Jose Alcivar, graduate student and researcher at the University of Saskatchewan.

Using reproductive tract scoring to pick replacement heifers

A project at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence is comparing conception rates of replacements to earlier reproductive tract scores

In Canadian beef cattle systems, increased efficiency accompanied by higher levels of performance is largely dependent on the female herd delivering live calves within a desired time frame. Most commercial operators retain and develop heifers for potential replacements. When adding numbers and quality to the herd, these yearlings become a critical piece of the puzzle. […] Read more

Woodchurch High School pupils Megan Pitt and Corey Gibson, 13, prepare their sheep for judging as they compete in the Young Handlers class at the Westmorland County Show near Kendal, Britain, September 14, 2023. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters

Urban school farm opens world of opportunity to British teens

Students from the underprivileged community have won acclaim at ag fairs, and some have gone on to be farmers, vets

The rural life of rearing rare breed sheep and nurturing alpacas is a world away for many urban teenagers. Yet a British school near Liverpool has opened its pupils to a wealth of jobs in agriculture and the benefits of nature with its own farm.



It’s much easier to write about treatment than get it done effectively. Many animals die from grain overload.

Grain overload in cattle

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

Only a few calls in practice were totally disheartening. Grain overload in a group of pregnant brood cows three months from calving at -25 C turned out to be one of the worst. By the time producers noticed signs of grain engorgement, cows were often really sick: staggering, down and unable to rise, dehydrated, rumen […] Read more



Dr. Gleise da Silva earned her PhD in Florida before being named the BCRC-Hays research chair in beef production systems at the University of Alberta. She is currently at the helm of a project looking for links between feed efficiency and weather tolerance in beef cattle.

Investigating feed efficiency and climate tolerance

Researchers at the University of Alberta are looking into whether there’s a link between feed efficiency and weather tolerance in cattle

Research and trials have confirmed feed efficiency varies from one animal to another. It’s also true climate extremes influence a cow’s thermoregulation, but are they connected? Are more feed-efficient cattle better at weathering the peaks and valleys of climate challenges? These questions formed the basis of a recent trial at the University of Alberta’s Roy […] Read more