Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle feeders aren’t just feeding cattle — they’re also feeding the microbes that live in the rumen. And those little critters are picky. “Regardless of the production system, the challenge that we face is variation in dry matter intake and total nutrient intake,” said Greg Penner, assistant professor of animal and poultry science at the […] Read more
Top tips for feeding for rumen health
Cattle — and microbes in their rumens — need a consistent supply of both dry matter and nutrients to improve performance and reduce digestive diseases
Improve performance with a sweet treat for your cattle — afternoon-cut forage
Sugar concentration in forages peaks about 11 to 13 hours after sunrise — and can be as much as five per cent higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Make hay while the sun shines’ is good advice in more ways than one, says a federal research scientist. “There’s fairly strong evidence that shows, by increasing the sugar concentration in forages, you can improve the performance of ruminants,” said Gilles Bélanger, who spoke during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. “If you want […] Read more
Skipping soil tests could cost you big time
You have to know how to interpret it, but not soil sampling and using 'the usual retail blends' can be a costly mistake
Reading Time: 5 minutes Not very many hands go up when Mark Cutts asks a room full of producers how many of them test their soil every year. “I don’t think the majority is doing soil testing,” said the crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “If a producer is happy with his yields and he’s not soil […] Read more
U of A students take the stress out of stepping on the scale — for bison, that is
University of Alberta students hoping to reduce handling stress in bison through a remote weighing system using automatic platform scales
Reading Time: 3 minutes Stepping on a scale doesn’t have to be stressful — for your bison, at least. “Just like in people, when bison step on a scale, sometimes they have quite a harsh stress response,” said Josh Perryman, a University of Alberta student who spoke at the Wildrose Bison Convention earlier this month. Bison are notoriously flighty […] Read more
Want to earn a premium? Take a page from Rolex’s playbook
Heritage Angus Beef became one of Canada’s largest specialty beef producers by positioning itself as a luxury product
Reading Time: 3 minutes What do BMWs and bison have in common? More than you might think, says the CEO of Heritage Angus Beef. “Bison or high-end beef are no different than high-end Scotch or Grey Goose Vodka or a Rolex,” Christoph Weder said at the Wildrose Bison Convention earlier this month. “Bison are not a commodity. They’re a […] Read more
It’s getting dry — is it time to worry?
No, says weather expert, but areas across the province are on Bruce Burnett’s watch list
Reading Time: 3 minutes With warm-weather records dropping like flies and bare fields drying out in parts of the province, is there trouble ahead? Don’t worry yet, says Bruce Burnett, weather and crops specialist at the CWB. “I don’t think that this early-spring weather means that we are necessarily headed for a drought,” Burnett said in a March 20 […] Read more
In a risky world, your farm needs a plan
Waskatenau producer Don Macyk says managing risk isn’t a fun chore, but it’s one you can’t afford to ignore
Reading Time: 2 minutes Risk management may not be “a real joyful thing to do,” but it’s a necessary evil if you hope to farm successfully, says a longtime central Alberta farmer. “I know in our own business that we go further, faster when there’s good, solid risk management in place,” Don Macyk said at the Feed Coalition workshop […] Read more
It’s no secret — high-energy, low-protein diet builds a better carcass
Expert says the science for creating a better carcass is well known, and producers who employ it will prosper
Reading Time: 2 minutes Feeding to build a better beef carcass is simply better for your bottom line, says a carcass and meat science researcher from the University of Alberta. “You’re going to increase the return on every carcass if you can minimize your inputs and maximize or match the outputs that are required,” Heather Bruce said at the […] Read more
Provincial canola commission donates $150,000 to GMO documentary
Commission chair says ‘something needs to be done’ to counter the attacks on genetic engineering by its critics
Reading Time: 3 minutes The ag industry’s answer to anti-GMO sentiment is nearly halfway to its funding goal, thanks to a sizable donation from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. The commission is putting $150,000 toward Know GMO, a feature-length documentary being produced by Agri-Trend CEO Rob Saik. “There’s been a demand among producers to do something as anti-GMO sentiment […] Read more
A tradition of growing — and giving — in central Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Giving up a quarter section of land isn’t a great way to make money farming — but Dirk Drost didn’t hesitate when he heard the Canadian Foodgrains Bank was looking for land for a growing project in his area. “You hear about people who don’t have anything to eat, and we figured we could help […] Read more
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