In recent years, consumers have developed a heightened awareness regarding the source of their food, how it’s produced and its environmental impact.

Giving credit where credit is due

Nutrition with John McKinnon

If one were to take a poll of Canadian ranchers regarding their favourite restaurant, my guess is that A&W still would not rank particularly high. A lot of this animosity dates back to the natural beef campaign the company ran over the last five years. Many beef producers felt that this campaign, while extorting the […] Read more

In addition to ensuring the right “feeding situation,” there are several other important considerations when using urea as a protein source.

Revisiting the use of urea as a protein supplement

Nutrition with John McKinnon

Many of you will have noticed that calf prices have been under pressure this fall in part due to higher than expected feed prices. Both feed grains and many traditional protein sources (i.e. distillers grains, pulse screenings, commercial supplements) are trading at prices higher than a year ago. In the face of higher protein prices, […] Read more


Clean, soiled or frozen ears — How do you manage your implant program?

Clean, soiled or frozen ears — How do you manage your implant program?

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my last two columns, I focused on choosing the right implant for your operation and on options for re-implanting cattle over the course of a production cycle. While these are important aspects of any implant program, equally important is ensuring the proper placement of the implant in the animal’s ear. While this may seem […] Read more

One of the first steps to consider when choosing an implant is deciding on how aggressive you want to be with your program.

Choosing the right implant for feedlot cattle

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In last month’s column, I covered the various classes of implants currently on the market and traced the development of the technology over the last 50 years or so. With this column, I want to look at some of the factors to consider when choosing an implant for feedlot cattle, with emphasis on the class […] Read more






There are a variety of things to consider when feeding set-aside cattle.

Flattening the cattle supply curve

Nutrition with John McKinnon

Over the last 10 weeks or so that we have lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to understand the term “flattening the curve” and its importance to our public health system. With respect to the beef industry, the largest impact of the virus to date has been on the health and safety of […] Read more


Meeting metabolizable protein requirements of your cattle

Meeting metabolizable protein requirements of your cattle

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my April column, I covered the basic concepts of ruminant protein nutrition and introduced the concept of metabolizable protein. As a quick review, metabolizable protein is the protein — or more specifically the amino acids — available for absorption in the small intestine of the animal. Metabolizable protein is used to meet the animal’s […] Read more

It’s important to realize that an animal does not require “protein” per se. Rather, it requires amino acids, the building blocks of the various proteins.

The basics of protein nutrition for improved cattle performance

Nutrition with John McKinnon

Meeting the protein requirements of your cattle is a cornerstone of a well-balanced nutrition program. Not only is protein one of the most expensive nutrients to supplement, but it is also one of the most important from a performance perspective. Consider, for example, that protein requirements increase during the latter stages of pregnancy and with […] Read more