Drought plans............

[GDR]

This past week the dryness has really showed up. Looks like August. Alfalfa starting to bloom and grass is either heading out super short or browned off and shrunk. Thinking about taking what's there and hoping some summer rains come for a second cut?? What's everyone else doing? Grass hasnt really grown since the cows went out and now the days will be getting shorter.

[Blaithin]

Where it’s dry it’s dry and not really coming back at all where they’re grazing it down. That said, where they’re grazing it down is also gopher hills so that’s a factor too. Out away from the gophers it’s not so bad.

Had a gate malfunction yesterday morning. The entire herd came home! What’s that mean that they’re bringing themselves home in June...


Some were brats to load up and take over. Lucky them they get to do it twice!

[woodland]

I think we’re done grazing in a month if things don’t turn around pronto. That’s with grazing almost every acre of hay too. Grass is getting lighter colour by the day and the south slopes are browning off already.

Up in the Peace country I guess guys are pulling yearlings off grass now. Probably should do the same if this heat sticks around.


I don’t want to open a pit in August in start feeding. Heck I’m still feeding the late calvers and cull cows yet.

Next year country shortly …………..😉

On a positive note there’s no mosquitos since the sloughs are gone and the grasshoppers have been drowned out repeatedly for the last five years. 🍀

[DaneG]

Hay and pasture is bad and grasshoppers are worse, going to start cutting hay on Monday not much there but may as well get what’s there before the hoppers. This year is shaping up as a wreck for the cattle business!

[Blaithin]

Did a lap this week. Home to Red Deer, out east and back home. There’s a lot of hay coming down, especially east of Red Deer. I would not call them bad crops. Not really blooming yet but can’t ask for a better week so down it comes. If the storms hit after the heat like they say there might be a good boost to a second cut. It’s awfully early.

Pastures aren’t looking as great. You can tell which ones the cows are in. There’s little to no rebound for the grass with them in there. Pastures that haven’t seen a hoof yet look alright.

This week is going to be the test for a lot of plants out here.

[woodland]

My FIL came and picked up some hay the other night as his pasture ran out for his few cows. They got a month of green grass……… hope they enjoyed it since that looks to be about it for the foreseeable future.


Takes 38’ to cover the ground in the middle of the windrow. Supposed to break the all time heat record in Edmonton and the wind is blowing too. Probably have to come back around dark to roll it up.

Definitely gonna have lots of net wrap to carryover till next year. Fun times🍀

[GDR]

My FIL came and picked up some hay the other night as his pasture ran out for his few cows. They got a month of green grass……… hope they enjoyed it since that looks to be about it for the foreseeable future.


Takes 38’ to cover the ground in the middle of the windrow. Supposed to break the all time heat record in Edmonton and the wind is blowing too. Probably have to come back around dark to roll it up.

Definitely gonna have lots of net wrap to carryover till next year. Fun times🍀

I've been baling the last couple nights starting at dark too. Seems strange, southerners do it all the time though. Few guys baling alfalfa this afternoon at 37 degrees, not sure I wanted to for the leaves and wondering about storage, hay is dry but not really cured? We had a breeze all night last night and no dew. Was pretty dry raking at 6 this morning. We are getting about 2 round bales to the acre, have one field to cut yet that will be better though. Maybe rain coming Friday? Hope so.

[Blaithin]

Has anyone, or does anyone, use molasses?

Was talking with a guy the other day, looks like I can get it for about $.46/head/day if they consume on the higher end of quoted amounts. This is if it’s free choice in a wheel. Don’t think I want to piss around with injecting bales.

I know it’s common to use in Australia. Here though there seems to be more naysayers than people willing to talk about pros.

If used, was it found that animals stayed in the 1-2lb a day range or do they tend to just eat and eat it. Every now and then I get a protein tub but they struggle to last the expected time and are quite expensive in comparison. Plus then I have those tubs everywhere.

