Reading Time: 4 minutes Low stress and good flow are what all producers want when putting cattle through a handling system. Oftentimes though, cattle balk at something or just don’t flow as smoothly as they should. That’s the situation Craig Lehr found himself in, even though he had a “very well-built” one-piece, S-alley livestock-handling system with a crowding tub […] Read more
Before you can go with the flow, you need to get the flow going
A new handling system has proven to be like night and day on Short Grass Ranches
Greece delivers feed to cattle ship at sea for months
Athens | Reuters — Greece will deliver 50 tons of animal feed to the Togo-flagged Elbeik, which has been stuck at sea for nearly three months in the Mediterranean carrying hundreds of cattle rejected by their buyers amid fears of disease, government sources said Tuesday. The vessel is expected to sail for Spain once the […] Read more
Klassen: Deferred live cattle futures pull feeder market higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $5 lower to $3 higher while calves under 600 lbs. were $2 to as much as $7 higher. Yearlings were somewhat sluggish in the eastern Prairie regions, as feedlot operators in Alberta focused on local cattle. Fleshier backgrounded cattle are coming on the market at this […] Read more
Video offers ‘911’ techniques for a newborn calf that’s not breathing
Use a recovery position or some water from a squirt bottle, but never hang a calf on a gate
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new video from the Beef Cattle Research Council demonstrates some simple ways to revive a calf that hasn’t taken a breath after having endured a tough labour. “The day a calf is born is going to be the highest-risk day of its entire life,” Dr. Claire Windeyer says in the video. “So it’s important that […] Read more
Klassen: Steady demand supports feeder cattle prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were unchanged while calves were steady to $2 higher on average. Auction barns received larger supplies of backgrounded cattle and there was a fair amount of direct trade of yearlings off farm. Larger supplies of heavier-weight feeders appeared to limit the upside but there was no slippage. […] Read more
Beef cattle sector weighs in for federal food processing study
Cattlemen's Association makes recommendations to Commons' ag committee
The House of Commons’ standing committee on agriculture will soon be wrapping up its study into Canada’s processing capacity. Since November, MPs have heard from more than 50 witnesses on the matter — including representatives from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, whose president Bob Lowe and executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft testified at a committee meeting Tuesday. […] Read more
Spanish report calls for cull of over 850 cattle on pariah ship
Cattle were bound for Turkey but turned away over bluetongue fears
Cartagena | Reuters — More than 850 cows that spent months aboard a ship wandering across the Mediterranean are not fit for transport anymore and should be killed, according to a confidential report by Spanish government veterinarians seen by Reuters. The cows were kept in what an animal rights activist called “hellish” conditions on the […] Read more
Cattle CSI: Big-time wrecks require careful sleuthing
Turns out that all four of the mysterious cases were examples of ‘minerals gone bad,’ says vet
Reading Time: 5 minutes Not all minerals play nice, and some can create serious health problems in cattle. “The thing that makes the phone ring the most are feed- or nutritional-related disease outbreaks,” Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky of Veterinary Agri-Health Services said at the recent virtual Red-Bow Ranching Conference. “The most common thing, especially this time of year, are downer […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle demand surges
Cow-calf producers already thinking spring
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings sold $3-$5 higher while calves traded $6 to as much as $10 higher. The return of moderate temperatures enhanced buying enthusiasm across the Prairies. Strength in deferred live cattle futures appeared to offset strong feed grain values. Yearling prices were rather soft through January and the first half […] Read more
Are you a cattle producer thinking about EU certification?
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has a resource for producers wanting their herds to be eligible for EU beef programs. Cow-calf producers and feedlot operators must meet specific production requirements for cattle used to produce beef for export to the European Union. That includes not using growth-enhancing products (GEPs). The CCA web page has a summary […] Read more
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