First calf heifers are maturing, feeding a calf, and often going through teeth changes at the same time.

The teenage years, beef cow edition

First-calf beef heifers are going through the biggest challenges of their lives and need some support

Anyone reading this column who has been a teenager or has raised one can appreciate how challenging and interesting those years can be. Even good teenagers can be expensive. In our beef cattle production systems, the teenage role is filled by replacement heifers, and like teenagers a bit of understanding about the changes they are […] Read more

Nearly half of a beef carcass is consumed by consumers with average to above-average incomes.

How consumer spending drives fed cattle prices

Here's why a small change in spending affects the beef market

Cattle producers are bombarded with charts and data from cattle inventory reports and cattle on feed surveys. During the fall of 2023, live cattle futures and were trending lower. Every analyst I was reading was focused on how low supplies were from a historical perspective; however, fed cattle prices were on a downward spiral. It’s […] Read more


Kit Pharo says ranchers can increase their production per acre and their profitability.

A key to cattle business survival

Produce more pounds of beef per acre versus more pounds per cow, this U.S. rancher says

North America producers are receiving higher prices for cattle than ever before — “yet very few are really profitable,” Kit Pharo says. Most cow-calf producers “are too dependent on outside inputs, which are also at record-high costs,” says Pharo, who operates Pharo Cattle Company in Colorado and was the keynote speaker at the recent Holistic […] Read more

Heifer rations are a balance of enough nutrition for optimum growth and low cost.

Balancing low cost with enough nutrition

Use caution when feeding low-quality forage to dairy replacement heifers

Most dairy producers always look for ways to reduce the livestock feed costs. Some people have taken advantage that three-month-old replacement dairy heifers have a fully developed rumen and can truly digest lower quality/cost forages. There is nothing wrong in feeding this way, but these forages must be well balanced with other more nutritious feedstuffs […] Read more


Some of the seed storage at Barenbrug in the Netherlands.

An EU forage tour shows value of seed science

Farmers should make sure to take advantage of advances in forage varieties

I was given the unique opportunity to participate in a forage tour in the Netherlands and France hosted by Union Forage last August. This was a fantastic chance to see new developments but also to put boots on the ground and see what drives the forage industry in Europe and globally. It was reiterated over […] Read more

Cattle producers need to be aware, as we head toward 2025, that a small change in supply has a large influence on price.

Cattle herd declines while economy expands

One per cent increase in consumer spending means one per cent increase in beef demand

I often place myself two years in the future, with a view of the past two years. The old saying is that hindsight is 20/20. Well then, place yourself in the future and look backward. If I were giving a cattle market outlook in March 2026, the summary would be the following: During 2024, feeder […] Read more


New Holland will be changing the standard colour of its North American haying equipment line to yellow, a match for its equipment sold in other regions of the world.

NH round balers go yellow for golden milestone

Added technology and a new unifying colour mark the round balers' anniversary

As New Holland marks its 50th anniversary of round baler production, the brand had several announcements to make about its hay and forage line. Most notably, expect to see the end of the familiar red paint scheme on NH equipment. The brand is standardizing its global image by adopting a yellow livery for all its […] Read more

The level of worm concentration on a pasture is usually in line with the level of cow and calf grazing activity.

Solid deworming programs essential for grazing cows

Understanding the lifecycle of the major worms found in pastures helps with treatment timing

Whenever I heard of a beef cow herd infected with brown stomach roundworms (Ostertagi ostertagi), I used to envision a cow’s abomasum filled with large and living ropes. Then, I looked at some pictures in a cattle parasite book and to my surprise, this common gastrointestinal worm is no more than a quarter- to half-inch […] Read more


The shortage of veterinarians often becomes most apparent during calving season. |

How to manage in a veterinarian shortage

Hauling an animal to a clinic is one solution, as are larger clinics with satellite sites

There’s huge talk about the shortage of veterinarians — especially large-animal, but also small-animal and emergency animal care. There was a recent announcement that the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) will raise the number of training seats to 100 from the current 50, when an expansion is completed next year. I would […] Read more

Ian gets to know his new baby sister Anna.

Eppich family welcomes a baby girl

Cold temperatures a challenge for the ranch and keeping vehicles going

January had a few surprises for us. Our newest addition was due on Jan. 4. Being that he/she was our fourth child and all but our first son came between eight and 10 days early, we were expecting a Christmas baby. On Christmas Day, Barb had a Christmas dinner for us and Gregory’s siblings. After […] Read more