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Agronomic management of stockpiled pastures

Description

Stockpiling pasture is a form of deferred grazing. The producer stockpiles the forage grown during the spring and summer for use when the pasture is in short supply or when cows need fall or... More ≫

Description

Stockpiling pasture is a form of deferred grazing. The producer stockpiles the forage grown during the spring and summer for use when the pasture is in short supply or when cows need fall or winter feed. This practice can mean savings for the producer: harvesting, hauling and feeding costs associated with conserved feed are eliminated; and manure does not need to be removed from feeding areas. Winter grazing on native range is common on the southern prairies. Depth of snow cover frequently limits winter grazing of standing forage in the Parkland and Boreal forest regions. However, the grazing season may be extended by several weeks by using stockpiled forage in late fall and early spring.

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Agronomic management of swath grazed pastures

Description

Feed, feeding, cow management and manure disposal can account for up to two-thirds of the total cost of production in a cow-calf operation. Systems that can extend the grazing season and reduce... More ≫

Description

Feed, feeding, cow management and manure disposal can account for up to two-thirds of the total cost of production in a cow-calf operation. Systems that can extend the grazing season and reduce these costs are of great interest to cow-calf producers. One of these systems is swath grazing.

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Increasing cow/calf profitability using chaff and chaff/straw feedstuffs

Description

Over the years, many cost-conscious cow/calf producers across western Canada have recognized the potential for chaff residues to help reduce the winter feeding costs in mixed farm operations.... More ≫

Description

Over the years, many cost-conscious cow/calf producers across western Canada have recognized the potential for chaff residues to help reduce the winter feeding costs in mixed farm operations. Chaff that has often been considered a nuisance on the grain side of a mixed farm can prove to be a valuable low cost feed alternative on the cattle side. In fact, chaff may prove to work as a win-win solution for both operations, if some basic steps are followed. And nothing is more important than to first recognize that chaff is a low quality feed, suitable only for mature beef cows.

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Effect of bale processing on particle size and potential feeding losses in hay or bale silage

Description

Round bale processors are commonly used for feeding beef cattle over winter. Feeds with a higher proportion of fines after processing may be more susceptible to higher dry matter and nutrient... More ≫

Description

Round bale processors are commonly used for feeding beef cattle over winter. Feeds with a higher proportion of fines after processing may be more susceptible to higher dry matter and nutrient losses due to trampling. This factor raises the question: what is the effect of processing on particle size distribution in the windrow and potential feeding losses? To answer this question, a study was designed by Alberta Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Technology Center specialists to measure the effect of bale processing on particle size distribution in the windrow. Both dry hay and silage round bales were evaluated, and the findings indicate that bale processing will affect the feed.

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Residual feed intake (net feed efficiency) in beef cattle

Description

Improving the feed efficiency of a beef cattle herd can mean big savings for producers. One way to achieve this goal is to select breeding bulls that are naturally feed-efficient, since 80 to 90... More ≫

Description

Improving the feed efficiency of a beef cattle herd can mean big savings for producers. One way to achieve this goal is to select breeding bulls that are naturally feed-efficient, since 80 to 90 per cent of the genetic improvement in a herd comes through the sires.

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Feeding working and performance horses

Description

The horse is an incredible athlete, excelling at both maximal sprinting, such as racing or rodeo events, and low-intensity, long duration activities, such as a 160-km endurance ride. Whether your... More ≫

Description

The horse is an incredible athlete, excelling at both maximal sprinting, such as racing or rodeo events, and low-intensity, long duration activities, such as a 160-km endurance ride. Whether your horses are competing at top levels or just being used for the occasional trail ride, they must be fed adequately to ensure optimal health and performance.

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Feeding the stallion

Description

Many consider the stallion to be the star of the breeding farm. Nationwide, millions of dollars are spent promoting and advertising stallions to attract suitable mare owners. In turn, mare owners... More ≫

Description

Many consider the stallion to be the star of the breeding farm. Nationwide, millions of dollars are spent promoting and advertising stallions to attract suitable mare owners. In turn, mare owners spend thousands of dollars on stud fees and shell out hundreds of dollars in veterinary care to prepare their mares for natural coverage or costly A.I. (artificial insemination) shipments. The stallion is expected to be in top health, physically fit and able to perform on demand when a mare arrives at the breeding shed or when semen is artificially collected. Nutrition certainly plays a key role in maintaining the health and condition of the stallion, before, during, and after the breeding season.

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Feeding and management considerations for horses

Description

Drought results in poor growing conditions for pastures, hay and grain crops. As a result, pastures often become overgrazed and feed prices skyrocket. A drought can definitely affect your feeding... More ≫

Description

Drought results in poor growing conditions for pastures, hay and grain crops. As a result, pastures often become overgrazed and feed prices skyrocket. A drought can definitely affect your feeding and management choices. The following are some management and feeding guidelines to help get you and your horses through a dry spell.

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Beef ration rules of thumb

Description

This fact sheet can both guide producers through a feed test and help them understand the results. With a feed test in front of you, look at the following rules and compare them to the feed test.... More ≫

Description

This fact sheet can both guide producers through a feed test and help them understand the results. With a feed test in front of you, look at the following rules and compare them to the feed test. Remember, these are rules of thumb, which means they hold true most of the time, but variations in management and cow type will affect the end result. These rules of thumb should not be considered a replacement for balancing rations with proven software, but rather an aid to understand the feed and where it fits in the management.

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Feeding the fish in your dugout or pond

Description

Proper nutrition is essential to the health of all animals, and fish are no exception. Recreationally cultured fish stocked at a reasonable density in a dugout or pond will obtain most, if not... More ≫

Description

Proper nutrition is essential to the health of all animals, and fish are no exception. Recreationally cultured fish stocked at a reasonable density in a dugout or pond will obtain most, if not all, their nutrition from their environment. Depending on the ecology of each pond, this natural supply of food may include varied amounts of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, such as insects, worms, leeches and freshwater shrimp, as well as amphibians, minnows, plant material and microscopic plankton. However, fish that are found to be slow growing, small at harvest or were knowingly more densely stocked may need to be provided with prepared feeds.

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