Cedric MacLeod farms with his wife, Alanda, and son, Kalen.

Maritime beef farmer starts with the forage

Linking profitability and agronomy through forage production 
in New Brunswick potato region

It’s early July 2024 and Cedric MacLeod is already preparing for winter. He’s knee-deep in harvesting hay and silage that will be bale feed for his herd in cold weather. Calving has just finished. Yesterday, the last calf of the season walked up to him in the field. He’s so fresh he doesn’t know who […] Read more

Promotional image for Canada Beef's "Pick the beef with the leaf' campaign.

Canada Beef plans for future after busy first year

Keeping Up With Canada Beef

October marks the first anniversary of my joining the Canada Beef team, initially as incoming president under the tutelage of president Michael Young and later, upon his planned retirement, as president. I’ve learned a lot about the beef industry in this first year, starting with an introduction to the industry from the team and followed […] Read more


If you’re new to growing and feeding corn to cattle in Western Canada, remember that varieties and growing conditions matter.

Corn in Western Canadian feedlot diets

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Corn acreage is expanding across Canada. There are about 25 acres of corn for every acre of barley in Ontario and Quebec, where temperatures, day length and moisture allow predictable corn yields and feed quality. There are around eight acres of barley for every acre of corn in the Prairies, although ambitious breeding efforts are […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Western Canadian calf market surges

For the week ending 26, Western Canadian calf markets were up $8-$12/cwt on average compared to seven days earlier. Pee-wee calves were up $20-$25/cwt compared to the prior week. Finishing feedlot operators were active buyers in all weight categories while backgrounders were cleaning up on smaller packages of calves under 550 pounds. 


calf in a barn stall

Stress, biosecurity and bovine respiratory disease

Bovine respiratory disease isn’t going away, but there are things ranchers and farmers can do to reduce disease prevalence

Shipping fever. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Whatever name you give it, it remains the number one cause of death in feedlots. It pops up on cow-calf operations, too. The Beef Cattle Research Council’s website notes that BRD is a leading cause of death, illness and antibiotic treatment in calves from three weeks of age to […] Read more

Canadian studies and research from the U.S. show that feeding cattle low bushel-weight barley can reduce feed efficiency and average daily gain.

Light barley: To buy or not to buy?

This year, crop yields in the Prairies have improved significantly compared to the last few years, thanks to increased rainfall in Western Canada. However, the dry and hot conditions in July and August negatively affected cereal grain quality in some areas. This weather occurred during a critical growth period for barley, specifically during the filling […] Read more


A cow and a calf in a barn stall

Leptospirosis in people, dogs, horses and cattle

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

The story about leptospirosis started during a dog walk with good friends as part of our daily outing. They knew little about zoonoses and the importance of disease transmission between animals and humans. A recent article on “Leptospirosis” Linda read in an agriculture journal piqued her interest on the diseases shared by humans and animals. […] Read more

A black bear at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. Producers participating in the predation trials recommended an electric wire around deadstock composting pens to keep bears out.

Manitoba trials address livestock predation in farmyards

Sheep and beef cattle producers tried everything from solar fox lights to predator-resistant penning to reduce predation in the farmyard

Manitoba’s Livestock Predation Prevention pilot continued its 2020-23 assessment of various predation risk mitigation practices focused on cattle and sheep populations in and around farmyards. More than 100 total trials were completed on 48 farms during the three-year project with approximately 75 per cent of the costs covered by the project. Predator-resistant penning Seven high-tensile […] Read more


We must ensure our handling facilities are well designed, our handling crew knows they shouldn’t shout or use prods excessively, and we must move cattle as quietly and calmly as possible.

Low-stress cattle handling can pay off for producers

Glacier FarmMedia – Most knowledgeable cattle producers and veterinarians are consulting with promoters of low-stress cattle handling. From an animal welfare perspective and from a public perspective, it is important. However, does low-stress handling have additional benefits to the animals? Some Kansas State University researchers attempted to answer this question a few years ago and […] Read more

Cattle graze in a pasture at the Ontario Beef Research Centre in Elora, Ont.

Annual forages can extend the grazing season

University of Guelph researcher explores grazing options

Glacier FarmMedia – Can extended grazing be gained by integrating annual forages into a perennial pasture rotational grazing system? Kim Schneider, an assistant professor in the plant science department at the University of Guelph hopes to answer that question through a two-year study that incorporates annual forages into 48 acres of a perennial rotational grazing […] Read more