Reading Time: < 1 minute As of Dec. 1, you will need a prescription to purchase virtually any antibiotic on your farm. How will that affect your operation? A Beef Cattle Research Council webinar on Nov. 14 will explain what the regulations mean when it comes to working with your veterinarian and purchasing medicated feed. If you listen to the […] Read more
Get the lowdown on new livestock drug rules
Upcoming cattle sale sessions just for VBP+ cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Two upcoming cattle sales will be devoted exclusively to Verified Beef Production Plus cattle. The buying sessions, put on by JGL Livestock, are the first time cattle procurement has been offered exclusively for VBP+ cattle. The animals will be processed at Cargill’s High River plant and are eligible for the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration pilot […] Read more
Eugene Janzen wins outstanding beef researcher award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dr. Eugene Janzen is the winner of the 2018 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The University of Calgary College of Veterinary Medicine professor has contributed to a number of cattle health and welfare issues. These include diseases and pathology of feedlot cattle and cow-calf operations, Johne’s disease, bovine viral diarrhea, lameness, […] Read more
University of Calgary researchers chosen for beef mentorship program
Initiative helps scientists better understand the needs of the beef sector and how it adopts research
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two University of Calgary researchers, along with a pair of Saskatchewan scientists, have been selected for the 2018-19 Beef Researcher Mentorship program. The program pairs researchers with beef industry leaders and provides them with a travel budget so they can attend industry meetings, producer workshops, and farm tours. The goal of the program is to […] Read more
Three new Alberta members on Beef Cattle Research Council
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council has a new chair, and three new members from Alberta. Saskatchewan producer Ryan Beierbach is the new chair of the organization while Albertans Garth Porteous, Graeme Finn, and Fred Lozeman are new members. Albertan Chris Israelson returns on the council while Bryan Thiessen, Melanie Wowk, and Darren Bevans have finished […] Read more
Beef research funding welcomed
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council is praising Ottawa’s decision to put $14 million in the newest edition of a beef science cluster. The federal funding, part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the successor to Growing Forward) will be combined with $7 million from the national beef checkoff. The combined $21 million will be dispersed over […] Read more
Resources for pain management in beef cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute As of Jan. 1, producers must use pain control when castrating bulls older than six months. The change followed a move in Jan. 1, 2016 requiring pain control when dehorning calves that have horn buds attached (that is, ones older than two to three months). The Beef Cattle Research Council has information on mitigating pain […] Read more
They’ll drink to that — clean water boosts weight gain
Providing pumped water can boost weaning weights by 18 pounds and reduce health issues
Reading Time: < 1 minute Giving cattle access to clean water can improve herd health and increase weight gain and backfat. A 2005 study reported that calves whose dams drank from water troughs gained on average 0.09 pound per day more than those with access to a dugout. Because water and forage intake are closely related, as cows drink more […] Read more
The environmental argument for cattle
Critics who slam the sector over water use and greenhouse gases only give half the story, says Beef Cattle Research Council
Reading Time: 5 minutes Editor’s note: A recent blog from the Beef Cattle Research Council offers its rebuttal to “vilifying headlines and simple, partial arguments” that criticize the beef industry for its water use and environmental impact. The following is a condensed version of the blog, which can be found at the Beef Cattle Research Council website. Make no […] Read more
Five tips for managing parasites in your herd
Using the right dosage of the right product at the right time are three of those five key practices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Resistance is something we currently hear a lot about in agriculture, including the issue of parasite resistance in beef cattle. This raises questions about parasite management decisions. How can livestock operators effectively manage internal parasites in their herds? What can they do to reduce the risk of parasite resistance? Parasites are a normal part of […] Read more
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