Profitability & Pounds of Gain Trial
Written by: Dakota Odgers, Territory Manager (Saskatchewan)
Producer Name: Dunsmore Family Farm
Soil Zone: Dark Brown
Location: 12 kilometres NW of Asquith, Saskatchewan
Reason For Trial: Rate of Gain
On-Farm Research
Seeding
The Dunsmore Family farm is located in Saskatchewan's dark brown soil zones, approximately 12 kilometres Northwest of Asquith, Saskatchewan. The study field encompassed 65 acres of Full Season Cover.
Pre-Burn Application: Yes (Glyphosate)
Seeding Date: May 27th, 2024
Seeding Rate: 60 lbs/ac with N-DURE Inoculant
Seeding Method: Hoe drill w/ 10-inch spacing
Fertilizer Applied:
40 Ibs of Actual Nitrogen
10 Ibs of Actual Phosphorus
Figure 1: Full Season Cover germination taken on June 15th, 2024
on-Farm Research
Growing Season
The growing season began with adequate moisture, proving beneficial for the Dunsmore’s planting on May 27th. From May 27th to June 15th, the field received 98 mm of precipitation, ensuring excellent germination and a strong start for the Full Season Cover.
The Full Season Covers helped utilize the moisture efficiently to help improve water infiltration, a critical factor in the year's success. Although July turned drier following a wet June, the Full Season Cover benefitted from the moisture held in the soil from previous rains, allowing the crop to fill out before the August 11th harvest.
In total, 177 mm of rain fell in June, followed by 21 mm in July, highlighting the benefits of crop diversity with a sudden change in growing conditions.
Figure 2. Side-by-side growth of Full-Season: Picture taken July 16th
Figure 3. Side-by-side growth of Full-Season: Picture taken July 28th
With a living root present, the Dunsmores positioned themselves to maximize the utilization of rainfall in August and September, showing significant regrowth from a total of 129mm of precipitation in August and September combined. This enabled them to plan for pasture inventory and manage regrowth without overusing pastures, thereby delaying their winter-feeding program and instead relying on regrowth fall grazing.
On-Farm Research
Accumulated Rainfall (mm)
See the chart for rainfall totals each month (dark grey) and accumulated rainfall throughout the year (light grey).
Figure 4. Full Season Cover being harvested on August 11, 2024.
On-Farm Research
Harvest
The Dunsmore Family made bagged silage from the crop on August 11th, which marked 76 days between seeding and harvest. This duration for the Full-Season crop is ideal timing as it suggested that the Full-Season cover crop be harvested between 60-70 days post-germination. Based on ideal growing conditions, this duration for the Dunsmore farm maximized the excess growing days for increased tonnage while keeping plants in a vegetative state to optimize feed value.
Averaged yield: 8.5 tons/acre
Crude Protein: 13.15%
TDN: 64.70%
Moisture content: 68.38%
The Dunsmore family also tested a section of the Full-Season that they considered “drier” in silage terms, and this feed test is attached below under Test 2. The second sample came out at a moisture of 65.81%, Crude Protein of 12.53%, and TDN of 64.53%, highlighting the versatility of the Full-Season Cover Crop. Attached below are feed tests for both Full-Season cover crops.
Test 1: Click on image to view entire feed analysis of Full Season Cover
Test 2: Click on image to view entire feed analysis of Full Season Cover (drier)
Test 3: Click on image to view entire feed analysis of the Full Season Cover Regrowth
On-Farm Research
Regrowth
Figure 5. Full-Season regrowth taken September 19, 2024
Upon harvesting the Full-Season on August 11th, the Dunsmores left the crop to regrow for 60 days, with harvest on August 11th and cattle first placed on the field on October 10th, allowing a living root to capture sunlight and moisture. The regrowth on the cover crop was very strong, so the Dunsmores looked to utilize the regrowth for a fall grazing situation to reduce the need to begin their winter feeding program for as long as possible.
The first groups to be placed on the Full-Season regrowth were eight yearlings weighing an average of 867 lbs and 27 Hereford purebred heifer calves weighing 437 lbs upon entering. The heifer calves were placed on the field immediately after being weaned. The next group to be placed on the 65 acres on October 27th was 68 freshly weaned heifer calves and two yearlings, with the Heifers weighing 528 lbs and the yearlings 952 lbs. 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 regrowth and bordering pastures were excluded from grazing. The study was completed on November 28th when the Dunsmore family began supplementation of feed while the cattle remained on the piece for the purpose of the study.
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Pound of Gain Study
The Dunsmores also conducted a pound-of-gain study in addition to the regrowth study. All animals were weighed immediately before being let onto Full-Season regrowth, and all final weights were taken on December 2, 2024. All starting weights and end weights are listed below in Table 2. All calves were placed on the regrowth immediately after being weaned from their mothers before the commencement of the study.
Table 2.1 Pound Of Gain Study
Table 2.2 Pound Of Gain Study
Full Season Cover
Cost Of Production
Seed & Inoculant: $79.00/acre (In-season Pricing)
Fertilizer: $48.25/acre
Herbicide & Sprayer Cost: $20.00/acre
Seeding Cost: $33.46/acre
Labour: $13.50/acre
Land Cost: $60.00/acre
Swather: $13.23/acre
Silage Cost: $223.21/acre (Harvesting, Trucking, Bagging)
TOTAL COST: $490.65
**The cost for seed is based on the March 15th pre-buy deadline with inoculant. The cost of the sprayer, seeding, labour, and swather is based on the Saskatchewan Farm Machinery Custom and Rental Rate Guide https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/products/76527. Fertilizer is based on actual cost.
*Silage Cost is broken down as follows on Custom Rates:
$540/hr for harvester, $195/hr per truck times 3 trucks, $11.50/ft for bagging, harvesting cost $1125hr/7 acre/hr =$160.71/acre, $160.71 ac/8.5 ton per acre=$18.90 per ton
Bagging Cost: $11.50per ft/1.5 ton per ft=$7.66 per ton. $18.60 harvester cost per ton + $7.66 bag cost per ton=$26.26 per ton $26.26 per ton X 8.5 ton=$223.21 silage cost per acre
On-Farm Research
Total Value Per Acre
Feed value 8.5 tons of silage: $540.60/acre *Calculation below
Feed replacement cost ($0.06/lb feed) as compared to regrowth grazing: $58.45/acre *Calculations attached below
Total Output of Field with Feed and Grazing: $599.05/acre
Total Cost: $490.65/acre
TOTAL PROFIT: $108.40/ACRE
*Feed Value calculated using https://www.thecattlesite.com/news/31705/pricing-silage
Price of Barley $5.30/bu
$5.30 multiply by 12 = $63.60 per ton
Feed Value Total per acre: $63.60/ton multiply by 8.5 tons =$540.60
On-Farm Research
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Dunsmore family study highlights the resilience of a Full Season Cover crop in the Canadian Prairie environment. Despite the challenges posed by a very wet June followed by a hot and dry July, the cover crop demonstrated versatility, maintaining high feed quality and strong tonnage throughout varying weather conditions. This performance allowed the Dunsmore family to achieve significant economic benefits, including pounds of gain on their animals and a delayed winter feeding program.
One key takeaway for future iterations of the study is to offer free-choice straw or stockpiled grass to help regulate the animal intake of the high-protein regrowth. This free-choice straw or stockpiled grass will aid in balancing the high-protein feed produced by the cover crop, as evidenced by the October 16th feed test showing a crude protein value of 19.14% taken from regrowth in the trial field.
This study underscores the potential of Full-Season cover crops to enhance farm productivity while adapting to the unpredictability of prairie weather.