New advancements and the imminent value of these calves make this discussion even more critical.

When calves are born and the pairs are mothered up, it is a wise investment to carry out certain procedures and, in some cases, lump them together for when the calves are older.

Producers have become very receptive to anything that will promote health, disease prevention and/or growth in these newborn calves.

Vaccines and vitamins

One of the biggest additions has been the implementation of intranasal vaccines as an aid to pneumonia prevention.

They are easy to give and provide quick immunity that lasts the first couple of months or so until parental shots are given.

Most calves are given vitamins and selenium at birth.

The biggest change here has been a very unreliable supply of injectable vitamins A and D.

They are being replaced by an oral product that contains vitamins A, D and E and selenium.

Their advantage is that they replace two needles and the supply seems consistent in Canada. It has become a great improvement.

We once saw some calves get nerve damage when injections were administered too close to the sciatic nerve.

Castration pain control

For those who castrate their bull calves using the little cheerios, they can now come impregnated with lidocaine, which means essentially a painless castration.

They are more costly than the old bands, but you need to be the one to decide whether to try them on your calves at birth.

It definitely reduces stress, and the lidocaine (freezing) works until the bands fall off.

Best possible colostrum

With all these procedures, it is still really important to let the pairs mother up and get a good sucking reflex from a vigorous calf.

Make sure to have a good supply of the colostrum substitutes, such as Headstart, and don’t hesitate to supplement early if there is any indication of a slow calf or difficult birth with twins or if the milk production of the cow is in question.

Producers can ensure the best possible colostrum from their cows by focusing on good nutrition and vaccinating for scours at the best time possible before calving.

If the calf doesn’t suck in time or does not take the required volume, then extra supplementation is imperative. Use an esophageal feeder dedicated to just colostrum so that it is kept clean.

Lock out disease

Most producers in Western Canada are using the toltrazuril pills or liquid, which is prescribed by their veterinarians. It also has become commonplace over the last decade or so.

This product prevents the protozoal diseases cryptosporidiosis and coccidiosis most times.

There is even an oral liquid toltrazuril that comes straight or with meloxicam. You get the pain killer anti-inflammatory effect along with the treatment.

Spending more time on colostrum management and taking these preventive measures can hopefully keep scour cases and antibiotic reliance to a minimum.

There are other products such as intranasal corona vaccines, and an oral vaccine given during the same time frame as colostrum to prevent rota and corona virus.

Other products are given orally as a paste, such as First Defense, within the first 12 hours of birth.

They are great in a scours outbreak situation or if you are wanting to boost the calf’s protection.

The First Defense product is upward of $30 a dose. Only you and your veterinarian know if these products will increase calf survivability, depending on past years’ experience and what may have been diagnosed on your farm.

Another key ingredient is biosecurity practices that reduce exposure to infectious organisms.

Overwhelming exposure to clinical cases can overwhelm any protective protection that a farm may have put in place.

When looking at producers with more scours problems than average, veterinarians can often easily identify breaks in biosecurity.

It may take a visit to your farm or ranch to visualize first hand and provide a list of best practices to make things better.

Prevention is the key to all diseases and always has been. There is very often no magic bullet.

It is always good to review biosecurity practices at calving time, such as cleaning the cow well during calving, good bedding, creep areas for calves and keeping your clothing clean and dry. These can go a long way to preventing bad organisms from building up on the farm.

I like a boot dip or disinfection mat as a reminder to minimize visitors, especially during calving season. Don’t be the one spreading disease.

Newborn calf health

Navel treatment requires cleanliness, plenty of dry bedding and adequate colostrum consumption.

If any of these areas are neglected, navel infection may start. The calves born in unsanitary surroundings are the susceptible ones.

Wincing in pain while the navel area is palpated is a telltale sign that infection is present.

Some producers use alcohol or diluted iodine to dry up the navel, although I don’t know many who actively do this.

Infection may require several treatments of antimicrobials and NSAIDs, but ways to prevent the next case should be paramount in your mind.

Navel infection may indicate failure of passive transfer, so again, colostrum quality and quantity need to be examined.

Calves born backward have their navels broken off short, making them more susceptible.

One twin is often born backward, which increases the need to take extra care with colostrum.

If both twins survive, one is often grafted to another cow, creating an additional stress in their lives.

