Reading Time: 2 minutes Should you be worried about cattle eating netwrap? The short answer is, maybe. Like twine, cattle will eat netwrap and it can accumulate in the rumen and cause impaction and bloat. The buildup, even if not severe enough to cause noticeable health issues, can reduce voluntary feed intake by three to five pounds a day. […] Read more
Take care to remove or properly chop netwrap
Cattle will eat netwrap and this can lead to reduced gain and even, in some cases, sudden death
Red pens come out for postmortem report on CWB era
A researcher working for a group calling for the return of single desk marketing misinterpreted data in former Canadian Wheat Board annual reports to conclude the board paid lower rates for shipping grain. Several sources, including a former Canadian Wheat Board director, say University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. candidate Laura Larsen used an inaccurate comparison in […] Read more
Nasal spray vaccine more effective against BRD than injection
Reading Time: < 1 minute Vaccines for bovine respiratory disease are more effective when administered via nasal spray than injection, according to a University of Saskatchewan study. Dr. Philip Griebel’s study found vaccines administered at branding (age three to six weeks) and at weaning (age six to seven months) were more effective when given via nasal spray. “Intranasal vaccination at […] Read more
The secret life of your cow’s reproductive system
Becoming adept at artificial insemination takes time and a lot of practice — here’s what you need to know
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many people are nervous about artificially inseminating their cattle. But knowing a few of the basics about a cow’s reproductive system can help get you on the way to creating an artificial insemination program, said Colin Palmer, associate professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. “The ultimate goal is […] Read more
Beef nutrition expert honoured
Reading Time: < 1 minute Nutrition and management expert John McKinnon is the 2015 winner of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The researcher and University of Saskatchewan professor was honoured for his “phenomenal contributions to advancements in the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry,” said the Beef Cattle Research Council. McKinnon’s research focuses […] Read more
Genetic codebreaking on wheat years ahead of schedule
Sequencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Wednesday. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a team co-led by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it […] Read more
What does your grain sell for at port?
When grain gridlock hit two years ago, the gap between the elevator and port price appears to have skyrocketed — and cost farmers billions
Reading Time: 4 minutes The jury’s still out on whether knowing the price of export grain relative to local cash prices will help producers get better prices. But the Alberta Wheat Commission intends to find out. “The port price would provide an indication of whether the system is constrained or functioning efficiently,” said Tom Steve, the commission’s general manager. […] Read more
Young cattle producer from Provost wins OYF scholarship
Reading Time: < 1 minute Myles Butt of Provost is one of two recipients of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers memorial scholarships. Butt and Ontario’s Deanna Ringelberg will each receive $1,000 to support their post-secondary agricultural studies in Canada. Butt is a fourth-generation farmer, and his family grows 3,000 acres of crops and raises about 700 head of commercial beef cattle. […] Read more
New developments in forage-breeding research
One of the more recent offerings is hybrid bromegrass, which offers high first-cut yields and fairly rapid regrowth for grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle producers across Western Canada rely on perennial forage grass species to provide their livestock with ample nutrition during the grazing period and for hay. Mother Nature provided these grasses with winter hardiness and reasonable drought tolerance needed to prosper in the Prairie climate — but University of Saskatchewan researchers have done their part, too. […] Read more
The recipe has to be just right when fertilizing your crops
Phosphorus and potassium work well when placed in the seed row — but nitrogen and sulphur are mobile
Reading Time: 3 minutes Nitrogen may be the first thing producers think of when they want to bump up their yield — but don’t neglect the other nutrients. “In order to get the maximum benefit out of all of our fertilizer nutrients, we need to have a balanced supply,” said University of Saskatchewan soil scientist Jeff Schoenau, who drew […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
