Livestock Management
A switch to custom grazing yearlings has improved one producer’s quality of life and bottom line. Instead of using machines to bale hay, John Bryson of Young, Sask., now uses his cattle to graze the crop. He sold his own herd of 225 head and switched to custom managing 1,000 grassing yearlings, saying he can […] Read more
Livestock Management
Grazing yearlings reduces stress, says producer
Cattle trained to eat weeds
Grazing cattle on leafy spurge is a way to manage weeds while adding nutrients to the herd’s diet. Lester Pryce, a land manager with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, walked about 50 producers through the steps that can be used to train cattle to sample something new. Speaking at the Saskatchewan Pasture School in Saskatoon […] Read more
Denver show nixes branding rule
SASKATOON – Canadian cattle showing at the National Western Stock Show in Denver next January will not have to be branded. A compromise on the controversial issue was reached in June, consul and agricultural trade commissioner Kim O’Neil told the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. O’Neil, who is based at the Canadian consulate in Denver, said […] Read more
Cattle leader ponders disparity
SASKATOON – The new president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association says the organization’s main priority is to deal with the disparity caused by Alberta’s industry assistance. Ed Bothner of Beechy said Saskatchewan producers must have something to keep them competitive. The Alberta government is providing $356 million to that province’s industry, most of which […] Read more
Lack of gov’t support annoys cattle sector
SASKATOON – Brad Wildeman is puzzled. He doesn’t understand why federal and provincial governments won’t consider changing business risk management programs to better suit cattle producers. “I don’t remember cattle people ever being at a meeting asking for changes and the first time we come here they tell us they’re tired of making changes,” the […] Read more
Goat lovers, meet the Kiko
Bill Paulishyn was thrilled as can be. His purebred Kiko buck, Franc-Nord Baskatong, won the grand champion commercial buck title at the national Boer goat show held during the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina last month. It marked the first time Paulishyn had shown his goats in Western Canada and the first time […] Read more
Organic sector growing; meat tops consumer list
Demand for organic food continues to grow, and the fastest growing segment is meat. Laura Telford, executive director of the Canadian Organic Growers, told a seminar at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show that retail sales of raw organic meat grew 81 percent from 2005 to 2006, compared to the next highest category, vegetables, at […] Read more
Grass protection payment sought
A new report says BSE, the high Canadian dollar and impending country-of-origin labelling are putting pressure on cattle producers that must be alleviated. However, Scott Eklund, 24, probably the youngest beef producer in a small crowd that gathered to watch the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan release a study it had commissioned to address the […] Read more
Distillers grain tested on Termeunde ranch
LANIGAN, Sask. – Cattle producers thinking about supplementing their animals’ diets with dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) got some reassuring news at the Termeunde Research Ranch annual field day last week. The first year of a feeding trial provided positive results, researcher Amanda van de Kerckhove told a group of some 30 producers standing […] Read more
‘Sky is the limit’ for beef to Russia
Cattle exports to Russia resumed in 2007 after a long BSE-induced hiatus, and last year’s $14 million in sales is just the beginning, says Canada’s agriculture minister. “The sky is the limit. It’s as many as we can spare,” Gerry Ritz said during a conference call with reporters while on a recent trade mission to […] Read more
