.

C at t l e m e n · a p r i l 2 0 1 5

n Garry Smart is the new president of the Ontario Limousin Association 2015 board of directors joining vice-president Murray Shaw and treasurer Brent Black on the executive. The remaining directors are: Dan Darling, Rob Weppler, Shaun Grant, Brandon Hollingsworth,Wayne Lawrence, Justin Burgess, Dave Clark, Bryce Allen, Michelle McLean and Melanie Gollinger. n Judge Murray Andrews of Moose Jaw selected MJT Nitro Kentucky ET 75A of MJT Herefords & Angus at Edgerton, Alta. as the Grand Champion Hereford Bull at the Calgary Bull Sale March 4-5 in Calgary. Reserve Grand Champion Hereford Bull honours went to JNHR Red Stan 128A of JoNomn Hereford Ranch, Clyde, Alta. The People’s Choice for the Champion Zoetis Pen-of-5 Commercial Replacement Heifers (Herefords) was won by Garrett Ranch, Landis, Sask., with the reserve banner going to SS Cattle Co. Inc., Irma, Alta.

n Canadian Limousin Association (CLA) is now offering pink-backed Limousin branded CCIA tags which were recently added to government’s approved tag list. The need for a unique Limousin tag was brought up two years ago by industry players who attended the breed’s Spotlight On Limousin focus groups. The tags are manufactured by Allflex and feature a pink-back button with “L” icon. The tags will be available to CLA members in good standing with active Limousin females or producers who purchase CLA registered bull (s) whose ownership has been transferred since 2010. For details and pricing and order forms go to www.limousin.com or contact the CLA at 1-866-886-1605 or email: SpotlightOnLimousin@hotmail.ca.

Sales results Harvie Ranching Mar. 10, 2015, Olds, Alta. 26 Charolais, av. $7,510 28 Herefords, av. $7,098 16 Simmental, av. $7,709 2 SimmAngus, av. $5,000 72 Total sale, av. $7,324

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PURELY PUREBRED

n Lisle Limousin of Lisle, Ont., won the clothing lottery held by the Ontario Junior Limousin Association this winter. The raffle was held to raise money to pay for clothing for juniors at the National Show in August. The winner’s logo will go on the clothing along with Masterfeeds’ which made a sizable contribution to the cause. Just over $1,000 was raised by the raffle. The Canadian Limousin Association annual meeting and National Show is set for August 6-8 in Stratford, Ont. n For the first time the Canadian Angus Association (CAA) and Certified Angus Beef (CAB) jointly put on a meeting for the feedlot industry March 31 in Leth-

bridge, after our press deadline, to share their views and visions of the North American beef industry. The event called, Feedlot: Maximizing Innovation for Profit brought in Brian Perillat from Canfax, Leighton Kolk and Ryan Kasko from Allied Marketing Group, John Lines from Cargill, John Paterson from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Larry Corah from Certified Angus Beef. “I believe that this program will be a great way to learn more about the feedlot sector and understand how everyone in the beef industry works together to keep our industry profitable,” said CAA CEO Rob Smith, explaining the rationale behind the meeting.

n After months of planning, Lakeland College animal science technology students launched their Beef Day 2015 bull sale on March 21 at the Vermilion campus. The event was sponsored by New Holland. The students selected 12 Black Angus bulls and three lots of Angus-cross commercial females for the sale that were representative of the school’s herd. The event doubles as a learning experience as the students were involved in every aspect of the show and sale from creation of the sale catalogue to hiring the auctioneer and setting up the Equine Centre. Proceeds from the sale will go back into the commercial and purebred Continued on page 50

CANADIAN SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION Box 3771, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3N8 • p: 306-757-2212 • f: 306-525-5852 office@canadianshorthorn.com • www.canadianshorthorn.com

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C at t l e m e n · a p r i l 2 0 1 5

