Feeding and pen environment

Feeding and pen environment

Canadian feedlot animal care assessment — Part 5

The starting point for assessing a feedlot’s nutrition and feeding program is documentation about the feeding program along with feed records, either on a computer or hard copy. Ten points are awarded for working with a nutritionist and/or veterinarian to ensure rations meet requirements for all classes of cattle, along with two points for each […] Read more




MPs hear about GMO technology in the beef industry

News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Last month, the chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council — feedlot operator Brian Thiessen — and executive director Andrea Brocklebank spoke to the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee studying genetically modified animals for human consumption. While noting that GMO technology has had very limited practical application in beef cattle to date, Brocklebank said that may change […] Read more


Sobeys locks in Atlantic Beef for P.E.I.

Sobeys locks in Atlantic Beef for P.E.I.

News Roundup from the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Maritime producers received a shot in the arm recently with the announcement that after 18 months of negotiations Sobeys is now offering Island View beef as its “primary” beef brand in the 13 stores it supplies across Prince Edward Island. P.E.I.’s lone Atlantic Beef Products plant is ramping up its slaughter and processing capacity in […] Read more

cattle on pasture, mountains

CCA Report: Preparing for climate change

From the November 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

In October, I travelled to New Zealand for the annual meeting of the presidents and chief executive officers of the International Beef Alliance (IBA). Comprised of the national organizations representing beef cattle producers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay and the United States, the IBA accounts for 46 per cent of the world’s […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Strong demand underpins feeder market

Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 above week-ago levels; however, weaned lower-flesh calves were $3 to as much as $6 higher. Southern Alberta calf sales are winding down while other regions are just getting started. This resulted in surreptitious behaviour from Lethbridge-area feedlot operators. Orders stretched across the Prairies, like a slow-moving […] Read more

Does feed efficiency affect fertility?

Does feed efficiency affect fertility?

Not enough to avoid searching out feed-efficient animals

Residual feed intake (RFI) as a measure of feed efficiency has been around since 1957, but its use was limited to the back barns of research because animals had to be meticulously penned and fed separately to monitor intake. Electronic tags for animal identification coupled with leaps in computer technology and wireless transmission of electronic […] Read more