Questions to cattle guys on here....

[Blaithin]

How much do you order at once? We always just had it in piles on the ground but went through it fast.

Different DDGs probably have different proteins. GDR would probably have best access at Permolex and they’re all wheat I believe. They list their options as 15% to 25% protein with the stillage being above 40%.

[furrowtickler]

This drought is staggering because it affects nearly every corner of the prairies with exception being parts of the peace. Family up there says so. In 2002 east sask and Manitoba were spared. This will cripple the cattle industry and break crop insurance eventually. Remember another oldtimer who was into archaeology telling me about a mega drought that happened 1000 years ago. So bad the north sask river was a trickle. Countless finds of dead bison at rivers edge starved to death. Manitou lake south of lloydminster complete Buffalo carcasses are found well into the lake preserved by salt. This country has been drier a lot longer. Maybe we’ve been lucky these last 130 years to have been in a wet period. So question is if it goes that way is ag dead in prairies? Won’t be enough water for irrigation so rule that out. Essentially a bunch of worthless land with no expectation of profit. Kinda makes you think maybe the natives lived a nomadic lifestyle and never really flourished on the plains like the Iroquois because of droughts. We are north of palisers triangle but nature doesn’t always adhere to lines.

Very true , this is now bigger than 2002 area wise

[helmsdale]

Im thinking that those who do combine are going to end up with feed quality grain... Checked durum today.

WOW! Only bottom third has flowered and is bothering to try and fill. Kernels that are in there are very skinny. How low can test weight go? You need 52lb/bu(correct me if I'm wrong?) to get a 5cwad, and I think there is a very definite possibility of sub 50lbs... Alot of this durum might end up on the feed market.

There's yet another problem. Are guys going to be able to deliver a 5cwad against a 1cwad or 2cwad+ contract?

Seems buyers are starting to take note. Seeing offers for 1cwad at $12.50/bu through september, and $12.25 #3 or better. Peas jumped to $10... I haven't seen a crop of peas anywhere that's worth a shit! There will be trains sitting and unable to be filled at harvest time.

[furrowtickler]

That is a huge concern as well , lite tests weights in grains , and how bad are the discounts going to be .

[furrowtickler]

I dunno, but what about the sheep guys? The bison guys? We need a payment too!

And then to top things off this garbage is being taught in Universities ...

[Blaithin]

Im thinking that those who do combine are going to end up with feed quality grain... Checked durum today.

WOW! Only bottom third has flowered and is bothering to try and fill. Kernels that are in there are very skinny. How low can test weight go? You need 52lb/bu(correct me if I'm wrong?) to get a 5cwad, and I think there is a very definite possibility of sub 50lbs... Alot of this durum might end up on the feed market.

There's yet another problem. Are guys going to be able to deliver a 5cwad against a 1cwad or 2cwad+ contract?

Seems buyers are starting to take note. Seeing offers for 1cwad at $12.50/bu through september, and $12.25 #3 or better. Peas jumped to $10... I haven't seen a crop of peas anywhere that's worth a shit! There will be trains sitting and unable to be filled at harvest time.

52.1 lbs for a 5.

Another concern could be heat stress can present like frost damage.

I’ve seen guys on SM pencilling in wheat at $8/bushel to see if greenfeed is worth it but that’s on the hopes it’s a #1 or #2. Between test weight and heat damage they really may not be. So the hope is the elevators are going to pay premiums for (probable) high protien from drought stress that looks and weighs like shit?

Doubtful.

The guys spending money are going to be the feedlots. They’re going to pay good money and not care if the wheat looks crappy and will probably be more willing to work with lighter test weights.

[helmsdale]

$8 might not be far off for feed. I'm delivering $8.16 contracted in january for m/j/j, and they're damn happy to be getting it as I'm hearing $9+ picked up.

If I had any height whatsoever I might seriously consider wrapping it up, but there's no way a baler is going to be able to pick up stuff that's just past my ankle when it's standing.

Nearly 6" of in season rain here, and a significantly above average snow pack to grow less than 10bu/ac is quite a feat.

[Old Cowzilla]

Theres going to be lots of cleaning at the big elevators to bring up export weights. Wheat barley oats and pea screenings all make good feed call your local NOW TO GET ON A LIST. Cows are not as fussy as humans and are great a converting unedible human food.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

While I respect the impossible situation livestock farmers find themselves in, I'm puzzled by the suggestion that money is the solution.

How does more money chasing the same finite supply of feed help the livestock farmer? If anything it will further elevate the price of feed, and end up in the pockets of the hay or grain producers.

The saying about blood from a stone comes to mind.

If we have accepted that the mixed farm isn't coming back, then maybe the governments long term role in these situations is matching livestock and crop producers. To make the salvaged crops, the by-products, the off grade grain, the fall grazing, the sloughs and hills and coullees and bush available to livestock farmers under equitable terms, perhaps as a condition of crop insurance.

As some posters on this site have noted, as mixed farmers, they aren't in the same bind that a straight cattle farmer would be in, and the straight grain farmer with good crop insurance coverage has no motivation to salvage any value from insured crops, and even less incentive to diversify into livestock when their risks can be insured for far less work.

[bucket]

""""If we have accepted that the mixed farm isn't coming back, then maybe the governments long term role in these situations is matching livestock and crop producers. """"

Let me change that a little bit

If we have accepted Canada only needs one major airline maybe the government should combine westjet and air Canada instead of saying money will help the airline industry.

The money handed to air Canada went to shareholders...wage subsidies so employees could put food on table

Why not at least give cattle producers grocery money...

The cow calf guys are going to take a shitkicking

[Old Cowzilla]

Governments and crop ins. don't like mixed farms. They think we are always trying to get away with something and not just making the most efficient use of our land base.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Governments and crop ins. don't like mixed farms. They think we are always trying to get away with something and not just making the most efficient use of our land base.

But I will bet that if we abolished government support programs and subsidized crop insurance, there would be a resurrgence of mixed farms, and consolidation would slow or even reverse.