PU R E LY PU R E B R E D

Continued from page 49

units, possibly for herd expansion. Established in 1913, Lakeland College has campuses in Lloydminster, Alta./Sask. and Vermilion, Alta. and serves more than 7,500 students each year. n Cattlemen Young Leaders for 2014 Brett McRae, Brandon, Man. Mentor: Steve Kenyon Along with his family, Blair, Lois and Melissa McRae, they own and operate Mar Mac Farms where they currently calve 210 head of purebred Angus and Simmental cows, as well as farm 1,000 acres of grain and oilseeds. Brett McRae Growing up, Brett was heavily involved in 4-H, the Young Canadian Simmental Association, and the Canadian Junior Angus Association (CJAA). He was a founding member of the Manitoba Junior Angus Association, and served on the board of the CJAA.

bull Sale results calgary bull sale — March 4-5

Number of lots sold

Average price

Breed

2015

2014

2015

2014

—

Angus

—

$3,546

—

Gelbvieh

—

2,500

Hereford

$8,684

5,1 90

101

TOTAL

8,684

4,954

96th pride of the prairies bull sale — March 9 (Lloydminster)

Number of lots sold

Average price

Breed

2015

2014

2015

2014

Black Angus

$5,091

$4,420

Black Angus pen sale

4,675

3,050

Red Angus

5,950

3,650

—

Red Angus pen sale

4,762

—

Charolais

5,165

3,933

Charolais pen sale

4,905

3, 788

Horned Hereford

4,775

3,200

—

Horned Hereford pen sale

4,566

—

Polled Hereford

7,500

4,1 50

Polled Hereford pen sale

5,825

3,278

—

Limousin

—

3,233

—

Limousin pen sale

4,650

—

Simmental

4,266

3,533

—

Simmental pen sale

3,800

—

Maine-Anjou pen sale

—

2,1 00

TOTAL

4,977

3,7 3 1

C a t t l e m e n · a p r i l 2 0 1 5

In 2007, he earned his agribusiness diploma from Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta. In college, he was involved with the Judging Team, RodeoClub,andwaspresidentof theStockman’sClubinhissecondyear. After college, he worked in the oilfield for one year and in the feed industry for three before moving to the farm full time. Today Brett owns 30 of the purebred head in the herd and manages just under half the grain acres. He also runs a custom AI business and usually breeds up to 2,000 head a year. Rae-Leigh Pederzolli, Medicine Hat, Alta. Mentor: Kajal Devani Rae-Leigh Pederzolli is a third-generation producer on her family operation outside Medicine Hat, Alta. Rae-Leigh and her family run a commercial Black Angus-Hereford herd and a small purebred Black Angus herd. After graduRae-Leigh Pederzolli ating from the University of Saskatchewan with an agricultural degree majoring in animal science she is transitioning into graduate school on a project under Dr. Greg Penner at the U of S. Her project focuses on the barrier function of the gastrointestinal tract in cattle when their nutrition is altered due to feed restrictions and acidosis. Andrew Kopeechuk, Brandon, Man. Mentor: Carson Moneo Andrew grew up on his family’s mixed farm, RSK Farms, 14 kilometres east of Brandon, that currently breeds 120 purebred Polled Hereford and commercial-cross cattle, with a goal of expanding to 200 cow. They farm 3-1/2 Andrew Kopeechuk sections of annual crop, pasture and hay land. They show cattle across the country and are co-consigners to the Cattleman’s Classic Bull Sale in April in Virden along with the Elite Genetics Online Sale of females in October. Andrew is a past president of the Manitoba Junior Hereford Association and the Canadian Junior Hereford Association (2002-03). He has a diploma in agricultural production majoring in livestock from Olds College and a bachelor of applied science in agribusiness degree. Andrew is currently employed with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon as a research assistant. Amanda Brodhagen, Guelph, Ont. Mentor: Lorne Hepworth Amanda Brodhagen hails from Brunner, Ont. where she grew up on a commercial cow-calf operation. She represents the sixth generation of cattle producers in her family. The Brodhagens were awarded the Ontario Plowmen’s Association Amanda Brodhagen BMO Family Farm Award in 2012 in recognition of their contributions to their community. No stranger to rural organizations, Brodhagen is a 4-H alumna, a member of the Junior Farmers Association of Ontario, and held several ambassador-like titles including Listowel Fair Ambassador and Perth County Queen of the Furrow. In the past, she also participated in the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Royal Winter Fair and in 2010 was a recipient of the International Livestock Student program. Brodhagen graduated with an Honours BA in political science from the University of Guelph in 2012 and interned one summer in the office of federal Ag Minister, Gerry Ritz and currently works as an assistant editor for Farms.com. c

