More carnivores on the prowl in ranching country

Sometimes it takes a snagged tuft of hair; other times an eerie howl from a distant hillside or, in some cases, a simple ping on a hand-held receiver. All provide clues into what’s happening between livestock and increasing numbers of carnivores in the dark timber and rolling foothills just outside Waterton National Park in southwest […] Read more



Girls excited about new fillies

SEPTEMBER 25 Andrea and Emily had an inspiring time at the World Burn Congress in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They made many new friends and got very little sleep, spending most of their time visiting with other burn survivors and their families. Emily quickly got over being shy, realizing that most of the young people she met […] Read more

Tips for managing high-nitrate forages

It’s been a rough summer for growing many crops in Western Canada, despite some official reports of a bountiful harvest. Some parts of the western Prairies had a cool-wet growing season, while eastern areas were baked by drought. Such polarized weather is ideal for toxic accumulation of nitrates in forages. Fortunately, nitrate testing of forage […] Read more


Make the most out of implanting calves

Implanting cattle has been around since the 1950s, but the myriad of protocols and combinations can make it difficult to decide which combination to use. Despite the fact implants have a return on investment of approximately 20 to one, these growth promotants are very much underutilized in the cow-calf sector. Feedlots use implants to a […] Read more

Consumers careful about food dollars

The temporary closure of the XL beef plant at Brooks, Alta. along with a firm Canadian dollar were the main factors limiting the upside in October. Fed cattle in Western Canada continue to trade in the range of $106/cwt to $108/cwt, similar to month earlier while the steers in the U.S. Southern Plains were selling […] Read more





Handy low-stress tip for sorting cattle

Cattle on most ranches are sorted several times a year — sorting the calves away from the cows for branding/vaccinating, AI protocols, pre-weaning vaccinations, and for weaning. Often this is a time-consuming part of the process if facilities aren’t set up to do it quickly and smoothly. Some producers use an alleyway where cows are encouraged to go one […] Read more

Beef recall has impact on consumer spending

Fed and feeder cattle prices have come under pressure over the past few weeks as price conscious consumers back away from beef on the retail shelf. Beef consumption moves through a seasonal low from September through November on both the retail and restaurant level. The beef recall due to the E. coli problem at the […] Read more