Reading Time: 3 minutes A major new research program will help cattle producers manage two key diseases in their herds — and they can expect to have new tools in their hands in just a few years. “We’re looking at new approaches for managing important issues like bovine respiratory disease and other production-limiting diseases such as Johne’s disease,” said […] Read more
New research will produce tools you can use, says cattle health expert
The new five-year $2.35-million research program will first tackle bovine respiratory disease and Johne’s disease, as well as antimicrobial resistance
Different options for feeding cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Considering alternative feeds? The Beef Cattle Research Council has a web page that looks at a number of feeds other than hay, other forages and grains. “There are many alternative feeds that can supplement and even improve the diet,” the web page states. These range from crop residues, chaff, oat hulls, and screenings to DDGs, […] Read more
Here’s what your fellow beef producers were reading last year
The Beef Research Council produces a raft of articles every year — here’s the Top 10 for 2019
Reading Time: 2 minutes Production advice dominates the Top 10 list of Beef Cattle Research Council’s most popular blogs in the past year — but occupying the No. 1 spot was an article on how plant-based protein stacks up against beef. The article Isn’t beef Canada’s ultimate plant-based protein? beat out 77 other blog posts, the council said in […] Read more
The benefits of vaccinating calves for BRD
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bovine respiratory disease is one of the costliest health issues facing the beef industry today. While BRD research has focused on the feedlot stage, the disease is also the most common cause of death for nursing calves older than three weeks. USDA research that tracked the annual incidence of BRD in pre-weaned calves over a 20-year period […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers in line for major overhaul
Reducing delegate numbers, board size and meetings are part of proposal to engage producers
Reading Time: 4 minutes A year after the disappointing defeat of a bid to increase its checkoff, Alberta Beef Producers’ board wants to put the organization on a diet. The farm group is asking its members to endorse a plan that would cut the board by a quarter, the number of delegates by a third, and the number of […] Read more
Feed testing is a luxury you can’t afford to miss out on this winter
The first step is to get representative samples — and that can be trickier than it sounds
Reading Time: 4 minutes Just like you can’t always tell if your cattle are healthy by looking at them, you can’t see the quality of your feed at first glance. Luckily, feed testing can help you manage both. “The nutrition program is almost always the culprit when things just aren’t quite right,” said Karin Schmid, research and production manager […] Read more
Having a national strategy is working, say beef leaders
Sustainable beef effort, more funding, and greater industry co-operation cited as examples of progress
Reading Time: 3 minutes Having a national beef strategy has paid dividends and that’s why the sector has revised and updated it, say beef leaders. “This is an ongoing plan for the industry,” said Anne Wasko, chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, one of seven groups behind the strategy. “The vision of the national beef strategy is […] Read more
Beef webinar season starting soon
First webinar scheduled for Oct. 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council’s new webinar season is getting underway. This year’s topics range from feed testing to external parasites, and other practical, science-based information for Canadian beef producers. There are eight webinars in all and interested producers can use one registration for all eight or just the specific ones they’re interested in. The […] Read more
There’s progress but best practices often ignored
A deep dive into uptake of recommended cow-calf practices shows ‘there’s room for improvement’
Reading Time: 7 minutes ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ seems to be the common thread among cow-calf producers who haven’t yet adopted recommended practices on their own operations. “Producers are happy with the performance and productivity that they’ve been getting, so they see no reason to change,” said Brenna Grant, manager of Canfax Research Services. “That can […] Read more
Beef web resource being preserved
Reading Time: < 1 minute Information that had been available on foragebeef.ca is gradually being added to beefresearch.ca. The Beef Cattle Research Council has been reviewing “hundreds of pages” of information that have been available on foragebeef.ca, an Alberta Agriculture website that the ministry is no longer able to maintain. The council is updating information before moving it over to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
