a cow with Johne's disease

Narrowing in on Johne’s Disease

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Johne’s disease is caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, or MAP) that was discovered in 1895 by a heavily bearded, bespectacled bacteriologist from Dresden named Heinrich Albert Johne. When a cow develops persistent, watery, smelly hosepipe diarrhea, and progressively loses weight and body condition, even though her appetite is normal and she isn’t running […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC offers up new Starter Loans

“Preferential” loan rates are available to young farmers or agribusinesspeople planning start-ups through a new Farm Credit Canada lending program. Lawrence MacAulay, addressing the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting Wednesday in Ottawa when he was still federal minister of agriculture, unveiled the federal ag lending agency’s new Starter Loan Program. The program, according to […] Read more



Environment plays a big part in the potential for an animal to express its genetics, says PJ Budler.

EPDs only one part of the genetic selection formula

EPDs most valuable when used with best practices

It’s not everyday you visit a 7,000-head beef operation in Kenya, but that’s not the only reason the experience was memorable for PJ Budler. When he visited this herd of Boran cattle, a breed native to Kenya, for a consulting project, their quality left him amazed. “You could hardly find an animal that didn’t have […] Read more


U.S. livestock: Cattle end mixed, June sets new high

U.S. livestock: Cattle end mixed, June sets new high

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle futures finished mixed after touching a new contract high on Thursday, as concerns about cold weather tightening supplies underpinned prices. Forecasts for more cold, snowy weather in the middle of the country kept traders on edge after recent storms slowed transportation and weight gain in herds. Cattle typically […] Read more

Proper planning is always a part of getting through calving season successfully.

Why calving season is different this year

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

The first major event facing cattle producers in 2019 is planning for calving season. This year there is a new wrinkle in managing animal health programs on the ranch: establishing a veterinary-client patient relationship with a veterinarian. This provides an avenue to access medically important antimicrobials through a prescription as needed. There are few ranches […] Read more



Bulls will establish a pecking order when brought together, and breeding season brings out aggression.

Getting bulls ready for the breeding season

Take steps to make sure bulls stay healthy in the off season as well

Before breeding season starts, herd sire considerations should be front and center. Assess the condition of the bull battery well before the bulls are released into the cow and heifer herds. A good place to start is a breeding soundness exam which is a uniform method of determining a bull’s likelihood of establishing pregnancy in […] Read more