Good-news stories for beef producers are beginning to flow out from a massive dataset collected during a three-year carbon benchmarking study done to evaluate the effects of long-term grazing on native grasslands of Alberta. Some of the findings won’t surprise beef producers who see the positive effects first hand, but this is the first time […] Read more
The case for carbon storage
Alberta grasslands study to help develop policies
Feeding and pen environment
Canadian feedlot animal care assessment — Part 5
The starting point for assessing a feedlot’s nutrition and feeding program is documentation about the feeding program along with feed records, either on a computer or hard copy. Ten points are awarded for working with a nutritionist and/or veterinarian to ensure rations meet requirements for all classes of cattle, along with two points for each […] Read more
Does feed efficiency affect fertility?
Not enough to avoid searching out feed-efficient animals
Residual feed intake (RFI) as a measure of feed efficiency has been around since 1957, but its use was limited to the back barns of research because animals had to be meticulously penned and fed separately to monitor intake. Electronic tags for animal identification coupled with leaps in computer technology and wireless transmission of electronic […] Read more
With corn feeding, success starts with the planter
The fashionable consumer would like grass fed, that in itself is highly challenging, but there are merits to forage/grass diets
Corn is a powerful and versatile feed that can carry your herd through winter if you do a few things properly to get the crop off to a good start, says Breeanna Kelln, DuPont Pioneer’s livestock information manager for Western Canada. While corn is still a relatively new crop in the West, interest in silage […] Read more
Age verification is getting old
Nobody wants to say age verification isn’t worth the hassle, but neither will they say it is, at least not in the way cow-calf producers would like to see, with premiums. One message that does come across loud and clear is that incorrect birthdates create headaches and losses all along the value chain. The responsibility […] Read more
BIXS can track carcass data: Just the cost is unknown
Ownership of carcass information is one of the challenges BIXSco Inc. has had to address as it works toward creating a business model for information sharing across value chains and the industry at large. Packers have always had the option of charging half the grading fee back to producers who rail grade cattle. Even if […] Read more
From the bottom up, this barn has it all
It's the only one of its kind in the Ottawa region
Beef Farmers of Ontario’s ninth annual cow-calf roadshow stopped for a sneak preview of a new feeder barn at Foster Farms, near North Gower, Ont., that was slated to start receiving cattle at the end of September. The 120 x 650-foot barn is the only one of its kind in the Ottawa region and one […] Read more
Auditing facilities and cattle handling
Canadian feedlot animal care assessment — Part 4
Properly constructed facilities and appropriate cattle-handling equipment confine cattle safely and efficiently with minimal stress and risk of injury to cattle and workers, going a long way to help alleviate much of the stress and frustration staff experience when working with excited, stubborn or aggressive animals. Auditors award five points if facilities and equipment are […] Read more
The long road to building public trust
Insights into research by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity
Spring is the time of year on farms when everything in the world seems right. What a reality check then to read in early June that Canadians aren’t sure today’s agriculture qualifies as farming, and half of Canadian consumers are unsure whether the Canadian food system is headed in the right direction. These are key […] Read more
Potential new causes of pinkeye uncovered
Findings from a recent Alberta project have implications for management practices that could help prevent the spread of pinkeye (infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, IBK) within a herd. Relatively little attention has been given to pinning down the cause and prevention of pinkeye even though it is the most common eye disease of cattle worldwide, and highly […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
