Acidosis prevention is especially critical during the transition to high-grain diets when cattle enter the finishing phase in the feedlot.

Rethinking transition diets for finishing cattle

Feed additive shows promise for accelerating dietary transitions in feedlot cattle

Among the most prevalent diseases in feedlot cattle, ruminal acidosis ranks second only to respiratory diseases in contributing to morbidity, mortality and economic losses. Given its effect on animal welfare and profitability, preventing acidosis remains a key focus in feedlot cattle research. In this month’s column, we want to discuss the role of transition diets […] Read more

a herd of commercial Hereford-Simmental cattle on crop stubble with snow

IBR is a serious cause of abortion in beef cattle

Veterinary Case Study: After buying new stock, a rancher’s cow herd starts aborting third-trimester calves

Early one morning in January, Alf called upset over what he found when checking his herd of purebred Herefords. Lying in the straw were three aborted fetuses and two other cows appeared to be in the process of aborting third-trimester fetuses. Alf, an excellent stockman but very worried, asked the hard question of what might […] Read more


L to R: Dennis Laycraft (CCA executive vice president), Jennifer Babcock (CCA senior director, government and public affairs), Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture), Nathan Phinney and Ed Farrell.

Passing the presidential baton

CCA Reports, from the April 2025 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

As I write this message, my time as president is rapidly coming to an end. I am thankful for my family’s support at home and the support of so many crews that let the Canadian Cattle Association’s (CCA) elected leadership take time away to serve the industry beyond the home operation. Our voice as cattle […] Read more

A newborn cow stands in straw

Preparing for calving season

Veterinary Case Study: Dr. Clarke coaches a beef producer who has purchased 50 first-calf heifers right before calving season

Jim came into the clinic one day. He’d even called ahead to say he needed a few minutes of my time to talk about the 50 new heifers he bought and what they might need to help them through calving season without problems. Jim had become an astute cattleman through the years, always trying to […] Read more


A cow disposes of the afterbirth as two young calves lay nearby. Newborn calves are vulnerable to disease, so farmers and ranchers should strive to reduce disease risk during calving season.

Reducing disease risk from calving season onwards

Whether it’s scours or Johne’s disease, farmers and ranchers can reduce the chance of transmitting it

With winter calving almost at a close, grassland producers are preparing for their own spring calving season. Chad Ross calves his herd of 800 to 1,100 cows as close to nature as he can. The owner and operator of L-7 Land and Cattle at Estevan, Sask., switched to grassland calving in the mid-2000s. Unless a […] Read more

calf in a pasture

Causes and risk factors of abortion in cattle

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

When examining abortion in cattle, it’s important to look at incidence, cause, definition, when to summon help and what to do. As an aid to producers, abortion can be defined as terminating pregnancy any time after around 42 days, when placentation is complete. Placentation is the establishment of membranes joining mother and fetal blood supply […] Read more


Jim and Barb Bauer

Flexibility key to surviving drought

Long-time rancher discusses how he adjusts his 
grazing and feeding plans based on conditions

Grazing and its likely availability is at the heart of every management decision at Jim and Barb Bauer’s Anchor J Ranch near Acme, in central Alberta. Even after 40 years of grazing on that land Jim still makes a grazing plan, usually in February. “I don’t want two groups of cattle sharing a dugout,” he […] Read more

tool taking an ear tissue sample for DNA testing

DNA samples at calving could be new norm

Alberta cattle producer says it’s time for the beef industry to catch up

For seed stock producers, taking DNA samples from newborn calves is becoming more common. Most seed stock herds calve in the winter when the temperature can dip to around -30 C or beyond, snow sparkling under a harsh winter sun. At that time of year, there is already so much to do, and adding another […] Read more



a group of cattle in a feedlot

Biosecurity on beef cattle operations

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

The term “biosecurity” is used throughout all aspects of food production, from growing food to moving commodities between different sectors, placement on grocery shelves and finally consumption and waste management. They are all related and all have their biosecurity plans. Those plans seldom account for what comes before and what follows. For the livestock industry, […] Read more