Sheep and Goat Production

Sheep and Goat Production

Discussing current topics in Ontario sheep and goat production

All posts by Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing Specialist

About Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing Specialist

Areas of Focus: - Production and storage strategies to improve the productivity and profitability of forages - Benefits of forages and grazing within cropping systems - Forage production and grazing systems in northern Ontario

Moisture Content and the Hay Drying Curve

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Many management decisions affect hay quality. After deciding when to cut, the next big decision is about the moisture content. Accurately timing how long to let the crop wilt when harvesting a forage crop will help ensure that it stores well. It either needs to have enough moisture to ferment correctly (silage/haylage or baleage systems), or low enough moisture content to preserve as dry hay. There are three types of moisture to consider when wilting a forage crop: stem moisture, dew moisture, and air humidity. Stem moisture is the amount of water within the plant. Dew moisture is water outside the plant, whether it is from rain or condensation (dew). Air humidity affects how quickly the crop can dry. If…

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Pest Alert: Alfalfa weevil and leafhopper numbers high

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Uncategorized

This article was written by Tracey Baute, OMAFRA Field Crops Entomologist and originally posted on FieldCropNews.com Alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper (PLH) are being reported as extremely high in many fields.  Hot dry conditions have made it more favourable for these pests than their natural enemies (especially entomopathogenic fungi). Scout fields to determine if cutting is possible or if an insecticide application is necessary if thresholds are reached. Consider fields at threshold if both pests are present but populations are slightly below threshold for either pest. Monitoring recently cut fields is extremely important as well, as infestations can overwhelm the young regrowth. Dry bean growers should also keep watch of their newly emerging dry bean plants for PLH as seed…

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Slowing down the rotation protects pasture yield

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Uncategorized

Co-written by James Byrne, OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialist Maximizing pasture yield requires management. One of the most important decisions a manager can make is to give their grass enough time to fully recover after being grazed. Pastures have fully recovered from a grazing event when the grass plants have 3-4 new leaves. At this stage they are palatable, nutritious, and have had time to store energy in their roots and lower stems to fuel regrowth the next time they are grazed. However, sometimes pastures do not recover from grazing as quickly as producers would like. Often this happens when there is a lack of sunlight, cold conditions or not enough rainfall. In these situations, grazing managers should look for ways…

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September 2020 Forage Report

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Uncategorized

Photo: It is impossible to tell by looking at frost-damaged sorghum-sudangrass what the prussic acid levels may be. Silage Corn In fields where rootworm Bt hybrids have been used for three or more consecutive years, resistance among corn rootworm populations is suspected. Producers can no longer rely solely on Bt rootworm hybrids for protection against rootworm injury. See the 2020 Canadian Bt Corn Trait Table for more information on which traits are present in your hybrid. The best management practice to reduce the resistant rootworm population is to rotate out of corn for at least one year. Producers are encouraged to replace corn for a minimum of one year, but ideally for the next two to three years. To replace silage…

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Managing Jointing and Non-jointing Grasses

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Grass doesn’t just happen and not all species grow the same way. Understanding how different grass species grow enables producers to make good management decisions that maximize forage production in their hay fields and pastures. Jointing and non-jointing grasses respond differently to cutting, which directly affects productivity and persistence. In an established stand, grass plants are not made up of a single stem but have many tillers. One grass plant may have dozens of tillers which arise from growing points at the base of the plant. Having the growing point at the base of the plant is an evolutionary adaptation because it protects the grass from grazing, since most animals cannot graze so close to the ground as to damage…

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August 2020 Forage Report

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Photo: Many winter wheat fields were planted to an annual forage crop after harvest this year. Premiums for summer-seeded New Forage Seeding insurance are due to Agricorp September 15. Silage corn growers should check fields for rootworm resistance to Bt hybrids Scouting for corn rootworm injury in silage fields is important to detect potential resistance to rootworm Bt traits and to plan management options for the next growing season. It is especially important to report any fields showing signs of suspected resistance to your corn agronomist and the provincial entomologist. High Risk Fields for Resistance to Occur Include: Scouting Guidelines to Determine Possible Rootworm Resistance are available on Field Crop News. Scouting should occur in early September, before silage harvest. Rotating out…

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Forage Options to Replace Silage Corn

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Key Points: Why replace silage corn? Some regions in Ontario have observed high corn rootworm pressure in 2020 that is challenging current Bt rootworm hybrids. In regions where Bt rootworm corn hybrids have been used for more than three consecutive years, resistance among corn rootworm populations is suspected. Several growers in Ontario are reporting fields with rootworm injury to trait providers and research and extension scientists. Growers in areas with resistant rootworm populations can no longer rely solely on Bt rootworm hybrids for protection against rootworm injury. Continued use of these hybrids in problem fields can perpetuate the issue, allowing resistant populations to survive and spread to neighbouring fields. Other control measures like granular insecticides or seed treatments can only…

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Continuous Corn Growers Should Check Fields for Rootworm Resistance to Bt Hybrids

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Announcements, Announcements, Forage, Forage

Reblogged from Field Crop News: Continuous corn growers should check fields for rootworm resistance to bt hybrids Canadian Corn Pest Coalition News Release: Corn rootworm (CRW) has historically been one of the most important pests of corn in Canada and can cause extreme economic loss and increased management costs.  High CRW pressure in Ontario in 2020 is challenging current Bt corn rootworm hybrids and several growers of Bt rootworm hybrids are reporting unexpected injury by CRW to trait providers and research and extension scientists. Specifically, several fields in Huron, Perth and Durham Counties have been identified with injury to various Bt rootworm traits, providing an early warning of possible resistance development by CRW to some Bt traits. There is the…

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June 2020 Forage Report

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Southwestern Central and Eastern Northeastern Northwestern Agricorp Reminder of some upcoming deadlines: You can see the full list of Agricorp program deadlines.

Forage Report – April 2020

Posted on Author Christine O'Reilly, OMAFRA Forage & Grazing SpecialistPosted in Forage, Forage

Winter Conditions Most of the province had average amounts of precipitation over the winter. Areas of Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Huron, Grey, Bruce, Temiskaming, Cochrane, Rainy River, and Kenora received below-average winter precipitation. Overall, reports of winterkill suggest normal or below-normal levels, except in Prescott & Russell, where high amounts of alfalfa winterkill occurred. Spring Conditions Planting intentions for forage acres are up compared to 2019, and most fields intended for cool-season forages across Southern, Western, Central, and Eastern Ontario have been planted. During the month of April, Southern, Western, and Northern Ontario had below-average precipitation. Central and Eastern Ontario, and Cochrane District received average amounts of precipitation. This has allowed field work to progress steadily in areas that are at lower…

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