Reading Time: 3 minutes DNA testing can help you know which bulls are siring calves and make better management decisions. “There was a lot more variation in what bulls were actually doing and which bulls were siring calves than we thought going into this,” Stacey Domolewski said during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. As part of a […] Read more
Who’s your daddy?
A study that used DNA testing to determine the siring success of individual bulls produced some surprises
Video offers ranchers’ side of the environmental story
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s Kelly Hall and Hugh Lynch-Staunton are among the ranchers featured in a new video on environmental sustainability from the Beef Cattle Research Council. “What beef producers need to know about environmental footprint” offers both a cinematic look at Canadian cattle production and the sector’s response to its critics. Hall, Lynch-Staunton, and three Ontario cattle […] Read more
Age certification for cattle no longer required
Reading Time: < 1 minute The age certification requirement for cows being sold to U.S. buyers has been lifted. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently agreed to the change as the number of cattle born prior to March 1, 1999 has dwindled to virtually nothing. While it remains a requirement that the cattle be born before then, […] Read more
Are your bulls actually siring calves?
Reading Time: < 1 minute For producers who breed cows in large pastures with multiple bulls, it’s often assumed that all of the bulls will sire roughly the same number of calves. Research shows a surprising variation in the number of calves sired by each bull. A Nov. 16 webinar examines how DNA parentage testing can help determine sire value […] Read more
Expert advice on tap in beef webinar series
There are seven online learning events in this winter’s lineup from the Beef Cattle Research Council
Reading Time: 2 minutes Up your pregnancy rates, reduce forage diseases, and find out which bulls aren’t doing their job. Those are three of the topics in this winter’s webinar series put on by the Beef Cattle Research Council. The council is urging producers to register for the entire series as registrants will receive reminders as well as a […] Read more
Up and down is becoming the norm for Canadian beef producers
Demand for beef is strong and prices have been good for cow-calf producers, but the market is increasingly volatile
Reading Time: 3 minutes The markets can be a roller-coaster, but one thing is for sure — the Canadian cattle herd is not expanding. “Heifer retention numbers are not enough to drive any expansion across Canada,” Brian Perillat, manager/senior analyst with Canfax said at the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Fewer cattle are being shipped south of the border […] Read more
Trump has been good for agriculture, says top U.S. cattle official
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the U.S. president is ‘getting a lot of stuff done for agriculture’
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to agriculture, President Donald Trump is doing a crackerjack job, says a senior official with the top U.S. cattle association. “If you listen to the media, it’s nothing but conversations about Russia, South Korea and the overall general hatred for people who just don’t like Donald Trump,” said Colin Woodall, senior vice-president […] Read more
Newfoundland seeks beef cattle breeder
The Newfoundland and Labrador government’s plan to build up cattle breeding within the province is advancing a step as the province seeks a farmer to mind a small Hereford herd. The province on Tuesday put out a call for proposals from farmers to take on a five-year contract handling a herd of five breeding cows […] Read more
Indian court suspends ban on beef cattle trade
New Delhi | Reuters — An Indian court suspended on Tuesday a government ban on the trade of cattle for slaughter, a lawyer involved in the case said, giving some relief to Muslim-dominated beef and leather industries that employ millions of poor workers. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court suspended for four weeks […] Read more
Help for calculating stocking rate
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has revised its Using Animal Unit Month (AUM) Effectively fact sheet. AUM can be used to calculate suitable stocking rates for pastures under a wide variety of conditions, said forage/beef specialist Karin Lindquist. The fact sheet includes sections on defining the animal unit, determining the AUM, differences in consumption rates, and […] Read more