Cattlemen’s Young Leaders and Environmental Stewardship Award winners

NewsMakers from the August 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Growing up on a cow-calf operation near Innisfree, Alta., Dr. Lacey Tillotson’s love for animals inspired her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She studied animal science at the University of Alberta, and completed a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 2012 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Since graduating, she’s […] Read more

Researchers at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence are comparing the economics and outcomes of feeding calves in conventional feedlot pens and in the field

Ongoing study suggests value of backgrounding calves in the field

University of Saskatchewan research explores the possibility of increasing the province’s backgrounding capacity with lower input costs

Early results in a three-year study suggest field backgrounding your own calves could be an economically viable option for your operation. Ongoing research at the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence is comparing the backgrounding of steers in a field setting to that of a traditional feedlot system to investigate the potential […] Read more


CBIC is slated for Aug 11 to 13, 2020.

Canadian Beef Industry Conference goes online

Conference organizers opt to bring beef industry together virtually August 11 to 13

As the pandemic summer wears on, conference organizers are about to take the 2020 Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) into the virtual realm. The conference, slated for August 11 to 13, was originally to be held in Penticton, B.C. But with COVID-19 making interprovincial travel tricky and large gatherings impossible, organizers postponed Penticton to 2021 […] Read more

Government of Alberta invests in agriculture at Lakeland College

Government of Alberta invests in agriculture at Lakeland College

The Government of Alberta announced today that Lakeland College will receive $17.3 million in capital maintenance and renewal funds to invest in the WHT Mead Animal Science Centre. Premier Jason Kenney visited Lakeland’s Vermilion campus to celebrate how the project will create new jobs in the region and enhance student-led learning in commercial agriculture. “Alberta’s […] Read more


The spread of the organism can occur when cattle bunch tightly together, such as during high heat and humidity and when fly pressure is present.

Pinkeye in cattle can be costly

Producers should take a holistic approach that begins with preventing its spread

Pinkeye, or keratoconjunctivitis, is an infectious disease of cattle that costs producers money in several ways. “These include increased labour, cost of antibiotics, decreased weaning weights and decreased price paid at market for animals with scarred eyes,” says Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. One study shows that calves affected with pinkeye […] Read more

Native prairie near Hanley, Sask.

Grass-based production research challenging to conduct, says researcher

More variables, northern winters make grass-fed system studies more challenging to conduct in Canada than feedlot-based systems

Although nutritional and carcass quality research exists on grass-fed production systems, why aren’t there more studies in a Canadian-specific context? The answer, according to one of Canada’s top ruminant nutrition researchers, lies in the number of variables involved in these studies, including our northern climate. “From the perspective of a scientist, it’s much more difficult […] Read more


cattle on pasture, mountains

Study suggests high mountain disease connected to poor feedlot performance and carcass quality

Research at Colorado State University finds pulmonary hypertension in cattle raised in high altitudes still has health and productions implications when finished at lower elevations

A new study shows the connection between cattle with high mountain disease and decreased feedlot performance and carcass quality, even when finished at low elevations. This research, conducted at Colorado State University, examined the performance and carcass traits from high-elevation regions in relation to pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) measurements. High mountain disease (HMD), also known […] Read more

Plateau Cattle Co.'s Mt. Livingstone grazing allotment.

Ranchers fear loss of grazing lands due to coal mining projects

Public use of previously protected lands, water quality of Oldman River watershed threatened after Alberta rescinds coal development legislation

Laura Laing can’t imagine how her family would run their cow-calf operation without their Mount Livingstone grazing allotment. These native grasslands, nestled among the hills and peaks, with Cabin Ridge Mountain rising above the pastures, support a large percentage of the Plateau Cattle Company herd from early June to the beginning of October. “Year after […] Read more


A screenshot of the Meatocracy website.

Meatocracy app connects customers with livestock producers

App creator hopes to offer an alternative to traditional livestock markets

Invoking the power of producers. That’s the intent captured in the name of Meatocracy, a new app that allows livestock producers to market their meat directly to customers. “There’s other online services out there that source, for example, from a producer or multiple producers. But then they’ll do the mark-up and sell under their own […] Read more

Craig Lehr is one of five Alberta reps on the Beef Cattle Research Council. The organization is profiling the innovative practices of its council members, including Lehr’s operation near Medicine Hat.

Double cropping and low-stress handling pay dividends

Short Grass Ranches benefits from grazing a second feed crop and a new low-stress handling system

The Beef Cattle Research Council has launched a new series looking at the innovative practices and strategies of producers who are members of the council. (There are 14 council members representing provincial beef organizations.) Here is an excerpt from the first instalment of the series, which can be found in the blog section of beefresearch.ca. […] Read more


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