Economic Analysis of a Full Season Cover
Farm Research Partner: Chance Rothwell
Growing Season: 2024
Location: Shellbrook, Saskatchewan
Soil Zone: Black Soil
Accumulated Rainfall (2024): 241 mm
Researcher & Author: Dakota Odgers
Figure 1: Picture taken on July 12th, 2024
On-Farm Research
Seeding & Germination
Chance Rothwell farms in the black soil zones of Saskatchewan, approximately 20 kilometres west of Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. His research field encompassed 75 acres, divided equally between:
Pre-Burn Application: Glyphosate and Pardner for field preparation for weed control.
Seeding Date: June 19th, 2024
Fertilizer: No synthetic fertilizer was applied with the seed, nor was any synthetic fertilizer pre-applied or incorporated into the soil. In the context of ongoing trials on his farm, Chance applied 20 lbs of H-Start during seeding.
Under optimal conditions, Chance would have planted the Full Season Cover crop earlier in the growing season. However, due to cooler temperatures and spring rainfall, he could only enter the field on June 19th. This timing allowed him to maximize sunlight and heat unit accumulation for the Full Season and Warm Season Cover crops. The higher soil temperatures also enabled the germination of warm-season plant species. As shown in Figure 1, Chance achieved excellent germination of the plant species in the blend, optimizing the use of sunlight during the early growing season and building upon a reserve of moisture from spring rainfall.
On-Farm Research
The Growing Season
The growing season began with adequate moisture, which was not a limiting factor; however, the second half of July and August presented challenging conditions for canopy development and crop filling. The rainfall data below highlights a wet spring followed by a hot and dry summer.
As indicated in Table 1, July had a total of 34 mm of rain, with all of this rain occurring during the first half of the month, leading to a hot and dry latter half of the month. In August, of the 29mm of total rainfall, approximately 20mm fell after the crop was harvested on August 24th.
Harvest
Chance Rothwell harvested both his Full Season Cover and Warm Season Coer crops on August 24th, marking 66 days between seeding and harvest. This duration is ideal for producers seeking to balance forage quality and yield.
Due to the dry conditions throughout the summer, plant maturation occurred more quickly than under optimal growing conditions. By harvesting at this stage, Chance could strike a favourable balance between forage quality and quantity. The field averaged a yield of 3,708 lbs. per acre, with the moisture content of the silage bales averaging 54%.
The silage crude protein levels:
Full Season Cover
Protein 11.95%
TDN of 65.38%
Warm Season Cover
Protein: 13.20%
TDN was 66.73%
See below for the A&L feed analysis results for the Full Season & Warm Season.
Figure 3. Picture taken August 24th, 2024
Test 1. Full Season Cover Feed Analysis
Test 2. Warm Season Cover Feed Analysis
Regrowth
Upon cutting the Full Season Cover and Warm Season Cover on August 24th, Chance constructed a perimeter fence encompassing the 75 acres of Cover Crop. The regrowth on the cover crop was very strong, so Chance was looking to utilize the regrowth for a fall grazing situation. Cows in this study averaged 1400 lbs, while calves averaged 610 lbs as of the sale date on November 4.
On October 2nd, Chance placed 19 cows and 12 calves on the piece to begin grazing. On October 14th, an additional 32 cows and 32 calves on the regrowth, followed by this on October 19th, 28 cows and 30 calves were placed on the regrowth.
The final number of animals placed on regrowth was 79 cows and 74 calves. All animals were removed on October 27th. The livestock were not supplemented at any stage with any additional feed.
For the representation of the study, the only feed source they had available to them was Full-Season and Warm-Season regrowth and bordering pastures were excluded from grazing.
The livestock did have access to free choice mineral and salt, and it was noted by Chance that there was a reduction of mineral intake with livestock grazing regrowth.
Figure 4. Regrowth of crop photo taken October 2nd, 2024
Farm Research
Cost Of Production Analysis
Table 2. The cost for the seed is based on the March 1st pre-buy deadline. The cost for the sprayer, seeding cost, discbine and baler are all based on the Saskatchewan Farm Machinery Custom and Rental Rat Guide https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/products/76527.
Bale Wrapper custom cost calculated from 2025 Cost of Production Hay: Round Bale and Silage https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/farm-management/cost-production/pubs/cop-forage-alfalfa-hay.pdf
Seed & Inoculant: $79.00/acre (In-season Pricing)
Fertilizer: $0.00/acre
Herbicide & Sprayer Cost: $20.00/acre
Seeding Cost: $28.12/acre
Labour: $13.50/acre
Land Cost: $50.00/acre
Discbine: $13.45/acre
Baler Cost: $34.04/acre
Silage Wrapper ($8.80/bale): $20.39/acre
TOTAL COST: $258.50/ACRE
On-Farm Research
Total PROFIT/Acre
Feed Value (3708 Ibs/acre x 0.06/Ib): $222.548/acre *
Feed Replacement Cost ($0.06/lb feed) compared to regrowth grazing: $52.05/acre
Total Output of Field with Feed and Grazing: $274.53/acre
Total Cost: $258.50/acre
TOTAL PROFIT: $16.03/ACRE
On-Farm Research
Conclusion
Chance Rothwell navigated a challenging growing season in 2024, with delayed planting due to excessive moisture followed by dry conditions shortly after. Despite these obstacles, the diversity of Full-Season and Warm-Season crops, including C3 and C4 plants, proved resilient and adapted well to the fluctuating weather, ultimately producing high-quality feed. The most significant takeaway for Chance was the opportunity for fall grazing, which allowed him to delay the start of his winter feeding program and extend the grazing season into the fall. This late-season grazing, which has been a limiting factor in previous years, will now be an integral part of his farm management strategy moving forward.