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 Mark et Su mma ry

By Debbie McMillin

TheMarkets FED CATTLE Struggling cut-outs pressured U.S. fed cattle lower while local fed cattle held to a fairly solid floor thanks to the weaker dollar and stronger basis over the past four weeks. Prices ranged from $189 to $191/cwt until a sharp spike in mid-March pushed the cash to $196.78/cwt, nearly $59/cwt above last year. The fed steer cash-to-cash basis has been strong in 2015, running between -9/cwt and -12/cwt, which is nearly half the basis of a year ago. Alberta’s feedlot inventory remains current although carcass weights are heavier at 886 pounds compared to 857 in 2014. The number of Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle on feed continues to shrink. Total inventories were down 12 per cent at March 1, and placements were also down again due in part to large exports of feeder cattle. Heifer placements were smaller in all weight classes as producers seem to be holding breeding-type heifers at home with expansion in mind or selling them for replacements. Not surprisingly domestic steer slaughter is down six per cent while heifer slaughter is up by seven per cent on the year. Meanwhile fed cattle exports slowed considerably. At the start of March exports numbered 39,117 head, 46 per cent fewer than a year ago.

Feeder Cattle Good demand and moderate volumes have supported the market for every class of feeder in recent weeks. The 550-pound feeder steer average is up more than $31/ cwt since January 1 to $318.60/cwt at mid-March, $108.93/cwt over last year. The weak dollar, profitable fed market and limited supplies of lightweight feeders played a part in setting this market as well as the strong domestic and foreign demand for grasser-type feeders and replacement females.

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Buyers are usually more cautious with heavier cattle at this time of year since they finish during the summer, nevertheless 850-pound steers were getting back to levels seen at the start of 2015, averaging $240.93/cwt by mid-March which is $74.33/cwt better than a year ago. The basis at press time widened to -32.03/cwt, six points wider than a year ago and almost 18.00 wider than the five-year average. The lower Canadian dollar has kept U.S. buyers active in Canada through the first nine weeks of 2015 and feeder exports were up 11 per cent at 89,764 head.

Non-Fed Cattle Non-fed prices have increased steadily in 2015 and continue to post new historical highs. That doesn’t usually happen in the first quarter of any year but the fact that is happening is a strong indication of the current demand for lean trim. D1,2 cow prices are up $14.16/cwt since the start of the year, averaging $145.33/ cwt by mid-March which is almost $46 better than a year ago and $76.50/cwt above the five-year average. The influence of the shrinking number of cows is showing up throughout the market with domestic slaughter down 11 per cent at 88,804 head and exports running 29 per cent below last year during the first two months of 2015 at 42,438 head. Butcher bull numbers are seasonally smaller this time of year however, bull prices are climbing steadily. At midMarch the average bull price reached new highs again at $157.22/cwt. Bull slaughter is up 25 per cent at 823 head this year while mature bull exports are down one per cent at 10,722 head for the first two months of the year. c Debbie McMillin is a market analyst who ranches at Hanna, Alta.

