Hay Harvest Well Behind Schedule
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eaSier Prairie carcass liGhthouSe trackinG Viewing tower at the edge BIXS to be more user friendly » Page 12 of ancient lake » Page 22 August 22, 2013 SERVING mANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 71, No. 34 | $1.75 mAnitobAcooperAtor.cA feedlot association to let market sort out zilmax flap hay harvest well Potential impact on cow- calf producers uncertain By Daniel Winters behind schedule co-operator staff yson Foods’ decision to Endless parade of summer showers has affected hay quality, stop buying cattle given EXTREME MOISTURE and for many the first cut still hasn’t been rolled up T the feed additive Zilmax is sending waves through the beef industry, but Canada’s feedlot sector is determined to stay the course. “Our position is to follow sci- ence and let the market decide. Full stop,” said Brian Walton, chair of the National Cattle Feeders Association. His organization doesn’t track use of Zilmax or other beta- agonists, but Walton said it’s “pretty common” in feedlots in Western Canada, as is a slightly different growth promoter by a competing manufacturer called OptaFlexx. “Science has already proven that it’s safe to use and effective, so it should be the choice of the producers and their customers,” said Walton. The announcement of Tyson’s new policy was followed by the showing of a video by a JBS USA official at a recent industry conference in Denver. Taken at a JBS plant, it shows animals having difficulty walking and demonstrating signs of lame- ness. Animal welfare expert Temple Grandin, who was present at the event, said the s ee FEEDLOTS on page 6 » photo: stockexchange By Daniel Winters The extra moisture has increased yields The late start has cut into yields for co-operator staff “a bit,” but a prolonged hot and dry spell tame hay, and native hay acres around is needed to bale first-cut alfalfa and get Lake Manitoba are down due to the lin- he wet summer has created end- the second cut underway, he said. gering effects of the 2011 flood that con- less headaches for hay producers, Plenty of hay is still standing, and los- verted many lakeshore stands into cat- T and left their harvest schedules in ing quality as it becomes overly mature. tails and foxtail. tatters. But if it can be put up without getting Also, the summer rains pushed lake “It’s been a challenge trying to put rained on, it might end up being bet- levels higher than normal and turned it into a bale of any kind,” said Darren ter quality than some of the stuff that’s many hayfields into muck again this year, Chapman of Virden-based Chapman already baled, Chapman said. he added. Farms, one of the largest hay exporters in “I think there’s no surplus of hay kick- “Up until about a week and a half ago, southwestern Manitoba. ing around,” said Chapman. “So if you it was raining every three or four days, so “We’ve been raking hay and trying to can get some now nearby, then you’re the quality will decrease because of that,” bale it for the last few days, but haven’t probably better off getting it now.” said Clarke. had much success. It’s just not drying.” In the Interlake, crop quality is a lit- “Guys may have got one or two little Even with last week’s break in the tle below average, and good-quality hay showers on it. Then they had to turn it rain, high humidity and wet ground has may be in short supply, said Tim Clarke, over so they could bale it up.” slowed the dry-down process and caused a farm production adviser with Manitoba a lot of delays. Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. s ee HAY HARVEST on page 6 » DRAINAGE: SaSkatchewan aSkS citizenS for viewS online » PaGe 3 Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | August 22, 2013 INSiDE DiD you know? LiVESToCk U.S. quarter-horse BIXS 2.0 registry to be ordered Redesign will make carcass tracking easier 12 to allow clones Jury says exclusion violates CRoPS anti-monopoly laws U.S. horse association Not-so-busy soon will be required A to add cloned horses and their offspring to its bees prestigious registry, a fed- Cool weather has eral judge in Texas ruled last also affected the week. honey crop 17 T h e d e c i s i o n c o u l d encourage cloning and open the way for the animals to participate in lucrative horse races. U.S. District Court Judge FEATuRE Mary Lou Robinson said she will sign an order requiring If you like the look of one horse, then just order another copy. the American Quarter Horse PHoTo: THinkstock Guaranteed Association to begin allowing cloned animals to be placed A jury last month ruled that animals, although the eating on its registry, according to the horse association violated Professional Rodeo Cowboys the organization. anti-monopoly laws by ban- Association allows cloned Cargill to sell beef Two Texas breeders, rancher ning cloned animals. horses to compete in rodeos. with “USDA Tender” 13 Jason Abraham and veterinar- The judge did not rule on Some quarter-horse own- label ian Gregg Veneklasen, sued the plaintiffs’ request for an ers and breeders have com- the American Quarter Horse award of nearly $900,000 in plained that cloned animals Association last year, assert- attorney fees, according to have an unfair advantage ing the group was operating the horse association. because they are selected a monopoly by excluding No other horse-breed- according to superior genetic CRoSSRoADS clones. ing registry allows cloned characteristics. ‘Lighthouse’ borders ancient lake READER’S PHOTO Viewing tower and classroom promote conservation 22 Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 8 Classifieds 26 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 30 ONLINE Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features and our digital edition. (Click on “Digital Edition” in the top right corner.) At our sister site, AGCanada.com, you can use the “Search the AGCanada.com Network” function at top right to find recent Co-operator articles. Select “Manitoba Co-operator” in the pull-down menu when running your search. Monarch butterflies are a rare sight this year, with extreme weather in the southern U.S. said to be one cause. Karen Chic took this shot Aug. 12 at Komarno. 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Canadian Postmaster: Production director Shawna Gibson information Group TM 204-981-3730 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to: [email protected] [email protected] circulation Dept., 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3H 0H1 CANOLA INK 204-944-5763 204-944-5751 The Manitoba Co-operator | August 22, 2013 3 Saskatchewan begins consultations of agricultural drainage Input is restricted to citizens because the process will lead to new regulations By Allan Dawson co-operator staff he Saskatchewan govern- ment is asking citizens for T their views on agricultural drainage through an online forum running Sept. 1 to March 31, 2014. “We’re looking for input and opinions because drain- age has been an issue for a while and the 25-year plan (for water management) identi- fied it as an area of concern to be addressed,” Patrick Boyle, a spokesman for Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency said in an interview. “You hear opinions on drain- age, one side or the other. We’re looking at ways to bring eve- ryone together and then for- mulate a new policy through that. What that looks like will be determined by what we hear.” The process is restricted to Saskatchewan residents because it will lead to new drainage regulations for the province, Boyle said. Some Manitobans, especially near the Saskatchewan border, Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency is asking its citizens for their views of agricultural drainage through an online forum. Photo: allan dawson have complained that new and unapproved drainage there has contributed to flooding on this — one that both flood- and ewan government unveiled its side of the border.