A study at the Western Beef Development Centre (WBDC) near Lanigan, Sask., shows that pregnancy rates for heifers bred at 55 per cent of their mature body weight were on par with heifers bred at a more traditional 60 to 65 per cent of their mature body weight. This pattern held true in all three […] Read more
Moderate gains for heifers get green light
Pregnancy rates on par with more traditional mature body weights
It takes a neighbourhood to grow beef
As a former high school athletic director, Myron Pearman knows how far enthusiasm and motivation can take a person. He knows, too, that there have to be a few wins along the way to keep spirits riding high. Wins aren’t always measured by numbers on a scoreboard or trophies in a showcase; they can be […] Read more
Solid-state digester shows promise
If not for the small flare stack nearby, one would never suspect that the nondescript metal building at the Western Beef Development Centre housed cutting-edge energy research. This is the site of a one-of-a-kind research prototype designed to extract biogas released during anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in solid form. The solid-state anaerobic digester is […] Read more
Quality in: Quality out
17 Ranch has turned to silver cattle in a big way
Quality isn’t just part of Marty Armstrong’s business strategy, it’s everything. It’s what 17 Ranch has been all about since he established the backgrounding and grasser operation near his hometown of Eastend, Sask., in 2001. 17 Ranch flips as many at 4,500 head a year, adding approximately 500 pounds between buying in feeder steers starting […] Read more
Undernourished bull calves can’t make up lost ground
A bull’s fate as a potential herd sire is determined in large part by genetics, but its nutritional status during calfhood determines whether it will realize its full genetic potential. Nutrition at this early age, defined as the first 30 weeks of life, is often taken for granted because beef calves are usually happily nursing […] Read more
What to expect from a bull’s BSE (breeding soundness evaluation)
The ultimate goal of a bull development program is to raise physically sound bulls that meet or exceed minimum predictors of fertility established by the Society for Theriogenology. Bull breeding soundness evaluations (BBSE) can determine whether bulls meet the standards and help to sort future sires with good potential to achieve high pregnancy rates in […] Read more
Prepare for the unpredictable
Keep it simple, advises Shane Gibson
If anyone had predicted 20 years ago that Shane Gibson would someday run cattle as part of his farm operation, he would have said, “wrong.” As circumstances had it, he took over his grandpa’s herd when he was 15 and one thing led to another. Today, his time is split about 50-50 between his 300-head […] Read more
Four calving seasons per year spreads out the labour for the family and the bulls
One glance at Dean and Charlene Green’s cattle facilities lets you know they’re in the beef business for the long run. The solid construction of the pipe-rail corrals, roomy metal cow shelters, separate calf shelters and sizable calving barn lend an air of permanency that runs as deep as their family roots in the Thorsby […] Read more
Bale grazing on the Niagara Escarpment
Intrigued with what he had been reading about practices to extend the grazing season out west, Bill Redrupp was keen to give them a try on his mixed farm located on the foothills of the Niagara Escarpment near the former shipbuilding community of Collingwood, Ont., on Georgian Bay. About three years ago, he called Canadian […] Read more
Revisiting feeder and breeder co-ops
More than a low-cost way to finance cattle
Government backing for a percentage of bank loans taken out by feeder associations was a product of the Depression years in Alberta. Though it took nearly 50 years for the loan guarantee program to start gaining a foothold in other provinces, the long-standing success of feeder finance co-operatives and the addition of breeder finance co-operatives […] Read moreCanadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