 D E B ’S OUT LOOK Fed Cattle Moving into the start of the second quarter the fundamentals suggest a normal spring seasonal trend, with a price rally ahead as beef buyers secure inventory for the barbecue season. Uncertainty in the technical markets and large supplies of cheaper pork and chicken may limit the upside, while near-term cattle supplies, the dollar and seasonal demand support a price push. Looking further out, the summer market is expected to be more seasonally normal than last year as larger supplies pressure the market combined with seasonally slower beef sales. Feeder Cattle Feeder volumes will be smaller over the next few months however, we will see some larger groups of background feeders available instead of the smaller original owner lots. Moving into the second quarter good demand for quality grass cattle will continue, as will premiums for quality breeding heifers. As always the lower Canadian dollar will support the Canadian market as U.S. buyers maintain a solid floor under local cattle. With prices at these levels risk management strategies become even more important. Feedlot break-evens are at a point now where a pull-back is likely as soon as any factor starts to waver. Overall, a strong feeder market is expected, but know your risk management options. Non-Fed Cattle Looking forward the demand for lean trim remains strong leading to a continued uptrend in this sector bolstered by the low dollar and tight supplies of cows and butcher bulls. In general the D1,2 cow market peaks later in the second quarter or early in the third.

More markets 

C a t t l e m e n · a p r i l 2 0 1 5 51

MARKETS

Break-even Prices on A-Grade Steers

Market Prices

200 ALBERTA 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

320

160

200

150

240 200

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

ONTARIO

D1,2 Cows

180

130

160

110

140

120

Steer Calves (500-600 lb.)

280

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Canfax weighted average price on A-Grade steers

Break-even price for steers on date sold

2015 2014

March 2015 prices* Alberta Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $236.82/cwt Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.40/bu. Barley silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.00/ton Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.58/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102.96/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191.40/cwt Break-even (August 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184.24/cwt Ontario Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $234.96/cwt Corn silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.28/ton Grain corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.91/bu. Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76.88/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105.78/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190.78/cwt Break-even (September 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181.51/cwt *Mid-month to mid-month prices Breakevens East: end wt 1,450, 183 days West end wt 1,325 lb., 125 days

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ontario

Alberta

2015 2014

Ontario prices based on a 50/50 east/west mix

Market Summary (to March 7) 2015

2014

Total Canadian federally inspected slaughter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439,826. . . . . . . . . . . 444,397 Average steer carcass weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876 lb.. . . . . . . . . . . . 852 lb. Total U.S. slaughter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,572,000. . . . . . . . 5,966,000

Trade Summary Exports 2015 2014 Fed cattle to U.S. (to February 28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,737.. . . . . . . . . . . .62,870 Feeder cattle and calves to U.S. (to February 28). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77,487.. . . . . . . . . . . 68,348 Dressed beef to U.S. (to January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.32 mil.lbs.. . . . . .34.20 mil.lbs Total dressed beef (to January). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56.32 mil.lbs.. . . . . . . 47.11 mil.lbs 2015 IMPORTS 2014 Slaughter cattle from U.S. (to January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 *Dressed beef from U.S. (to January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21.85 mil.lbs. . . . . . . .25.11 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Australia (to January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.19 mil.lbs. . . . . . . . 3.99 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from New Zealand (to January) . . . . . . . . . . 1.31 mil.lbs. . . . . . . . 1.29 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Uruguay (to January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.45 mil.lbs. . . . . . . . 0.62 mil.lbs Canadian Grades (to March 14, 2015) % of A grades +59% 54-58% AAA 2 1.7 23.7 AA 21.9 9.8 A 1.0 0.1 Prime 0.3 0.7 Total 34.3 44.9 EAST WEST

