Several areas in Western Canada are suffering from drought again this year. Drought creates many difficulties for ranchers, who must struggle with the immediate and long-term problems that can arise from not having enough forage for their cattle. I know some areas of the Prairies have received more adequate precipitation, but many ranchers are facing […] Read more
Beef cattle
Risk management options are available for drought relief
At the end of June 2023, 83 percent of the prairie region was classified as abnormally dry or in moderate drought, including 90 percent of the region’s agricultural landscape. With no end in sight to higher-than-normal temperatures, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to look into risk management options. Livestock producers are concerned with water supplies […] Read more
Canfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Fed market steady The overall market tone was steady to softer last week as feedlots worked hard […] Read more
Canada expects Britain to ‘uphold’ CPTPP standards
The current situation, where Canada accepts imports of British meat and the U.K. rejects Canadian beef and pork, is absurd, say industry reps and some politicians.
Heat, humidity kill hundreds of US cattle
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Hundreds of cattle died in Iowa from extreme heat and humidity in late July, the state and livestock producers said, as the world recorded its hottest month ever. The deaths show the toll of severe weather on farm animals and food production. The losses further trim the U.S. cattle herd, which is […] Read more
Company scales up automated cattle weighing
An automated weigh scale, built to be dropped into almost any point in the cattle production chain, delivers individual knowledge data on animals in real time. That data can be used to make decisions on cattle health, rates of gain and the readiness of animals for market. “We’re missing a live KPI (key performance indicator) […] Read more
Canfax report
Fed prices soften Western Canadian fed cattle prices continued to soften in the dog days of summer. This is not unusual. Between June and August, fed steer prices have softened in seven of the last 10 years and 13 of the last 20 years. Steers eased $1.50 per hundredweight lower to $238.47 per cwt., and […] Read more
New testing equipment monitors bull fertility
The portable machine is designed to help producers pinpoint insemination timing for more successful breeding
Slow-swimming bull sperm will have no place to hide. A Scottish company, Dyneval, has created a new semen analyzer that measures a wider range of concentrations of semen than previous testing methods. This will allow veterinarians, beef and dairy producers to have more control over semen quality. The Dynescanl analyzer is also highly portable, making […] Read more
Producers sing their dogs’ praises
Public given the opportunity to see cattle dogs and their owners in action during trials held as part of a recent farm show
Every ranch might have a dog or two hanging about but those who put them to work handling cattle swear by their abilities and as a time- and cost-saving exercise. Judging by the popularity of the cattle dog event debut at the Ag in Motion farm show, the working dogs may have created some converts […] Read more
External parasites become increasingly complicated issue
Clinical practices are reporting a resurgence of older external parasite issues, such as lice mites or flies. There are also more external parasite issues with ticks as tick species ranges move north. In the past, it seemed when ivermectin came into use we treated yearly and all external parasite problems were eliminated, such as lice […] Read more
