Reading Time: 4 minutes We now have many tools at our disposal when it comes to castration of calves in the beef and dairy sectors of our industry. When used together in skilled hands, newer techniques at castration along with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) will ensure welfare issues are addressed. Much has changed in the feedlot industry. Cattle are not […] Read more
We need to do better when it comes to castration
Beef 911: Doing it early and properly brings benefits to the producers, addresses animal welfare concerns, and prevents problems later on
Understanding reasons for pregnancy loss can help prevent it
About two to three per cent of cows will experience pregnancy loss but that number can be reduced
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle pregnancy loss occurs for many reasons. Knowing about it can help you manage it and reduce it. “Pregnancy loss occurs throughout all stages of gestation — it’s sort of a natural selection,” veterinarian Steve Hendrick of Coaldale Veterinary Services said during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. “There are lots of genetic and […] Read more
Body condition scoring pays dividends
Beef 911: Having a good handle on body condition allows you to fatten thin cows and feed less to fat ones to boost performance
Reading Time: 4 minutes Body condition scoring really means assessing the condition and fat cover on your cow to enable you to feed them for optimal growth and reproductive performance. It may mean separating the fat and thin groups from the main herd, which allows you to feed them separately to save feed on the fat ones and build […] Read more
Are there healthier calves and higher profits in your future?
Preg checking, pain mitigation, and preconditioning all open avenues to better and more profitable performance
Reading Time: 5 minutes The cows have come home from summer pasture and the fall run is well underway. So how was your year? If you’re not happy and want better performance and more profits next year, here are three top tips from two experts. Precision feeding and targeted marketing Just 60 per cent of producers pregnancy check their […] Read more
These are interesting times in the cattle and beef markets
There are a number of factors in play right now, and it’s a good time to step back and survey the wider landscape
Reading Time: 4 minutes Packers lifted a lot of cattle in late summer and it will be interesting to see as we move through the fall if those fed cattle slaughtered in late summer left a gap wide enough to pull other finished cattle ahead. This would bring lighter fed cattle to the kill floor which could be positive […] Read more
Don’t let freemartins become a management headache in your herd
Beef 911: Some will reproduce normally and are well worth keeping, but others need to be culled
Reading Time: 3 minutes With better nutrition and management and a higher incidence of twins in the Charolais, Simmental, and Holstein breeds, some larger herds can have up to a 10 per cent twinning rate. With the odds of 50 per cent of the twins being mixed sexes, it is no wonder freemartins are not an uncommon occurrence. Remember […] Read more
Four keys to successful calf preconditioning
Veterinarian Mark Hilton shared his experiences working with an Indiana producer who co-operated with Purdue University on a preconditioning project from 1999 through 2009. When they boiled it down, four points came to the forefront as keys to success that could be transferred to other farms.
Cattle producers and feeders in checkoff stalemate
ABP has proposed a new funding council, but that wasn’t enough to sway cattle feeders
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association have come to an impasse on making the provincial checkoff non-refundable. And that’s put the controversial matter in the hands of the provincial government. “We’re trying to come up with a plan,” said Martin Zuidhof, chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “That’s where it’s[...]
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Creep feeding an option if your pastures are hurting
A good creep ration could increase the value of a calf by $50 to $200 if prices stay around $2 a pound
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s another tough year for pastures, and producers wanting to stretch limited forage supplies should consider creep feeding calves throughout the summer, says a provincial beef and forage specialist. “It’s possible that pastures will run out much earlier than normal,” said Barry Yaremcio. “In general, 70 per cent of total forage growth occurs before the[...]
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Researchers join forces to dig deep into state of Prairie cow herd
The five-year project has researchers collecting hard data on topics such as antibiotic use, trace minerals, and Johne’s disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle in Western Canada tend to be deficient in copper, have a low incidence of Johne’s disease, and cow-calf producers don’t use antibiotics excessively. Those are three of the findings from the cattle health network, a five-year project begun in 2012, and based on the National Animal Health Monitoring System in the U.S. “This year[...]
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