Features

You shouldn’t assume DDGS is a feed stuff that will aid in buffering the rumen of cattle fed high-grain diets The ethanol fuel production process converts grain starch to alcohol and leaves behind a co-product— dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) — that is virtually void of starch, but rich in protein, fat and digestible […] Read more

They might find that a feed supplement provided at a certain stage of gestation permanently alters energy use and, therefore, feed efficiency in the offspring Epigenetics is an emerging field of research worldwide. Literally, the word means “on top of genetics,” says Carolyn Fitzsimmons, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist and assistant professor with the […] Read more

Cattleland Feedyards, a 25,000-head feedlot situated just north of Strathmore, Alta., has long been known for running one of the largest bull tests of its kind in North America. Four years ago, the company officially opened its research centre to facilitate custom research trials for commercial clients and expand its in-house research program. Fifty small […] Read more

The results are just in from one of the first trials to validate the selection of bulls for feed efficiency as measured by residual feed intake (RFI). No surprise, but this four-year study showed low RFI sires produce low RFI offspring. And those more efficient offspring shaved $8.50 per head from a commercial feedlot’s feeding […] Read more

The Braaten’s cattle drives have become a highlight of the spring and fall for many families around Birch Hills, Sask. But Diane and Dwight Braaten didn’t make the switch to pasture calving just for the fun of cattle drives. It was a matter of time — they wanted to keep their well-established careers and stay […] Read more

Even if you know your production economics inside out, custom feeding or pasturing cows or calves can be tricky from the business angle. A simple contract can clarify your responsibilities as a feeder and those of your clients. Grant Palmer and Bob Gwyer, business development specialists with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), suggest […] Read more

Traceability is no longer an issue in Australia. It’s become a part of doing business that the beef industry has bought into since it was made mandatory in 2005. Now that people know how it works, they support it just as passionately as they resisted it in the beginning, according to Garry Edwards, CEO of […] Read more