In an American study published in The Bovine Proceedings, researchers phoned or visited cow-calf operations to obtain data on management practices. We can use the information gathered to see how Canadian farms compare.
Producers reported calving percentages of 89 to 92 percent. This data was collected from phone interviews so it may have been subject to producer bias. In previous years, calving percentage varied from 70 to 80 percent.
Weaning weight was recorded at the time the calves were removed from the cows. The average was 220 kilograms (484 pounds). Fifty-three percent of producers determined the weaning date by calf age or calf weight. The other determining factors were tradition (15 percent), forage availability (six percent), and cow condition (seven percent).
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Approximately one-third of producers routinely feed their heifers separately from their cows. Some producers, one in seven, believe in the merits of flushing cows prior to breeding.
Only 16 percent of producers have their cows palpated for pregnancy.
Half of the producers in the study establish a winter feeding schedule and plan a ration based on the animals’ requirements and the feed available. However, only 10 percent get their feed (bought or homegrown) analyzed before making calculations.
Few mineral deficiencies were identified. The most common deficiency (five percent of farms) was magnesium. Four percent of the producers reported a selenium deficiency and phosphorous was considered deficient on three percent of the farms.
Other reported deficiencies were copper (two percent), manganese (two percent), iodine (one percent), zinc (one percent), and cobalt (0.5 percent).
Salt, though recognized as a required supplement, is not routinely supplied on every farm. Seventy-nine percent of producers utilize a trace mineral salt while 62 percent offer plain salt. Forty-six percent of herds are supplemented with magnesium and 31 percent with phosphorous.
Forty percent of producers in the study get their veterinarians to give injections. Of the remaining 60 percent, some never use a veterinarian. Producers regard veterinarians as the most important source of information on animal health and beef production. Family members are considered the second best information source.
Overall, the findings of the study indicate programs initiated by veterinarians and other animal health professionals must be tailored to the individual producer on information gleaned through interviews and study of the operation.
