Livestock Management
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Cattle producers can do everything right with genetics but still change outcomes dramatically with the wrong management. Rick Funston, a reproductive physiologist with the University of Nebraska, says good management starts with matching a cow’s nutrient requirements to available feed. Reproduction will be compromised if producers don’t do this, he told […] Read more
Livestock Management
Solid nutrition key to cattle reproduction
Bar code ID still OK for ear tags
The deadline has been extended indefinitely for plastic bar coded identification ear tags for cattle. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency decided not to enforce the Jan. 1 deadline to delist bar code tags. However, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency prefers that all cattle leaving their herds of origin wear a radio frequency identification tag. CCIA […] Read more
Bulls must feel urge to be successful
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – That prize bull sitting in the pasture chewing its cud may have a short career if it has no interest in cows. The bull may have passed its semen tests with flying colours, but a low sex drive does not get cows pregnant. “We know there are differences between bulls, but […] Read more
SCA to be voice for feeders group
SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association is expected to become the province’s representative to the National Cattle Feeders’ Association. Currently, the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association has that responsibility, but producers attending the recent annual meeting heard that the SCA will be asked to take over. Bill Jameson, SCA director and vice-chair of the NCFA, confirmed […] Read more
Fetotomy can prevent reproductive damage to cow or mare
Fetotomy, which is the fancy word for cutting up a dead calf within the cow during the birthing process, has a valuable place in a veterinarian’s bag of tricks. The goal of a fetotomy is to minimize trauma or damage to the cow. The calf at this point is a lost cause because it has […] Read more
SCA policy irks producers
SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association does not advocate supply management for the beef industry, said chair Jack Hextall. Several producers attending the SCA’s annual meeting last month said they were concerned about the organization’s policy statement, developed a year ago, which listed protection of the existing cow herd and feeding infrastructure as a priority. […] Read more
Sask. deer, elk producers gain class action status
A legal battle that began six years ago between the Saskatchewan government and a group of game farmers is one step closer to resolution. In a judgment rendered Jan. 28, the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench ruled that legal action launched by disgruntled game farmers can proceed as a class action suit. The group, led […] Read more
Alta. grazing reserves get upgrade
Alberta’s grazing reserves are receiving $9.2 million to fix fences, repair dugouts and reseed pastures. The provincial government said the money would help create jobs and ensure money is spent in rural communities in the province’s 32 grazing reserves. The money will come from the federal and provincial governments and fees that landowners pay to […] Read more
Canfax Report – for Feb. 11, 2010
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. Steer rail prices up Retreating commodity prices kept the Canadian dollar below 94 cents US. The Canfax […] Read more
Livestock tracking program tweaked
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) – The U.S. government will re-draft its moribund livestock-tracking program, which has been attacked as a violation of privacy, so that it covers only animals that cross state lines. Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said the revamped system would be run by the states, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture bearing much of […] Read more
