
Tag Archives breeding

Raising ‘low input’ cows in Manitoba
Stefan Bouw and his family focus on maternal, forage-developed cows on their seed stock operation
The Bouw household likely isn’t found standing still very often. With four children, Bouw Farms Ltd. and Edie Creek Angus, Stefan and his wife Kendra are on the move. Stationed just east of Winnipeg, near Anola, Man., Bouw works alongside his brother, Jonathan, and father, Herman, on the operation founded by their immigrant grandparents in […] Read more

Preparing cattle for the breeding season
Many factors influence the success of a breeding season. Bulls must be in good shape to perform. The body condition of pregnant and lactating animals greatly affects a cow or heifer’s ability to cycle and be receptive to a bull. It’s important to discuss vaccination and herd health programs, bull soundness and semen evaluation with […] Read more

Backing the Bonsma principles in today’s beef industry
A look at how Jan Bonsma’s approach to selection is still influencing some ranchers
A look at how Jan Bonsma’s approach to selection is still influencing some ranchers
Over recent years, many commercial cattle operators have become somewhat disillusioned with the direction of certain segments of the beef seedstock industry. In their view, the common sense guideposts for the most useful animals have been directing them too close to the numbers-dominated terminal growth and carcass traits, often at the expense of maternal, reproductive […] Read more
At Ag in Motion: Soybean proponents still eye western expansion
Crop seen as a good add to rotations -- if conditions are right
While canola is king of the Canadian oilseed market, the same can be said of soybeans in the United States. However, the big pulse crop south of the border has made inroads in the western provinces. Manitoba has seen the biggest growth in soybean acres with well over a million planted annually in recent years, […] Read more

Essentials for profitable ranching: Part one
What makes a profitable ranch? Burke Teichert introduces his five ‘essentials’ and unpacks the first two
Since the end of World War Two, we have been developing a ranching and farming culture more dependent on fossil fuel, iron, synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. Early on those inputs (tractors, vehicles, equipment, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, etc.) were relatively inexpensive. During the last 60 years, those input prices have increased more rapidly than the […] Read more

Post-calving nutrition: Keep your foot on the gas
Meeting the nutritional needs of cows that have recently calved
As we move into spring, calving season is starting for some while for others it is well underway or nearing completion. To this point, your feeding program was likely directed at achieving optimal body condition at calving and ensuring that the nutritional needs of pregnancy were met. The next hurdle is ensuring that your post-calving […] Read more

Alfalfa for Canada’s climate
Nature doesn’t always provide conveniently severe winters to select for survival
Very few of the alfalfa varieties sold in Canada were developed under Canadian conditions. The CFIA registered 119 varieties in Canada between 2012 and 2022, but only four (AAC Nikon, AAC Meadowview, AAC Bridgeview and AAC Trueman) were developed in Canada. The other 115 came from breeding programs in China, Australia, California, Washington State or […] Read more

Calving records will be especially valuable in 2022
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Last month’s column profiled a beef cow productivity study that coincided with the massive 2001-02 drought that had an impact on most of Western Canada. That study got less attention than it deserved, because Canada’s entire beef industry became preoccupied with BSE in 2003. But research is an investment, and the lessons learned from research […] Read more

B.C. calling halt to mink farming
Live mink on farms to be banned in 2023
British Columbia’s remaining mink farmers are “devastated” by the province’s proposal to phase out their industry over risks related to COVID-19. The province announced Friday it’s starting the process toward a permanent ban on mink farming — beginning with a ban on mink breeding, followed by a ban on live mink on farms by April […] Read more

Regulations on gene-edited crops to be eased in England
London | Reuters — Britain’s farming and environment minister George Eustice announced Wednesday that regulations related to gene editing in agricultural research would be eased in England following a public consultation. Rules will now largely be aligned with conventional breeding methods for research and development into plants although scientists will still be required to notify […] Read more