FEED & NUTRITION

Three times in the last five years, soaring grain prices have forced dairy producers to scrutinize on-farm practices and crack down on inefficiencies, striving to recuperate profitability.

Mother Nature has given us an interesting growing season to say the least here in Canada. Some areas experienced a fantastic summer with timely rains and warm temperatures leading to what looks to be record yield potential and an early harvest.

In a short hay market, the profitability of a hay crop is often determined less on quality but more on actual tonnage, since all classes of hay from low-quality to high-quality are selling out.

Testing the moisture content of hay prior to the baling process is essential to both seller and buyer.

Moisture in hay is considered in three different forms – free water, physically trapped water and bound water.

You cannot till or no-till your way out of a soil quality problem. Additional organic inputs such as crop residue, manure and cover crops are needed to increase organic matter and water-holding capacity, improve aggregate stability and water infiltration and build soil quality in many other ways.

No one can argue that Canada knows extremes when it comes to weather; however, typically we would be talking about how to beat the cold.