The purebred herd starts calving in January and the commercial cattle about March 10.

Calving at Tannas Ranch

A family-run, fourth-generation ranch in Alberta

Mark and Ingrid Tannas, their son Luke and his wife Ceanna run 300 purebred Angus and 125 commercial cows at their ranch west of Water Valley, Alta. Mark is the fourth generation on the ranch. “Our family has been here about 50 years, and we built our first calving barn about 40 years ago. It […] Read more



There are few fractures today that cannot be dealt with in an economical fashion, says Saskatchewan veterinarian Andy Acton.

Dealing with broken bones in calves

There are many options for setting a broken bone

Occasionally cattle suffer fractures, and it’s generally a leg bone. Often it’s a young or newborn calf, and the fractured limb should be cast or splinted for proper healing. When Dr. Andy Acton with Deep South Animal Clinic at Ogema, Sask., gets a phone call from a producer about a possible fracture, he asks about […] Read more

Extra equipment for your calving kit

Extra equipment for your calving kit

Calving/Equipment with Roy Lewis, DVM

Just as a good mechanic has specific tools for specific jobs you too need specialized equipment during calving season. Each piece should be clean, disinfected and accessible when calving, and a little practice with this equipment beforehand is always beneficial. You may not need these particular tools often, but when you do they can save […] Read more


Canadian dealer Eric Fazakas, EF Ag Services.

TEXT from Moocall: Cow 37 is calving

Equipment: News Roundup from the January 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The text message woke Vern Luther at Craik, Sask., in the wee hours. Jason Evashenko, about a half-hour north near Kenaston, received the exact same text a month later while out for a family supper. As inconvenient as the timing was, neither minded the interruption because it meant a new calf on the way. The […] Read more

A simple vigour test for newborns

A simple vigour test for newborns

Give it two fingers to suck… that’s step one

Two simple observations at birth can tell you whether a newborn calf has the vigour to quickly suckle enough colostrum to achieve the protection of passive immunity. “Measuring calving ease and suckle reflex is a quick and easy method to identify beef calves that are unlikely to consume colostrum by four hours after birth,” says […] Read more


An industry in crisis

An industry in crisis

Is there a way back? Cow-calf producers hold the key

A cattle-feeding industry that by year-end will have lost an estimated billion dollars since August 2015 plus a cow-calf sector that has lost more than one million cows and over 20,000 producers in the past decade strongly suggests an industry in crisis. Cattle feeders might be excused if they are not quite as optimistic about […] Read more

young brown or red calf in straw

Veal code of practice out for comment

Animal Welfare: News Roundup from the November 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The committee working on updating Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Veal Cattle is on target to publish a draft following its seventh and final meeting in late October. A start date for the 60-day public comment period will be announced some time afterward by the National Farm Animal Care Council […] Read more


Photo: File

Six risk factors for BRD in feeder calves

There are many factors to consider to minimize BRD (bovine respiratory disease) when bringing in feeder calves. Knowing the history of the calves at weaning time, distance transported, vaccination and health history, as well as upcoming weather conditions will help you determine the level of risk. In bringing in calves, or for that matter feeding[...]
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