For many readers, as this article comes to press, silage season is either just starting or about to start. Putting up high-quality silage is both an art and a science. With this article I will review some of the key aspects of silage fermentation management that relate to putting up high-quality silage. Before we focus […] Read more
McKinnon: It’s silage season again
McKinnon: Feed grain options expanding for cattle
Nutrition with John McKinnon
One of the questions I get from beef producers relates to the relative feeding value of the various feed grains. Typically this question has focused on barley, wheat and oat grain. However, increasingly producers are asking how corn grain compares as both an energy and protein source. While to some this may seem like a […] Read more
Don’t delay planning your winter feed supply
Nutrition with John McKinnon
This past winter was challenging, particularly for those of you who experienced drought in 2018. Feed supplies were extremely tight and compounded by unseasonably cold weather in February and March. As a result, many producers had to scramble to get sufficient feed to carry their cattle through the winter. While it is too early to […] Read more
The nature and design of backgrounding rations
Nutrition with John McKinnon
Over the past number of years, I have had the opportunity to work with several operations whose business plans focus on backgrounding weaned calves. These programs generally fall into one of two categories. The first involves feeding calves weighing 550 to 650 pounds over the winter and marketing them in the spring at weights ranging […] Read more
Managing a mineral program for cattle
Nutrition with John McKinnon
Last month I wrote on the importance of a mineral feeding program and focused on some of the more common questions producers have on this topic. As we move through calving and into the breeding season, ensuring that your cattle have access to the right minerals is only one part of a successful mineral feeding […] Read more
Finding the right minerals for your cow-calf operation
Nutrition with John McKinnon
As this column goes to press, the 2019 calving season will be starting for some while for others it will unfold over the next three to four months. In this column we have stressed the importance of proper nutrition during this period, both for the health of the cow and calf and for the success […] Read more
‘As fed’ or ‘dry matter’ — does it matter?
Nutrition with John McKinnon
When I visit with beef producers about their feeding program, I often sense confusion when I talk feed dry matter (DM) values or express intakes on a DM basis. Most producers, when they think of their feeding program, think “as fed” and have difficulty converting to DM. Getting this conversion correct, however, is critical to […] Read more
In the blink of an eye
Nutrition with John McKinnon
Writing this column is somewhat of a reflective event, as it is the last column I will write as a member of the University of Saskatchewan agriculture faculty. I have been blessed to have worked at the U of S for 32 years, the last 26 of which I have served as the Saskatchewan Beef […] Read more
Are you ready for December 1, 2018?
Nutrition with John McKinnon
December 1, 2018, is an important date that all Canadian beef producers should be aware of. It marks the end of the phase-in period, after which Health Canada will enforce new regulations as to how medically important antimicrobials (MIA) that were previously sold over the counter without veterinary prescription are regulated, dispensed and used within […] Read more
The Matador Community Pasture: A unique educational experience
Nutrition with John McKinnon
One of the privileges of a faculty position at a Canadian university is the interaction one has with undergraduate students. In my case, I co-teach a class where we take students on a seven-day tour of livestock operations across Western Canada. We cover everything from hogs to dairy, bison, chickens, meat and milk processing, and […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
