Today, most large-scale producers have breeding soundness exams carried out on their breeding bulls yearly. Almost every purebred 12- to 15-month-old bull calf will have a breeding soundness exam performed by a veterinarian. The consistency of this exam is very good in the profession. The ReliaBull scrotal circumference tape has made scrotal circumference measurements accurate […] Read more
Author Archives
Introduce bulls properly to protect health and welfare
Nothing frustrates me more than when big bulls are unnecessarily injured. This happens a lot when bulls are introduced or reintroduced to one another. It also happens when bulls are transported together in trailers. Bull pens must be big enough to allow bulls to escape from one another. Every time we move bulls, whether for […] Read more
If branding is deemed necessary, it must be done right
Branding remains necessary in many modern cattle operations because it is still the only permanent form of cattle identification. We must make the effort to do it well. In this column, we will look at hot iron branding. A good brand should be legible from quite a distance. In Alberta, Livestock Identification Services carries out […] Read more
Large animal veterinarian shortage starts with students
The shortage of large animal veterinarians in Western Canada is an age-old problem that seems to be improving with time. First, we have to look at the number of seats available for veterinary students in general. There is a rumour that seats for Alberta students went up with the addition of 20 seats at Alberta’s […] Read more
A new age arrives in breeding soundness evaluations
This article should have some good information for everyone: those thinking of evaluating for the first time, the seasoned veterinarian who has been doing it for many years for his clients and the new graduate veterinarian just getting into the process. Pulling out infertile bulls and finding bulls with other problems is now common practice […] Read more
Earlier bull sales can complicate semen evaluations
Purebred bull sales in all breeds appear to be happening earlier and earlier in the year, some even occurring in December. This is months before many cattle producers plan to use them in their breeding programs. It can create difficulties for veterinarians to get these bulls’ semen evaluated ahead of time. Both sellers and buyers […] Read more
Biosecurity farm practices are often just common sense
With the arrival of calving season, now is the time to talk about biosecurity. Just like we have learned principles to prevent the spread and contraction of COVID-19 between humans, similar principles apply to most infectious diseases in livestock production. The diseases vary between species, but many principles remain the same. Cleaning and disinfection in […] Read more
Animal health emergencies share similarities with COVID
I want to talk about two potential threats in Canada — foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever. Both possess huge threats from an animal health perspective. There is no doubt COVID-19 has made the average consumer more aware of how viral transmission occurs, plus the steps we can take to mitigate its spread. The amount […] Read more
Alberta needs to stay vigilant with its rat control efforts
Alberta’s roughly 70-year experiment with rat eradication is the envy of the world. And what the province has achieved is a remarkable feat. Alberta has prevented the establishment of breeding rat colonies through a strong commitment to keeping these rodent pests out. The Norway rat, known by its scientific name as Rattus norvegicus, is a […] Read more
Producers must make many decisions when culling cows
It’s the time of year for pregnancy checking and herd processing. It is also a good time to consider culling, especially for non-pregnant cows, but others as well. Then you need to make a plan to market those animals. Producers need to make a lot of decisions regarding how and where to move the cull […] Read more
