Debbie Furber

Straw is a major ingredient in beef cow rations this year due to the shortage and high cost of hay in many parts of the country, particularly Western Canada. With the cold of winter now upon us and herds entering the third stage of gestation it’s important to understand the special considerations when feeding straw-based […] Read more

Environmental stewardship is a family affair on the Simonson ranch in the Missouri Coteau south of Dinsmore, Sask., where Daryk, Bonnie and their children, Denae, Karmen and Shae, ranch with Daryk’s parents, Elmer and Faye. The family was the recipient of Saskatchewan’s 2009 Environmental Stewardship Award. Daryk and Bonnie are the fourth generation on the […] Read more

Employees at a B.C. community pasture with a long history of predator problems were at their wits’ end. Attacks were happening year after year despite the use of poisons and other means to remove wolves. All of that changed five years ago, after the wildlife control specialist from the Wild Predator Loss, Control and Compensation […] Read more

Jay Fox is looking forward to his first term as president of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association with the same enthusiasm he has for ranching and for the same reason he and his wife, Angie, do what they do. At the end of the day, they hope that their contributions will in some way make […] Read more

Calves born with a condition commonly known as weak calf syndrome often die within minutes after birth, while others live for a few days. They are generally depressed and often unable to stand, walk or nurse without assistance. Caring for these calves takes a lot of time and work, yet the effort is seldom successful. […] Read more

A wolf attack on cattle is usually neither quick nor efficient. There’s a long, noisy chase with biting at the legs, flanks and hindquarters. Injuries on the nose and neck are simply indications of a distraction when a number of wolves are involved. Sometimes the dominant wolves will wound the prey, then leave the animal […] Read more

A project to test the feasibility of using natural filtration to treat runoff from areas where cattle are confined is showing promise as a low-cost, low-maintenance option for cow-calf producers who have wintering sites or calving grounds near waterways. Alan Stewart, a soil-resource specialist, and Sharon Reedyk, a water-quality specialist, with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s […] Read more

The beef industry has undergone cycles of great change since Lewis Farms introduced Simmental cattle into the herd more than 40 years ago. The farm’s mantra — built on a foundation of family working together — is one aspect that hasn’t changed through four generations. Ernie and Ellis Lewis founded the farm in the Winterburn […] Read more

Cattleland Feedyards, a 25,000-head feedlot situated just north of Strathmore, Alta., has long been known for running one of the largest bull tests of its kind in North America. Four years ago, the company officially opened its research centre to facilitate custom research trials for commercial clients and expand its in-house research program. Fifty small […] Read more

The results are just in from one of the first trials to validate the selection of bulls for feed efficiency as measured by residual feed intake (RFI). No surprise, but this four-year study showed low RFI sires produce low RFI offspring. And those more efficient offspring shaved $8.50 per head from a commercial feedlot’s feeding […] Read more