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Cattleman’s Corner

Beef cows need to have a good body condition score going into the winter.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Early-gestating beef cows need good nutrition

Better Bunks and Pastures: Two-stage use of minerals over the fall and winter can help cows maintain body condition at a better cost

By
Late autumn is when many spring calves are weaned and removed from their moms. The remaining cow herd is now in its earliest weeks of gestation and requires a modest level of nutrition. It is an opportunity to feed some of the most cost-effective forage diets. But as time goes on, beef cows’ nutrient requirements […] Read more
Cattle
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

The fall run: the rancher’s sprint

A Little Bit Western: Most of the revenue, data and calf movement come in the fall

By
I like to joke that ranching is a marathon, except when it is a sprint, and then it’s that too. There are certainly times when you are racing from one urgent task to another. While it feels like the rest of the working world has three to five business days to respond to a request, […] Read more
cattle in alberta feedlot
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Feeder market trades at or near historical highs

The Markets: Larger supplies by numbers and weight will mean more beef supply year over year

By
During the last week of October, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $403-$408 per hundredweight ($242-$245/cwt on a live basis). This was unchanged from a month earlier. Breakeven pen closeouts are in the range of $250-$255/cwt, so margins are in negative territory for the time being. The […] Read more
ergot floret
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner

The hidden hazard of mycotoxins

The toxins can be associated with low performance before they have a clinical effect on cattle

By
Mycotoxins can be present in virtually all forages and other feedstuffs that cattle consume. A hidden hazard, mycotoxins can create a variety of problems, including impaired immune response, which can lead to secondary infections, compromised growth rates, reduced reproductive performance, lameness and gangrene. Illnesses caused by mycotoxins can be difficult to identify, and treatment with […] Read more
Bull scrotal size is important to measure before purchasing a beef sire.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Finding ideal scrotal size important in sire purchasing

Animal Health: Be careful not to buy a bull with too large of a scrotal size

By
If there’s something the market desires, there’s no doubt that purebred beef breeders can make it happen. A few years ago we did notice breed averages for scrotal size coming up a bit, so the minimum accepted scrotal sizes were adjusted up just a bit (one centimetre) in some cases. I think that is about […] Read more
Once calves are weaned, there are options for when they can be marketed.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Pencil out the investment in a background feeding program

Better Bunks and Pastures: Knowing the numbers can help dictate whether calves should be sold or retained

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As most of the leaves have fallen, many spring calves are being weaned. It’s also the time when many people determine whether their weaned calves are immediately sold or held back for further feeding. Record-high prices, especially on the weaned calf side of the market, should have everyone penciling out the feasibility of continued backgrounding […] Read more
Holstein-beef cross feeder cattle
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Fed market reflects beginning signs of herd expansion

The Markets: Beef cow numbers are still expected to decline in 2024 and 2025

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Western Canadian feeder cattle prices have been trading near historical highs throughout the summer and early fall period. At the time of writing this article, larger-frame Angus steers off grass averaging 950 lbs. were trading around $320/cwt in central Alberta. Steers averaging 500 lbs. were quoted between $450/cwt and $500/cwt, depending on weaning stage and […] Read more
Joseph and Reba check the pasture and the cows together.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Trips to pasture become adventure time

Eppich News: The weather was good for getting off hay and harvest has commenced

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Mid-August was warm with almost no rain. On Aug. 10 Gregory started cutting our hay over at Landis. On the 13th I started baling at Landis while Gregory continued to cut ahead of me. It was drying very nicely and so I was able to bale what he had cut just two days before. On […] Read more
The John Deere 535 baler that burned at the Eppich farm.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Equipment, Hay

Counting one’s blessings after our baler burns

Eppich News: A baler fire is a reminder to be prepared and understand what to do in an emergency

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On Sept. 5, our John Deere 535 baler went up in smoke. It is a big hit for our small operation, but we have much to be thankful for. As farmers we do dangerous things every day. Every day we are just going to go swath the wheat, or we are just going to combine, […] Read more
When stock water levels drop, a solar water system can help extend the quantity and preserve quality in the remaining water.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Prepare your ranch and business plan for bouts with drought

A Little Bit Western: There are ways to extend feed and water — but do so with caution and monitoring

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In late summer I was invited to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon to share my perspective on navigating drought. I would prefer covering a more cheerful topic, but as a fourth-generation Palliser Triangle dweller who resides on a ranch abandoned not once but twice by its former occupants, I’ll admit I’ve got experience […] Read more

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