The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.”

Applicants interested in either supplying or receiving hay via Hay West should visit the program website and provide details, the CFA said.

The Ottawa-based general farm organization said it has received enough contributions — including funding to cover freight costs — from “different parties” to begin moving substantial amounts of hay.

According to CFA representatives, those include financial donations from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Prince Edward Island government and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The CFA’s program had been on the drawing board since last month but awaited confirmation of sufficient funding to cover freight costs.

Expected demand means the Hay West program “cannot and does not guarantee the provision of hay,” the CFA said on the program’s website, but “best efforts will be made” to make hay available to applicants.

The 2021 program will operate on a break-even basis, buying hay from suppliers in the East for resale, at cost, to applicants in the West. The price will be 10 cents per pound for all hay supplied, the CFA said.

Round and square bales of “varying dimensions” will be supplied as available, and net weights of loads will be provided, the organization said.

Hay West follows a similar westbound drought relief effort launched in 2002, which in turn was reciprocated with a “Hay East” program to supply feed to drought-damaged regions of Eastern Canada in 2012.

“Farmers are donating thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars worth of hay to support those struggling from the drought,” CFA president Mary Robinson said in a release Friday.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see the response that we have from those farmers that have been more fortunate this year.”

The CFA’s Hay West program is not to be confused with a similar program recently launched by Mennonite Disaster Service, to move hay from Ontario to eligible producers in Saskatchewan. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Bales can be purchased or grown on farm and placed strategically in cells or ‘bale pods.’ In some cases, cattle feed on bales directly where they are dropped from the baler, but in most situations, bales are placed on sites needing additional fertility or near water or shelter.

Producers typically set bales on their round sides, 35 to 40 feet apart, and remove twine or netwrap prior to allowing cattle access to the area. Some farmers try to source bales that are wrapped in sisal twine, which breaks down over time making followup twine management easy.

Any residual forage left ungrazed after cattle have moved on isn’t a waste, but rather a source of nutrients for subsequent forage crops, litter to help increase water-holding capacity and water infiltration of the soil, and a forage species seed bank.

The number of days producers choose to allow their cattle access to a pod of bales will depend on how many bales are placed, quality of the feed, body condition score of the cattle, weather, and the farmer’s personal goals and management style. Some producers will move cattle every two to five days, while others will allow cattle access for 20 or 30 days of feed at a time, or even longer.

It’s important to feed test and weigh bales placed in grazing areas to ensure cattle have a relatively level plane of nutrition and avoid a ‘rumen roller-coaster’ caused by too much or too little feed. Producers may use hay, greenfeed, or even straw with supplementation, however, feed testing is the key to ensuring a balanced ration is achieved and potential toxicity issues are avoided.

Bale grazing can improve perennial pastures and even be used to reduce brush encroachment; however, it is not suited for all sites. Avoid placing bales on environmentally sensitive sites such as wetlands or creeks. Do not bale graze on native rangeland to prevent introduction of invasive or weedy species that can upset the balance of natural biodiversity or reduce the overall ecological integrity of a site.

Monitor snow conditions closely. Snow should not be used as the sole water source for lactating cows, freshly weaned calves, or cattle with a body condition score of 2.5 or lower. A dwindling snowpack can cause animals’ stock water demands to spike, even when other water is available. Excess snow can cause cattle to expend extra energy to access feed, something that should be avoided for cattle groups that require higher levels of management such as calves, young cows, or thin cattle.

It’s always important to have a backup plan with any extensive wintering system and bale grazing is no different. A prolonged harsh winter can increase the need for additional shelter and better-quality forage or supplementation for animals in any condition. Producers must manage and closely monitor cattle to ensure they stay healthy, remain in good body condition, and have access to forage that is of adequate quality, as well as access to water and shelter.

Like any beef cattle production practice, bale grazing requires planning and management.

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Drought and grasshoppers have hindered crops to the point that hay production is about 25 to 30 per cent of average.

“We’ve moved cows out of pastures because the grasshoppers ate everything faster than the cows,” said Mike Duguid, who has farmed ar Arnes, Man., for about 60 years.

Duguid said he finished last year with “not one bale left in the yard” due to consecutive years of lower-than-average hay yields.

