cattle health Archives | Canadian Cattlemen

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

By John McKinnon December 29, 2020

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

Livestock, Nutrition

Milk fever, minerals and chemistry: It’s just one big interaction!

By John McKinnon September 5, 2020

Mineral nutrition has been a topic of this column on numerous occasions, particularly from the point of view of meeting requirements of cattle as they move through various stages of production. One aspect of mineral nutrition that we have not paid as much attention to is how different minerals interact with one another and how […] Read more

Livestock, Research

NDSU studies net wrap, twine ingestion in cattle

By Heather Smith Thomas September 13, 2017

Beef specialist Carl Dahlen, North Dakota State University Animal Science Department, became interested in this problem after the NDSU diagnostic lab necropsied a case of acute bloat associated with ingestion from a large wad of net wrap. He decided to compare various materials to see how well they break down (or not) in the rumen […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Features

Steer clear of fatigued cattle syndrome

Animal Health with Roy Lewis, Dvm

By Roy Lewis Dvm October 3, 2016

A few years ago cattle from an American feedlot went down during transport to a packing plant and others developed severe lameness. This condition was eventually labelled fatigued cattle syndrome and became a huge animal welfare issue due to the appearance of severely lame, non-ambulatory cattle. Initially beta-agonists were incriminated but numerous studies have essentially […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Untreated pinkeye in cattle can be costly

Reduced weight gain on calves means fewer marketable pounds

By Peter Vitti July 18, 2016

It’s a funny thing about walking among beef cattle — I tend to catch things that I wouldn’t otherwise see by staring at them from a truck. Take spotting cattle with pinkeye for instance. The other week, I was walking along with the feedlot manager after the feedbunk was filled. Most of the beef finishers […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle

Tips to help cattle cope with summertime heat stress

If cows and calves aren't eating, overall performance and weight gains are down

By Peter Vitti August 13, 2015

I always feel sorry for beef cattle in an open field that cannot escape the hot summer sun. The other day I was driving a pasture with about 30 Black Angus cows and spring calves. Not a tree or waterer in sight. All the animals were crowded together, none were grazing and their calves were […] Read more

Livestock, News

VIDO-InterVac awarded funding for new cattle vaccines

Bovine tuberculosis and Johne's disease targeted for vaccine development

By VIDO-InterVac release July 28, 2015

Work to develop vaccines against two diseases that attack the lungs and intestinal tracts of cattle has received a $2.9 million boost from Genome Canada to co-fund research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan. Bovine tuberculosis affects the lungs of cattle and bison, and wild species […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Nutrition

A Colorado low you say – only in Manitoba

Understanding heat stress in beef cattle and the 'thermal neutral zone'

By John McKinnon July 8, 2015

There is a great deal of newsprint these days about the relative merits of a “Colorado High,” a subject I will leave readers to explore on their own. In May, however, Manitoba residents were introduced to a “Colorado Low,” an intense weather system that moved up from North Dakota and Montana over the Victoria Day long […] Read more

Heavier calves are typically backgrounded over the winter at higher rates of gain and destined for finishing in the spring.

Nutrition

Stepping up the energy for newly weaned calves

By John McKinnon January 8, 2015

In the September issue we discussed formulating rations for backgrounding cattle and focused on the importance of targeting performance. The take-home message is, if one wants to target a specific rate of gain regardless of the class of cattle you are feeding, a nutrition program needs to be developed that meets the nutrient requirements of […] Read more

Laboratories can test your grain or forage samples if you suspect mycotoxins are present in your feed.

Livestock, Nutrition

Are mycotoxins hiding in your feed supply?

By John McKinnon December 10, 2014

When it comes to feed quality, we usually think in terms of nutritional properties such as energy, protein or mineral content. There are, however, other feed characteristics that have an impact on quality, one of which is mycotoxin contamination. Depending on crop type, environment, location, harvest and storage management, there are a wide variety of […] Read more

Spring road bans coming into effect across Prairies

U.S. grains: Soy futures rally on dry Argentina weather

U.S. livestock: Hog futures take a breather

GFM Network News