Reading Time: 3 minutes Cow-calf producers in Western Canada should have a well-designed plan for winter confinement period to reduce disease risks to herd.
Biosecurity during calving: What’s your farm’s risk?
A well-designed plan for winter confinement period is essential to reduce disease risk for your herd
Scours doesn’t hibernate: Infectious risks for cold weather calves
Identifying specific pathogens and management flaws is essential for effective calf scours treatment and prevention on your farm
Reading Time: 4 minutes Identifying specific pathogens and management flaws is essential for effective calf scours treatment and prevention on your farm.
Klassen: Feeder market extends rally
Western Canadian yearling prices traded back up to historical highs over the week ended Oct. 18, while calf markets made fresh highs at many locations. Western Canadian yearlings off grass traded $5-$10 higher on average compared to seven days earlier. Steer calves in the weight range of 550-825 pounds traded $8-$12/cwt higher on average while […] Read more
Feed Grain Weekly: Barley, corn in southern Alberta on par with each other
Feed barley and corn imported from the United States are currently trading at the same price into southern Alberta, said Lethbridge-based Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers.
Klassen: Feeder cattle market stabilizes
For the week ending August 31, Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged compared to seven days earlier. Finishing feedlots are exuding a cautious sentiment. While order buyers had a full deck, there were upside limits. Pen-sized strings of quality yearlings traded at a premium to average values. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market ratchets higher on stronger fed market
For the week ending June 8, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to $6 above week-ago levels. In certain locations, quality packages of 600 pound plus steers were $8 to $10 higher compared to seven days earlier. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at $440/cwt, up $2/cwt from the previous […] Read more
Grain versus grass-fed sparks beef sustainability debate
Panelist says carbon sequestration from pasture should give grass-fed the nod
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Comparing the climate impact of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef isn’t straightforward, according to panelists at the Guelph Organic Conference. A recent study claimed grain-fed beef has less of a carbon impact, but Ontario farmer Ted Zettel believes that research failed to account for the long-term capacity of pasture-based farming to sequester carbon […] Read more
Benchmarking cow-calf producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new report presents the multi-year business performance of cow-calf producers who participated in the AgriProfit$ Business Analysis Program. Ian Ryan, senior livestock economist with the Alberta government, says this report has a multi-year summary of the economic, productive and financial performance of Alberta cow-calf producers. Participants received a customized business analysis of their operations […] Read more
A ‘miracle’ in calving season
Rare act of science plus expert cattle handling save a calf and its mother in central Alberta
Reading Time: 4 minutes Calving season can be a stressful and dramatic time on the ranch. There’s a lot of new life but there is often death as well. Every once in a while, however, something happens that seems like a miracle. Just ask Chris Paulencu with Green Acres Cattle Company, a seedstock operation in central Alberta’s Lamont County. […] Read more
Preparation is key to smoother calving season
Making checklists, preparing equipment can help producers navigate stressful season
Reading Time: 4 minutes Calving can be stressful for both people and animals. Preparation far in advance is one way producers can better ensure success for a safe and productive calving season. “Some of that preparedness starts well before calving season, if you think about herd health programs or nutrition, or making sure cows are in good shape coming […] Read more
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