Beef Producers Invited to Participate in Surveys re: Swath Grazing and Feed Testing

The second survey is related to feed testing. It aims to understand how western Canadian commercial beef cowcalf producers assess feed quality and develop rations with a special focus on the use of feed testing. The knowledge gained will be used for research and extension on feed testing and ration balancing.

Manitoba producers are invited to participate in two separate online research surveys related to their participation in the practices of swath grazing and feed testing.

The purpose of the swath grazing research is to understand the use of swath grazing and spring residue cleanup by western Canadian cow-calf operations. Producer responses will help promote strategies that will advance the Canadian beef industry. This study is for research purposes only.

Respondents can be both adopters, non-adopters and disadopters of swath grazing as they wish to hear how adopters swath graze, why non-adopters choose not to swath graze and why dis-adopters stopped swath grazing. The survey will close when 600 respondents are reached (likely March 31, 2023).

The swath grazing survey research is funded by Alberta’s Results Driven Agriculture Research and is being conducted by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (Kathy Larson) and Lakeland College (Dr. Obi Durunna). Dr. Durunna is a Livestock Research Scientist at Lakeland College and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and Larson is a Professional Research Associate at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

The survey link is: https://ca1se.voxco.com/SE/90/Swathgrazing/

This survey is being undertaken by Larson, as well as Dr. Emma Stephens, a bioeconomist at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Lethbridge Research Station and 500 participants are being sought from Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. This survey is funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council and the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund.

Sample survey questions include:

• Have you done any lab tests for quality of any of your feed in the last three years?

• On your operation, who is typically responsible for collecting feed samples?

• Do you use a forage probe to collect samples when you test bales for quality?

The link to this survey is: wo8372 (insightrix.com) This survey will close once 500 producers have completed it.

Anyone with questions about the 2023 survey can contact Larson at kathy.larson@usask.ca or at (306) 966-4025 Stephens can be reached emma.stephens@agr.gc.ca or at (403)915-8409.

Manitoba Beef Producers Board of Directors for 2023-24

Back row from left to right: Dale Cazakoff (District 14), Mary Paziuk (District 13), Mike Duguid (District 10), Steven Manns (District 5), Alfred Epp (District 1), Trevor Sund (District 9), Andre Steppler (District 3).

Front row from left to right: Nancy Howatt (District 2), Arvid Nottveit (District 11), Tyler Fulton (District 7), Matthew Atkinson (District 8), Mark Good (District 12).

(There are currently vacancies in districts 4 and 6.)

There are several changes on the Executive: Matthew Atkinson assumes the role of President, Mike Duguid takes over as Vice-President while Nancy Howatt moves into his former role as Secretary. Mark Good remains as Treasurer and Tyler Fulton transitions to Past President.

Congratulations to MBP's Environmental Stewardship Award recipients, Glen and Pam Lowry, who operate a commercial cow calf operation north of Darlingford. Watch for the upcoming edition of Cattle Country (available after February 24) for more details about this well deserved recognition.