Stories by Helen Mcmenamin | Canadian Cattlemen

She will look a lot like her mom in a couple of years so this is a good time to think about whether that’s what you want.

Start heifer selection when calves hit the ground

By Helen Mcmenamin February 12, 2015

You’ve got more than enough to do at calving time, but a little thought and a few notes now could be a great investment in your herd’s future. Do that and a Nebraska researcher figures you will have most of the information you need in your calving notes to choose the heifers you want to […] Read more

Crops, General, Weather

Hail beats up southern Alberta for a second year

By Helen Mcmenamin July 15, 2013

Southern Alberta has had quite a beating from Mother Nature this summer. The hail season started early with crop-damaging hailstorms during the last week of May in both Lethbridge and Vulcan areas. Storms were particularly violent and widespread over July 5-8, when some motorists reported driving through hailstorms as tough as any winter storm and […] Read more

Crops

Don’t hold back when fertilizing winter wheat unless conditions are dry

By Helen Mcmenamin September 9, 2011

From the Sept. 12 issue of Alberta Farmer Express Winter wheat has looked awfully good the last two springs, when late snow and rain created muddy conditions that kept seeders out of the fields. Every field of winter wheat means one less to seed when the weather is against you. The extra bushels, generally at […] Read more

Features

Genetic Defects Are Uncommon

By Helen Mcmenamin January 24, 2011

If you calve enough cows, sooner or later you’ll see some sort of birth defect — an ugly calf born dead or half-alive with no chance of thriving. For the vast majority, it’s an isolated event and the cause is never uncovered. Some are due to lethal genetic defects, due to a defective gene carried […] Read more

Features

Ed Stronks likes it so much he’s offering it for sale

By Helen Mcmenamin May 3, 2010

Ed Stronks finally has a computer system that makes everything and everyone in his feedlot work better, and all his employees love it. The system has been such a success, they’ve formed a company and sold it to other feedlot operators. The computer system wirelessly connects key parts of the feedlot and automatically records ration […] Read more

Features

Speckle Park cattle fit this traditional work routine

By Helen Mcmenamin February 8, 2010

Greg Melchior doesn’t have time for cows that need a lot of costly inputs or constant attention, even if it is calving season. As long as there’s ice in the arena, the cattleman from North Battleford, Saskatchewan is busy teaching skating. He’s set up his cattle operation to fit his schedule with the minimum of […] Read more

Features

375 Calves, 2 Assists

By Helen Mcmenamin January 18, 2010

“ These days, we need more cows to make a living, but we don’t need more work.” Many cattlemen agree, but Richard Alger is making it work for him on his ranch at Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. The first part is that the calves are almost all born without help. This past spring, Alger had to […] Read more

Dairy farmers asked to pass on palm byproducts in rations, for now

Prairie farm slapped with plant breeders’ rights infringement penalties

Push on to prevent strike at Port of Montreal

GFM Network News

Dairy farmers asked to pass on palm byproducts in rations, for now

Prairie farm slapped with plant breeders’ rights infringement penalties

Push on to prevent strike at Port of Montreal

Author Archives Helen Mcmenamin

Start heifer selection when calves hit the ground

Hail beats up southern Alberta for a second year

Don’t hold back when fertilizing winter wheat unless conditions are dry

Genetic Defects Are Uncommon

Ed Stronks likes it so much he’s offering it for sale

Speckle Park cattle fit this traditional work routine

375 Calves, 2 Assists

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