Calves with 2 heads?

[Bruce14]

I'm new to these message boards and think they are great. Nothing better than people with with first hand experience trying to help others. With all the talk of crop salvage what previous chemical applications does one have to be aware of when silaging or greenfeeding a crop? Nitrates are a problem in some of the cutting samples tested in North East Sask. also sulfates in water. We are extremely dry as well. Our gov't got good press from their ethanol/feedlot proposal a couple of months ago however now we will see how committed they are to the livestock industry. Pretty sad bunch we have in Regina on both sides of the floor.

[cowman]

Bruce: I just returned last week from a trip to Yorkton. Things look pretty good there compared to central Alberta even though it was very hot and dry. It is pretty grim here with pastures almost used up, little hay and the liquidation of the cow herd. My grain farmer neighbors tell me they will hang in there for a few more days before they throw in the towel. The grain is short and starting to burn quite badly in spots.
Your title for this thread caught my eye. My Dad said when he was a kid one of the milk cows had a calf that had two heads joined together. Two mouths, four ears but only two eyes. Three feet on the front end. He said it was a lively thing and sucked with both mouths. My grandfather knocked it on the head(s?) when it was about a week old. He said it almost killed the cow when it was born.

[Bruce14]

Cowman: We might have met you on your trip as we went to Brandon via Russell. Tremendous difference between Yorkton and here. (east of Prince Albert) From Archerwill north and then south to Saskatoon and then west to Alberta it is very serious. Crop thin and 4-10" high. No salvage other than grazing if the fence is already around it. Our pasture (130 pairs)is done and next is the crop. Started hauling water a week ago. Our creeks have never been completely dry before.A lot of Sask. cow co-ops will be in serious trouble this year. Fortunately we have been in cattle forever and have stayed away from them. Do you know anything about any chemicals applied to cereal or canola crops to avoid. Thanks

[corine]

We'll be green-feeding our crops this year. What we are intending to do is dessicating it with round-up, leaving it standing for 2-3 weeks & baling it behind the swather. Checked with various sources and this is supposed to work well. Round-up has only a 3 day withdrawal before it is safe to feed to cattle. Also we hope to bale some pea straw, from a neighbour, if there will be enough. He might dessicate with reglone, which is supposed to be safe to feed, too. They are recommending for people to test for nitrates in feed this year, because of the drought.

[cowman]

I'm sorry I don't know about any chemicals in cereals or canola. My knowledge of chemicals is mostly limited to the industrial side of things...oil leases. I am a registered industrial applicator but haven't sprayed any ag crops since 1988(the year I quit growing grain). I will tell you roundup is super safe for mammals but I don't know about things like Liberty canola.
When we were in Churchbridge it was 38 with a vicious wind. Felt like a blast furnace!

[cowman]

Corine: I imagine reglone is pretty safe. We used to use it in the fish pond and it never hurt the trout. Mind you we only did one portion at a time.

[Bruce14]

Corine: My concern is not with chemical applied for dessication but chemical used earlier for weed control. Puma Super as an example is widely used in wheat and barley and according to the Sask. Crop protection guide is not recommended to be cut or grazed prior to maturity. Liberty in canola is another example. Don't know if the company just hasn't done the testing or if there is some other reason.