Cattle Handling – PFR

Winter Corn Grazing

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 13:58:32 +0000

Chad Ross and the L7 Ranch is where we see Chad grazing 620 cow-calf pairs on a section of corn in the middle of a prairie winter. He rotates the cattle through 40 acre acre paddocks controlling them with electric fencing. They spend 5 to 8 days in each paddock. He waters them all from one water source since there is very little crowding as they graze at different times. They get shelter from groves of nearby trees if it turns cold and windy. Eliminates manure/feed hauling/handling from a central yard.
Dr. Bart Lardner a research scientist at the Western Beef Development Center in Lanigan, Saskatchewan,Canada discusses research they have done on winter corn grazing. Talks about the various varieties they have been experimenting with. At the time of the airing average feeding costs ranged from 70 cents to $1.40 Cdn. per cow per day.

Locations: Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada & Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Canada

RFID Ear Tag Testing

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 12:00:29 +0000

Dr. Joy Agnew, Project Leader, Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) & Roy Maki, Project Leader, PAMI. Results of a research/testing project on the retention of Radio Frequency Identification ear tags (RFID) in the ears of cattle, especially during frigid winter temperatures in western Canada. They simulated the tests in a lab. environment using hydraulic cylinders and retention devices in artificially frozen conditions.

Location: Humboldt, Saskatchewan,Canada

Winter Corn Grazing 250 Cows

admin — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:30:37 +0000

Terry Young of Earl Grey, Saskatchewan shows us how he winter corn grazes his 250 cows on 75 acres of corn. He feeds the cows in smaller paddocks of 6-7 acres, controlling them with an electric fence turbo wire.

Location: Earl Grey, Saskatchewan, Canada

Portable Power Wire Roller

admin — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:24:20 +0000

Keith Dickie & Clair Manshreck of Deloraine, Manitoba built a portable power wire roller for high tensile fence wire. The hydraulically powered unit can roll up about a quarter of a mile of barbed wire or about a mile of high tensile wire. It is powered by a 5 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine. The roller and engine are all on a utility trailer so it can be easily towed around. It only cost them about $400 to build.

Location: Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada

1600sq/ft Custom Cattle Feeder

admin — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:24:19 +0000

Gary Garman of Allan, Saskatchewan and his fairly large portable hay feeder that measures 17 feet wide and 96 feet long. It has a wooden sliding gate which is pushed along as the cattle clean up the feed. He feeds about 60 cows each winter and has a custom grinder fill the feeder. It is large enough it only requires to be filled twice each winter. It takes about a day for the grinder to fill the feeder. He estimates the feeder only allows for about 5% waste. It cost him about $3,000 to build and he is able to reuse most components of it every feeding season.

Location: Allan, Saskatchewan, Canada

Cattle Water & Feed Intake Monitoring System

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:04:25 +0000

See a profile on the GrowSafe System developed by a firm in Airdrie, Alberta. The system allows producers to closely monitor the feed and water intake of individual animals with RFID tags and load cells that measure how much a cow consumes. By monitoring the animals water intake often times illness can be more quickly discovered. They’ve found if an animal doesn’t drink within 24 hours there is a good chance it has a significant health problem. It can also be used to identify traits in animals that see them convert less feed into more pounds gained. At the time of our visit in 2011 the GrowSafe system was available to producers on a lease basis and costs varied on the watering system from $3 to $12 per head.

Location: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

Livestock Emergency Response Unit

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:22:12 +0000

On an average day in the province of Alberta, there are approximately 40,000 head of livestock being transported. As a result, highway accidents can and do happen regularly. So the Red Deer County Agricultural services division decided to put together a 22 foot long trailer that could act as a source for tools and supplies when animals escape or are injured in a highway cattle liner wreck. The unit contains everything from portable panels to corral escaped animals to power tools to aid in the freeing of trapped livestock. A portable generator is also available to re charge battery tools and provide lighting. Cost of the trailer and the contents was around $40,000.

Location: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Truck Mounted System Simplifies Hoof Trimming

admin — Sun, 02 Dec 2001 03:33:00 +0000

Bob Brandl runs a commercial cow-calf beef operation near Dapp and also does his own hoof trimming. Demand for his cattle hoof trimming services has been so strong that he has created a thriving business in the surrounding area. In order to make his work easier, Brandl built his own hoof trimming table and mounted it on a one ton truck. The table holds the animal safely and securely with two belts under the it’s belly. Brandi can then tip it sideways hydraulically, allowing him to do the hoof trimming at a comfortable height. Having the system mounted right on his truck instead of on a trailer makes it easier to line up with the alleys or squeezes on almost any cattle operation.