smcgrath76 how are you calves doing

[ALLFARMER]

u put in one of your posts you were not going to corral your calves anymore. So are u swath grazing them just like swath grazing the cows. One thing I noticed about swath grazing my cattle this fall on swathed oats is they were in really good condition. That has me thinking the calves could get a good gain doing it that way.

Also what township are u at I would guess u to be at about 40 things may be different here at 104 Thanks AF

[smcgrath76]

Calves are really good. They started on
stockpiled meadow brome and alfalfa, and
then were on corn and swaths, but now
have moved onto hay fed out. We have
some bush that we can put hay around on
the side opposite the wind.
The calves look really good. We may
look at bale grazing them next winter,
and we are going to try rake bunching or
using the sweep to pile stockpiled hay
next fall. The calves do come in for
water.
I think we are probably going to invest
in some portable windbreaks as well
before next winter. By the time they
wear out, our new shelterbelts should be
up to snuff.
We are in Twp 48 with 2 feet of snow on
the level.

[grassfarmer]

I don't know if you can still get portable windbreaks under the EFP? We did that the last bunch we bought - got paid for the windbreaks and paid to fence the cattle out of some trees both at 50% if I remember correctly. I liked that deal.

[smcgrath76]

I believe the 50% funding is still out
there, as is funding for squeeze chutes
through the COFFS.
I have thought about applying, but I still
don't like eating the depreciation on new
windbreak. I am a sick man.
I actually saw 75 foot long rafts of 8'
windbreak boards that are wired together
on Kijiji for $100. That kind of
intrigued me.

[ALLFARMER]

Guess I was pretty close with my township guess. When I was at olds college we took a bus trip one day about an hour or two east of olds and did a pasture tour...sounded like your native prairie rought fescue type of area.

If anyone know for sure if money is still flowing to the env farm plans let us know. Last I heard it wasn't. Seems like the gov has all these great programs for farmers that aren't operational. Just like the CALA program advertised on this site the other day....kind of BS.

I think every cow calf operator could use some portable windbreak pannels. I have 10 very tall sucker rod drillstem panels and love them. The 4H club uses them some times for their shows Take care

[ALLFARMER]

O ya my calves are currently getting 1.5 pounds of barley per hundred weight. But tomorrow I plan to roll peas and put them on high speed. I just love feeding peas