“Lots of guys are in the exact same position, with no reserves,” he said. “Not 100 bales or anything in your yard to start with.”

Cattle producers in the Interlake have reduced their herds to match feed supply as cattle were turned out onto pastures that weren’t producing as much hay as expected.

“Hay prices are too high to maintain a herd,” said Duguid. “You’ll go broke just trying to feed them.”

Currently, a 1,000-lb. round bale of hay costs about $100 — up considerably from the typical $30 per round bale.

“I doubt prices will drop until we see an oversupply again,” he said.

With the state of emergency, producers in the Interlake are hoping for freight assistance to ship in hay from elsewhere in the province.

Grain farmers in the area have aided livestock producers by baling straw to use to supplement hay stocks.

“That’ll stretch hay supplies way further,” said Duguid. “We’re happy they have come through for us.”

— Marlo Glass writes for MarketsFarm, a Glacier FarmMedia division specializing in grain and commodity market analysis and reporting.

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The project is part of the Winnipeg-based contemporary garden, public art and local landscape showcase dubbed Cool Gardens.

It’s an annual event that, for the past four years, has attracted entrants from around the world and the Brandon project represents the first time an installation has happened outside the Perimeter Highway.

The Brandon project, dubbed Wheat Lookout, is the work of Marta Mila Pascual and Marc Torrellas Arnedo, of Barcelona, Spain, who say they tried to merge industrial and agriculture aspects into the design and focused on including hay bales to highlight the city’s rich agriculture heritage and reputation as a prosperous farming community.

“We discovered that Brandon is popularly called the Wheat City, so we decided to do something with bales to show that heritage. We really wanted to include that agricultural essence,” Pascual said.

The structure consists of 240 bales that create a landmark tower with a 360-degree view of the valley, terraces to provide seating and movable bales to allow users to make their own social spaces.

The Brandon exhibition is an opportunity for more people to enjoy the unique work, says Lois MacDonald, general manager of Brandon Riverbank, Inc.

“This is the first time that they have moved one of the projects outside the city of Winnipeg and we were happy to be the community that was included,” said MacDonald.

Four winning designs were selected, with the other three being brought to life in Winnipeg.

The annual event, which is sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Association of Architects and the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects, calls for entries internationally and the selected projects become installations. The Brandon project dovetails nicely with the work being done locally to promote the river corridor.

“We at the Brandon Riverbank have just finalized our 20-year master plan for the redevelopment of the corridor and it involves being a lot more proactive in involving community art and different garden installations,” MacDonald said. So, this was just an interesting way to get started in that direction and in keeping with some of the projects that we see being developed throughout the river corridor in the years to come.”

Cool Gardens is organized by StorefrontMB, and this year saw 45 entries from around the world.

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The bales could go to the Stramit strawboard factory in former air force hangars in Carberry, which had its official opening the previous week. The plant was expected to employ 35 and convert 225,000 bales of wheat straw per year into strawboard panels.

We also reported on another official opening, which was for the new Virden Auction mart on May 27. There were 175 cattle sold at the first sale, with one lot of 55 heading to Montreal. Top steers brought $21.90, heifers $20.50 and cows $16.35.

The year 1961 turned out to be the driest on record for the Prairies, and our front-page story said drought had a “vice-like grip” on the province, reminiscent of the 1930s. It was most pronounced in the southwest and northward from No. 4 Highway beyond the Swan River Valley. Hay crops were especially hard hit but there was hope for cereals to recover if rain arrived.

An ad for Co-op flour had a different marketing pitch than one often heard today — “It’s gluten that makes it so good.”

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They are big buyers, but they typically prefer little packages.

“The horse industry purchases more forage than any other sector in agriculture,” said Les Burwash, manager of horse programs for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

“I’m not saying we use more — we buy more. Of the hay that’s fed, at least two-thirds or three-quarters is purchased. A lot of the producers involved in the industry do not raise much hay, if any.”

Horses eat 1.5 to two per cent of their body weight per day in forage, or roughly 20 pounds daily.

But the horse industry has specific criteria.

“In a lot of cases, horse owners are labelled as fussy, but most of the time it is because the horse owner has to be fussy because of the health issues that poor-quality hay causes,” said Jane Thornton, a forage and pasture specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Horses are highly sensitive to mould spores that can develop in hay with elevated moisture, which can result in serious respiratory issues with repeated exposure.