I know there are other options that work better but I don’t have the herd size to consume most of them fast enough, or the trucking or storage to manage. I can do some rolled barley from the neighbours, if they have enough barley this year. Molasses just seems like a supplement option that I can manage for my small herd with my limited resources.

[GDR]

Has anyone, or does anyone, use molasses?

Was talking with a guy the other day, looks like I can get it for about $.46/head/day if they consume on the higher end of quoted amounts. This is if it’s free choice in a wheel. Don’t think I want to piss around with injecting bales.

I know it’s common to use in Australia. Here though there seems to be more naysayers than people willing to talk about pros.

If used, was it found that animals stayed in the 1-2lb a day range or do they tend to just eat and eat it. Every now and then I get a protein tub but they struggle to last the expected time and are quite expensive in comparison. Plus then I have those tubs everywhere.

I know there are other options that work better but I don’t have the herd size to consume most of them fast enough, or the trucking or storage to manage. I can do some rolled barley from the neighbours, if they have enough barley this year. Molasses just seems like a supplement option that I can manage for my small herd with my limited resources.

You talking straight molasses or one of the mixes like promolas or anipro?

Not really answering your question I know but I've put molasses on ground barley to keep the dust down plus add some calories but not huge amounts, bought in 5gal pails from the feed mill. Have also put the molasses mixes on straw bales, injected once and just poured on the bale once.(set on end, let sit a couple days then flip and do it again) Some guys just use a lick tub but I think it takes a bit to get started. I know you said you didnt want to do the bales but it does work, not cheap either though.

Sundre Soil services and Eagle hill co-op both have both sold it in the past if you want to compare pricing.

[Blaithin]

You talking straight molasses or one of the mixes like promolas or anipro?

Not really answering your question I know but I've put molasses on ground barley to keep the dust down plus add some calories but not huge amounts, bought in 5gal pails from the feed mill. Have also put the molasses mixes on straw bales, injected once and just poured on the bale once.(set on end, let sit a couple days then flip and do it again) Some guys just use a lick tub but I think it takes a bit to get started. I know you said you didnt want to do the bales but it does work, not cheap either though.

Sundre Soil services and Eagle hill co-op both have both sold it in the past if you want to compare pricing.

It’s a mix. The ones I’ve talked to all seem to either use Mol Mix or be Mol Mix dealers. 28% and 32%

One farmer also said he just pours them on the end of the bale. That I can manage!

I do like to offer a supplement just because I can’t afford higher quality good stuff a lot of the time so supplements help. Lick tubs they do tend to go through fast though. Also I usually have one or two calves out of whack so have to stay away from the urea ones for a bit which puts me in the higher price range of them. Also included in this is having to listen to my mom 😂 she’s a big supporter of molasses, just apparently not in lick tubs. A lick wheel could be a compromise.

Depending on what I can gather up for winter feed I may just need a supplement boost in which case a lick wheel should be fine? Or if I have to push straw at them then I’m thinking have some to pour on the bale ends to help intake. Not that I usually have trouble with them eating straw.

Last year I did have a source for rolled barley, I’m just unsure what they’ll have this year so was looking at other stuff. Molasses hasn’t gone up in price (yet) and seems flexible if I want to do bales/free choice to bump up with or without barley.

[woodland]

It’s a mix. The ones I’ve talked to all seem to either use Mol Mix or be Mol Mix dealers. 28% and 32%

One farmer also said he just pours them on the end of the bale. That I can manage!

I do like to offer a supplement just because I can’t afford higher quality good stuff a lot of the time so supplements help. Lick tubs they do tend to go through fast though. Also I usually have one or two calves out of whack so have to stay away from the urea ones for a bit which puts me in the higher price range of them. Also included in this is having to listen to my mom 😂 she’s a big supporter of molasses, just apparently not in lick tubs. A lick wheel could be a compromise.

Depending on what I can gather up for winter feed I may just need a supplement boost in which case a lick wheel should be fine? Or if I have to push straw at them then I’m thinking have some to pour on the bale ends to help intake. Not that I usually have trouble with them eating straw.

