Cattleman’s Corner & Production Tips

For a bigger-picture view of the beef industry, there are several areas producers need to rethink.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A vision of what the beef industry needs: Part 1

Big Picture Thinking Part 1: The Canadian beef industry needs to think big to optimize its potential

By Sean McGrath February 1, 2019

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part series by Alberta rancher and consultant Sean McGrath with his vision for the Canadian beef industry. A vision statement can be one of the most powerful tools available to a company. It sets the big-picture goal for a business and provides a framework for communication. A […] Read more

Newborn dairy calves need proper clean and dry shelters and proper feed to get them off to the best start.

Cattleman’s Corner, Dairy Cattle, The Dairy Corner

Dairy calves need proper feed and winter housing

Whether in a straw house or plastic hutch, keep them clean, keep them fed

By Peter Vitti January 28, 2019

Whenever I see dairy calves raised outside in the winter, it often reminds me of a producer I met several years ago. At the time, he told me that years before, he raised pre-weaned dairy calves in the most dismal ways. He used to house about 15 outside in several lean-tos, which were a sheet […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

A look at what’s ahead for the Canadian dollar

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Expect a slower economy, more debt and likely more taxes

By Jerry Klassen January 28, 2019

The Canadian dollar eroded by 7.8 per cent during 2018 with most of this deterioration coming in the fourth quarter. For cattle producers, this isn’t necessarily negative. Recent data shows that year-to-date feeder cattle exports for the week ending Dec. 8, 2018 were 191,863 head, up a whopping 66 per cent over the same period […] Read more

Gregory checking heifers and horses  at the feed trough.

Cattleman’s Corner, Farm Life

Some chores are planned, some aren’t

Tending cows, horses, bulls and buying heifers keep days busy

By Heather Eppich January 24, 2019

On November 11 we took a day off from fencing and drove up to Maidstone to visit David and Maxine Mitchell and pick out a few bred heifers. This will be our third year buying heifers from River Bridge Herefords and we have been very happy with them. A few days later we brought our […] Read more

Administering painkillers can benefit cattle production on several levels.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Using NSAID painkillers at calving

Animal Health: The treatment can benefit both cows and calves

By Roy Lewis January 21, 2019

With pain medication there may be adjunct treatment with antibiotics but sometimes this is unnecessary. If your veterinarian prescribes NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for pain he/she may choose one for several reasons — label claims, past experience in the field, price per treatment or per 100 pounds, duration of activity, ease of administration, advice of […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner

Suggestions for balanced winter rations for beef cattle

Use available feedstuffs to their best advantage

By Peter Vitti January 17, 2019

Good-quality forage for beef cows is in short supply this winter and the price of grain is still relatively expensive across Western Canada. The good news is well-balanced rations still can be put together for late-gestation beef cows to prepare them for a good calving season. This is a good reminder I received recently, when […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Finishers, Markets

Beef demand in 2018 pushes more production

Market Update: Fed-cattle prices need to rally  for feeders to be profitable

By Jerry Klassen January 8, 2019

During the second week of December, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $150 to $152, up from $2 to $4 from a month earlier. Market-ready supplies in Alberta and Saskatchewan are running above year-ago levels which has limited the upside in the fed cattle market. South of the border, U.S. fed-cattle […] Read more

A case of septic arthritis that has ruptured into a wound.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Good treatment options for septic arthritis in cattle

Surgery often gives animal several more productive years

By Roy Lewis December 28, 2018

Very often we have a farm call or a cow is brought in with an unrelenting lameness the producer has treated two or three times for “footrot” but to no avail. The cow is often bearing almost no weight on the leg. While simple footrot is blamed the real cause of lameness is septic arthritis. […] Read more

Supplement in the lick tank appeals  to cattle.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Compensating for a livestock vitamin shortage

One option for ensuring animals have adequate supplies

By Debbie Chikousky December 24, 2018

Last spring with the worldwide vitamins A, D and E shortage, our management practices had to change. The choice was either find a way to feed more or find injectable somewhere. This winter due to widespread feed shortages many producers are already wondering how to boost nutrition in the feeds they do have this winter. […] Read more

Once harvest was done, it was time to get busy with major fencing project.

Cattleman’s Corner, Farm Life

Fall projects are off to a good start

The Eppich News: Good progress made with a major fencing job

By Heather Eppich December 20, 2018

The end of October brought us some much-needed nice weather. We were able to finish harvest, but it took a lot of fiddling around, trying some here and then trying some there. Finally the crop dried to a moisture level that we could handle. We took every truck and trailer that would hold grain out […] Read more

Daily Network News

New strategies needed for Canadian agriculture to stand out in global trade

Feed Grains Weekly: Cash prices for wheat, barley largely flat

The Canadian GMO mustard wars: Dijon vs canola

Cattleman’s Corner