Reading Time: 3 minutes When some beef producers see the amount of record keeping done by purebred operations or participants in VBP+, they may thank their lucky stars that they don’t have to do the same. But experts at the Beef Cattle Research Council would say that genetic record keeping doesn’t have to be cumbersome for cow-calf or commercial […] Read more
Taking the angst out of cow-calf record keeping
BCRC course designed to help cow-calf producers choose most relevant traits to track
Klassen: Year-end buying interest boosts feeder market
Feedlot operators gearing up for shortfall in overall numbers in the first half of 2024
Strength was noted in calves under 650 pounds while feeders over 700 pounds were relatively unchanged. Larger packages of weaned quality genetics were $8 to $10 higher in some cases.
CCIA issues new edition of calving record book
Reading Time: < 1 minute A popular calving record keeping book is getting an update. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency says it has received positive feedback with the launch of its new calving record book. The previous incarnation was popular with producers, but the group felt it was time to make improvements. Working closely with Verified Beef Production Plus and […] Read more
Low emitting cow-calf farms move in step with profitability
The variability of the cow-calf sector means there are many levers to pull to increase financial, environmental sustainability, says researcher
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A study benchmarking cow-calf profitability against greenhouse gas intensity suggests profitable farms tend to have lower emissions, but there’s a lot of room to work on both sides of the equation. “There’s a lot that we can do to provide support to producers who are willing to try things … and I […] Read more
U.S. livestock: live cattle futures end mixed; feeders pressured as corn soars
Persistent poor pasture conditions pushing producers to place more cattle in feedlots: analysts
Chicago | Reuters – Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group closed mixed on Monday, with nearby contracts pressured by surging feed grain prices and bearish data in Friday’s monthly U.S. Cattle on Feed report. CME August live cattle futures LCQ3 settled down 1.275 cents at 178.750 cents per pound and most-active October LCV3 […] Read more
Klassen: tight supplies continue to underpin feeder complex
Feedlot operators shrug off past week's rally in the corn market
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$5/cwt higher on average while calves were up $5/cwt to as much as $10/cwt in some cases. Feather light calves under 500 pounds reached fresh historical highs with 300-400 pound steers trading from $400-$450/cwt in Southern Alberta. Finishing feedlots continue to be aggressive on yearlings for […] Read more
Beef sector speaks out on costly processing rules
Producers, smaller processors bear the brunt of costs from BSE-era regulations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta beef producers still feel the fallout from BSE through regulations intended for processors, though it is 20 years since the crisis began. Canadian beef processors pay millions more than their U.S. counterparts to process and dispose of specified risk material (SRM), first targeted during the BSE era, in cattle older than 30 months (OTM). […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains firm on fed cattle strength
Alberta's disastrous wildfires may disrupt calf marketings
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings over 800 lbs. were quoted steady to $4 higher; feeders between 600-800 lbs. were relatively unchanged while calves under 600 lbs. were $5-$10 higher. The market for calves under 600 lbs. was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on […] Read more
Calving and pasture capacity videos
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council has a pair of new how-to videos. One focuses on the carrying capacity (grazing capacity) of a pasture. It gives an overview of the four keys to grazing management, features a Saskatchewan beef producer talking about his approach, and looks briefly at how to use the Carrying Capacity Calculator developed […] Read more
Feed cows at night, birth calves by day? It might work, but is it worth it?
Feeding pregnant cows in the evening may increase the odds of daytime calving, but there’s a but
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeding pregnant cows at night may increase the chances that they will conveniently calve in daytime. “I think there could be some merit,” said Dr. Cody Creelman. “I’ve had several clients over the years try it. Several have thought it’s perhaps a good feeding method and they think that it does have the desired effect.” […] Read more
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