Cattleman’s Corner & Production Tips

As winter began to settle in and water began to freeze up it was good to get all the cattle home.

Getting hay and cattle home for the winter

Eppich News: Plenty of projects to complete before the snow flies

By Heather Eppich January 27, 2020

With haying season finished in early November it was finally time to start some winter projects. Gregory and John worked on cleaning the combines, swathers, and the baler and put them away for winter. They also had to work on the JD 4020, our feeding tractor, and get it ready for feeding and bedding the […] Read more

It is important cows and calves be monitored closely or given the space to ensure they get mothered up correctly and the calf get’s sucking.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Pairing up is critical at calving — Part 1

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Looking after the details will pay dividends later

By Roy Lewis January 22, 2020

Calving time (winter and spring) will soon be upon us, bringing the excitement of seeing what the next calf crop will be like. Several good practice tips emerge from my experience working with many great cow-calf managers over the years I hope some of these ideas will lead you to save more, and more productive, […] Read more

Consumer spending has been a major pillar of the U.S. economy, contributing to among other things, stronger beef demand.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Demand continues for U.S. beef

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: American consumers have more disposable income

By Jerry Klassen January 10, 2020

As of mid-December, Alberta fed cattle were trading in the range of $152 to $155, up approximately $10 to $12 from a month earlier. The February and April live cattle futures continued to trade near contract highs due to the uncertainty in beef production during the first quarter of 2020. It appears that beef production […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Grazed standing corn will need supplements

A great feed source, but added protein may be needed as winter progresses

By Peter Vitti January 8, 2020

Putting beef cows out to tramp through the snow to graze standing corn has become more popular in the last few years. It’s relatively low-cost forage which can make up a sizeable portion of a pregnant cow’s overwinter diet because whole corn plants (with ears) can provide a significant amount of dietary energy and protein. […] Read more

Many farms across Western Canada will likely be dealing with a certain amount of mouldy feed that can be fed in small amounts if blended off with better quality feed.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Vitti: Options for including mouldy feed in rations

Know what you have and blend it off with the good stuff 

By Peter Vitti December 28, 2019

This year, not many people harvested and stored good-quality hay on the northern Prairies. A cool spring and droughty summer capped by a couple of feet of autumn snow forced many producers to harvest thousands of mouldy hay bales. For many, this is their only forage supply to overwinter beef cows. Fortunately, we can set […] Read more

Ergot can be found on a number of “grass” species and not just rye. The fungal disease can develop on timothy grass as well as most cereal grains.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cereals, Livestock

Watch closely for ergot-infected feeds

Several grasses and some grain crops can be susceptible 

By Debbie Chikousky December 23, 2019

Last spring, auction mart chat turned a problem with ergot in grasses. The conversation pointed towards lame cattle resulting from feeding timothy straw. My curiosity piqued because a high percentage of cattle producers have been feeding everything from timothy straw to pea straw, to canola straw and bakery waste for the last few years, so […] Read more

It is simpler for feeding and watering to have all cows and heifers together in one area.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Harvest and haying are finally finished

Eppich News: Combining and last of the haying were a race against the weather

By Heather Eppich December 19, 2019

During the middle of October we were harvesting as much as we could. For the fields that were swathed we usually drove every grain truck and trailer out to the field in the morning, got the machines serviced, and then Gregory, John, and Joseph and I would drive the three combines. On Oct. 16 we […] Read more

This diagram put together by Doug Colwell a research scientist at the Lethbridge Research Centre, shows the zones on an animal were lice are most likely to concentrate and be visible. Colwell is internationally recognized for his studies on the interactions between insect parasites and their animal hosts.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Late fall better for lice and parasite control in cattle

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: A two-pronged approach to deal with internal and external pests

By Roy Lewis December 17, 2019

There has been lots of talk and questions from producers and large-animal veterinarians regarding the strategy needed for more effective lice and internal parasite control. I the last couple of years there has been a large increase in the incidence of lice in Western Canada. Producers are searching to find ways to control lice that […] Read more

In southern Alberta, Simmental based steers weighing 510 pounds were quoted at $230 in mid-November while black heifers were valued at $195. It’s looking like feast-or-famine beef production in early 2020.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Markets

Calf prices will be sideways into 2020

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Both the U.S. and Canada produced smaller calf crops in 2019

By Jerry Klassen December 5, 2019

Alberta packers were paying $142 to $144 on a live basis in mid-November, relatively unchanged from last month’s average price. While Alberta prices have traded in a sideways range, fed cattle values south of the border have been percolating higher. In Nebraska, fed cattle were trading in the range of $114 to $116, up from […] Read more

What was once a thin patch of grass rebounded nicely after pastured poultry added nutrients to the soil.

Cattleman’s Corner, Features

Natural ways to improve soil quality

Cover crops may be more practical than molasses and milk

By Debbie Chikousky December 2, 2019

For many years there has been growing public concern that food is declining in nutrition. Dr. Arden Anderson, a favourite researcher, has studied the correlation between soil health and feed nutrition. His research has shown that the nutrient content of foods today compared to half a century ago ranges from 15 to 75 per cent […] Read more

Daily Network News

CBOT Weekly: USDA predicts declines in planting intentions

Protein Industries Canada funds Saskatchewan pulse ingredient project

February canola crush up from 2025, StatCan reports

Cattleman’s Corner