John McKinnon

Feed testing! I can just hear the collective groan go out across the country. Does McKinnon not have anything new to write about ? However, before you skip the page, I challenge you to read on and then ask yourself how you plan to answer this question. First let me put the question in context. […] Read more

Last month we looked at the growing movement towards byproduct feeding. One of the best examples of this trend is the use of byproducts from the ethanol industry. The last 10 years has seen a dramatic expansion in the number of ethanol plants across North America. At last count there were over 200 producing plants […] Read more

Without question, meeting the energy requirements of your cattle is the most expensive component of your feeding program. Typically we rely on cereal grains such as barley, feed wheat or corn to meet the energy needs of cattle for maintenance and gain and in some cases pregnancy. While it is too early to know the […] Read more

In terms of forage supply, silage remains a staple of backgrounding and finishing operations. Silage offers advantages both from an agronomic and a feed perspective. In terms of energy for maintenance and gain, corn silage that receives adequate heat units and is put up under proper conditions is a superior energy source to virtually all […] Read more

For many of you, haying season is fast approaching. Stored forage in one form or another is the basis upon which Canadian cow-calf producers plan their winter feeding program. In most cases, hay is the method of choice, although for some silage, swath grazing annuals, corn grazing, stockpiled forages and bale grazing are becoming attractive […] Read more

This month I am going to take a bit of a different slant to the topic of nutrition. One of the great things about working at a university is the opportunities you have to meet a wide variety of students and visitors from all over the world. Last month at the University of Saskatchewan we […] Read more

Professional nutritionists — what can they do for me, what are they worth and how can I find a good one? These are questions producers ask themselves when seeking advice on their feeding program. For many, their feed company has been and remains the primary source of nutritional expertise. However, today there is an increasing […] Read more

Last month, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture hosted a series of workshops on bull selection and evaluation. These timely seminars covered topics that all Canadian cow-calf operators should have an understanding of when making herd replacement and management decisions. The topic of expected progeny differences (EPDs) was addressed by Sean McGrath, a beef producer and […] Read more

As we move into the last stages of winter and begin to look to spring, it is a good time to review your calf-feeding program. This applies if you are backgrounding cattle for sale this spring or feeding for grass. Successful backgrounding programs have defined target weights, marketing dates and gains. Implementing the right feeding […] Read more

Now that we have gotten through another holiday season and are looking forward to a year that promises strong demand and prices, it is time to think about basic biology, particularly reproductive biology of the cow. While this subject may not make your top-10 list, it is important to refresh ourselves on the role nutrition […] Read more