Timothy Hay – Natural Crop Production

The Canadian Rocky Mountains. Banff National Park. The region congers up images of unspoiled wilderness hikes and skiing in a majestic winter wonderland; the great outdoors at its finest. For dairy farmers and race horse owners, the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies are famous for something else. Hay. The region boasts Timothy hay of acclaim the world over.

Timothy hay grown at the higher altitudes of the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies is extremely palatable. The growing season in this region is characterized by long warm days and cool nights- ideal conditions for producing Timothy hay with higher sugar content.

The region is also characterized by long, inhospitable winters; unpleasant yet advantageous for the purposes of crop production. Unlike crops grown in areas with longer growing seasons and milder winters, the sub-zero temperatures of this area enable a more natural method of husbandry. There is little to no need for pesticides and herbicides because the same winter that is inhospitable to humans is also inhospitable to many pests and weeds.

The shorter growing season means that land isn’t forced to produce by the use of artificial fertilizers. Where hay producers in warmer climates may coax 6 or 7 cuttings out of a given area in a season by using artificial fertilizers, only 1 or 2 cuttings in a season are possible east of the Canadian Rockies. The land has time to recover so the following year’s crop is grown in rich, healthy soil.

Barr-Ag Ltd is a producer and exporter of Timothy hay, grain and forage. Our operation is based out of Olds, Alberta, near the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. If you are interested in finding out more about Barr-Ag’s hay and grain and export operation, visit our website at www.barr-ag.com

High Quality Forage Benefits Dairy Cows

There are many benefits of high quality forage, as the saying goes: you get what you pay for. You can reverse that statement by saying you don’t get what you don’t pay for. Or even that you could pay for it later! Studies have shown that when dairy producers invest in high quality forage they will see a valuable return on that investment.

Choosing High Quality Forage

Optimal animal performance can improve with high quality forage. It is essential for weight gain, producing higher levels of milk, increasing reproduction success, and farm’s profits. It’s important to give your dairy cows the appropriate type and amount of feed according to their specific nutritional needs. Factors that could help define these needs include: sex, age, species, and production status.

When choosing your high quality forage for either beef or dairy cows it’s also important to think about the follow factors: whether the cows will eat the feed, how much of the feed they will actually eat measured against how much energy is required for their specific activity (milk production, breeding, beef production, etc.), digestibility, nutrient content, and any negative factors the forage might have on a specific cattle group.

High quality forage performs at its best when it is harvested young. As crops like alfalfa mature the fiber content increases, lowering the quality. Forage that is too high in fiber slows digestion. With slower digestion the animal will not take in as much and might not consume enough energy to meet their activity requirements.

High Quality Forage Boosts Milk Production in Dairy Cows

Milk production has high nutrient demands on dairy cows! Dairy cows have to consume large quantities of food to consume enough energy to keep producing milk. In some cases a dairy cow cannot physically eat enough feed to meet the requirements of milk production; and the cow’s body fat could start depleting in an attempt to meet those energy requirements. This is a problem.

High quality forage like Alfalfa hay can greatly benefit dairy cows and milk production. Alfalfa hay contains less neutral detergent fiber and is more digestible. Also, high quality forage like early harvest alfalfa is lower in fermentable fibre and passes through the digestive system faster, allowing the cow to consume more. That means dairy cows that consume high quality forage are able to increase both their energy intake and total milk produced. Talk about getting your cake (alfalfa hay) and eating it too!

Milk that is produced with a higher fat concentration is can usually be sold for a premium. Since high quality forage is high in the right type of fiber it also supports milk fat production, which in turn affects the producer’s bottom line.

A study came out of the University of Wisconsin that was able to conclude that the milk response of dairy cows fed different levels of alfalfa forage quality was improved when fed more high quality forage. They were able to prove that high quality forage contains more energy and also allows dairy cows to eat more!

The study also tested adding a concentrate like grain to lower quality forage to try to offset reduced milk production resulting from low quality feed. High producing dairy cows are sometimes fed concentrates to help boost the energy content of their feed. Even adding this concentrate could not improve the results of the feed. Here are their examples:

Early bloom alfalfa with 54% concentrate produced almost as much milk as pre-bloom alfalfa with 20% concentrate, but no amount of concentrate would produced over 70 lb of fat corrected milk from mid or full bloom alfalfa. Further, the 71%-concentrate formulations are not sustainable, due to animal health problems associated with low fiber.

