Dystocia, C-sections, dead calves, artificially induced labour and even vitamin and mineral deficiencies all increase the risk of retained placentas.

Dealing with retained placentas in beef cows

Strive to prevent retained placentas as much as possible, says a large animal vet

Spring calving preparations normally include gathering tools, repairing equipment and gates, and buying medications, hygienic and other treatment supplies. Once those items are checked off the list, most farmers and ranchers feel ready for the calving rush. Fortunately, most deliveries proceed normally but occasionally complications such as retained placentas occur, which demand additional preparations. Labour […] Read more

A cow in good condition. Maintaining a body condition score of three right up to calving helps ensure a healthier, more productive calf.

Cow body condition and animal performance

How much fat a cow is carrying through the winter affects everything from her ability to maintain her body temperature to the development of her unborn calf

Nutrients provided in the ration influence animal performance. Animals will either lose, maintain, or gain weight. The nutrition program not only affects the cow but also the unborn calf. Visual evaluation of animal condition can be misleading, especially with a winter haircoat. A more objective, hands-on method to evaluate how the cows are managing is […] Read more


Dr. Mike Krystolovich.

Young vets share challenges and joys of rural practice

Anything from winter weather to community dynamics can affect a new vet’s experience living and working in a rural area

The large animal vet shortage in Canada probably isn’t news to you. You may have seen a decline or rapid turnover of vets in your area. The landscape of large animal medicine is changing. What makes large animal medicine appealing to new graduates? And more importantly, what makes vets leave?  Establishing roots “It’s a very […] Read more

The Snobelens’ calving barn is a 50-foot by 180-foot pole structure, with turkey curtains on the west to allow for ventilation, and tarps on the east that can be rolled up or down.

Shelter, feed keys to successful winter calving

A Charolais producer and a beef specialist share tips for calving in the bitter cold of winter

Wanda Snobolen’s passion for her Charolais purebreds shines through when she talks about the care she takes when they’re calving. “When you’re calving and it’s -20 degrees out there, you have to get them dry — that is key,” she says. Depending on how cold it is, she brings the calves into a heated workshop […] Read more


If you are on the road to divorce, it is not easy, so practice extreme self-care.

When the farmhouse crumbles: Divorce on the farm

If you’re marrying into a farming or ranching family, what do you need to consider?

For several years since becoming a farmwife myself, I have sat at the kitchen tables with farm women, interviewing them for my first two published books — and having candid, off-the-record conversations. My Farmwives book project was a two-book series highlighting mostly long, happy marriages and advice for women marrying farmers today. I’d be lying, […] Read more

Roxanne and Kevin Ziola, along with daughters Josi and Cami, ranch near Red Deer, Alta.

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


Ferguson is more likely to buy “plain” cattle than “fancy” cattle, as he’s looking for a class of stock that can be upgraded.

Sell-buy cattle marketing with Doug Ferguson

Learn how one producer applies sell-buy marketing to his own operation

When Doug Ferguson was a teenager, he had three things on his to-do list — have a family, ride bulls and raise cattle. Even back then he knew he had to make money doing the latter to support the other two aims. The cattle marketer grew up on a mixed farming operation in southeast Nebraska […] Read more

The Ontario Agricultural College’s Beef Science Club at Soderglen Ranches, one of the stops on the group’s “Alberta Bound” tour.

Alberta Bound: University of Guelph students tour the West

The student group’s event co-ordinator tells us how they organized a tour of Alberta ag businesses

The idea of the Alberta Bound Beef trip surfaced two years ago in the thick of the pandemic. A few members of the Ontario Agricultural College Beef Science Club were chatting about how Zoom calls and online classes aren’t substitutes for hands-on learning and being face-to-face. They joked about travelling to places they couldn’t go […] Read more


A cow nuzzles her newborn calf. Anything from computer vision testing to a back-protecting belt may ease producers’ calving season troubles.

New calving tech and farmer-based innovations

Whether it’s artificial intelligence or a simple piece of equipment, there are several innovations that can help cut losses and make calving season easier

According to the 2017 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey completed by the University of Saskatchewan, 3.1 per cent of the overall 5.4 per cent calf death loss total occurred at birth or within 24 hours.  To help reduce these numbers, calving management and practices are constantly adapting with technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet […] Read more

Jim had prepared a calving pasture with access to sheltered corrals with plenty of bedding.

Cold stress in newborn calves

Veterinary Case Study: Although Jim had prepared a warm calving shelter, he hadn’t counted on a cold snap that threatened his newborn calves

Jim came to the office to talk about the 20 Angus-cross heifers he bought last month, bred to calve in February, a month before his cows. The heifers were in great condition and Jim had a clean, warm, well-bedded shed to protect heifers ready to calve. He could watch new mothers for a few days […] Read more