Tough decisions ensue when rabies infects dairy cow

Veterinary Case Study: A farmer with a rabid cow wonders whether he and his family could be at risk

Jim stopped by the clinic to pick up vaccine, dewormer and meloxicam for processing calves on the weekend. He asked if we could talk privately. We went to my office and closed the door.  “I think I have a problem and need your advice,” Jim said.  “Just before coming to town, my 15-year-old son came […] Read more

When working cattle, look for the animal with its head up, and change angles every time it raises its head, says Sinclair.

The link between stockmanship and animal health

Lee Sinclair has dedicated much of his professional life to teaching producers about low-stress cattle handling

When Lee Sinclair would come home from college and university in the summers, he worked at feedlots, which is where his interest in low-stress cattle handling started. “Nobody had ever told me position, distance and angles make the difference. All we were taught is, we’ve got to get this done,” Sinclair said. “So you use […] Read more



Beatriz Montenegro Gonzalez was inspired by conversations with her ranching partner to look at how to supplement straw-based diets during drought.

Researcher examines straw-based cattle diets

Years of drought inspired grad student to look into ways of supplementing straw with flax and canola screenings so producers can retain more cattle during tough times

The latest stretch of drought spurred graduate student Beatriz Montenegro Gonzalez to examine the potential of wheat straw as cattle feed in tough economic times.  It was a chilly June day when Gonzalez, along with several other researchers, presented at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence field day near Clavet, Sask. As people filed […] Read more


‘You don’t control the price of feed and you don’t control the price of calves, but you do control the management decisions you make.’ – Reynold Bergen.

Beef producers weigh in on weaning, preg checking and more

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Earlier this year we asked you to participate in the industry’s Canadian Cow-Calf Survey. Knowing which production practices producers are adopting in different regions of the country, which they aren’t (and why) helps us target our producer-focused extension efforts better. The official report isn’t out yet, but here’s a sneak peek at some seasonally relevant results.  […] Read more

Fewer cattle means that beef processors have lost money most weeks in 2024.

Where are all the cattle?

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The question in the headline reflects the most pertinent issue facing the U.S. beef industry. That is because the U.S. cattle herd on January 1 had shrunk to its lowest level since 1951. A fifth year of herd liquidation meant the January 1 total for cattle and calves was 87.157 million head, down 1.9 per […] Read more