They also found that the actual fat concentration of the milk produced fell as the added concentrate increased. With milk with high fat concentration going for top dollar, adding too much concentrate to the feed could affect a dairy producer’s profit.

View their study results and further research on high quality forage.

Sources: http://www.extension.org/pages/26278/in-vivo-digestibility-of-forages, http://extension.umass.edu/cdle/fact-sheets/harvest-management-high-quality-alfalfa-hay

Mixed Hay for Horses

During our winter season in Alberta, horses are unable to forage in pasture and hay becomes their main food source. When choosing hay for your horses, it’s important to be mindful of not only the quality of hay you are offering your horses, but also the type of hay.

Generally, hay can be classified in three different types. Legume hay, that would include hays high in protein and nutrients like alfalfa, is very popular among horse owners. Grass hay, which would include timothy, orchard, and fescue are also popular, especially for adult horses. Mixed hay is usually a blend of grasses and legumes and with the right combination horses are eager to dive in!

Mixed Hay

Mixing grass hays with legume hays has its advantages, including benefits to growers and producers. Growing legume hay like alfalfa will help add nitrogen to the soil by nitrogen fixing. In fact, alfalfa could fix up to 500lbs of nitrogen per acre and this nitrogen usually goes directly to the plant. This natural process can help cut down on fertilizer use and growing costs.

What are other other benefits of choosing mixed hay for your horses? They love it! Adding legume hay to grass hay may increase the appeal of the feed for most horses and in many cases it is very easy for them to eat. Plus, introducing a legume like alfalfa in mixed hay also improves the feeds quality by increasing vitamin A, protein, calcium, and the amount of energy in the feed.

If you throw down a grass hay flake and a legume hay flake, your horse may go straight for the legume hay. When you grow your different hays together, it becomes too difficult for picky eaters to separate out the tasty portions. Some horse owners prefer the mixed hay because it ensures their horses are getting a balance of key nutrients, making them strong and healthy.

Mixed Hay Right for your Horse?

Remember that each horse’s food requirements vary and are dependent on age, stage of development, workload, activity and metabolism. You should always consider each individual when choosing hay for your horses and when deciding on portion sizes during feeding times.

Because legume hay tends to be higher in protein, calcium, vitamin A, and calories than grass hays, they make a great feed for young and growing horses, high performance athletes, and lactating mares.

Grass hay is usually lower in protein and energy and higher in fibre. This makes it a good choice for most adult horses. It satisfies their appetite, but cuts down on the excess calories and protein they may not need.

Mixed hay will give your horses the dietary benefits of alfalfa without giving them the excess they might not require. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, too much excess could predispose young horses to problems like developmental bone disease and epiphysis. If you are unsure, consult your veterinarian when putting together your horses diet plan.

Mixed Hay Sales from Barr-Ag

Consider Barr-Ag when choosing hay for your horses! While Barr-Ag grows some irrigated mixed hay, most of our mixed hay crop is grown on dry land. It is a versatile crop which combines non-GMO alfalfa, Timothy, orchard hay, brome hay and fescue.

For further information about mixtures currently available or to schedule a visit, contact us.

Exporting Canadian Grain – The Grain Handling System

The Canadian Grain industry is heavily regulated in Canada. That means customers from overseas can always be provided with reliable, consistent product. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is an agency of the federal government. It makes sure that all grain exported from Canada has been through the regulated grain handling system and has been officially certified.

Canadian grain such as oats, barley, wheat, and oil seeds are exported internationally and often travel great geographical distances. Although Canadian grain are transported in massive quantities, they are not stored in terminals. They are stored at farms that produced the grains. Then, when a certain kind of Canadian grain is wanted by an international customer, it is delivered from the farmer and moved into export position.

Canada’s Grain Handling System

Canada’s unique grain handling system guarantees quality assurance as it defines and applies quality standards on all Canadian grain. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency registers varieties of grain grown in Canada after the specific plant lines are evaluated by the CGC. To ensure all Canadian grain is reaching specific standards, the CGC uses grain grades to describe the quality of grain. These grades and standards are reviewed regularly to make sure they meet the needs of customers and the needs of Canadian grain producers like Barr-Ag Hay and Grain Exporters.

