Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now open for the Beef Cattle Research Council’s Beef Researcher Mentorship Program, which helps connect upcoming and new applied researchers with Canada’s beef industry through travel to visit innovative cattle producers or other industry professionals for a one-year mentorship (Aug. 1 – July 31). The mentors are valuable resources of information about day-to-day […] Read more
Beef research mentorship applications open
Submission deadline is June 1
Antimicrobial use could be slashed, say experts
Simple management changes, like pre-weaning vaccinations, can greatly increase immunity in cattle
Reading Time: 4 minutes The livestock sector could significantly reduce and in some cases, eliminate, antimicrobial use with simple changes in management practices, say veterinarians. And that would reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance and boost consumer confidence in the cattle industry. “The key is to have animals that are properly vaccinated,” said Craig Dorin of Veterinary Agri-Health Services. […] Read more
Improve performance with a sweet treat for your cattle — afternoon-cut forage
Sugar concentration in forages peaks about 11 to 13 hours after sunrise — and can be as much as five per cent higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Make hay while the sun shines’ is good advice in more ways than one, says a federal research scientist. “There’s fairly strong evidence that shows, by increasing the sugar concentration in forages, you can improve the performance of ruminants,” said Gilles Bélanger, who spoke during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. “If you want […] Read more
Cow-calf producers asked to take survey
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is asking every cow-calf producer in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to complete the Western Canadian Cow-Calf survey. The deadline to complete the survey is Feb. 28. It can be filled out online but the website also provides an option to print the survey and mail it postage-free. First […] Read more
Beef Cattle Research Council looking to stretch research dollars
Council chair says move to a ‘science cluster’ approach provides more bang for the research buck
Reading Time: 2 minutes Funding cuts and restructuring mean organizations such as the Beef Cattle Research Council need to change their research approach and be proactive, says the organization’s chair. Change and downsizing is affecting both government and university research, partly because of funding woes but also because research priorities are changing, said Tim Oleksyn, a mixed cattle and […] Read more
Beef leaders aim high with new national strategy
Goals include boosting production efficiency by 15 per cent and increasing carcass cut-out value by 15 per cent in just five years
Reading Time: 4 minutes Business gurus call them Big Hairy Audacious Goals — and now Canadian beef leaders have to figure out how to achieve the ones they’ve set for their industry. “You have to pick a place to get to,” said Trevor Atchison, co-chair of the National Beef Strategic Planning Group. “You can’t make every goal in life, […] Read more
Advocating for forage crops is critical work and needs to continue
The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association works on a tight budget, but is in it for the long haul
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent reports on the financial situation of the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association suggest its future is grim. But while we’ll be on a tight budget in the coming year, the association is on firm financial footing and we intend on being around for a long time. In fact, the need for an organization like […] Read more
Graeme Finn joins Beef Cattle Research mentorship program
Program aimed at helping young researchers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Crossfield beef producer Graeme Finn is one of four mentors in a new program that matches scientists who are new to the Canadian cattle scene with industry vets. The mentorship program, created by the Beef Cattle Research Council, is aimed at encouraging talented young researchers to stay in the industry; help them make contacts and […] Read more
Beef research council putting out the welcome mat for young researchers
Many new researchers are born overseas or are unfamiliar with the Canadian cattle industry
Reading Time: 3 minutes Worried by the prospect of losing rising young stars, the Beef Cattle Research Council is reaching out with a mentorship program that matches scientists new to the Canadian cattle scene with industry vets. “We want to take researchers with great technical skills and make sure they stay within our industry,” said Andrea Brocklebank, executive director […] Read more
Study on dark cutters aimed at boosting the bottom line
The goal is to figure out which animals are most prone to this costly condition and how to better manage them
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the quest for ever-improving beef quality, scientists are taking a new look at an age-old challenge: dark cutters. Those are the animals that get the B4 grade and discount, and exhibit the unsightly darker-red colour and associated toughness in the meat, along with reduced shelf life. Dark cutting shows up more often during the […] Read more
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