Reading Time: 4 minutes Both rectal palpation and ultrasounding for pregnancy have advantages depending on their intended application, and both require a skilled veterinarian performing the pregnancy exam to get accurate results. I will outline the pros and cons of each method so you can see how to best fit them into your farming operation, and dispel some myths […] Read more
Checking cattle for pregnancy: Rectal palpation versus ultrasound
Beef 911: Both methods have advantages, but the key is having reproductive exams at least once a year
Klassen: Various views on the feeder cattle market
If you talked to three Western Canadian cattle buyers this week, you probably would receive four different views on the market. Certain auction barns were reflecting an average week-over-week decline of $3 to $5 but feature strings of cattle were back up to historical high prices. Early sales in the season are like tryouts at a […] Read more
Klassen: Softer beef complex weighs on feeders
Western Canadian feeder cattle experienced a week-over-week decline of $3 to $6 on average. In central Alberta, the market appeared to hold value on larger strings of quality feeders but the market in all other regions of the Prairies appeared to lack buying enthusiasm. Alberta fed cattle prices were quoted in the range of $186 […] Read more
Drought management strategies for cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Whether in the form of pasture, stored forage, or supplements, feed is the largest variable input cost in cow-calf operations. A big challenge is to feed the cow in a way that meets her current and future nutritional requirements for maintenance, lactation, maintaining a successful pregnancy, giving birth and getting rebred within 80-85 days of […] Read more
Sask. to open protected grasslands for grazing
Crown-held native prairie and other grasslands held for wildlife conservation in Saskatchewan will be opened up to ranchers needing grazing land for cattle in dry areas. Environment Minister Herb Cox announced Tuesday the province will make about 90,000 acres of Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) land available to cattle producers. The same grazing lease […] Read more
Suckle strength linked to calf vigour at birth
This simple assessment is an even better indicator than calving ease, says University of Calgary researcher
Reading Time: 2 minutes A researcher at the University of Calgary has found a simple way to test for calf vigour — look for calves that suck. “Suckle reflex is a really promising indicator of a calf’s ability to consume colostrum,” said Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, who presented at the 2015 UCVM Beef Cattle Conference. Colostrum consumption is one of […] Read more
Rain sprinkles Prairie canola fields, pastures
Winnipeg | Reuters — Light rains sprinkled Western Canada’s crops and pastures during the weekend, but amounts fell well short of what’s needed to remedy dry conditions that have stunted growth, analysts said Monday. Rains were scattered across the Prairies and similar light amounts are expected during the next two weeks, Commodity Weather Group said […] Read more
Now’s the time to make a list on improving calf processing
Beef 911: There are always ways to improve and it’s worthwhile reviewing how things went this year
Reading Time: 4 minutes Since the traditional time for getting calves ready for grass is close to over, it is good to review your protocols, methods, and any issues you had this year and introduce ways to improve next year. There are two main ways ranchers process calves. The first is the traditional way we call ‘branding,’ where calves […] Read more
Cow-calf sector needs a different approach when it comes to investing
Pay attention to working capital, and invest in productive assets, herd health and yourself, says expert
Reading Time: 2 minutes Now that the cow-calf business is providing positive margins, an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist has some suggestions where cow-calf operators can invest to help improve their bottom line. In the Managing Prosperity in the Beef Industry presentation now available from Cow-Calfenomics risk management series, farm financial specialist Rick Dehod suggests that improving working […] Read more
U.S. sees El Nino as near-certain to last through summer
New York | Reuters — The El Nino climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern U.S. as well as South America, and scorching heat in Asia that could devastate crops of thirsty food staples like rice. […] Read more
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