Total graded 109,513 370,492

Yield – 53% Total 15.8 61.2 3.1 34.8 0.0 1.1 1.3 2.3 20.2 Total A grade 99.4%

Total ungraded 4,853 1,1 77

% carcass basis 79.9% 87.0% Only federally inspected plants

C at t l e m e n · a p r i l 2 0 1 5

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 market ta l k

By Gerald Klassen

Feed Grains Market Looking Forward

’ve received many inquiries from cattle producers in regards to the outlook for feed grain prices for the spring and summer. Barley and feed wheat prices have been rather stagnant throughout the winter. Many feedlots have substituted wheat for barley in the rations which has kept a lid on barley prices. Farmers in the major feeding regions have also sold lower-quality, lowprotein milling wheat into the domestic feed market instead of the elevator system for offshore movement. Record world wheat production in 2014 has resulted in stronger prices in the domestic feed market relative to prices from major importing countries. The weaker Canadian dollar has basically shut off imports of U.S. corn and U.S. DDGS into Western Canada. Therefore, I thought this would be a good time to provide an overview of the factors that will influence domestic feed grain prices over the next few months. The 2014-15 barley carry-out is expected to finish at 0.9 million mt, which is down from 1.9 million mt in 2013-14 and down from the 10-year average of 2.1 million mt. Available stocks of barley will tighten towards the end of the crop year which could result in a $15/mt to $25/mt rally from current levels. However, the upside will be limited by abundant supplies of feed wheat in the major feeding regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan. While I feel the market could strengthen between now and July 31, the upside will be limited as more wheat moves into feed channels. At the time of writing this article, feed barley in the Lethbridge area was trading in the range of $200/mt to $205/mt while quality malt barley was trading at a $50/mt premium. Favourable returns per acre for feed and malt barley compared to other crops will result in a 15 to 25 per cent increase in Canadian barley acreage for 2015. I’m forecasting Canadian barley production at 8.3 million mt, compared to 7.1 million in 2014. Demand for 2015-16 is projected to be very similar to the current crop year so the carry-out will remain historically tight. While we may see some pressure during the harvest season, feedlot operators using feed barley will want to be more aggressive with forward purchases during the harvest season. Given the current conditions to date in Western Canada, I’m expecting an average-quality scenario for the overall wheat crop where less than 25 per cent is feed quality. There are a few scenarios to consider for wheat, which I consider a wild card for the 2015-16 crop year. First, world wheat production is expected to be down five to 10 per cent in the upcoming crop year. The wheat market is facing lower winter wheat acreage in the U.S., a small decline in Europe and uncertainty in Russia and Ukraine. We all know how sensitive the wheat market has been to the Black Sea region over the past five years since Russia and Ukraine have become major exporters. These risks increase the potential for stronger wheat prices in the www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Supply and disposition of Canadian barley (’000 tonnes) StatsCan 10/11

StatsCan 11/12

StatsCan 12/13

StatsCan 13/14

10-year average

Estimated Estimated 14/15 15/16

Acres seeded

6,911

6,472

7,405

7,083

8,840

5,880

7,056

Acres harvested

5,899

5,843

6,797

6,554

7,837

5,279

6,350

Yield (bu./ac.)

59.21

61.00

54.10

17.70

61.90

60.00

Opening stocks Aug. 1

2,583

1,441

1,195

983

2,099

1,924

887

Production

7,605

7,755

8,012

10,237

10,113

7,115

8,296

SUPPLY

Imports TOTAL SUPPLY

10,230

9,210

9,226

11,227

12,252

9,098

9,196

1,272

1,200

1,250

1,554

1,505

1,500

USE Exports Seed

233

257

249

209

296

253

250

Human food/industrial/1

902

933

886

971

957

800

950

Feed-waste-dockage

6,382

5,625

5,858

6,569

7,359

5,653

5,600

TOTAL USE

8,789

8,015

8,243

9,303

10,165

8,211

8,300

TOTAL CARRY-OVER

1,441

1,195

983

1,924

2,086

887

896

1/includes barley processed domestically and then exported as malt

upcoming crop year. I feel at some point during the growing season for Northern Hemisphere winter wheat, the market will incorporate a risk premium due to the uncertainty in production and potential for ongoing export limits from Russia. The second scenario in the wheat market is one similar to the current crop year where export values for lower-protein milling wheat and feed wheat are below domestic feed prices. If the traditional major exporters, along with Russia and Ukraine have a decent crop, we will continue to see a large amount of western Canadian wheat used in domestic feedlot rations. The barley market will be very sensitive to wheat market developments given the historically tight carry-out. I mentioned the weaker Canadian dollar has slowed or shut off imports of U.S. DDGS and corn. However, analysts are expecting a three to four per cent year-over-year decrease in U.S. corn acres which will also make the Canadian feed grain complex extremely sensitive to Midwest weather during the growing season. In conclusion, Canadian barley fundamentals will be historically tight for two years in a row which could result in higher prices for the 2015-16 crop year. The world wheat market will continue to play a vital role in price direction for domestic feed grains. c Gerald Klassen analyzes markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in southern Alberta. He can be reached at gklassen7@hotmail.com.

