
Beef Cattle

Pain medication at calving and in the feedlot
Pain control is simply the right thing to do in some situations
Pain medication may come with adjunct treatment such as antibiotics but sometimes this is unnecessary. When veterinarians prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain, they may choose based on label claim, past experience in the field, price per treatment or per 100 lbs., duration of activity, ease of administration, advice of associates or slaughter withdrawal. […] Read more

Lessons from a neonatal disease survey
Calving: Measuring the incidence of early calfhood diseases across Western Canada
A very comprehensive survey was completed a few years ago by Dr. Cheryl Waldner at the Western Veterinary College in Saskatoon looking at the incidence of early calfhood diseases across Western Canada. Surveys were distributed to veterinary clinics across this region and randomly distributed to their clients. Thanks should go to the participating veterinarians and […] Read more

Unusual third assessment run for livestock tax deferrals
In an unusual move, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has undertaken a third assessment for the federal livestock tax deferral. “Federal officials are currently finalizing the analysis to identify whether any additional regions have met the criteria for the livestock tax deferral,” AAFC spokesperson James Watson said. Under the deferral plan, cattle producers affected by severe […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market easily absorbs adverse weather
Western Canadian feeder markets were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels but there were a couple of unique characteristics in certain regions. Quality yearling packages were $2-$4 higher in Alberta but fleshier replacements were discounted. Eastern Prairie regions had grass cattle under 600 lbs. trading $3 to as much as $8 above week-ago levels. Order buyers […] Read more

Cleaning and reusing medical equipment for cattle
Submitted by Drs. Mark and Dana Bergen
Submitted by Drs. Mark and Dana Bergen
(This article originally ran in Beef in B.C. It is reprinted here with permission.) Having a well-managed cattle herd inevitably involves giving them veterinary medical care from time to time. This includes preventative measures such as vaccination and deworming as well as treating sick animals. Most cattle producers through experience, training, and input from their […] Read more
Mycotoxins and beef cattle
Health: News Roundup from the January 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The Beef Cattle Research Council recently posted an article on mycotoxins and how they affect beef cattle. Mycotoxins are produced by certain types of fungi. Fusarium and ergot are two of the most common causes. Mycotoxins can be found in green pasture, cereal swaths, standing corn for winter grazing, cured and ensiled grass, cereal forages […] Read more

Rotating pastures to reduce scours in calves
Whiskey Creek Ranch uses ’tried-and-true’ pasture-rotation system that sees calving in February and March
Solid herd management practices mitigate the threat of a scours outbreak. While rotating calves through pastures is less common than some of the more obvious measures taken, those who do use it swear by its effectiveness. One such cow-calf operation is Whiskey Creek Ranch, owned by Clay and Jesse Williams. Jesse is a past Cattlemen’s […] Read more

Klassen: Fed cattle market lifts feeder prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $4 on either side of unchanged. Early in the week, the market was rather sluggish but a fortuitous bounce in the live cattle futures quickly spilled over into the feeder complex. Yearlings and heavier calves ended the week $2 to $4 higher. Feeding margins are […] Read more

Multiple uses for RFID tags
Traceability: There are still many positive uses for the tags
RFID tags can be useful to you, the Canadian cattle producers, as well as for traceability and unique animal identification purposes. More uses are emerging all the time. I will be the first to admit there have been problems in the past such as deadline changes, retainability and in rare cases inability to read them […] Read more

Bovine TB strain in latest outbreak new to Canada
Canada’s latest outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in domestic cattle involves a strain of TB bacteria not related to any previously seen in Canadian livestock or wildlife. Culture testing of bacteria taken from a cow confirmed as TB-positive in November shows it’s “not related to past cases of bovine TB in Alberta or British Columbia or […] Read more