Last year I did have a source for rolled barley, I’m just unsure what they’ll have this year so was looking at other stuff. Molasses hasn’t gone up in price (yet) and seems flexible if I want to do bales/free choice to bump up with or without barley.

Just curious what molasses is worth?

Didn’t really think about it but might be cost effective with $8+ barley. Still have a lick tank in the shed from 20 some years ago. Not sure who carries it up this way anymore but will have to look into it. Definitely need some extra energy for the calves and bred heifers this winter and the barley is looking poorer by the day.

The fun continues…….

[Blaithin]

Just curious what molasses is worth?

Didn’t really think about it but might be cost effective with $8+ barley. Still have a lick tank in the shed from 20 some years ago. Not sure who carries it up this way anymore but will have to look into it. Definitely need some extra energy for the calves and bred heifers this winter and the barley is looking poorer by the day.

The fun continues…….

I was quoted $3 a gallon if I picked it up. 13 lbs in a gallon so 23 cents a pound. Intake should be 1-2 lbs a day and a lb is equivalent to 3/4 lb of barley. Or so I’ve been told.

Definitely thinking of doing more pricing and getting the order in sooner than later if I go for it. The way everything is going up on price I’m sure it’s only a matter of time for this too. Although hopefully not so much!

Out of curiosity I asked a pal what cost of silage would be out of pit. Price of barley is making that the most expensive stinky water out there.

[shtferbrains]

Grain screenings pellets might be something to keep an eye on this winter as there has got to be a lot of oats and barley that have to be run through the cleaners to supply bulk of the demand for export and stuff like milling oats and malt. Even milling wheat.
Light oats were cheaper than hay in 2002.
Do they routinely clean that stuff at most handling facililites?
Legume screenings make great feed if you have silage to mix them in or troughs. I fed heavy clover screens one year.
Mostly cracked clover seed but energy like corn.
Have to have a tolerance for weed seeds if they arn't pelleted. You can kill the germ by augering them with ammonia in the auger. Also makes it more digestable but you pretty much need your own tank.
I used liquid feed in all different ways and have one of those 20 yr old twin wheel licks.
Realy came down to the only use was pouring it on crappy bales or straw to get them to consume more.
Necessity is the mother of invention.

[Blaithin]

We clean everything at work but that doesn’t necessarily gain many screenings. Canola overs mostly. Cracked wheat and mixed grain gets blended back in. Unless it’s just that light this year that there’s more than is blendable. Same with canola fines. Blended back in over time.

Some companies have moved most cleaning to port to use the screenings there. If the cost increases out here they would keep the cleaning east of the mountains but that would need a price increase.

Never cleaned oats but barley doesn’t usually have much for screenings. Wheat is what produces the cracks.

Heard some people say ergot is high this year which would be another thing to watch for.

If you’re on good terms with local elevators it can’t hurt to ask. Seed cleaning plants would probably be a better bet. Or go to the mills like Trouw and buy them a step farther up the ladder. Would be a bit more quality control in that method I’d think.

My understanding is the feed mills use grain they purchase to blend with the dust and canola overs they get from terminals to make the pellets. Pretty much you’re buying grain dust with something added to give it protein. Dust should always be cheap at least 😆

[shtferbrains]

https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/cowculator-v2-0-beef-cow-nutrition-evaluation-software.html

I used to use this shareware program to see how the feed i had avaiable could be expected to fill the requirements of bred cows at different points in the gestation cycle and seasonal variations due to cold weather.
It gives you an idea of daily and term weight loss or gain to expect from what you are feeding
I used to have a lot of variable quality grass seed straw etc.
You can use your own numbers as the ones the provide are from Oklahoma and don't seem to compair in some cases.
Alberta ag had a good feed ingredient list I used.
I'm sure most have a system they use already but this was an open and simple way to see what to expect for reults from what you are feeding at the time and what might happen when you get along in the gestation cycle.