Bart Lardner and colleagues recently published the results of a forage variety grazing trial conducted at the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.
Research
Comparing tame forages under grazing
Researcher targets fibre digestibility in cattle for forage efficiency
Initial research found surprising links between cattle efficient at digesting fibre and methane emissions
Dr. Gabriel Ribeiro walks onto the stage at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference following four other researchers in the Saskatchewan beef industry. This is part of the Cattle College portion of the conference, where researchers educate conference attendees on the work they’ve been doing in the industry. Ribeiro is an assistant professor and the Saskatchewan […] Read more
Wearable tech for cattle?
Researchers at the University of Calgary are looking into how collars on cattle might yield information to help producers improve bull performance and keep calves healthy
Efficiency is the name of the game in agriculture these days, with a need to find the best ways to increase the capacity of a producer’s operation. Open any agriculture newspaper or browser, and you’ll likely see a story laying out all the details of a new type of agricultural technology. At the University of […] Read more
Researcher evaluates benefits and risks of virtual fencing for cattle
A University of Alberta grad student ran a two-year study to see how NoFence works in the pasture
Interest in virtual fencing in cattle production is spiking as technology becomes more common in the beef sector. With so many different brands of virtual fencing offering so many different things, the question is whether virtual fencing is better than what has been done for decades. Alexandra Harland, a master’s student at the University of […] Read more
Fast action at the watering hole
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Antibiotic resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of disease in both humans and animals. When microbes are exposed to an antibiotic, those susceptible to that antibiotic die out. Those resistant to it survive, thrive, reproduce, pass on their resistance genes to their descendants and become more common. If those surviving bacteria cause disease, then […] Read more
Using reproductive tract scoring to pick replacement heifers
A project at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence is comparing conception rates of replacements to earlier reproductive tract scores
In Canadian beef cattle systems, increased efficiency accompanied by higher levels of performance is largely dependent on the female herd delivering live calves within a desired time frame. Most commercial operators retain and develop heifers for potential replacements. When adding numbers and quality to the herd, these yearlings become a critical piece of the puzzle. […] Read more
Investigating feed efficiency and climate tolerance
Researchers at the University of Alberta are looking into whether there’s a link between feed efficiency and weather tolerance in cattle
Research and trials have confirmed feed efficiency varies from one animal to another. It’s also true climate extremes influence a cow’s thermoregulation, but are they connected? Are more feed-efficient cattle better at weathering the peaks and valleys of climate challenges? These questions formed the basis of a recent trial at the University of Alberta’s Roy […] Read more
Surveyed producers report soil health benefits to cover cropping
Producers grazing cover crops reported soil health benefits, but cited a lack of information as a barrier
Callum Morrison finds himself talking about cover crops constantly. It’s a topic he’s happy to dive into. “My job isn’t focusing on cover crops, but I think it’s always something I’m going to be interested in,” he says. He’s been working in the cover cropping area of research for years since he started his master […] Read more
Researchers work with pen riders to fine-tune BRD diagnosis
Graduate student hopes to ‘crack the code’ for BRD by combining pen rider experience with new technology
Pen riders are quintessential cowboys of the modern era — riding through groups of cattle, cowboy hats or baseball caps pulled low to block the sun as they note every single animal in the feedlot. Even in the winter, with frost building on the faces of cattle, horses and humans, pen riders are riding the […] Read more
Living Lab integrates Indigenous perspective into ag research
First Nations communities are working with several ag and environmental organizations on a Living Lab in north-central Saskatchewan
Anthony Johnston dreams of Indigenous people returning to agriculture on Indigenous lands. He remembers a time when family farms were a part of Indigenous communities. He reflects on how the buffalo were key to of a way of life for his ancestors on the Prairies. Standing at the front of the room at the International […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
