A study at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has found that bulls can eat feed contaminated by ergot alkaloids without it severely affecting their reproductive health. Vanessa Cowan, who conducted the study at WCVM, says they decided to conduct this study after producers expressed concern that ergot in their feed […] Read more
Study finds ergot has little effect on bull breeding soundness
Calving records support decision-making
Start simple by tracking two or three things to help make decisions when it’s time to pick replacements or cull the herd
Late March and early April come around for another year and on many farms in Western Canada, the chaos of calving ensues. In the wet and slushy weather of early spring, producers often find themselves wandering in the dead of night, breath still billowing in front of them, to check on a calving cow. The […] Read more
Global study looks at grazing’s effect on drylands
A recent study is untangling the interactions between grazing pressure and climate on soil quality in different sites around the world. Dr. Fernando Maestre Gil, a researcher at the University of Alicante in Spain, was the lead writer of an article published in 2022 in Science magazine called Grazing and Ecosystem Service Delivery in Global […] Read more
AMP grazing speeds carbon cycling, researchers say
A new paper published by the University of Alberta discusses how adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing can increase soil nutrient availability, soil bacteria and fungi and quicken the carbon cycle. The lead researcher on this paper, Upama Khatri-Chhetri, has been involved with many different projects at the university looking at the benefits of AMP grazing. For […] Read more
Reconnecting a First Nations community to agriculture
Terry Lerat, ranch manager for Cowessess First Nation, is using his decades of experience in the cattle industry to encourage young people in his community to get involved in agriculture
Snow swirls outside the doors at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Sask., as winter falls on the city in November of 2022. However, the fluffy flakes that fill the streets don’t deter the crowds. All around are cowboy hats and worn-out baseball caps, a sign of defiance against the bitter cold and snow-heavy clouds. Terry […] Read more
B.C. ranchers value docility of British White cattle
When Jenn and Tim Saunders decided to get into ranching, they agreed on one thing immediately — they didn’t want to be like everyone else. Having grown up on a commercial operation with Angus-cross cattle, Jenn Saunders knew that wasn’t the type of cattle she wanted to raise. All over the Prairies, you can see […] Read more
Canadian Beef Breeds Council to launch genetic data hub
The hub will allow breed association members to track and link genetic data, as well as everything from birth weights to ultrasounds
It’s Canadian Western Agribition week, and the aroma of mini donuts, hamburgers and smoothies mixes with the more distinct smell of livestock in every room. In the Queensbury Convention Centre, the crowd noise crowd has dimmed. Members of the breed associations are here for the Canadian Beef Breeds Council annual general meeting, and one of […] Read more
Alberta ranching family teaches cattle to forage through snow
Roxanne and Kevin Ziola transitioned their operation from a mixed farm to a grass-fed ranch, where winter grazing is a key part of their production
A panel of three producers sits at the front of a room filled to bursting with farmers and professionals in the industry. It’s a chilly day in December in Edmonton, Alta., at the Western Canada Soil Health and Grazing Conference, but these producers don’t mind the cold — in fact, they often use it to […] Read more
Withstanding extreme cold while winter calving
While many producers prefer spring calving, Matthew Ramsey shifted his calving season to January to avoid Manitoba’s wet April weather
Matthew Ramsey would much rather calve in January than in April. At least in January, he says, you know what you’re getting into. “We got to the point where April sucked every year,” he says. “Eventually, we came to the conclusion that we weren’t happy with April, we’re either going to go earlier or later […] Read more
Peace Region Living Lab includes learning cluster
The Living Lab, which spans the Alberta and B.C. border, has the potential to create a community of producers interested in trying new things
[Updated Jan. 3, 2023] When most people think of British Columbia, they think of white-capped waves on the Pacific Ocean off the Sunshine Coast, the sweeping, snowy Coast Mountains of Whistler, or trees hung heavy with fruit in the Okanagan. Most people wouldn’t think of a landscape very similar to Alberta, with gently rolling hills […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
