Reading Time: < 1 minute Do you wonder how your cow-calf operation compares with others in your region, province or herd size on matters like conception rate and weaning weight? Producers who participate in the second Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey will receive a complementary report that allows them to compare their own operation with benchmarks. The survey takes about 45 […] Read more
Producers wanted for cow-calf survey
Proceed with caution when it comes to micronutrients, says agronomist
It’s not hard to spend thousands of dollars on micronutrients that aren’t needed or produce little benefit, says Ross McKenzie
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers need to put on their critical thinking caps when dealing with micronutrient claims — or risk spending lots of money for no or marginal results. There is a lot of hype surrounding supplemental micronutrients right now, said Ross McKenzie, a retired agronomy research scientist. However, not all micronutrients are created equally; some of the […] Read more
The world has an eating problem — and farming is the solution
Whether it’s obesity or malnutrition, Canadian farmers have an amazing opportunity to be agents of change
Reading Time: 3 minutes “As a farming community we should be the epitome of health.” That was the closing remark of one of the speakers at the Nuffield Triennial Farming Conference in southern England earlier this summer. The speaker had been talking about obesity and food-related health issues, and how farmers could be a solution to this serious problem. […] Read more
Celebrity advice could have a negative impact on your health
We have more good science and information than ever — and more people believing in ‘ridiculous bunk’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Words of advice from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, and Tom Brady could be ruining your health or the health of the people around you. This was the message from Tim Caulfield, author, law professor and research director of the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute during a seminar at FarmTech. “I really do […] Read more
Managing scours so they don’t manage you
Scours, the most common disease in calves, can quickly put you behind the financial 8-ball
Reading Time: 2 minutes Scours can put you in a financial hole in a hurry. “For every percentage of the herd that you lose, the rest of the herd has to pick up the slack,” said Claire Windeyer, assistant professor in production animal health at the University of Calgary. Producers who had relatively low calf mortality, around five per […] Read more
Have a game plan before calving season gets underway
The risk factors that can sicken young calves are numerous but some can be mitigated, says veterinarian
Reading Time: 2 minutes The upcoming calving season will be a time of risk for disease on cow-calf operations. Pathogens that cause disease in young calves are present in all herds, so careful management is necessary to prevent them from getting sick. “Cow-calf producers most often deal with scours, septicemia, respiratory disease, and joint or navel ill,” said Dr. […] Read more
Watch to see if cattle eating cobs when grazing standing corn
There’s a high incidence of mouldy corn this year and if cattle aren’t eating the cobs, they need supplemental feeding
Reading Time: 2 minutes Providing supplemental protein and grain is one option if cattle are grazing mouldy standing corn. “Some corn crops left for late-season grazing have been damaged by the fall weather,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “High humidity, frequent rainfall, and frosts have created ideal conditions for moulds to form. Saprophytic moulds that cause […] Read more
Canola oil can help trim inches off the waist
Researchers found a significant decrease of belly fat in a clinical trial of obese subjects who included canola oil in their diets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canola oil can help reduce belly fat, a new study has found. About 20 per cent of adults in Canada have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions — including belly fat — that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Researchers at the University of Manitoba, Laval University, and Penn State University tested […] Read more
Healthy hooves are the result of many factors
Horse Health: A horse’s lifestyle and diet can make a major difference in hoof health
Reading Time: 3 minutes The hoof responds to everything it experiences in its environment as well as everything going on within the body. Inseparably tied to the body, a sound foot depends on more than a correct trim. This in no way dismisses or diminishes the importance of a proper hoof trim, rather places the trim in its rightful […] Read more
A lack of macrominerals for cattle can be a true emergency
Beef 911: Grass tetany can be successfully treated if caught early, but you need to watch for symptoms and contact your vet immediately
Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the last few years several herds have been affected with grass tetany in our area. These herds will often have multiple cases in short order. Once clinical signs occur and cattle go down, chances of recovery are very poor so treatment-wise they are a true emergency. Early in the course of the disease, treatment […] Read more
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