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
CATTLELAND DIVERSIFIES WITH RESEARCH
Study Says Low Rfi Bulls Sire Feed-Efficient Calves
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
…and allowed the Braatens to keep their day jobs
The Braaten’s cattle drives have become a highlight of the spring and fall for many families around Birch Hills, Sask. But Diane and Dwight Braaten didn’t make the switch to pasture calving just for the fun of cattle drives. It was a matter of time — they wanted to keep their well-established careers and stay […] Read more
Write it down
Even if you know your production economics inside out, custom feeding or pasturing cows or calves can be tricky from the business angle. A simple contract can clarify your responsibilities as a feeder and those of your clients. Grant Palmer and Bob Gwyer, business development specialists with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), suggest […] Read more
Communication Is The Key To Safety
The safety of people often falls by the wayside in the discussion about animal welfare. Michelle Welsh of Welsh Animal Wellness incorporates the human aspect into her RANGE program when she designs customized training seminars for ranchers, feedlots, women’s ranching workshops and 4-H groups. Welsh has garnered a wealth of knowledge of animal health and […] Read more
Alberta’s Carbon Offsets Capture Value
The province of Alberta has been operating a provincial carbon offset trading program for the past two years. Canada’s carbon offset system, which will function very much like the one in Alberta, is on track to launch early in the new year. The demand for carbon offsets in Alberta was created by provincial legislation passed […] Read more
Here’s How A Cattle Feeder’s Banker Assesses Risk
Doug Thiessen, senior manager of group risk management for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), opened eyes to the financial realities of the cattle feeding business at this year’s Western Canada Feedlot Management School. Thiessen came into the world of finance in an unusual way, through his experience in the livestock industry. He’s no stranger […] Read more
Australian Traceability Put To The Test In Alberta
Traceability is no longer an issue in Australia. It’s become a part of doing business that the beef industry has bought into since it was made mandatory in 2005. Now that people know how it works, they support it just as passionately as they resisted it in the beginning, according to Garry Edwards, CEO of […] Read more
A QUICK WAY TO SPOT PREGNANT HEIFERS
Pregnant heifers in the feedlot cost owners time and money regardless of how they are managed. A management program designed with input from a veterinarian can help to minimize losses and address a situation that’s not of the feedlot’s own making. Veterinarian Andrew Bronson of BioCheck Veterinarian Diagnostics and Technologies at Lethbridge, Alta. has designed […] Read more
SEED AVAILABLE FOR NEW CATTLE OAT SO-1
The new low-lignin hull, high-oil (fat) groat oat variety, CDC SO-1, will be commercially available in limited quantities for the 2010 growing season. Beef producers have been following the development of this new feed oat variety as feeding trials were carried out at the University of Saskatchewan using the prototype lines during the early stages […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
