Reading Time: 4 minutes Bullers are, fortunately, a rare, sporadic occurrence in western Canadian feedlots and backgrounding operations. When dealing with cases of steers mounting other steers, one must bear in mind the economic loss to the entire pen when frequent riding occurs. Because the incidence is so sporadic (one to six per cent in U.S. feedlots), no hard […] Read more
Factors which can contribute to bullers
Beef 911: Close observation and working with your vet on a customized plan is key to dealing with this problem
Everyone will benefit if calves are preconditioned, says vet
Preparing calves for the feedlot reduces antibiotic use and improves feed efficiency and animal health
Reading Time: 3 minutes While preconditioning your calves may not always put extra dollars in your pockets, it’s good for the health of the entire beef industry. That was the message from veterinarian Cody Creelman during a recent Beef Cattle Research Centre webinar. Preconditioning includes anything a producer does to a weaned calf that reduces shrink and chance of […] Read more
Should you precondition your cattle?
Reading Time: 2 minutes While preconditioning makes sense from a health perspective, it’s far from standard practice. In fact, a western Canadian cow-calf survey found only nine per cent of producers preconditioned in 2013. And those who do typically have a clear financial incentive, said Canfax Research Services manager Brenna Grant. “Frequently, producers consider preconditioning when they have extra […] Read more
VAHS wins veterinary Practice of the Year Award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Veterinary Agri-Health Services (VAHS) in Airdrie has been given the Practice of the Year Award by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. The award recognizes a veterinary practice team for outstanding achievement within its local community. VAHS was also cited for its research projects with a number of academic, government and pharmaceutical industry partners. VAHS was […] Read more
Hefty checkoff rebates put squeeze on Alberta Beef Producers
Marketing and research are suffering because one-third of voluntary checkoffs are being rebated, say officials
Reading Time: 4 minutes Checkoff refunds continue to hobble Alberta Beef Producers, which had to give back $2.5 million in the past year, mainly to cattle feeders. “The $2 service charge that we have here would be sufficient if we were able to invest it all, but we lose about a third of it,” said Rich Smith, the organization’s […] Read more
Temple Grandin says producers ‘pushing biology too hard’
High-profile animal welfare expert says producers must address livestock issues or society will dictate solutions
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers, you have issues — downer dairy cows, structurally unsound cattle, and osteoporosis so bad in laying hens that huge numbers of them suffer broken bones. That’s the latest message from world-renowned animal scientist Temple Grandin, and it comes with a stark warning: Producers need to address these issues before society steps in and dictates change. […] Read more
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