Pay extra care and attention to twins for all these reasons.

Ear tags

Calves also get their ear tags early in life, and the newer taggers have better leverage and are made for smaller hands. They have breakaway pins, so ears are not split.

For any of those still needing to dehorn, remember that it is a painful procedure, so NSAIDs are in order.

As well, follow the beef code of practice, which is to dehorn before horn bud attachment occurs, so preferably before two months of age.

The new beef code of practice is almost ready to be released.

The last one came out in 2016, so everyone should give it an informative read, especially for the changes that have happened in this new version.

The code is what sets us apart from other cattle-producing nations, along with the national identification system.

Here’s to a great calving season and healthy calves.

The market is expected to remain high, so let’s give each and every calf that is born the care they deserve it. 

The post CALVING 2026: Keep those newborn beef calves healthy appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Almost 20 per cent of the beef we’re consuming in North America is now imported beef,” Perillat said.

Brazil has emerged as a major force in the beef market, rapidly boosting output through better herd efficiency and limited feedlot finishing.

“In just a few short years, Brazilian beef production has skyrocketed … they are becoming more efficient overall,” he said.

Despite tariffs, Perillat said Brazilian beef can still land competitively in the U.S., and shifting Chinese quotas and tariffs may divert even more South American beef towards North America.

At the same time, pest issues and border policy are complicating live cattle flows. The long-running sterile fly program, used since the 1960s to control screwworm, has not fully contained the northward spread. The U.S. and Mexico border remains closed to some live cattle movements due to disease and pest concerns, such as New World screwworm.

New World screwworm has reemerged in Mexico just south of the Texas border. To date, there have yet to be any confirmed cases of New World screwworm in the U.S. since the breakout in Mexico.

The Canadian herd has still struggled to recover from BSE-era losses and recent droughts, Perillat said. But feedlot capacity has expanded.

More than half a million feeder cattle are expected to be imported from the U.S. this year, which Perillat said is a case of “too much money chasing too few cattle in Canada.”

He warned that today’s high prices are being supported by exceptional demand, and history suggests a correction of 25 to 35 per cent from cycle highs is still possible.

Perillat urged producers to use futures, price out insurance and take advantage of other risk management tools to protect against a potential sudden downturn in prices, especially as interest costs and feed prices remain key pressures.

The post High-stakes balancing act for beef market appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Pathogens that cause scours are most frequently passed on from one calf to the other via fecal to oral transmission (manure to mouth). In confinement calving systems there is a high environmental load of these pathogens from the amount of manure in a relatively small area. In barns or calving sheds, where pairs are moved out and pregnant cows are then moved in, there can be a buildup of manure that contributes to disease pressure.

Understanding the pathogens responsible for causing scours as well as the underlying management factors that are contributing to disease spread are useful in treatment and prevention of calf scours on your farm. Some management factors can’t be changed, and prevention will rely heavily on pharmaceutical intervention, while in other cases modifying cow-calf pair movement or calving groups can significantly reduce infections. This will require laboratory testing, performing necropsies and taking samples from dead calves and/or fecal samples from affected live calves.

Rotavirus and coronavirus

Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in calves, especially in calves younger than three weeks of age. The incubation period is only 24 hours after ingestion, and uncomplicated cases can resolve in two days. Coronavirus similarly infects calves younger than three weeks of age. As both are viruses, there is no specific treatment available to stop the infection beyond supportive care and rehydration.

• Prevention includes: cleanliness of calving area, reducing environmental contamination in pens/pasture in the month following calving, vaccination of cows, and/or oral antibody products at birth.

Escherichia coli

There are many kinds of E. coli, some of which are a normal part of the intestinal microflora and don’t cause disease. However, there are several specific types of E. coli that can cause significant scours and illness. Some types of E. coli can also cause systemic disease involving the kidneys and liver. In beef calves, pathogenic (disease-causing) E. coli has been found to be a common cause of diarrhea, especially in the first four days of life. The biggest risk of infection occurs in the first or second day of life.

• Prevention includes: cleanliness of calving area, vaccination of cows and/or oral antibody products at birth.

Salmonella

There are several types of salmonella that cause disease in calves. Calves less than a month of age are more commonly affected, but salmonella can cause disease in older calves and even adult cows. In addition to scours, salmonella can cause systemic illness, and often calves present with depression and inappetence before the onset of scours. Some calves can die of severe acute salmonella infections before they even show signs of illness.

• Prevention includes: cleanliness of calving area and reducing environmental contamination in pens/pasture in the first months of life.

Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens type C is a bacterium that causes acute and severe scours, typically affecting calves younger than 10 days of age. Interestingly, Clostridium perfringens type C infections have been associated with events that cause calves to miss meals and then overconsume milk.

• Prevention includes: cleanliness of calf environment, vaccination of cows prior to calving, and management practices that minimize normal frequent feeding sessions for calves.

Cryptosporidium parvum

While the infamous “crypto” is a common cause of diarrhea in dairy calves and vet students newly introduced to working with calves, it less commonly infects beef calves. A zoonotic disease, it can infect both calves and humans, although most producers with a healthy immune system have developed a strong defence against it. Cryptosporidium is neither a bacterium nor virus, but a protozoa with a complicated life cycle involving several stages (think of a tadpole turning into a frog, with more steps). Oocytes, the infective egg stage, can be shed as early as three days of age but usually peaks at two weeks of age, which is important to know when managing calving groups to limit the spread of infection.

• Prevention includes: cleanliness of calving area, reducing environmental contamination in pens/pasture in the month following birth, and administering halofuginone to newborn calves.

In all cases of scours, the most important treatment involves electrolyte therapy, oral or intravenous. Fluid therapy prevents severe dehydration and corrects acidosis, which are ultimately responsible for killing calves in most cases. Many cases of calf scours can be mixed infections, with viral, bacterial and/or cryptosporidium involvement.

It can be difficult to determine which pathogens are present in individual calves without laboratory diagnostics. The colour, consistency or the presence of blood in scours isn’t a reliable way to identify the primary pathogen. Even within the same herd, the pathogens present in mixed infections can vary calf to calf. Likewise, the stage and severity of infection can have an impact on intestinal health and absorption, changing the appearance of the scours.

Samples from several calves, not just one, are needed to understand which pathogens are consistently an issue in your herd. This allows your veterinarian to establish more effective health and management protocols.

In severe cases of scours or signs of systemic illness an antimicrobial is warranted to protect against bacterial infections like E. coli or salmonella. Milder cases may only need supportive care and fluid therapy for effective treatment. Work with your veterinarian ahead of calving season to establish a calf scours treatment and prevention protocol.

Dr. Lexie Reed is a food animal veterinarian at Sunny South Veterinary Services in Lethbridge, Alta.

The post Scours doesn’t hibernate: Infectious risks for cold weather calves appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

WHY IT MATTERS: A healthier and happier calf almost always leads to better performance.

But this third-generation southern Alberta ranching operation says applying “care and compassion” protocols also translates into improved rates of gain, higher weaning and marketing weights, and often a higher-quality beef product that can be worth more in the marketplace.

“We are always interested in trying new practices and procedures that are based in science and show positive research results,” says Laura Laing, who, along with husband John Smith, owns and operates the commercial cow-calf operation west of Nanton, Alta.

“Testing new ideas does take time, but it is also interesting to see what works as well as what doesn’t work. First and foremost, those care and compassion protocols are at the heart of our ranching operation,” she continues.

“We both believe that low-stress production and handling techniques contribute to healthier animals — and it is also the right thing to do. And we are seeing that those measures lead to overall healthier calves that perform better.”

Getting calves off to a healthy, reduced-stress start is key to having a calf that is going to show impressive average daily gains on its mother’s milk and native pasture over the coming grazing season, says Laing.

Later calving season

Laing and Smith have implemented several operational changes since taking over the ranch from Smith’s parents in 2016.

One of the first significant changes implemented was the decision to move the calving season from February to April. This adjustment was made with the aim of better aligning calving with Mother Nature and, in turn, reducing stress on both cows and calves. By concentrating the calving period, Plateau maintains a focused breeding season, resulting in the majority of their 450-head cow herd calving between early April and the end of May.

To support herd management and genetic improvement, the ranch conducts DNA testing throughout the herd and on bulls prior to purchase. Comprehensive breeding records are meticulously maintained through HerdTrax, an integrated online cattle record management software, allowing for the careful selection of breeding stock.

A key selection criterion is the use of Black Angus bulls that carry the TT Leptin gene, known for calving ease and higher gains from lower inputs. Laing says this approach helps ensure calving success and their ability to strive for a beef animal that finishes faster with high performance gains and grading for their buyers.

“Calving on pasture in April is more in line with natural calving cycles. It is not always ideal weather in April either, but we are more likely to have spring conditions than the February cold and snow. Being wet is more of a concern than snow,” she says.

“For the most part weather during calving in April and May has been favourable, and you are assured more daylight hours of sunlight.”

Although there are few cases of calving difficulty, the cow herd is monitored during the calving season, and individuals can be brought to nearby maternity pens for calving if needed. As cows calve, the calves are processed in the field. While Plateau prefers to use horses for most livestock handling operations, Smith has outfitted a side-by-side utility vehicle with supplies needed, including a weigh scale for processing newborn calves.

Newborn processing

Processing day-old calves includes applying an RFID tag along with a dangle tag carrying the Plateau Cattle Company name and number corresponding to the mother’s tag number. Lidocaine-infused castration bands are applied to bull calves, and all calves are weighed. A DNA sample — a small tissue sample snipped from the ear — is also collected.

Plateau maintains detailed records on all cattle starting with newborn calves. Calves are weighed at birth, in early June just before turnout onto pasture and at weaning in late October, providing good information on overall growth and performance.

The DNA samples are collected with two-fold purpose. As the cow herd is high-percentage Black Angus with some Hereford influence, the ranch is assisting both the Angus and Hereford breed associations with their genetic research projects by providing DNA samples.

“In return we get information back, which helps us evaluate our breeding program,” says Laing. “By matching calf performance with information on herd sires and EPDs, we are able to select bulls carrying traits that most benefit our breeding program and objectives.”

Late May processing

Plateau Cattle Company hasn’t branded calves for nine years. Laing says eliminating branding has been an integral factor in significantly reducing calf stress and improving overall performance.

“In our first year we recorded an average 18- to 20-pound gain per calf — even in calves born a week later than the previous year’s branded group,” says Laing.

“Branding is a very stressful treatment that really sets the calves back…. Now on processing day in late May, calves move through the chute, we vaccinate and weigh the calves again, and that’s it.”

Only cows within the ranch’s breeding herd are marked with a freeze brand for identification.

While the idea behind branding is to affix permanent identification on the calf to prevent rustling, Laing says their dangle tags and RFID appear to be sufficient.

“Rustling hasn’t been a problem since we quit branding our calves, and let’s face it — if someone really wants to take a calf, the brand isn’t going to stop them.”

Both cows and calves are weighed in late May and again in June before they are hauled to summer pasture, which includes about 65,000 acres of native grass on public lands in the Mt. Livingstone Range as well as the Waldron Grazing Co-operative.

Home for weaning

The herd is brought home in late September and early October for final vaccination, weighing and weaning. Plateau has introduced two stress-reducing practices for this process in the past couple of years, both of which are in conjunction with studies at Olds College: fenceline weaning and treating calves with FerAppease.

FerAppease is a synthetic version of Maternal Bovine Appeasing Substance (MBAS), a naturally occurring pheromone secreted through the skin of the mammary gland of lactating cows while calves are nursing. The pheromone has a calming influence on the calf.

After calves are processed and about to be separated from their mothers, the liquid FerAppease is applied with a roller applicator to the forehead and face of each calf, which they hope will produce a calming effect that should last for about two weeks. Olds College says early results show the treatment reduces stress in cattle, improves handling and may even improve feed efficiency.

“We are still evaluating fenceline weaning, but both cows and calves appear to be less anxious,” says Laing.

“There is a bit of bawling for couple days, but both the mothers and calves soon seem to lose interest in each other and move on to grazing. Right now at processing we are preg checking cows and vaccinating calves and then sorting them for fenceline weaning. Next year we may try splitting that up by preg check and vaccinating and then wait a week before we sort calves off for fenceline weaning. It may help ease them into weaning a bit better.”

For the 2025 weaning program, calves were weaned in early to mid-October and sold through online auction in early December. Calves have a minimum of 42 days at home post-weaning before they are shipped.

“During the year we apply a number of practices, which hopefully reduce the stress on both calves and cows because it is right thing to do,” says Laing.

“But we also hope it results in healthier animals, with improved rates of gain and ultimately more pounds of beef.”

As Plateau makes a point of working with buyers to follow calves through feeding and processing, they’ve found that the majority of their calves finish in the Triple AAA and Prime grades.

“Hopefully the market sees and appreciates that effort with improved prices,” says Laing.

“For our buyers, these calves have already settled down after weaning, so there should be less illness in the feedyard and improved rates of gain. And for end users such as restaurants and consumers who want to know how their beef is raised, we hope they appreciate the care that has gone into raising these animals, resulting in a higher-quality beef product on the plate.”

The post How ‘care and compassion’ protocols drive performance at this Alberta ranch appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“We found a very unified group that all have the same interest at heart and that’s to make a strong national committee or revamp to make it a strong one,” said Kevin Boone, British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association general manager at the Dec. 9 meeting in Toronto.

WHY IT MATTERS: Alberta signalled in August its intention to leave the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), putting the sector’s national representation at risk.

“CCA is a pretty old, established organization, and I think that every now and again, you’ve got to step back and take a look at what you have and how you’re structured,” said Boone.

If the industry and CCA as a whole want to remain at the top of their field, the provincial members need to provide that direction, he added.

“They’re there to steer the ship, but it’s the directors from every province that are there to tell them how much steam to put in it and where and which way to turn.”

Boone said there isn’t any best time to address the potential fracturing of an organization. However, providing a toolbox of directives from members could help them build forward.

Alberta’s concerns extensive

“It started as a withdrawal,” said Doug Roxburgh, ABP chair, of Alberta’s stance with the CCA. “But I think it’s very much become more of a review.

“It’s been amazing to see what other provinces have had for both positives around CCA but also concerns.”

Alberta’s list of concerns is extensive, said Roxburgh; however, commonalities between provinces and an openness to change fostered positive discussions. The group will craft a review framework to present to the CCA, likely in the spring.

“We went into these meetings with a positive mindset, that we’re coming here to improve our organization,” said Chad Ross, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association chair.

“It’s healthy to look at governance, communication, financial reporting and funding and find solutions that are good for everyone.”

New Brunswick Cattle chair Trevor Welch said CCA’s representation at the federal level is critical. There are no plans to eliminate the organization. Rather, they will explore restructuring options to ensure it remains sustainable, financially responsible and “more palatable for all the provincial organizations to work with.”

He acknowledged that six or seven months ago, the provinces weren’t sure what to do or how to handle the potential fracturing of the CCA. The workshop showed they were aligned on “nitty-gritty” issues and were willing to work together to find a way forward.

Ross agreed, and while hesitant to give specifics, mentioned “a-ha” moments during the day. He highlighted the need to streamline communication to ensure grassroots voices are heard and to contribute to business plans, strategies and collaborations within provinces and national organizations.

“Then there’s funding it, and that’s always the hard question. How do we fund it all the way across Canada? It’s not going to be equal,” Ross said.

“I think there’s got to be some give and take. How do we negotiate that with the different provinces to be in the federal organization, get it funded and get it working?”

Looking for a better balance

Roxburgh said Alberta believes in a strong national organization that is appropriately funded, but “it can’t come on the backs of Alberta being underfunded within our own province.”

He doubted Alberta beef producers would reach 50 per cent representation based on funding, nor does he want to see less representation for other provinces — but he suggested that’s not the main question.

“I think the question is, how do we build this structure that’s the most effective for not just the producers today, but for our industry going forward?” Roxburgh said. “Things are changing all the time. It’s just about trying to figure out a little bit better balance right across the board.”

Beef Farmers of Ontario president Craig McLaughlin said the real challenge lies ahead — namely, in fine-tuning the funding model to ensure CCA’s sustainability without harming the provincial organization’s budgets, and negotiating representation.

“We feel there’s a time for change, and it should happen now when we’re going to get a new executive director at the national level,” said McLaughlin. “(The recommendations) will help them foster better relations across the provinces.”

Roxburgh said Alberta faced criticism for withdrawing so close to the retirement of Dennis Laycraft, CCA executive vice-president for the last 35 years.

Roxburgh said that the new CCA manager could view the current situation as an opportunity to listen, bring new ideas, explore the working group’s framework and recognize that the CCA isn’t “100 per cent where it could be or should be going forward.”

“We’re certainly going to be respectful to whoever that new person is taking that role and look forward to working with them to help shape the future of CCA,” Roxburgh said.

The post Canadian cattle groups look to renew national organization appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) via CTV News, some regions received more than 100 millimetres of rain that weekend. Much of the rainfall was focused on the foothills south of Calgary as well as many parts of eastern Alberta, said the agency.

Rain in the Peace was spotty, but it wasn’t alone. Grant Lastiwka, a beef producer and forage consultant from the central Alberta town of Innisfail, says patchy rainfall means a grower could have received abundant moisture while their neighbour’s land a few miles away could be dry as a bone.

These regional moisture patterns are “probably more notable” than Lastiwka has ever seen.

”When somebody says “I’ve had four inches this year’ — which we’ve had — you go ahead 10 miles east and they’ve had one inch.”

That said, he called the two-and-seven-tenths inches of rain that fell on his Innisfail farm June 21 a “godsend” with the soil absorbing it almost immediately.

Ed Shaw, chair of the Alberta Forage Industry Network (now ARECA), is optimistic the new precipitation will make a difference.

“It’s going to improve primarily the cereal crops. It may improve the hay crops. It’s definitely an improvement to have some more moisture.”

Hay situation ‘serious’

The outlook is looking bleak for some areas of Alberta even after the weekend rainfall, says Shaw.

“The hay situation is serious,” he says, speaking primarily of regions south of Edmonton.

“I was talking to a farmer yesterday. He farms about 5,500 acres. He’s got about 500 acres less than normal, which is not great, but he wanted to cut it in case of rain, so he might get a good second cut.”

Others he’s spoken to haven’t been even that lucky. He’s seeing — on average — less than a tonne of forages per acre to half a tonne per acre.

“South (of Edmonton) is roughly dry and then there’s areas down in the south from Medicine Hat to Pincher Creek — some areas that have some moisture but the hay is very short this year.

“Even the irrigated people are saying it’s pretty bleak down there.”

Meanwhile, in the Alberta Peace Country, Shaw has heard unofficial reports of “okay” but marginal rainfall.

Alberta’s forage acres got off to a poor start with little soil moisture, little runoff on pastures and empty or semi-filled dugouts, says Lastiwka, calling the situation a “profound problem.”

“This year my neighbour sold a bunch of cows because they don’t have sufficient water. The dugouts didn’t fill. The wells can’t handle it. So the reality is now we’re in a progressive stage of too dry and it’s not the first or second year for the majority of people — it’s a third or fourth.”

Lastiwka has been travelling around the province checking forage conditions in several areas including Athabasca, Duchess and Oyen.

“In general, what we’re seeing are stressed forages that are lacking moisture and hay crops that are heading out with low yield potential.”

He believes Alberta is in a “declining moisture environment” that is making this year’s forage acres even more challenging than usual. ”

If there’s a ray of sunshine on the horizon, it’s the decent state of annual crops, he says.

Forage a ‘mixed bag’ in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan also received some much-needed rain over the weekend, but so far forage conditions have been a mixed bag. All respondents pointed to previous lack of rainfall as a common denominator, even in the usually moisture-rich Parkland region of the province.

Just ask Duane Thompson, a mixed holistic farmer from that region (specifically Kelliher).

Although rain has been sparse, a hit of fall snow melted into his unfrozen soil, and marginal spring rain has replenished some of Thompson’s soil moisture, giving his hay and forage crops a chance to germinate.

Thompson plants about a section of first-year hay every year for haylage. He doesn’t think his new hay is going to do very well in the short term, but some of his older haylage land is looking good, he says.

Calvin Gavelin, who also describes himself as a holistic mixed farmer, got seven-tenths of an inch of rain over the June 21-22 weekend. However, overall rainfall in the drought-prone Palliser’s Triangle area where he farms remains elusive.

His forage season got off to a bad start due to lack of rain and insufficient subsoil moisture. His perennial forages didn’t even get off the ground. Instead, he may have to lean on his annual forages, which benefited from a surprise shower over the May long weekend.

”It didn’t help the other stuff, because it has all gone dormant. But our annuals are our gold star plan if it works,” he says.

Extra hay cuts hinge on rain in Manitoba

In Manitoba, dairy producers are mostly done their first hay cuts while many beef growers are just getting started, said Cindy Jack, livestock and forage extension specialist with Manitoba Agriculture on June 17.

Alfalfa has so far weathered Manitoba’s dry spring better than the grass thanks to its strong root structure, At the time of her comments, most alfalfa had entered early bloom and grasses were starting to head out.

Jack also suggested that overall forage growth was being compromised by older stands and fields that did not receive fertilizer. “(They) generally have lower productivity.”

The prognosis for further hay cuts will be weather-dependent, she added.

“Without significant rainfall soon, regrowth will be limited due to moisture stress, reducing the likelihood of subsequent cuts.”

Southeastern Manitoba dairy farmer Stefan Signer echoes Jack’s concerns.

“At this point, we are really hoping and needing some rain so that the fields can recover for maybe a second and maybe a third cut,” the Kleefeld-area farmer said.

The post Mid-June rain a ‘godsend’ but forage growers manage expectations appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The document outlines priorities, goals and outcomes for 2025 to 2030. The organization will also be tracking their success as the industry continues to position iteslf in a world of marketing and public perception.

The organization cited their progress under the last strategy, which covered 2020 to 2024. They want to keep building that momentum, wrote chair Nathan Phinney in a Jan. 28 news release.

“Tracking goals has been a productive exercise. We are seeing wins, and the Beef Advisors are excited about where we can go next,” he said.

The executive summary of the new strategy further said that “in setting these goals, industry was aiming to build government and public support for beef production and its activities through a clear consistent message that addresses the challenges faced head-on, while also communicating its benefits.”

The strategy was developed with the industry’s 2030 goals in mind, including those on environmental sustainability.

The document “is about the future. We want people to know that the beef industry is preparing the way for the next generation,” wrote Bob Lowe, chair of public and stakeholder engagement for the Canadian Cattle Association, in the Jan. 28 news release.

Pillars

The new strategy is based on five key pillars: beef demand, sustainability, competitiveness, productivity and connectivity.

The first — beef demand — is intended to support both domestic and international markets for Canadian beef. This involves efforts geared towards Canadian Triple-A and prime carcasses being recognized as equivalent to their U.S. counterparts.

The hope is to increase demand for all cuts on the carcass by focusing on market access, domestic and global marketing and increasing consumer confidence and maintaining social licence.

Canadian beef needs to ensure its voice in a world hungry for protein, wrote Calvin Vaags with the Canadian Meat Council.

“A growing population and middle class means that the demand for protein is outpacing production, driving prices higher,” he added. “The protein pie is getting bigger and Canada, as a relatively low emissions intensity producer, deserves a seat at the table.”

The next pillar — sustainability — will hone in on financial viability, environmental policy, quality assurance, environmental research, social advocacy, sustainability measurement and verified claims.

“There are record high prices and renewed optimism,” said Will Lowe with the National Cattle Feeders’ Association in the strategy document.

However, there are still bottlenecks to work through: “Notably labour, which has kept many from expanding,” he said. “Immigration processes need to be responsive to put people where we need them.”

The productivity pillar emphasizes supply chain-wide production efficiencies achieved by focusing on animal production and performance, precision genetics, feed production and performance, producer adoption and research capacity.

Metrics to measure will include open rates, calving length and calf death losses, as well as improving feed efficiency and crop yields.

“Productivity is where producers are in direct control,” said Craig Lehr with the Beef Cattle Research Council.

“Data and research must be transformed into information that is useful for decision-making on the farm — it is only then that change occurs.”

Finally, the connectivity pillar involves “connecting positively” with partner organizations, industries and government to proactively address issues, challenges and opportunities with “a unified industry voice.”

“This will be achieved through industry communication, proactive issues management, youth programs and engagement with industry, government, and global partners. Connectivity is the responsibility of every organization in the industry,” the strategy reads.

The Canadian Beef Advisors draws membership from seven national beef organizations responsible for policy, marketing, research and sustainability.

These include the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Beef Breeds Council, Canada Beef, Canadian Cattle Association (plus its provincial member associations), Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the National Cattle Feeders’ Association.

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