
Tag Archives beef

The not-so sexy side of genomics
Breeding: News Roundup from the October 23, 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
New technologies are sexy if they meet three criteria: they open doors to new and wonderful things, they are disruptive, and they are profitable. Genomics is proving to be one of the sexiest technologies in history. All living things are based on DNA and so genomics, the study and manipulation of that DNA, can have […] Read more

Retail beef prices drive cattle sales
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
The North American beef industry lives or dies by how well beef sells in grocery stores and in restaurants. Retail demand right now, at least in the U.S., is stronger than it has been in quite a number of years. Sales have more than recovered from the challenges in 2014 and 2015 when retail prices […] Read more
Comment: Take the long view on CETA
As our Oct. 23 issue of Canadian Cattlemen arrives in your mailbox the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union will have been in force for about a month. Not much has happened since it came into force on September 21, at least as far as the beef industry is […] Read more

Abnormal weather doesn’t grow average forage
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Averages are useful statistics, but sometimes averages can be misleading. As the University of Saskatchewan’s late Iain Christison said, “the average human has one breast and one testicle.” Canada’s rainfall may be close to average this year — but much of the country is experiencing severe drought, and most of the rest is soaked. Either […] Read more

Heifer selection is in the eye of the beholder
Here’s how Travis Olson beholds them
There are many criteria regarding which heifers to keep and which ones to sell. Most producers have certain goals that help guide those decisions. Commercial cattlemen want heifers that will be fertile, productive, long-lived cows that stay in the herd a long time producing good calves. Purebred breeders want heifers that will produce high-quality seedstock […] Read more

A salutory summer slide
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
It sure was a salutary summer for U.S. cattle feeders who hadn’t hedged their cattle. Fed cattle prices plunged more than US$14 per cwt live from the third week of July to the end of August. Yet the market after that was still struggling to find a bottom. That’s certainly not how anyone expected the […] Read more
Pre-plan for emergency slaughter
Animal Health: An animal’s suffering should be ended as soon as possible
All producers run into the need for emergency slaughter from time to time to preserve the value of an animal and prevent the waste of good meat protein. By its very nature these are emergency situations so it is important to pre-plan the chain of events that would happen in cases when it becomes necessary. […] Read more

U.S. cattle placements spike in August
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers placed 1.93 million cattle in U.S. feedlots in August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday, in a stronger-than-expected report likely to weigh on futures early next week. Cattle placements rose about three per cent from August in 2016, USDA said. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a decline […] Read more
British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association has a busy year ahead
Associations: News Roundup from the August 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Members of the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association are facing a busy year, starting with the adjustment to a new provincial government in June, and offering assistance to producers coping with the devastation of wildfires in July. The BCCA office in Kamloops was swamped last month helping to put haulers in touch with producers needing transport […] Read more

Perlich Auction is 50 years young
Selling livestock is their business, but five decades later their success is built on a foundation of well-taught human values, a passion for the industry and respect for proper animal care
When the second generation to own and manage Perlich Bros. Auction took over the reigns of a well-established southern Alberta livestock auction service their timing couldn’t have been much worse. A few months after buying the business from their aunt in late 2002, BSE hit Alberta and the world livestock industry, recalls Maureen Perlich, who […] Read more