Graeme Finn’s cattle on a high-legume pasture at breeding time.

Six areas you should watch to maintain your cows’ fertility

High-quality forage and the right mineral package at the right time can set cows up for success

As a rancher and a senior forage specialist with Union Forage, Graeme Finn has spent much of his time looking into how feeding cattle affects their fertility. He says it was something drilled into him as a child in Australia. “My grandmother always said, ‘Feed the cattle good at breeding time,’ because that’s when you […] Read more

Canada’s calf crop doesn’t move through expansion and contraction as it does in the U.S., but over the next year, we may see the Canadian herd mirror U.S. expansion.

Is it time for beef cow herd expansion?

Prices for calves have been strong, but it usually takes a year of high calf prices before expansion starts

Feeder cattle have been trading near historical highs over the past six months. I’ve received many emails and inquiries from cattle producers asking if there is still an opportunity to expand their herds. Producers also ask if they should buy now or wait until spring. Medium-quality bred cows have been trading in the range of […] Read more


heather smith thomas with a beef cow

It’s been a wonderful visit

For years we've shared our lives with Grainews readers and they've done the same with us

This will be my final Rancher’s Diary column. I was recently informed that with the current business changes at Grainews, my column will no longer be published, but I was graciously given the chance to say goodbye to my readers — many of whom have become personal friends over the years. I first became aware […] Read more

Here we see a cover crop grazing blend at the Ag in Motion farm show near Langham, Sask., in 2023.

Grazing cover crops shows soil health dividends

Livestock producers see the benefits but say they could really use more information

Glacier FarmMedia — If you’ve wondered whether livestock producers are taking a different approach to cover crops than those growing them for the grain — and are seeing distinct benefits in doing so — the surveys so far say yes. Callum Morrison, a crop production extension specialist for Manitoba Agriculture at Carman and a master’s […] Read more


Vet product licensing process needs improvement

Vet product licensing process needs improvement

Canada can miss out on products that take too long or cost too much to register

Having been both a licensed veterinary practitioner and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years, I have seen a few things about how the product-licensing process affects the production animal industry in Canada. While every situation is unique, the process can indirectly affect cost of production in some cases, while in others access is […] Read more

Feed particle size does make a difference. The ration should include longer stem forages that encourage cud chewing.

There’s a reason if cows aren’t chewing their cud

It's important to look at the structure of fibre in the ration

This fall I visited three similar dairies milking between 100 and 150 cows. It was about 10 a.m. in two barns (different days) and midafternoon in the third. In each case I noticed less than 10 per cent of resting cows (three-quarters were lying down) were not chewing their cud. I reviewed the TMR in […] Read more


Making a wish list of bulls for next breeding season

There are always several late fall projects to complete before the ground freezes

October 20 Last week we moved the cows to the lower back field to join the heifers They can all graze there a few weeks. We checked the temporary fence around the deep gully — to make sure it was still secure enough to keep cows out of that gully. It’s so deep and narrow […] Read more

This old trough, no longer useable for water, was repurposed into an inexpensive feeder for the bulls. Tucked into the corner of the fence with a bit of reinforcement, it can easily be refilled as needed.

A handy inexpensive feed bunk

A repurposed water trough and other fencing materials were all put to good use

This fall, we decided to let our two yearling bulls out of the corral for winter and have them eat down some willows. Last winter, we created a new little pasture by clearing out the trees and willow bushes, then piling and burning them in hopes of growing more grass. We grazed that new pasture […] Read more


feeding cattle minerals

Providing proper mineral mix the first step to meet cattle nutrient needs

It's one thing to put it out there, but another to make sure they eat it

Many commercial cattle minerals can be fed on a free-choice basis to gestating beef cows until calving. But even the best of these products fail if cows don’t eat enough, or engorge themselves. Mineral intake problems must be corrected quickly so cows can either maintain or build a mineral (and vitamin) status which contributes to […] Read more

Under sunny skies, neighbour Ken Reiniger loads some slough hay bales, that will make good winter feed, onto the trailer.

Weather co-operates for fall projects

Digging potatoes and hauling feed all completed under fairly warm dry conditions

The weather this fall has been very nice. The wind has been cold at times, but we really couldn’t complain about the temperatures. I gave the foals a few days to settle down after weaning and then started refreshing their halter training. We try to work with them to introduce the halter a few days […] Read more