Winterfat is an excellent protein source for grazing cattle as it maintains its leaves late into the fall and early winter.

The Matador Community Pasture: A unique educational experience

Nutrition with John McKinnon

One of the privileges of a faculty position at a Canadian university is the interaction one has with undergraduate students. In my case, I co-teach a class where we take students on a seven-day tour of livestock operations across Western Canada. We cover everything from hogs to dairy, bison, chickens, meat and milk processing, and […] Read more


Protein kick needed for mature, dry forages

Protein kick needed for mature, dry forages

Nutrition: Supplementation will be important this year in many parts of the Prairies

In the fall and winter, most native forages and tame pastures are low in protein (unless fall rains have stimulated new growth), yet many stockmen try to extend grazing as long as possible through winter because winter feeding is the most expensive part of raising cattle. Depending on the protein source, adding a protein supplement […] Read more

Dr. Nora Paulovich draws water from the dugout into a solar powered Kelln waterer on her family’s ranch. Freezing around the inlet has been a concern.

Winter water systems for cattle

Keeping livestock water ice-free can be a challenge during colder months. In some pastures water availability is also an issue. Dr. Nora Paulovich with the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) in northern Alberta says her family ranch uses a system that brings water from a dugout into an insulated trough nearby. It uses a […] Read more


Extending fall and winter grazing

Extending fall and winter grazing

Crop residues are probably the most under­utilized source of winter grazing, says extension specialist

Extending the grazing season for cattle can help reduce production costs and there are various ways to increase forage production/utilization to ensure adequate fall grazing that can often be extended into winter. Lorne Klein, range management extension specialist, Ministry of Agriculture in Weyburn, Sask., says there are four sources of forage. “These are native prairie, […] Read more

It appears core body temperatures can be used to identify feed-efficient cattle on forage diets.

The search for affordable ways to track feed efficiency at the ranch

Core body temperature can be used to identify feed-efficient animals

A two-year collaborative study led by the University of Saskatchewan is looking for affordable technology beef producers could use to track feed efficiency in their herd. “The collaboration and co-operation across different universities and provinces and states… is pretty novel and key,” said Bart Lardner, a research scientist at the Western Beef Development Centre and […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Alberta harvest nearing completion

CNS Canada – Alberta farmers made significant harvest progress in late-October, with nearly 95 per cent of crops off the field as of Oct. 30, according to the final crop report of the season from Alberta Agriculture. On a crop-by-crop basis, spring wheat was 96.1 per cent harvested, durum 95.4 per cent, barley 95.6 per […] Read more

(Image courtesy Farmers Edge)

Self-checking field health mapping system launched

The farmer’s job of poring over satellite field maps looking for disease, weed and insect trouble is about to go automatic. Winnipeg-based digital ag consulting firm Farmers Edge recently released Health Change Maps and Notifications, a new function that automatically scans the company’s daily satellite imagery and alerts growers of any changes in field health […] Read more



Sometimes there are no answers to troubling questions

Sometimes there are no answers to troubling questions

Animal Health with Dr. Ron Clarke

Life is unpredictable. The hinterland between known and unknown is often blurred. Despite our techno-ability to scrutinize things at a molecular level, the ability to provide answers to troubling questions is sometimes beyond reach. Take, for example, the year-long investigation into TB discovered in an Alberta cow shipped to the U.S. for slaughter. The discovery […] Read more