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Beef Cattle

Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder market continues consolidation pattern

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Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. The market was quite variable across the Prairies. Demand from south of the border evaporated due to adverse weather while southern Alberta experienced favourable spring conditions. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $260 on a dressed basis, up […] Read more
Setting up heifers for success in their first breeding season is crucial to earning back the investment in those animals.
Cow-Calf, Features

Establishing reproductive momentum in replacement heifers

Make sure you take steps to get the most of your investment

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Developing replacement females is an investment that can take years to earn back, making it essential to set them up early for reproductive success. Kathy Larson, research economist at the University of Saskatchewan, discussed the financial considerations of developing replacement females in a Beef Cattle Research Council webinar, including whether to purchase heifers or retain […] Read more
Researchers found that exit and flight speed from chutes are reliable indicators of temperament. Heifers generally score higher in exit speeds.
Cow-Calf, Features

Behaviour temperament scoring in replacement heifers

Different scoring systems have included chute, gait, exit and flight speed

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Due to consumers’ perpetual concerns regarding animal welfare, producers are displaying a renewed interest in the study of temperament behaviour in beef cattle. Producers are also searching for legitimate technology and data to keep them on the cutting edge in their operational and financial decisions. They face more and more studies out of universities and […] Read more
Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder market holds value

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Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged compared to seven days earlier. Buying interest for yearlings was somewhat stronger while calves in the eastern Prairie regions were softer. Moderate temperatures are in the seven-day forecast for most of Western Canada, so the risk discount due to adverse weather has evaporated. Barley jumped an additional […] Read more
Rafael Ramírez González judges the President’s Classic Show during Canadian Western Agribition in 2018.
Beef Cattle, Features, Livestock

Mexican beef producer finds top genetics in Canada

Producers in Mexico appreciate high quality of Canadian cattle herds

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Canadian beef producers frequently brave winter weather to attend bull sales and cattle shows. In the stalls and by the sales rings, breeders learn about each other’s operations in the hopes of starting partnerships, finding new genetics and sending their best into other herds. A western Canadian ranch or cattle show is also the perfect […] Read more
Beef Cattle, News, News Roundup

University of Saskatchewan scientists investigating effects of sulphates on cattle health

Research: News Roundup from the March 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

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University of Saskatchewan researchers are studying the effects of high sulphate levels in the drinking water of cattle. When cattle drink water with high sulphate levels, the sulphates bind trace minerals in the animals’ rumens, preventing them from absorbing necessary minerals. Potential effects include diarrhea, reduced fertility and milk production, slow growth, a depressed immune […] Read more
Cattle grazing at Glanton Farms.
Beef Cattle, News, News Roundup

Local producer groups take reins of guest instructor opportunity at Assiniboine Community College

Associations: News Roundup from the March 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

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Students studying forage and pasture management at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Man., are getting a little more mud on their boots and some real-life experiences rolled into their course curriculum this winter session. Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI) have designed a guest-instructor schedule from the excellent […] Read more
Environment plays a big part in the potential for an animal to express its genetics, says PJ Budler.
Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

EPDs only one part of the genetic selection formula

EPDs most valuable when used with best practices

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It’s not everyday you visit a 7,000-head beef operation in Kenya, but that’s not the only reason the experience was memorable for PJ Budler. When he visited this herd of Boran cattle, a breed native to Kenya, for a consulting project, their quality left him amazed. “You could hardly find an animal that didn’t have […] Read more
Proper planning is always a part of getting through calving season successfully.
Cow-Calf, Vet advice

Why calving season is different this year

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

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The first major event facing cattle producers in 2019 is planning for calving season. This year there is a new wrinkle in managing animal health programs on the ranch: establishing a veterinary-client patient relationship with a veterinarian. This provides an avenue to access medically important antimicrobials through a prescription as needed. There are few ranches […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending March 15, 2019.

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