Postal Service Disruption | Interruption des services postaux

Show more Show less

Government of Saskatchewan ministries, Crown corporations and organizations are working to minimize the impacts of the postal service disruption.

Les ministères, les sociétés d’État et les organismes du gouvernement de la Saskatchewan travaillent à réduire au minimum les répercussions de l’interruption des services postaux.

Language

Google Translate Disclaimer

A number of pages on the Government of Saskatchewan's website have been professionally translated in French. These translations are identified by a yellow box in the right or left rail that resembles the link below. The home page for French-language content on this site can be found at:

Renseignements en Français

Where an official translation is not available, Google™ Translate can be used. Google™ Translate is a free online language translation service that can translate text and web pages into different languages. Translations are made available to increase access to Government of Saskatchewan content for populations whose first language is not English.

Software-based translations do not approach the fluency of a native speaker or possess the skill of a professional translator. The translation should not be considered exact, and may include incorrect or offensive language. The Government of Saskatchewan does not warrant the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information translated by this system. Some files or items cannot be translated, including graphs, photos and other file formats such as portable document formats (PDFs).

Any person or entities that rely on information obtained from the system does so at his or her own risk. Government of Saskatchewan is not responsible for any damage or issues that may possibly result from using translated website content. If you have any questions about Google™ Translate, please visit: Google™ Translate FAQs.

AGRICULTURE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE BULLETIN: HARVESTING GREEN FLAX FOR LIVESTOCK FEED

Released on October 7, 2004

The harvest of 2004 has been delayed by wet, cool weather and frost. Flax crops have suffered, and producers are wondering what the salvage options may be. Livestock find green flax baled as hay quite palatable, and it can contain 8-18 per cent crude protein and 40-65 per cent Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). However, producers need to consider several points if they are thinking about harvesting the flax as forage.

Flax crops delayed by weather and damaged by frost have resulted in incomplete seed development. In some cases, regrowth and reflowering has occurred on the green plant. Green flax may contain both prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) and nitrates. Sugar compounds in flax can also be transformed into prussic acid, a poison that kills livestock when ingested.

If a flax crop is to be salvaged as livestock feed, it is recommended that the crop be cut and either baled or made into silage. The prussic acid level will diminish over time to a safe level.

Swath grazing green flax may be an option, but with management restrictions. The livestock should not be allowed onto swaths without waiting for a period of several weeks to allow the prussic acid to diminish.

It is strongly recommended that producers DO NOT consider grazing the standing crop since it will cause trauma to the plant, allowing for the formation of prussic acid, either in the plant or in the stomach of the animal. A prussic acid test from a feed testing laboratory should be conducted prior to any feeding of flax, be it hay or swath grazed.

Green flax may also contain nitrate compounds as a result of the frost. A nitrate test from a feed testing laboratory should be conducted prior to any feeding of flax.

To decide whether to cut green flax:

1. Consider the current feed availability;

2. Assess the level of crop maturity. Early stages of growth (prior to bolling) may be very nutritious, while later stages may become too fibrous to be of practical use. While green flax is nutritionally comparable to canola hay, harvesting the flax when green may be hard on the cutting equipment and may require crimping to help the crop dry down enough for baling/harvesting;

3. Consider the nitrate and prussic acid issues as it may force the blending of the feed; and

4. Process the feed with a bale processor or feed it as silage to minimize wasting by the livestock.

For more information, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 or visit www.agr.gov.sk.ca.

-30-



For More Information, Contact:

Agriculture Knowledge Centre
Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
Moose Jaw
Phone: 1-866-457-2377

We need your feedback to improve saskatchewan.ca. Help us improve