Reading Time: 4 minutes I am a big fan of Dr. Temple Grandin. A long time ago we stood in a small community hall in Alberta with 60 farmers in attendance. She talked about an animal’s reaction to light, movement, and sound, and encouraged producers to see their facilities through the eyes of their livestock. I talked about shrinkage […] Read more
The time has come to rethink single-trait selection
Temple Grandin was right about animal welfare, and she’s right about respecting the dual purpose of food animals, too
Trade mission to Kazakhstan
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is leading a trade mission to Kazakhstan with a focus on livestock and genetics. “Kazakhstan has identified its livestock sector as a priority” and wants to increase beef exports to Russia, said trade officer Aarij Bashir. The mission will include meetings with government officials and pre-qualified buyers of live cattle and […] Read more
Genomics proving its worth for purebred cattle
Genomically enhanced selection is catching on with purebred producers, but crossbreds pose more of a challenge
Reading Time: 2 minutes Purebred cattle have a leg up on their crossbred cousins — at least as far as genomics is concerned. “The purebred industries are the ones that are really using genomically enhanced selection indexes,” said Dawn Trautman, technology translator at Livestock Gentec. “In the purebred industry, you can get validated markers a lot faster because you’re […] Read more
Maximize pregnancy rates when artificially inseminating livestock
There are several steps producers can take to improve AI success
Reading Time: 4 minutes Artificial insemination (AI) offers cattle producers the opportunity to use semen from high-accuracy, genetically superior sires at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a herd bull with similar genetics. “In addition, using estrus synchronization and AI can increase the number of calves born earlier in the calving season and increase weaning weights of calves,” […] Read more
Take ‘a little extra look’ at residual feed intake number
Beef research scientist says feed efficiency is a trait that can be measured and can lead to significant herd improvement
Reading Time: 2 minutes Improving the feed efficiency of a beef cattle herd can mean big savings for producers. One way to achieve this goal is to select breeding bulls that are naturally feed efficient, since 80 to 90 per cent of the genetic improvement in a herd comes through the sires. “With this being bull-buying season, I think […] Read more
The fearless researcher who revolutionized cattle breeding
Roy Berg was once the most reviled cattle researcher in the country — until he proved that crossbreeding could produce spectacular productivity gains
Reading Time: 4 minutes He was an intrepid man whose controversial work earned him scores of critics — but his name will now live on as the research station where Roy Berg conducted much of his revolutionary work on beef cattle. Nearly 300 people — friends, colleagues, former students, industry specialists, and family members — travelled to the Kinsella […] Read more
Bloat no problem with the right genetics
Managing bloat comes down to the right genetics, right feed, and right mineral products
Reading Time: 3 minutes The fear of bloat costs the livestock industry more than the condition ever does, says a well-known grazing consultant and researcher from Idaho. “I’ve seen the figures from the States, and something like two one-hundredths of one per cent of the total cattle herd dies each year from bloat,” Jim Gerrish told attendees at a […] Read more
Wheat quality declines a mystery
Not all customers are happy with AC Harvest and AC Stettler, but it’s not known whether the varieties or growing conditions are the issue
Reading Time: 2 minutes Researchers at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development are trying to get at the root of what’s causing quality problems in two popular hard red wheat varieties. “We cannot lose our reputation as a high-quality supplier,” said Sheri Strydhorst, agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “For us to compete as just a volume […] Read more
On-farm semen collection is a valuable tool
With a valuable bull, on-farm collection becomes like an insurance plan preserving his genetics for the future
Reading Time: 4 minutes This is the time of year when either your own hot breeding prospects or ones for sale are coming to the forefront. A good insurance plan is collecting semen on these hot new or proven prospects, especially when you incorporate artificial insemination into your program. This article will review some of the finer points of […] Read more
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