Daily Network News

More News →

Cattleman’s Corner

Central Alberta beef producers, Andy Rainforth and his wife Shannon and son Caed have worked to improve beef genetics as well as forage and pasture management over the years as they work toward a year-round grazing system.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Producer closing in on year-round grazing

It’s an ongoing process of learning what works and doesn't work as growing conditions change

By
Andy Rainforth and his wife Shannon and young son Caed farm near Lacombe in central Alberta not far from where Andy grew up. They raise Angus cattle and various crops. They have been on a journey over the past dozen years or more to develop a more efficient beef herd as well as a more […] Read more
Having two or even three esophageal feeding tubes on hand and used during calving season is an effective way to ensure calves are supplied with key nutrients and other products when they are needed.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

An esophageal feeder is a key tool in saving calves

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: It is an effective way to administer a range of products to newborn or sick animals

By
Modern tool boxes in cow-calf production would not be complete without preferably at least two esophageal feeding tubes. These relatively simple, multipurpose feeding tools allow a safe, convenient method to give things such as colostrum or colostrum replacers, electrolytes, milk replacers and a few other treatments to calves. No producer should feel they don’t know […] Read more
keeping calves warm
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Tips for warming cold calves

Get colostrum into newborn calves, and get them dried off

By
Calves born during blizzards or any type of cold weather can chill quickly. Calves with body temperature below 38 C need warming. If their temperature is below 36 C, their condition is critical. There are several ways to safely warm calves. Dr. Robert Callan, a veterinarian and professor at Colorado State University in the Department […] Read more
A good lameness-prevention plan starts with a basic understanding of what a set of four healthy hooves is all about.
Cattleman’s Corner, Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Tips to prevent dairy cow lameness

Proper nutrition is the key to keeping cattle walking with comfort

By
Top-performing dairy cows must have healthy hooves. Walking and standing on four good hooves is the foundation of eating lots of well-balanced feed and then producing lots of milk. It is also a prerequisite for good standing heats, which leads to successful pregnancy. On the other hand, lame cows have a painful time getting out […] Read more
Cattleman’s Corner, Feed markets, Markets

Feed barley picture will change by fall

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: With high feed prices, western Canadian feedlots will be at a competitive disadvantage to U.S. feedlots until September

By
Prairie barley prices reached historical highs earlier in January. Lethbridge-area feedlots were buying feed barley in the range of $445-$455/tonne delivered while Red Deer operations made purchases from $430-$440/tonne. The barley market is functioning to ration demand through higher prices. The domestic feed market needs to trade high enough to halt offshore movement for barley […] Read more
It takes a little more than cold temperatures to keep the Eppich men, Gregory and sons Joseph and James, from a successful mission to track down a Christmas tree.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

The New Year begins with frigid temperatures

Eppich News: It was so cold it made it easier to make a clean cut on tires for feeders

By
By the middle of December, the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Gregory and John were able to haul most of the slough bales home. It was slow going but it’s good to have more bales home. Some of the bales are good for bedding and some were good enough this year for feed. Right […] Read more
It takes some thinking as well as experience to know when to pull by hand, when to use the calf puller jack, or when to call for help.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Tips on using a calf puller

Often it is not needed, but when it is be careful with positioning and pulling pressure

By
We don’t see as many calving problems today because most producers try to use bulls that sire lower-birthweight calves, says Dr. Matt Miesner of Kansas State University. But there are still occasional problems, such as backward calves, when a calf puller is needed and cows and calves are injured by improper pulling, especially with a […] Read more
Lower beef production driving the feeder cattle market
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Lower beef production driving the feeder cattle market

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Both U.S. and Canadian producers expected to hold on to replacement heifers

By
Canadian beef production for the 2021 calendar year was estimated at 3.258 million tonnes, up seven per cent from the 2020 output of 3.057 million tonnes. U.S. commercial beef production was estimated at 27.950 billion pounds, which is a record high. This is up three per cent from the 2020 U.S. production of 27.174 billion […] Read more
The sole purpose of these cold winter-feeding strategies is to increase the plane of nutrition to help the cowherd cope with frigid weather and to maintain vitality and optimum body condition.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Cold-weather feeding strategies help overwinter beef cows

Cattle acclimatize themselves by eating more to increase their metabolic rate

By
After New Year’s, I was driving just south of the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Manitoba and noticed a 100-cow beef herd swath-grazing just along the fence line. Most of these cows were in good body shape, despite it being -25 C and a 25 kph wind (-40 C windchill) on open prairie. I could only […] Read more

AgCanadaTV

AgCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for March 27, 2026

Sponsored by:
More Videos →

Latest Market News

More Market News →