Feedlot operators named 2016 Outstanding Young Farmers

Newsmakers from the March 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Ryan Beierbach of Whitewood is the new chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association; Rick Toney of Gull Lake is vice-chair. New to the board is Sask­atchewan Cattle Feeders Association (SCFA) representative Chad Ross of Estevan, replacing outgoing chair Bill Jameson. Brad Welter returns as the other SCFA rep, as do Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association representatives […] Read more

Getting first-calf heifers rebred on time

Getting first-calf heifers rebred on time

It can be a challenge to get first calvers rebred without losing ground. They often calve later the next year or come up open. The two-year-old is nursing a calf, still growing, and needs good nutrition and body condition to cycle on schedule after calving. Two-year-olds need more care and management than mature cows. Dr. […] Read more


The Manitoba Hereford Association has named the Dueck family of Firdale Polled Herefords from Austin as its commercial breeder of the year for 2015. The award was presented by Steven Manns, president of the MHA.

Manitoba Hereford Association names Dueck family as commercial breeder of the year

Purely Purebred: News about you from the February 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Note: THE HERD LETTER FOR 2016 IS ‘D’ Since our last instalment of Purely Purebred, the Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) board has presented its Jim Lewthwaite Memorial Award to Brian Rossnagel and its Chris Sutter Award posthumously to Neil Jahnke. The Jim Lewthwaite Memorial Award recognizes those committed individuals who do an outstanding job of promoting […] Read more

Dr. John McKinnon, second from right, is presented with the 2015 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation by BCRC chair Tim Oleksyn (l) and nominators Brad Wildeman and Sandy Russel. (BCRC photo)

Cattle nutrition researcher hailed with national honour

A national award has officially put the “outstanding” label on the work and career of one of Canada’s leading researchers and experts on beef cattle nutrition. Dr. John McKinnon, the Saskatchewan Beef Industry research chair at the University of Saskatchewan and a regular contributor to Canadian Cattlemen, was presented last week with the inaugural Canadian Beef […] Read more


Cattle’s best bet against disease

News Roundup from the December 2015 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

A new research project funded by Genome British Columbia (Genome BC), Genome Canada and other partners is using ‘reverse vaccinology’ to develop vaccines for Johne’s disease and bovine tuberculosis in cattle. These diseases result in annual losses of more than $86 million and $10 million, respectively, in Canada and billions annually worldwide. Led by the […] Read more

(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Genetic codebreaking on wheat years ahead of schedule

Sequencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Wednesday. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a team co-led by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it […] Read more


Animal Health: Be skeptical about linking BLV with cancer in humans

News Roundup from the December 2015 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV or leukosis) is a bovine retrovirus that targets lymphocytes (white blood cells). It is present in many parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and Eastern Europe. Infection with the virus usually doesn’t present with clinical signs, but around 30 per cent of the infected animals experience an abnormal […] Read more

The facts on grain screening pellets

The facts on grain screening pellets

Nutrition with John McKinnon, beef cattle nutritionist

At this time of the year, many of you are still looking to finalize your winter feeding program and are searching for competitively priced ingredients. Typically producers are looking for alternatives to high-priced cereal grains or protein supplements. In such cases, many producers look at grain screening pellets (GSP). Grain screening pellets are by no […] Read more



Post-doctorate fellow, Katie Wood says the benefits to monensin held true at the 48 mg/kg rate.

The trials and troubles of feeding monensin to cattle

It works just as well at the new higher rate, just be sure you are feeding the correct rate

Now that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has raised the safe rate for monensin to 48 parts per million per kilogram of dry matter from 33 ppm, Dr. Katie Wood wanted to know if the proven benefits to feeding monensin still held true at this higher rate. Monensin is an ionophore that increases overall […] Read more