By wintering with their mothers, calves learn skills such as bale grazing.

Wintering calves with the cow herd

Keeping calves on the cows over winter offers many benefits, these ranchers say, but producers may need to adjust their herd genetics and management practices

Winter feeding is one of the highest costs of raising cattle. Some ranchers who keep calves over winter are finding they can winter those calves more efficiently by leaving them on the cows, while also reducing illness and stress in the calves. Canadian Cattlemen talked to two ranchers to find out what it takes to […] Read more

A microscope-level view of damaged brain tissue from a cow infected with BSE. (USDA photo via U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

‘Atypical’ BSE shows up in Alberta cow

Spontaneous case won't affect Canada's 'negligible risk' status, CFIA says

Updated –– Canada’s first case of BSE since the country achieved “negligible risk” status for the brain-wasting cattle disease isn’t expected to affect trade in Canadian beef. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday it has notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of a case of “atypical” bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an […] Read more


File photo of a feedlot in the U.S. where cash prices have hit multi-year highs.

U.S. cash cattle market sees significant gains, Canadian market more subdued

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the January 2022 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle The cash market in the U.S. has seen significant gains, with prices reaching highs not seen since 2015. However, in Canada, ample market-ready supply coupled with recent packing plant labour issues kept a lid on local prices and led to a wider than historically normal basis. A huge shift in basis took place […] Read more

A heifer not only needs to maintain body condition and grow a fetus through the winter, but also grow herself.

Setting up young cows for success

A researcher and a seedstock producer explain why a little extra consideration for heifers and first-calvers through the winter pays off later on, and offer ideas on how to make heifers’ lives easier

Winter can be a tough time for young cows in a so-called normal year, but with drought leaving many producers short on pasture this year, cattle may be going into winter thinner than usual. That means heifers and young cows may need special care this year, says a research scientist. “One of the most important […] Read more



Sandy Russell sees great potential in standardizing how genetic data is captured.

Translating beef cattle genetic data into profit

The new leader of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council aims to create greater value by capturing and sharing genetic information throughout the supply chain

Sandy Russell is skilled at seeing possibilities and turning them into profit. Her career thus far has allowed her to assist different facets of the Canadian beef industry in finding greater value. Now she’s poised to lead a major initiative to capitalize on untapped opportunities to capture value from genetic data across the entire beef […] Read more


A commercial herd of cows and calves in Alberta. When selecting a calving season, one consideration is feed quality and abundance during the breeding season.

Selecting a calving season

When considering a different calving season, think about what you want to accomplish and how moving the calving date might affect everything from winter feeding costs to pregnancy rates

In a previous article, I talked about selecting good cows to make a good cow herd. So, what do I expect a good cow to do? Calve unassisted every year in the first 25 days of the calving season. That means that she will breed in the first cycle of each breeding season. Be a […] Read more



A display of Canadian beef at Citysuper, a premium retail chain store in Taiwan.

Market Intelligence Update from Canada Beef: Meat prices rise in Taiwan

As Taiwan tries to ease COVID restrictions, beef imports this year have dropped in volume but increased substantially in value. However, Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could improve Canada’s access to the country’s beef market.    In late September the Taiwanese government applied to join the CPTPP. Taiwan […] Read more

cows in a feedlot

Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes

Cow-calf producers selling sooner than normal

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at $275 delivered; the Alberta fed market has rallied $10-$12 over the past couple weeks. Secondly, U.S. feeder cattle prices have also rallied US$10-US$12 during the same time frame […] Read more