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.

hay

More Canadian Grain Transported During Autumn Harvest

Canadian grain producers yielded 50 percent more crop than average last growing season. This incredible yield combined with a long and brutal winter, put major pressure on the handling and transportation system, causing the system to slow significantly. This resulted in changes made to the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Grain Act. These changes created regulations for Canadian railways, obligating them to ship at least 500,000 tonnes of grain per week and issue weekly reports.  This legislation is called Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act and was introduced in the early spring.

“CP RAIL TBAY” by Eja2k Licensed under Public domain -Wikimedia Commons

This growing season is shaping up to be as productive and experts are predicting it could be the second largest yield on record. In order to prevent another back log, the Canadian government has announced new regulations that will require the both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) railways to ship more than their combined 1 million tonnes of grain, extending into the autumn harvest.

Starting in early August and lasting until November 29th, both railways must each more 536,250 tonnes of crops each week. If they fail to do so they could face a penalty of $100,000 per violation.

The government deems this action necessary in order to preserve the integrity of Canada’s transportation system and its reputation as a global supplier of Canadian grain. These new regulations are hoped to increase efficiencies, strengthen relationships between Canadian grain exporters and their international customers.

Last year, billions of dollars worth of crops was left on farms during the winter. Although CP and CN picked up the pace in the spring and summer, left over grains from last growing season were still estimated 20.9 million tonnes as of last month, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

These regulations will make it easier for Canadian grain producers to deliver crops to buyers. The railway companies are able to conduct interswitching in more parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This means that they will be able to transfer cars from one railway’s line to the line of the other, creating more efficiencies in the handling and transportation process.

Canadian Grain Exporters

Barr-Ag Hay and Grain Exporters are always looking for opportunities to better serve our customers overseas, providing them with the high-quality Canadian grain they require.  This new legislation will help move our Canadian crops from the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies to international shipping ports and to our customers in a timely manner.

Grains from Canada

 

Sources: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/canada-extends-railway-grain-volume-160010925.html

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/daily/feds-extend-railway-grain-volume-rules-through-harvest

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=829579

Exporting Offical Canadian Grains

There are many different kinds of grains grown in Canada that are available for export around the globe. Did you know that Canada has “official grains”? These specific grains are regulated and secured under the Canada Grain Act by the Canadian Grain Commission.

Official Canadian grains include:

Cereals: Cereal grains are staple crops and are grown more around the world than any other kind of crop. Cereal grains include barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat.

Oilseeds: Oilseeds produce oil and have been used globally for thousands of years. They can be used to make cooking oil, soap, and industrial lubricants. Oilseeds grown in Canada include canola, flaxseed, mustard, rapeseed, safflower seed, solin, soybeans and sunflower seed

Pulses: Pulse grains include crops like beans, chick peas, fababeans, lentils and peas. These crops are all members of the legume family and are pod-bearing plants that produce dry edible seeds. Pulse crops are good for feed for animals and food for humans too. They are very nutritious providing protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Mixed grain: Mixed grain on export is graded in accordance with export specifications and consist of any mixtures of wheat, rye, barley, oats triticale, wild oats and domestic of wild oat groats.

Other crops like buckwheat and corn are called pseudocereals and are also official Canadian grains. Pseudocereals are used like cereal but are not part of the grass family.

All of these grains are regulated under the Canada Grain Act by the Canadian Grain Commission. Policies and procedures include the handling of these grains and providing rules under which the entire Canadian grain industry operates. These regulations, policies and procedures guide the grain industry by assessing grain quality and monitoring the weighing of grain that is shipped to Canadian and international markets.

The Canadian Grain Commission provides international buyers of Canadian grain with an unbiased, third party agency. System monitoring is in place and followed closely by hay and grain exporters like Barr-Ag Hay and Grain Exporters to ensure the best quality of grain is produced and the best harvesting, packaging, storing and shipping methods are used when exporting overseas.

Official Canadian grains like oats, barley, wheat, oilseeds and pulse grains are available from Barr-Agg. Barr-Ag either produces the grains at our farm along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, or it is purchased from a network of local Canadian producers who follow strict growing protocols and quality control standards. All are available for international export.  Learn more.

Learn more about the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission.