Reading Time: 3 minutes This article will outline some of the more common arthritic conditions and touch on some preventive measures. A lot of these conditions of course are brought on by age. In order to get more longevity out of our cows, we need to look at lameness as it is one of the common reasons for culling. […] Read more
Lameness in cows can have many causes
Beef 911: In some cases, knowing the cause and adjusting your management can prevent this common problem
Coulee Crest Farms earns 2019 stewardship award
The Radau family makes one or two significant improvements in sustainability every year
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Radau family of Coulee Crest Farms in Red Deer County is the 2019 winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award. The environmental stewardship award from Alberta Beef Producers recognizes individuals and families who contribute to the land while improving productivity and profitability. Randy and Sandra Radau have been ranching at Coulee Crest Farms since 1989 […] Read more
The big wheel keeps on turning
Reading Time: < 1 minute In a perfect world, supply would equal demand and everything would balance out. But it’s not a perfect world, which is why there’s something that Brenna Grant of Canfax calls a “biological-economic phenomenon influenced by production, prices, and profits.” This is the cattle cycle. It starts when demand spikes for one reason or another, and […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market holding value
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 higher while calf values traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Current feedlot margins are hovering around break-even, but profitability will improve during October and November, given the recent strength in the deferred live cattle futures. Therefore, short-keep feeders […] Read more
When feed is in short supply, it’s time for extra culling
Beef 911: Downsizing the herd will be profitable if you have good records and good reasons for culling
Reading Time: 4 minutes With the shortage of feed across Western Canada, this may be a good year to downsize by extra culling. The question of what the next wave of culls should be goes beyond reproduction — the fall is also an ideal time to consider culling problem cows. The yearly cost to maintain those cows is at […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market eyes feed grain prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were $4 on either side of unchanged and the market was quite variable across the Prairies. Strength was noted early in the week but feedlot operators pulled in the reins on Thursday and Friday. Strength in the barley market along with lower feeder cattle prices south of […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes on lower supplies
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unchanged to $2 higher on average. Feeder cattle markets appear to have divorced from the fed cattle complex and calves are now reaching levels not seen since November last year. Feedlot operators were fairly aggressive on all weight categories under 900 lbs., but heavier yearlings […] Read more
Don’t risk a wreck in your cow’s reproduction this spring
Breeding timing makes a difference in open rates and so do vaccinations and copper deficiency
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you want to make sure that you get calves on the ground, pay attention to body score, when you calve, and vaccinations. That was the message from Cheryl Waldner, a professor in large-animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. “You need to get the cattle cycling […] Read more
Make sure your calves get off to a proper start
Beef 911: Calves need adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum after birth and substitutes are a good option
Reading Time: 4 minutes There have been many articles written over the years on the value of calves receiving adequate amounts of good-quality colostrum. Also over the years, colostrum substitutes have come into greater and greater usage. Several things have led to this change. Colostrum substitutes have become higher quality and are more convenient than using frozen colostrum. As […] Read more
Who’s your daddy?
A study that used DNA testing to determine the siring success of individual bulls produced some surprises
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
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