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


 (Lisa Guenther photo)

Klassen: Feeder market ends year on mixed sentiment

Some feedlots becoming backed up with heavier cattle, setting negative tone for feed complex

Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were unchanged, to as much as $10 lower compared to last week. Demand for heifers was suffering last week. A weaker tone was noted in the Eastern prairie regions as Ontario demand appeared to evaporate last week. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $368-$370/cwt, down $7-$8 from last week.




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