Livestock Management
If using terminal bulls, just sell all the calves, but if using maternal bulls and keeping half, good marketing is essential
When buying a new bull, most ranchers have specific goals and are seeking specific traits in the offspring. Travis Olson, a seed-stock breeder near Athabasca, Alta., has been raising Angus bulls for years and says there are several tools for choosing the right bull for the purpose. “All ranchers have slightly different views on what […] Read more
Livestock Management
Breeders say demand growing for Wagyu beef
Meat marbling is a significant selling point, but producers also point to the breed’s vigour, longevity, fertility and docility
Adrienne Herron has been raising Wagyu cattle in Alberta’s Red Deer County for about 15 years. She started with three unregistered purebred orphans from a local herd. “Then I bought purebreds from Marchi Ranches in Montana, and now have registered fullbloods I sell to commercial cattle producers,” she says. Heifers bred to Wagyu bulls don’t […] Read more
Indexes helpful tool for commercial producers
Expected progeny differences come with a wide range of numbers, while indexes simplify many factors into one number
Every breed has its own indexes, and they work in similar ways. The important ones in the Canadian Hereford Association, for instance, are the Maternal Productivity Index (MPI) and the Feedlot Merit Index (FMI). The MPI for the Canadian Hereford Association, which was created in 2000 by Agriculture Canada, was designed to combine genetic factors […] Read more
Finding balance to address lameness
A Sask. farrier finds that the key to successfully treating hoof problems is to give the horse an accurate centre of balance
A horse named Henry prompted Ross Smith to search for a better way to help all horses with foot problems. Henry, now a 13-year-old Quarter horse gelding, had been suffering from severe lameness for almost two years. That was eight years ago. After several veterinarians said they had done as much as they could for […] Read more
Couple follow their passion into the show ring
Ty and Taylor Draves says they enjoy travelling to shows because it allows them to meet people and market their cattle
For cow-calf producers Ty and Taylor Draves, showing their cattle at events such as Farmfair International is as much a way of life as it is a means of making a living. “Showing has always been a passion of ours,” said Ty, 28, as he talked over the noise of dozens of electric fans directing […] Read more
Animal health product shortage can be a learning experience
The pharmaceutical world has recently been fraught with shortages. This can be due to manufacturing problems, transportation issues or other factors. Key components necessary to manufacturing are in short supply in some cases, or in other cases, manufacturing has halted because of decreased demand. Sometimes relicensing of a product forces a company to look at […] Read more
Research confirms newsfeed corn’s gain benefit
Syngenta Seeds is promoting a new corn feed product that it says will increase feed efficiency in beef cattle, milk production in dairy cows and reduce methane emissions. Animal scientist John Goeser has been working with Syngenta as a consultant evaluating the company’s Enogen corn feed in the dairy industry. “There had been a bit […] Read more
Farmfair provides chance to compete
One of the top events on the calendars of beef producers across Western Canada has concluded its second year under new management. Farmfair International was expected to attract thousands of visitors Nov. 9-12 to what it described as Canada’s richest livestock and agricultural show. “I think Farmfair is significant in that it provides the outlet […] Read more
Feed often the culprit in disease cases
Producers are reminded to be careful this winter when choosing alternative or new feeds and are urged to test their feed
What could kill eight cows within 10 minutes? That is one mystery the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s disease investigation unit faced last winter. Dr. John Campbell, a long-time professor and head of the unit, said he had never seen a situation like that. “It was a bunch of cows dying suddenly in a cow-calf […] Read more
Best to plan now for animal disease outbreak
Ensuring a strategy has been developed before an emergency occurs makes response and recovery easier for producers
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — How quickly could you come up with a list of who has been on your farm or ranch in the last couple weeks? A strong preparedness plan would include a record of visitors and animal movement, both on and off the property, to save steps during an emergency, producers heard at […] Read more