C at t l e m e n · A p r i l 2 0 1 5

 GOINGS ON

Sales&Events Events April 14-15

Annual Field Day, Termuende Research Ranch, Lanigan, Sask.

arm & Food Care Ontario Annual F Meeting, Teatro Conference and Event Centre, Milton, Ont.

May 5-6

anadian Livestock Transport C Conference, Delta Bow Valley, Calgary, Alta. 21-23 B.C. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting, Merritt, B.C. 28-30 Livestock Markets Association Convention and AGM, Host Mart — Winnipeg Livestock Sales, Airport Hilton, Winnipeg, Man.

June

3-6 C anadian Angus National Convention, Calgary, Alta. 4-6 Canadian Shorthorn Annual General Meeting, Brantford, Ont. 9-11 Canadian Animal Health Institute Meetings, Esterel Resort, Esterel, Que. 9-12 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Meeting, Biloxi, Mississippi 11-13 Canadian Charolais Association Annual Meeting, Brandon, Man. 15 Canadian Beef Breeds Council Golf Tournament, Calgary, Alta. 16 ALMA Future Fare Conference, BMO Centre, Stampede Park, Calgary, Alta. 17 University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Beef Cattle Conference, Calgary, Alta. 23-24 T Bar International, Dakota Dunes, Saskatoon, Sask. 24 Western Beef Development Centre’s

July

21-23 Ag in Motion — Western Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Langham, Sask.

August 8

anadian Limousin Association Annual C Meeting, Stratford, Ont. 12-15 Canadian Cattlemen’s Association SemiAnnual Meeting, Winnipeg, Man.

October 5-6

dvancing Women in Agriculture — Life A Skills for Leadership, Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ont.

November

6-15 Royal Winter Fair, Toronto, Ont.

Sales April 13

15 17 18 18 20

oose Creek Red Angus 21st Annual M Bull Sale, at the ranch, Kisbey, Sask. Benchmark Red & Black Bull Angus Bull Sale, Lethbridge, Alta. Your Choice Angus Bull Sale, Maple Creek, Sask. 47th Annual Lundar Bull Sale, Lundar, Man. 37th Shortgrass Angus Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Aneroid, Sask. Right Cross Ranch Bull Sale, at the ranch, Kisbey, Sask.

May 30

Pasture Ready Bull Sale, Saskatoon, Sask. c

SEE THE laTEST in THE FiElD

 A DV E RT IS E R IN DEX Page Airdrie Trailer Sales 47 33 Boehringer Ingelheim Brett Young Seeds 11 Canadian Angus Assoc. 6, 47 Canadian Charolais Assoc. OBC Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc. 47 Canadian Hereford Assoc. IFC Canadian Limousin Assoc. 47 Canadian Red Angus Promotion Society 47 49 Canadian Shorthorn Assoc. Canadian Simmental Assoc. 47 Canadian Welsh Black Society 47 Case-IH 5 Cattlemen’s Financial Corp. 17 Elanco Animal Health 37, 55 Gilbrea Consulting Ltd. 47 Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment 47 John Deere Ag Marketing Center 15 Lakeland Group/Northstar 12 a-p Nester Livestock 27 New Holland 23 Rocky Mountain Equipment 41 Royal Bank of Canada 7 Salers Assoc. of Canada 47 Stavely Indoor Pro Rodeo 45 Triple M Ranch 47 Tru-Test Inc. 39 University of Calgary 17 Vermeer Corporation 31 Zoetis Animal Health 9

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