Several projects of interest to the beef industry are in progress at the Centre for Innovative Information Technology Solutions, a.k.a. the RADLab at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, as it rounds out its 10th year of researching advanced RFID applications for livestock. The world-class SAIT RFID test lab is now in […] Read more
A decade of RFID at SAIT
UHF detection progresses to the field-testing stage
Annual clovers to the rescue
Annual clover may be just the remedy if your pastures and hayland are looking a little under the weather this spring. Performance Seed, a newly established forage seed company at Lethbridge, Alta., is introducing two new low no-bloat annual clover varieties that show good potential as stand-alone crops or in blends for grazing, hay, silage […] Read more
Gaining farmland advantage payments for ecoservices
Ecosystems meet economics for sustainability in B.C.
Returning from college to the family ranch was something of a reality check for Dave Zehnder. The open spaces, wildlife and other farm families that he had taken for granted as part of everyday life were being lost to recreational and urban developments in the scenic valley surrounding his hometown of Invermere, B.C. Lessons from […] Read more
Forages for all seasons
Nerbas family’s grazing program focuses on quality
The Nerbas family’s grazing program wouldn’t be the success it is without cattle that thrive in a forage-only system and the breeding program wouldn’t be the success it is without quality forage to optimize the cattle’s genetic potential. Figuring out how to mesh everything together to support three families has been a work in progress […] Read more
Drilling down on carbon sequestration
New 10-year study looks for a more accurate formula to calculate the carbon-swallowing value of native grass
Ranchers in all three Prairie provinces are taking part in a decade-long study to assess the cumulative effect of different grazing systems on carbon sequestration and other ecological benefits from a working ranch. In each province, 10 pastures managed under adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing systems for at least 10 years will be paired with neighbouring […] Read more
Boehringer Ingelheim/Merial merger business as usual
Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Canada says it will be business as usual as its head office works through completing its massive January merger with Merial, the animal health arm of Sanofi. In exchange Sanofi will receive BI’s consumer health care business. As a result, BI will move from sixth to second overall player in animal health […] Read more
Facing up to pain in cattle
Meloxicam brings comfort to cattle and producers
No ifs or buts about it, producers who used meloxicam to ease the discomfort of branding, castration and other routine procedures on young calves in the past plan to use it again this spring. Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce inflammation, pain and fever, and fortunately Canadians now have three long-acting meloxicam […] Read more
Stephen Miller closes the loop
Miller well-known for his genomic research in Canada’s beef industry
Dr. Stephen Miller jumps from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak, with a recent career change from the leading edge of fundamental research in beef cattle genomics to the cutting edge of its implementation. “It’s exciting to be involved in the decisions on how to put the research into practice,” says Miller […] Read more
Identification: Full traceability… we have a plan for that!
News Roundup from the February 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Full traceability for cattle is once again set to move full-steam ahead as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) renews its push to develop regulations that require mandatory premises identification and animal movement reporting. These two components, together with mandatory animal identification, in place for cattle since July 1, 2001, constitute an internationally recognized traceability […] Read more
Which bull sired that calf?
Parentage testing in multi-sire pastures goes under the microscope
Collecting DNA samples for parentage testing from bulls and the resulting calves from multi-sire breeding pastures is the only way to find out each bull’s value to your operation. A bull might come with a great package of traits you want to see passed to your calves, but the bull’s value is questionable if the […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
