Feeding cows!

[cowman]

I don't know about anyone else but I am sure getting sick of feeding cows! This is the latest I have ever fed my cows and the grass is still pretty scarce.Here in central Alberta it is dry and cold with frost practically every night. We got a little snow on the 20th which was about all the moisture we have had all spring. Seeding is pretty well done here and a lot of grain is up and looking good, but the hay and pastures are very poor. Could be a very tough year!

[15444]

I live in Stratton, Ontario (west of Thunder Bay, near the Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota Borders)and we have got too much rain. It rains about every two days! I don't know how we will ever be able to get hay up. Sure wouldn't mind trading some of this rain for some of the sunshine out in Alberta. Anyways, hopefully everthing will work out for the both of us.

[cowman]

Would sure love to be able to make that trade and I'd even throw in some wind as well! It is bad out here with no pasture to speak of and hay very dear...up to 150/ton. If it doesn't rain pretty soon there will be no hay crop and even if it does it will be poor. Weather can sure throw a monkey wrench into our plans can't it? I was just wondering how much the price of land is in your area? Out here (Red Deer, Alta.) it is selling for around 1500/acre.

[15444]

Land around here is not grain land, so it isn't worth much. Pulp and Paper is a main industry around here. An acre with fairly good timber (trembling aspen and spruce) on it goes for about 50 - 100 dollars. Just regular pasture and hayland goes for about 20 - 50 and acre depending if it's in a swamp or on properly drained land. Probably buy some land in the next couple weeks from our neighbour. He has 160 acres for sale (30-40 acres good timber, rest is pasture), probably pay about 14,000 for it. It is an old couple who have been very good neighbours, so we have decided to give them an above market price for their land. Still raining.

[cowman]

I am amazed at how cheap land sells for down there! In reality our land is way out of line to what kind of income it can generate. The joys of living in a petroleum rich area I guess. It's almost impossible for a young farmer to get started out here unless he goes into an intensive livestock operation and because we are so close to urban areas this is even becoming difficult.
It's still dry out here and the damned wind never stops blowing. We're still feeding our cattle and the hay and crops are pretty well a wreck.

[bnyoung]

Hey guys, I'm in southwestern Ontario, land around here goes about 1000. to 1800, per acre. As for feed, my girls and their babes are happy and out on grass. We've had a really wierd spring around here. The past couple of weeks it's been raining off and on. I won't complain though as we really needed the rain. On a brigther note, today was a beauty of a day, spent it playing in my flower beds, planting bulbs etc. Cowman, I hope you folks get a good rain soon for your crops and pasture land. 15444, I think cowman's right about that bull, I think that boy is freezer bound.

[15444]

I starting to worry about that bull. He bloated twice on me last night. Got it down the first time, but had a real bugger of a time on the second time. Figured was gonna have to shoot him with the 22 last night. Haven't seen him yet this morning. Gonna try and lift his back legs up with the front end loader on the tractor and some straps. See if it works. If not, I think the guy is as good as dead. I would think that the meat would be too bruised to salvage. Probably cheaper to put him six feet under. Other than that weather is not to bad the past few days, haven't got any rain for about 5 days, so I hoping it will stay away for another five. Don't think that'll happen though. Pastures are comin along great. Neighbours cut first crop of hay yesterday for silage. Think it's probably a litte wet for it yet, but didn't see any tire ruts.