The Canadian Grain Commission is always engaged in scientific research to better understand grain quality and discover new ways to grow, handle and ship it to Canada’s international grain buyers. There are ongoing studies and research that continuously improve the grain grading system. This helps the Canadian grain export industry understand how different grains reflect quality and what can be done to make it better. The scientific research also helps growers increase harvest quality. Grain samples are gathered and analyzed from Canadian grain producers.

As the grain moves through the grain handling system from farm to export facility, it is checked that accurate weights are maintained throughout the process and that the grain itself is safe. Then when it is in the last stages of the grain handling system the grain is inspected at export to ensure that the grain meets Canada’s grain standards. Even as the grain is loaded onto the vessel at the export terminal it is being monitored to ensure the correct weight is loaded. At that point the grain is issued a Certificate Final.

“The Certificate Final is Canada’s assurance that your shipment meets Canadian quality and quantity standards. For each export cargo of grain from Canada the Canadian Grain Commission issues a Certificate Final. On this certificate, you will see the official grade and weight of the grain loaded on the vessel.” – Canadian Grain Commission

Exporting Canadian Grain – Barr-Ag Hay & Grain Exporters

Barr-AG is an exporter of Canadian Grains to countries around the globe. Canadian quality Oats, Barley, Wheat and oil seed such as flax and canola are all either produced on a Barr-AG farm or purchased and stored (from Canadian Farmers) and then exported Internationally.

Oats, barley and wheat, as well as flax, canola and peas come from our farms and/or our local network of Canadian Farm Producers who follow our growing protocols and adhere to our quality control standards. All of our grains, oil seeds and pulse crops are non-GMO. We specialize in containerizing and loading these products in 20 or 40 foot containers for international shipping and take care of the necessary customs documents.

Contact Barr-Ag for more information.

Source: http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

Timothy Hay: Processing and Export

Timothy hay grows extremely well in Western Canada’s growing conditions. The clean air, rich soil and cooperative climate all contribute to the production of some of the most palatable hay in the world. Since this Timothy hay is grown at higher altitudes, with long warm summer days and cool nights during the growing season, it matures with an increased sugar content and makes excellent forage for livestock.

Canadian Timothy hay and other forages are in demand in Japan and other countries along the Pacific Rim. It is used as forage for beef and dairy cattle, as well as in the horse industry in certain parts of Asia. It’s a nutritious source of fibre, encourages growth and is beneficial to livestock producers who do not have the land or the means to grow it locally. As a result, the export market for Canadian hay has expanded rapidly.

Canadian hay growers see hay processors and exporters like Barr-Ag as their consumer. They will sell their crops to a local exporter, where the Timothy hay is compressed and processed for shipment. The true customer is the export market. Canadian hay growers who want access to the export market should contact a hay processor to learn about market demands, specific standards for raw material and the preference of the international customer. .

Product quality is incredibly important when trying to sell your crops to a hay processor and exporter. Shipping products like Timothy hay such large distances is very expensive. In order to ensure the needs and expectations of the international customer are met, a hay processor must hold a high standard for the hay it chooses to purchase, process and export.

In regards to Timothy hay, the end-user is looking for long, course stems with long heads. The stems should be green, leafy and have a minimum of brown leaves. It should be free of mold, weeds, or other plant species and contaminants. It must have a low moisture content to ensure mold and moisture damage doesn’t occur during transport or storage.

Processing the crop into compressed bales can reduce shipping costs. Timothy hay can be compressed or even double compressed to better fit into transportation containers. They are usually transported by truck to a container yard, then picked up by rail and moved to a Canadian port. If the hay is going to Asia it will be moved to a port in Vancouver, shipments going to Europe travel to Montreal, and shipments going to the United States are transported via Chicago and/or Fort Lauderdale. From these ports they’re loaded on ocean container ships and sent to overseas markets.

In order to ship Timothy hay to international markets the hay exporter must obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate. This is the official document issued by the plant protection organization of the exporting country to the plant protection organization of the importing country. It makes sure the product has been inspected, free of quarantine pests, and cleared according to specific regulations of the country receiving the shipment.

Some markets do not hold as strict standards as Japan. If the baled Timothy hay does not meet Japanese requirements it can be sold to residual markets such as Korea or Taiwan. A hay processor can also market single-compressed hay in the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Middle East as they each have different requirements and may accept a variety of Canadian hay products.

For more information on selling your Canadian grown Timothy hay, contact Barr-Ag. If you’re interested in importing Canadian forage, click on the image and fill our the request form.

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