Reading Time: 4 minutes This article has been edited and condensed. For the full article, including price and financial details as well as additional resources, go to the blog on the Beef Cattle Research Council website). As the breeding season approaches, some producers will use artificial insemination (AI) and estrous synchronization in their breeding herd. But others won’t because […] Read more
Is artificial insemination better than natural service?
Artificial insemination can put more money in your pockets, but there are several factors to consider
Nominate an outstanding beef researcher
Nominations accepted until May 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Nominations are being sought for the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The award recognizes a researcher or scientist whose work has advanced the competitiveness and sustainability of the beef industry. Nominations are welcome from all stakeholders and will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of beef producers, industry experts, and […] Read more
Beef researcher mentorships available
Application deadline is May 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications for the 2018-19 term of the BCRC Beef Researcher Mentorship Program are now being accepted. Three researchers were selected to participate in the program this past year. Each was paired with two mentors — an innovative producer and another industry expert — for a one-year term that ends in July. The program allows researchers […] Read more
Three cattle producers say keeping track pays off
For the record: These producers say keeping detailed production and herd records is well worth the effort
Reading Time: 7 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council recently posted two in-depth articles on record-keeping and benchmarking. The articles look at the benefits, what records to keep, resources, and how good records can boost profitability. But they also note a recent survey found that while almost all producers keep some sort of records (such as birthdates, culling/death loss […] Read more
BE PREPARED: How new drug rules will affect your ranch
Now is the time to get ready for when a host of antimicrobials will no longer be available over the counter
Reading Time: 6 minutes The clock is ticking on new rules that will require a prescription for livestock drugs that can currently be bought over the counter. This blog from the Beef Cattle Research Council looks at how to prepare and why antimicrobial resistance needs to be on everyone’s radar. The article has been edited for length, but the […] Read more
What cattle producers are reading
Reading Time: < 1 minute Blogs on copper deficiency, pain control products, and drought management strategies topped the most popular list on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website in 2017. Other most read articles dealt with checkoffs, swath and bale grazing, beef’s environmental footprint, and using body scoring to boost calf profits. The council published 70 blog posts last year, […] Read more
Producers wanted for cow-calf survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute Do you wonder how your cow-calf operation compares with others in your region, province or herd size on matters like conception rate and weaning weight? Producers who participate in the second Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey will receive a complementary report that allows them to compare their own operation with benchmarks. The survey takes about 45 […] Read more
Three tips for swath and bale grazing this winter
Match your cows and your feed, leave a ‘snowshoe’ if mud is an issue, and make those swaths wide and high
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re planning to swath or bale graze cattle this winter, here are three pieces of advice from Agriculture Canada research scientists Vern Baron in Lacombe and John Duynisveld in Nappan, N.S. Match animal and forage Successful extended grazing matches the energy requirements of the cow with the true quality of the forage and/or supplement […] Read more
Are your bulls actually siring calves?
Reading Time: < 1 minute For producers who breed cows in large pastures with multiple bulls, it’s often assumed that all of the bulls will sire roughly the same number of calves. Research shows a surprising variation in the number of calves sired by each bull. A Nov. 16 webinar examines how DNA parentage testing can help determine sire value […] Read more
Three approaches to managing first- and second-calvers
Their methods differ, but these three ranchers are all focused on maintaining body conditioning
Reading Time: 2 minutes Because they graze year round at Deseret Ranches near Raymond, Darren Bevans manages first- and second-calvers separately from the cow herd on winter swath grazing. “Managing these groups separately allows us to provide a little bit of extra nutrition, which can make all the difference to body condition and future pregnancy rates,” said Bevans. “Really these […] Read more
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