This is a time of year when cattle feeders — particularly cow-calf operators and those backgrounding calves — attempt to purchase byproduct feeds to supplement homegrown forage supplies. Typically, one looks for low-cost ingredients that can serve as supplemental sources of energy and protein. In some cases, brokers are involved with the search while in […] Read more
Don’t focus solely on price when using raw screenings as winter feed
Nutrition with John McKinnon
Minimize stress on arrival the key to starting calves on feed
Nutrition with John McKinnon
In my September column entitled The Fall Run Has Started, I discussed the relationship between stress, feed intake and health status of newly weaned calves. To summarize that discussion, calves that are highly stressed due to weaning, transportation, mixing and processing typically have low dry matter intakes (DMI) and are susceptible to disease, particularly bovine […] Read more
The fall run has begun
Nutrition with John McKinnon
With the fall run starting, cattle feeders across the country are looking to fill empty pens. Typically, this involves purchasing yearlings off grass in September/October and then filling up with weaned calves later in the fall/early winter. Assembling and transporting these cattle to the feedlot, while critical from an economic perspective, is only the first […] Read more
What a difference a year can make!
Nutrition with John McKinnon
From a feeding perspective, this fall looks to hold a great deal more promise than that of 2021. At the time of writing, slaughter prices are higher than a year ago and look good going into the fall. Feed availability is significantly greater than this time last year, particularly in Western Canada. Abundant feed supplies […] Read more
Silage quality versus quantity: The beef producer’s dilemma
If it has not already arrived, silage season looms for many cow-calf and feedlot operators. While it is not always fair to generalize, it seems to me that if we compare the dairy to the beef sector, one of the biggest differences in the silage program management is the dairy producer’s focus on quality. Beef […] Read more
Cattle and climate change: There are always two sides to a debate
Nutrition with John McKinnon
These days there is a lot of attention paid to the role that beef cattle play in the environment, particularly their role in global warming. Depending on which camp you are in, cattle are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Those who argue that cattle are part of the problem highlight […] Read more
Predicting cattle performance is not a simple science
Nutrition with John McKinnon
As a nutritionist, one of my tasks is to develop feeding programs that handle a variety of cattle types. In most cases, producers will have performance expectations for the cattle they feed. In the case of backgrounding cattle, this might involve targeting a specific average daily gain for a defined period. Finishing cattle usually involves […] Read more
A crazy winter, a horrific spring
Nutrition with John McKinnon
From a management perspective, this past winter has been unusual, to say the least! It seems at every turn, beef producers across the country faced unexpected challenges. Examples include the residual effects of flooding in the Abbotsford area, drought in Western Canada, extended periods of extremely cold weather and for some areas, near-record snowfall. All […] Read more
Feeding the lactating beef cow
Nutrition with John McKinnon
In my last two columns (see links below), I have focused on how the cow prioritizes nutrient use for different physiological functions such as maintenance and pregnancy. This month I want to complete the discussion by focusing on the events leading up to and following calving. Read more: Feeding the pregnant beef cow Read more: […] Read more
Feeding the pregnant beef cow
Nutrition with John McKinnon
In my previous column, I discussed how pregnant beef cows prioritize nutrient use for different physiological functions, including maintenance, lactation, pregnancy and growth. For those of you in Western Canada who were feeding cows during the last half of December 2021, you know full well how the cow’s maintenance requirements increase during extremely cold weather. […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
