Livestock Management
OLDS, Alta. – A purebred show that caters to commercial beef producers is the aim of a Gelbvieh weekend. Held in Olds Dec. 6, the event was part of the Alberta British Columbia Gelbvieh Association annual meeting. It featured a commercial Gelbvieh heifer pen show of replacement females that were uniform in size and consistent […] Read more
Livestock Management
Gelbvieh breeders want commercial recognition
Meat consumption up, but beef losing out
A 20 year decline in beef demand has been blamed on U.S. and Canadian producers who did not give customers what they wanted. “The dollars that come into this industry are going to come from consumers and that is the only source of new growth and prosperity and opportunity,” Kansas State University agriculture economist Ted […] Read more
Agribition sheep prices dip
Prices at the two sheep sales held in conjunction with Canadian Western Agribition were down slightly this year. Sixty-four sheep sold in the Saskatchewan Sheep Breeders Association sale, for an average $339.92, compared to 98 lots selling last year for an average $370. The grand champion market lamb was the high seller. Consigned by Mackid’s […] Read more
Swath grazing comes out ahead in early study data
Swath grazing calves in the field is half as costly as backgrounding them in a drylot, with no significant loss in rate of gain, a two-year study has found. What’s more, staff at the Western Beef Development Centre near Lanigan, Sask., found that an in-field backgrounding experiment showed a cost of gain even lower than […] Read more
Pork producers seek new customers
LETHBRIDGE – The average Canadian pork consumer is often middle-aged with an income of more than $50,000 who wants to buy domestically produced meat. Serving that group and finding new fans is one of the many challenges the pork industry faces as it seeks to build a wider customer base among those who can afford […] Read more
‘Flerd’ pasture brings more bucks
EDMONTON – Len Larsen grazes a “flerd” of animals on his southern Saskatchewan ranch, combining a flock of sheep and a herd of cows. Mixed grazing in the same pasture at the same time seems ideal for managing pasture, increasing profits and reducing predator losses. “I think multispecies grazing is an attempt to mimic nature,” […] Read more
Champion Limousin captures $24,000 bid
REGINA – High averaging purebred sales are a regular occurrence for Canadian Western Agribition where five figure bids are common for bulls, females and packages of semen and embryos. Limousin breeders Rocky and Debbie Payne entered 15 head in the show and were rewarded when a half interest and full possession in their bull calf […] Read more
Couple builds future with black Simmentals
REGINA – They like to give their cattle provocative names like Sheeza Hussy and Flirtin with You, but Garth and Ang Rancier have a serious program in mind for their purebred Simmentals. It has been a good run for the young couple who started their own black Simmental herd in 2001 at Killam, Alta. The […] Read more
Farmers travel long way to judge Galloway class
REGINA – Farmers in Scotland and Canada share many common experiences, say Scottish Galloway breeders John and Anne Finlay. The couple was invited to judge the Canadian Western Agribition Galloway show in Regina, where they found the cattle similar in type to those in Scotland. As they met Canadian farmers, they realized they share similar […] Read more
Bale grazing saves cash, boosts fertility
Firing up a tractor every day to haul two bales 1¼ kilometres to feed cattle adds at least $10 to $15 to the cost of each bale. It’s not just the cost of fuel, says Lorne Klein, a forage development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “You’re starting a diesel tractor, so there’s the wear and tear […] Read more
