Don’t pass on ionophores when backgrounding calves

Don’t pass on ionophores when backgrounding calves

Management: News Roundup from the Oct. 22 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Travis Peardon, a livestock and feed specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Outlook, is urging producers looking to background calves this fall to add ionophores to their rations. “Ionophores provide protection against coccidiosis, improve feed efficiency and stabilize the rumen environment by reducing the incidence of bloat. The three ionophores approved for use in Canadian feedlots […] Read more

The Blood Tribe grows and processes timothy and alfalfa for export.

Dormant seeding forage crops — sometimes it pays to delay

Forages: News Roundup from the Oct. 22 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

For many producers 2018 was another dry year with poor conditions for seeding perennial forage crops. Since good moisture is the key to good forage establishment, fall may provide a better opportunity. Some producers delay seeding forages till fall because there is more time available after harvest and if left till spring, inevitably forage is […] Read more


ABP is currently discussing the improvement of existing programs with the provincial government, with a focus on filling the void of risk management tools specifically developed for young producers.

Alberta beef producers to vote on mandatory check-off

Associations: News Roundup from the Oct. 22 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Beef producers in Alberta are encouraged to make their voices heard on the issue of a mandatory check-off by voting during a provincial plebiscite between October 19 and November 13. The vote will determine if the provincial $2 per head check-off should remain refundable or become non-refundable. A return to a non-refundable check-off structure would […] Read more

The newly unveiled Canadian sustainable beef logo.

Canadian sustainable beef logo now available

Marketing: News Roundup from the Oct. 22 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

A new logo will help Canadian consumers identify a beef product produced under certified sustainable standards. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) officially launched its certification marks and the accompanying Communications, Claims and Labelling Guide on September 20 at its annual general meeting in Calgary. The marks and claims will be used in the […] Read more


An animal health tale about us

An animal health tale about us

Animal Health: News Roundup from the October 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

October. The cattle come off the mountain pastures and the prairie grasslands into the corrals where the calves will be separated from their mothers. The lucky ones will stay on the farm or ranch as replacement breeding stock or be fed on the home place so the stress of weaning is minimal. Others will be […] Read more

Cow with Johne's disease.

Saskatchewan’s Johne’s Surveillance Program renewed

Animal Health: News Roundup from the October 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Saskatchewan’s Johne’s Disease Surveillance Program, administered by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA), has been renewed for another five years with funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program. The Ministry of Agriculture developed the surveillance and control program for Saskatchewan cattle in the fall of 2013 but funding ran out under Growing Forward 2 […] Read more


Higher feed costs are expected to have an impact on all types of winter feeding systems.

Don’t let high winter feed costs stall reproductive momentum

Management: News Roundup from the October 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Across Canada dry conditions are contributing to a poor hay crop and uncertain feed grain production. Consequently, winter feed costs for cows are moving higher. Planning now for winter feeding provides an opportunity to utilize available feed resources most efficiently. Pregnancy-checking and assessing body condition of cows can help you make the best use of […] Read more

Farmer or rancher sitting on pickup tailgate, in a field, using a Smart Phone with his cattle in the background. Horizontal image would be good for agriculture use.

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency app gets an upgrade

Identification: News Roundup from the September 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) has added optical character recognition to its Canadian Livestock Tracking System mobile app, CLTS MOBO, available for Android and Apple devices. Technology information manager Waseem Rehman, says the new OCR technology converts lists of numbers into editable, searchable data for upload to the user’s CLTS database account. Using the […] Read more


Researchers see some promising uses for mRNA cattle vaccines, but they are unlikely to replace existing vaccines for common cattle diseases, partly due to practical limitations.

How and when to change vaccine lines

Animal Health: News Roundup from the September 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

There are many difficult decisions to be made when changing the brand or manufacturer of a vaccine line. Hopefully this article will clarify how to go about making the decision and avoiding any gaps or overlaps that could develop if the right combinations are not chosen. The real comparisons can be made when you know […] Read more

CBSA pilot shows steady third-quarter growth

CBSA pilot shows steady third-quarter growth

Sustainability: News Roundup from the September 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Third-quarter results from the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration (CBSA) pilot prove that this program is steadily increasing its supply of sustainably raised beef. Cargill recently announced that the CBSA pilot’s third quarter saw the production of more than one million pounds of beef sourced from certified sustainable producers. This is nearly double the initial volume […] Read more