Livestock nutritionist John McKinnon examines three scenarios at how byproduct feeds can be used in cattle feeding programs.

Using byproduct feeds to influence profitability of backgrounded calves

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my last column, I wrote about some of the challenges facing producers who background cattle, both from a marketing and production perspective. Concerning marketing, emphasis was placed on differences between custom and owner-operated businesses. From a production perspective, both knowledge of cost of production and identifying goals of the nutrition program were stressed. Concerning […] Read more

calf and cow

Fed cattle prices strong, parched pastures accelerates yearling run

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the September 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle Feedlot margins are positive while packer margins have started to struggle. As packers push back, carcass weights have grown, supplies have increased slightly and beef demand dipped lower during the extreme summer heat. All this has contributed to a seasonal reduction in fed cattle prices.. From the June price high of $247.84/cwt, prices […] Read more


File photo of palmer amaranth — the taller yellowish plants — infesting a U.S. cotton field. (Photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Palmer amaranth pops back up in Ontario

Weed infamous in U.S. for multiple herbicide resistances

A single plant that showed up this summer on the edge of a southwestern Ontario cornfield is cause for concern among Canadian farmers, weed specialists warn. Writing Monday in the ag ministry’s Field Crop News, Ontario provincial weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough said the plant in question, found in Wellington County, is confirmed as palmer […] Read more

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Feedlots aggressively secure ownership

StatCan cattle inventory report due out soon

Compared to last week, yearlings straight off grass sold $3-$5 higher on average. In certain cases, larger groups of higher quality genetics traded $8-$12 above week-ago levels. Auction markets had larger volumes this past week and there was strong demand across all weight categories. It’s that time of year when major operations are stepping forward […] Read more


File photo of farmland around an abandoned farmstead near Swift Current, Sask. (ImagineGolf/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan front-loads AgriRecovery funding

Joint federal-provincial program development still underway

The Saskatchewan government says it will put up to $70 million toward “immediate measures” to support livestock producers, ahead of an expected federal-provincial AgriRecovery program for that purpose. Application forms are expected to be available via Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) “in the coming days” for funding “to help offset extraordinary costs of feeding livestock […] Read more

Close-up from the federal government’s initial assessment map for the livestock tax deferral provision for the 2023 tax year as of Aug. 10. (AAFC map)

Livestock tax deferral list begins in West for 2023

AgriRecovery work 'progressing,' feds say

The level of drought in parts of Western Canada so far this year has given the federal government a head start in drafting its list of jurisdictions where producers can get in on the livestock tax deferral provision. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Monday announced an initial list of designated regions for the provision for […] Read more


Young Wyatt studies his handiwork tethering Sam.

Sam

Veterinary Case Study: A favourite mule at an Alberta grazing association exemplifies hybrid vigour

Sam is an oddity and a legend at Willow Creek cow camp, Willow Creek Grazing Association, west of Nanton, Alta. He is an Appaloosa mule with a heart of gold. Anyone can ride him under saddle, from seasoned cowboys to kids learning the basics. You can rope off him and he will carry 200 pounds […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 75-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: October live cattle futures lowest since July

October hogs up almost a cent

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower on Thursday, with the most-active contract hitting its lowest price since July, as the market continued to retreat from recent highs. Futures and cash prices have jumped this year after drought reduced the amount of pastures available for grazing and prompted U.S. cattle […] Read more


A smoke column rises from a wildfire on May 4, 2023 near Lodgepole, Alta., about 30 km southwest of Drayton Valley. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire handout via Reuters)

Canada’s record-setting wildfires could persist for rest of ‘marathon’ summer

Country's fires account for over a quarter of world's carbon for 2023

Ottawa | Reuters — Record-setting wildfires in Canada could potentially continue burning at an abnormally high rate for several more weeks, though the spread of blazes is likely to start diminishing in September, according to federal projections released on Friday. Forest fires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian provinces and territories this year, […] Read more

cattle drinking water at a dugout

Unpacking a water quality test

Learn how to read the results of a water quality test and what they mean for your herd

Water quality is often overlooked when developing cattle rations. For every kilogram of dry feed consumed, an animal drinks between three to five kg of water. Temperature and feed type can affect water intake. As well, lactating cows have a higher water intake compared to pregnant animals. A lack of water reduces feed intake and […] Read more