Daily Network News

More News →

Cow-Calf

A beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says producers should try to keep calving areas well drained.
Cow-Calf, Livestock, Scours, Vet advice

Fighting mud at calving season

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

By
Muddy corrals in early spring are unacceptable for calving. Mud can be a sign of neglect or the unfortunate result of late spring snow storms severe enough to backfill crowded corrals to the point calves are trampled and smothered, or forced to live in the squalor of mud, cold and discomfort. Mud, if not managed […] Read more
calves on pasture
Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

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

By
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
Recent research from the University of Alberta finds that adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing can speed the carbon cycle.
Cow-Calf, News Roundup, Research

AMP grazing speeds carbon cycling, researchers say

By
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
Dystocia, C-sections, dead calves, artificially induced labour and even vitamin and mineral deficiencies all increase the risk of retained placentas.
Calving, Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

Dealing with retained placentas in beef cows

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

By
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-Calf, Features, Livestock

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

By
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
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.
Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

Shelter, feed keys to successful winter calving

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

By
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
Stress matters as it depresses a calf’s immune system and increases the risks of disease.
Animal Health, Bovine Respiratory Disease, Cow-Calf, Livestock, Research

Keeping calves healthy

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

By
Cow-calf margins get tighter each time you feed a pregnant cow through the winter, only to have her calf die before weaning. Three leading causes of pre-weaning death loss are diarrhea, navel ill and bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Not all calf illness and death can be prevented, especially when the weather gets bad, but remembering […] Read more
The 200th calf born on the Ramsey ranch in January 2021.
Calving, Cow-Calf, Features, Livestock

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

By
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

AgCanadaTV

AgCanada TV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for April 17, 2026

Sponsored by:
More Videos →

Latest Market News

More Market News →