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Author Archives Jeff Melchior

Aaron Birch and Joe Barnett — co-owners of Twin View Livestock near the southern Saskatchewan hamlet of Parkbeg — have been helping clients adjust to buying and selling cattle online since the COVID-19 pandemic hit early in 2020.
Features, Livestock, Markets

2020 was ground zero for online cattle marketing, say producers

How two purebred cattle operations used social media to weather the COVID-19 pandemic storm

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As long as most people can remember, live cattle shows and auctions have been essential to the cattle industry. They’re not only a key way for cattle producers to market their product, but they also offer plenty of opportunities to socialize with other cattlemen and women, trade production secrets and — maybe just occasionally — […] Read more
Using two hands to deliver a SubQ injection is easier, but one hand is generally safer for the handler.
Features

Don’t stick yourself — take care when injecting

Knowing proper injection techniques can save you from discomfort and harm, vet says

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Knowing proper injection techniques can save you from discomfort and harm, says vet

No one giving injections to cattle wants to accidentally get stuck with a needle; most producers will do everything in their power not to. And yet it happens, and the results can be deadly. Just ask Dr. Cody Creelman. “A producer was treating a sick calf from the cab of his truck. He was filling […] Read more
Students learning about equipment maintenance and repair. Pictured from left to right: Magalie Steiner, instructor Lynn Bonner and Majeed Nashiru.
Features, News

College program offers employment-ready ranching skills

B.C.-based program gets students’ hands dirty while focusing on operation and land management

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If you wanted to get a well-rounded view of what it’s like to ranch in virtually any part of the country, you’d be hard-pressed to do much better than Williams Lake, B.C. Nestled in the central interior region of the province, the city is square in the middle of one of the most diverse environments […] Read more
Dan and Heather Brundige started feeding their purebred bulls a mix of CDC Super Oats and barley last year, with good results.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Ranchers talk turkey about purebred bulls

Two seedstock bull producers share how they develop marketable breeding males

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There are many decisions which weigh into raising a saleable purebred bull. Do you focus on weight or conditioning? What kind of feeding program do you need to meet that goal? How do you keep them healthy and productive in the bitter winter conditions common across much of the Prairies? Seedstock producers will likely tell […] Read more
Landscape in the Qu’Appelle Valley, about 30 km. north of Regina, Sask. Consider location and logistics when deciding where to purchase land.
Features, Livestock

Don’t fall into a ditch when expanding your land base

Affordability, planning and flexibility are all key factors to consider before moving onto new pasture

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For most beef producers — especially those grazing cattle on pasture — land is your gold. And chances are that at some point you’re going to want more of it. The problem is demand for land today is arguably higher than ever. Precision farming has enabled grain and oilseed producers to crop on pasture-worthy marginal […] Read more
Tyler Fewings believes lifelong learning is vital in today’s beef industry.
Beef Cattle, Features

The challenge of starting a cattle ranch from scratch

Thinking outside the box, taking advice from mentors and old-fashioned hard work are vital to tackling challenges, say farm advisors

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While there are plenty of exceptions, beef operations have traditionally been cross-gener­ational family businesses. There’s a good reason for that: while inheriting land doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve hit a home run, it at least puts you on a base. But what about those young, hopeful beef producers who want to get in the game but […] Read more
Cannon Smith answers questions on using Herdly from rancher Travis Hartley of Aetna, Alta.
Beef Cattle, Features

Former Alberta rancher delivers high-tech ranch management

Cannon Smith finds there is life after ranching by developing software for the industry


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In 2008, Cannon Smith had a big decision to make. Like many cattle producers at the time, the lifelong southern Alberta rancher was being rocked by the lingering price effects of BSE. His hog operation was also in jeopardy from free-falling pork prices. Smith had two choices: either exit livestock production altogether or embrace a […] Read more
Off-site watering systems help provide cleaner water, which in turn provides higher weight gains.
Forages, Livestock

Putting beavers to work with the aim for more weight gain

Abundant clean water means more pounds of beef, and an Alberta project demonstrates how beavers can help provide it

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Ask many farmers or ranchers if they like having beavers on their land and you may have to wait a moment as they finish choking on their coffee. You may then be on the receiving end of a tirade about what a headache it was to clean up a flooded access road or clear a […] Read more
Photo: Canola Council of Canada
Crops

Four steps for better seeding this spring

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It’s an age-old conundrum: You need to expand so you acquire more acres of land to get more return, but then the rush to get a crop in means seeding some acres too early, too late, or too fast. “There’s a lot of potential for making a mistake when it comes to seeding,” said Harry[...]
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Studies in three Prairie provinces used covers to block rainfall and simulate various levels of drought.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Stocking rates key to climate change adjustment

Low defoliation rates and leaving lots of litter are best for coping with weather variations from year to year

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Fast and hard? Slow and easy? And how many animals per acre? Stocking and defoliation rates are a complex and even controversial issue, and depend a lot on the weather. Climate change could make them even more complex. To get a better idea on how producers should respond, Edward Bork and a team from the[...]
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