“The horse industry wants quality hay,” said Burwash. “It has to be put up in a relatively early- to mid-maturity range. It’s also absolutely critical that hay be free of dust and mould.”

The industry generally looks for hay at or below 15 per cent moisture. Industry experts note that hay baled above 15 per cent will likely see the growth of mould.

Alsike is also “out of the picture” for the horse industry.

“The horses develop a photosensitization when consuming alsike clover while grazing and in hay, so you’re going to be asked if the hay has alsike clover in it. If the answer is ‘yes,’ we’re not interested,” said Burwash.

Young horses and lactating mares need alfalfa hay harvested at early to mid-maturity, while performance horses and yearlings do better with mid-maturity alfalfa hay, with protein levels that are 12 to 16 per cent. Mid- to late-maturity grass hay is better for recreation and overweight horses.

Size matters

Next to quality, form is the industry’s next concern. Burwash said Alberta horse owners still prefer small square bales because they don’t have big enough equipment to manage the large round or square bales. However, Manitoba buyers are starting to buy more of the larger bales.

“In Manitoba, horse owners seem to be adapting to using the larger bales. Certainly in the 16 years that I have been involved in the industry, I have seen more people buying the medium squares and/or quality round bales to feed. But many still prefer the small bales as they are easier to handle,” said Thornton. “However, for hay producers, handling the smaller bales is labour intensive.”

Thornton notes a recent advancement in technology that may help meet both the needs of the producers as well as those in the horse industry — a new machine designed in the U.S. called the Bale Band-It.

“It takes small square bales and bundles 21 small square bales into what would essentially be the same as a medium square,” she said. That allows the bundle to be picked up with a bale fork and loaded on a trailer. Yet horse owners can break the bundle on their end.

The Bale Band-It is an automatic small square bale-packaging machine, taking small square bales directly from the baler and stacks the bales three high and seven deep.

“This would enable producers to avoid the loading and transportation hassles of small bales, but then allow the purchasers the convenience of having the smaller square bales,” said Thornton.

While the horse industry may prefer small bales, medium bricks and large round bales are still utilized.

New options

In recent years, many in the industry have begun to use hay nets, which cape the large bales and require the horses to pull the hay through in small mouthfuls, reducing spoilage and may help prevent the inhalation of dust and mould.

“I certainly see some benefits in the hay nets in terms of reduced waste and the ability to control feeding behaviour,” said Thornton. “These nets prevent the horses from grabbing large mouthfuls. They spend a lot more time at the bale picking out hay, which simulates more grazing-like habits. This is better for their health compared to select feeding times throughout the day.”

Hay net or not, small squares remain the horse industry’s product of choice.

“I get that you guys want to put it up in the big rounds or the big squares because it’s more economical, but when it comes to our industry, it’s a whole bunch simpler to use the small squares or the cubes, and that’s what the industry is going to be asking for,” said Burwash.

Both Thornton and Burwash agree that producers who make the small bales can certainly fetch a premium from the horse industry, but will face increased labour requirements.

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David Normandin and his brother Mathieu preferred driving tractors to milking cows and that’s why they make hay and not milk.

The brothers, along with their father Luc and Luc’s partner’s daughter, Audrey Mailloux, operate Norfoin Inc., 57 km southeast of Montreal in the Montérégie region of la belle province.

The operation had been a dairy farm started by David Normandin’s grandfather in 1958, but switched to haymaking in 2000, Normandin told a tour group attending the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association annual meeting in nearby Bromont Nov. 17.

The company also provides snow removal services during the winter.

The family operation puts up around 6,000 large square bales from its own 618 acres of land, plus bales from another 198 acres under contract. It also buys 6,000 large square hay bales.

The Normandins dry almost all their hay, have almost an acre of inside hay storage, including a new 50×110-foot building, which will eventually be heated, and they can convert large bales to small square ones as required.

About half of Norfoin’s hay is sold in Quebec and the rest is exported to the United States through hay brokers, Normandin said.

The company puts up various hay mixes, including alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass, fescue and clover. And the hay goes to a wide variety of livestock, including milk cows, dry cows, calves, horses and even zoo animals.

