Caution! Members of the sorghum family – sorghum, sudangrass, and hybrid sorghum-sudangrass – contain dhurrin, a glucoside that breaks down to release hydrocyanic acid, also known as prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide, HCN). A sudden disruption of growth such as frost, drought or cutting, causes prussic acid to be released inside the plant at a more [...]
Rain events across the province have interrupted a dry spring. While the water is welcome, the 5-7 days after a rain that ends a severe dry period increases the risk of nitrates in forage crops! Nitrates are of concern because they can increase silo gas production and cause nitrate poisoning in livestock. Silo Gas Silo gas (nitrogen [...]
On-off grazing is a management technique to minimize damage while grazing wet pastures. It is an alternative to using a sacrifice paddock. Livestock do the least amount of pugging damage to a field when they are actively grazing. It is other activities, such as visiting the water trough or mineral source, lying down, or socializing [...]
Friday, July 23, 2021 12 pm CDT/1 pm EDT 1 hour Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has organized a webinar to assist Northwestern Ontario producers navigate the challenges related to current dry weather conditions. Topics Include: Understanding Business Risk Management Programs and Production Insurance CoveragePasture ManagementLivestock management considerationsMental Health Resources OMAFRA [...]
Dairy and Beef Cattle Production 