Winnipeg, MB (July 16, 2020)
- Recent summer storms have cut a swath through Southern and Western Manitoba and wreaked havoc with farms and fields in their path. That has caused many farmers worry and anguish as they deal with the aftermath of the intense weather systems across the province.
But even with the recent precipitation saturation in areas around Manitoba communities such as Rivers, Rapid City, Altona and Minnedosa, many key cattle and forage-based areas around the province remain dry. And that worries Larry Wegner.
"With the dryness, we are very unsure of the forage yield potential coming off our fields" says Wegner, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA)'s chair, who farms on the outskirts of Virden with wife Rosemary and sons Maxwell and Herbert. "For producers that are planning to be carrying herds into fall and over winter, that feeding uncertainty makes the planning done now even more important."
Now heading into an increasingly concerning year three of key provincial regions in overall dry conditions, Wegner says the farm community has circled around out of concern for livestock producers citing the Alternative Feed Group coordinated by Manitoba Beef Producers, and rostered by representatives from Keystone Agriculture Producers, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development (MARD), Manitoba Agriculture Services Corporation and MFGA as a primary example of farm groups and governments working together to get producers in their networks engaged and working together through these tough times.
"If perennial forages are expected to be less than ideal, the timing is now for producers to activate on greenfeed and silage options to help carry their herds," says Wegner.
MFGA also will re-activate the MFGA Hay Relief page launched last fall that pointed to conditions, prices and connections for those seeking feed, including a link to
MARD's Hay Listing Service that helps connect those looking for hay, pasture or alternative feed with those that have supplies available. Producers wanting to make use of this service should call MARD toll-free at 1-84-GROW-MB-AG (1-844-769-6224) and the department will call them back promptly to capture information. MARD also promotes a
planning page for producers to help with decisions and situations.
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IDEBAR: MFGA's Top Ten Recommendations: Making Summer and Prepping for Fall in dry times
MFGA has canvassed the expertise in the organization to come up with some preparatory recommendations for producers to make the summer season and round into fall as forecasts continue to predict drier conditions on Manitoba's pasture lands.
1. Combine herds on pastures: one herd gives longer time for pastures to recover, allows pastures adequate time to recover and keeps livestock out of water to keep the source clean.
2
. Weaning early to reduce feed requirements.
3. Reduce need for feed via herd management to determine energy needs.
4. Buying feed in advance and feed to real weights. It's important to only feed enough hay to support the true weight of the cows in the herd.
5. Feed the right amount of hay and meet the nutritional needs at different stages of life.
6. Use Supplement and look for alternative feed sources.
7. Feed test your feed and balance your rations.
8. Start to consider annual crop fields to cut as green feed and to bale straw off.
9. Start discussion with other producers to line-up corn fields to take as silage, or have producers drop the stalks so they can be baled.
10. Talk to provincial agencies and conservation groups regarding their grazing access programs and drought plans for 2020.