Hay buyers demand top quality so the Normandins strive to get their hay up in good condition and keep it that way.

After the hay is crimped and cut, it’s ‘tedded’ or fluffed up to speed drying. Then it’s raked and baled. The bales are picked up the same day to prevent sucking up moisture from the field. They can pick up bales as quickly as they are made, Normandin said.

The hay is baled at about 25 per cent moisture.

“We dry about 90 per cent of our hay (to 10 to 12 per cent) with a custom-made bale hay dryer,” Normandin said.

“We saw a dryer in Europe but it was really expensive so we thought about building it. We began the first year with some prototypes, then we built a dryer to meet our needs. Now we dry 100 (big square) bales at a time.”

The dryer is wood fired. Wood is plentiful and cheaper than other forms of energy, he said.

Hay and fire don’t mix. A wood fire heats water, which feeds a radiator used to warm air blown through the bales. It takes six to 15 hours to dry a bale depending on its moisture content. They can dry about 300 bales a day.

The dried bales are stacked 11 high in sheds.

All of Norfoin’s hay is put up in large square bales because it’s faster, Normandin said.

“We can do the work of 10 people with a small square baler with only four people with one big square baler,” he said.

However, five years ago, after sales of large squares slowed, the company built its own system to turn large square bales into small ones. Now half of Norfoin’s hay is sold as small squares.

The family brought a small square baler into one of its sheds, powered it with an electric motor and modified it so it turns a big bale into small ones.

Normandin said they cut their hayfields two to four times a season. Nitrogen is applied after each cut and manure is spread every spring.

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The couple lives and gardens near Lake Wahtopanah at Rivers, which first of all meant enclosing their garden area within a 12-foot-high fence to keep the deer from feasting on their produce.

“When touring Winnipeg Conservatory I saw bales positioned in squares with compost piled in the middle and vegetation growing in them,” Leanne said. She began to research the idea on the Internet and found a book by Joel Karsten on Straw Bale Gardens.

Her neighbour was only too happy to give her bales that had been used to protect her trees over the winter. “They wanted to get rid of the bales and I needed bales to try out this idea, so I thought it was a win-win situation for both of us. I placed them strategically in the section of my garden that was covered with landscape fabric,” she said.

Leanne said anyone trying this idea needs to start early as the bales must be “conditioned” for 10 to 12 days prior to planting. This involves placing the bales cut side up so they can absorb applications of water and granular fertilizer.

Lawn fertilizer that has at least 20 per cent nitrogen is required for conditioning bales — not the slow-release kind, she said.

“To start conditioning the bale, you sprinkle half a cup of high-nitrogen fertilizer over the top surface of bale then water by hose until it disappears into the bale,” she said. “Second day water bale only and third day fertilizer and water; alternate this process on four to six days.

“Days seven to nine you add a quarter-cup of fertilizer and water. Day 10 use one cup of 10-10-10,” said Leanne, noting she recommends anyone planning to try it, to download the book.

After 12 days, the bacteria inside the bales starts digesting the straw, making nitrogen and other minerals available to the plants you grow in them.

Squash and tomatoes don’t get dirty because they are high off the ground, which also makes picking easier.

Next year, she plans to leave more room between the bales to give plants such as squash more room to spread.

“Rebar at the ends of the rows would be perfect for making a trellis or staking,” she said. “I used landscape fabric under flax straw between the rows in my raspberry patch but you still have to pull weeds between the plants.”

The bales should be located in a sunny location with access to a water supply. A soaker hose running along the rows would be the ultimate way to go, but we managed with an overhead sprinkler system,” said Leanne.

Ed and Leanne constructed some raised garden beds, in which she grew beans and perennial herbs, but she said she prefers the straw bale approach.

Another gardening idea found in the area was an easy way to make a pea fence using electric fence posts with chicken wire attached to them. Anyone can build a fence this way as the posts have a spike on them that easily pushes into the ground. The electric fence posts should be placed about 28 inches apart at the most. The posts have hooks on them on which the wire can be hung.

The MacKays had everything from apples to zucchini growing in their garden. Leanne had planted new varieties of raspberries which were producing tasty fruit.

“Next year I hope to plant at least 25 bales,” Leanne said. “This method of gardening means less weeding and (it is) easier on the back.”

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