Good research demonstrates that summer heat stress reduces the performance and health of lactating and dry dairy cows. The funny thing is most people forget that a good bout of heat stress during the summer can cause many problems that extend into the cooler autumn months. Therefore, we should be aware of the ways that […] Read more
Impact of heat stress in dairy cows can last for months
Dairy Corner: A few hot days in summer can have a significant impact on reproduction and milk production
Start planning a proper winter ration now for your cattle
Feed requirements are fairly low in fall, but it's not the time cut corners on nutrition
After spring calves are weaned, early-gestation beef cows require the lowest amount of nutrients compared to the rest of the year. Some see this as a sign to save money by putting them on low-quality pastures or other poor feeds. Rather, it should be seen as a springboard to map out a good winter-feeding plan, […] Read more
Economics of backgrounding didn’t pencil out
With high feed costs, this example of adding 300 pounds over winter was a losing proposition
Years ago, I took one of my first beef marketing courses from a professor who wore a clean white lab coat to class. There was nothing wrong with that, but his previous class was a red meat-cutting class. One of the first thing he taught us is how to determine background-feeding profit. If its expenses […] Read more
Balancing variable corn silage quality to a ration
Dairy Corner: Always recommended to start with a feed analysis to know what you have
I am amazed on how each summer differs in Manitoba. Two summers ago, we had severe drought, last summer was extremely wet and this year started with record heat, then cooled down to night-time single digits. Luckily, temperatures picked up again, all the while with spotty thunderstorms. Such climatic difference presents a patchwork of knee-to […] Read more
Delivering a knockout punch to pinkeye
There are several tools that help reduce the risk of disease outbreak
Summer is not over and the pastures are full of flies, so when I drive down the highway and see cattle bunched up in a pasture, they are either trying to get away from the heat or from these annoying pests. One of the most notorious pests is the face fly, the leading culprit for […] Read more
Keep foot rot locked out of the breeding season
Manage high-risk conditions and be prepared to treat as needed
Most cow herds have been grazing green pastures for the last few months. Many are still in the midst of the breeding season, and I believe just by sheer probability that most producers have already successfully treated one or two cases of foot rot. To me, that’s a good thing, because lame cows and bulls […] Read more
Creep feeding shows a profit in 2023
It may be well worth your while to get an extra 60 pounds of gain on this year’s calves
Spring on the Prairies is a great time, because the snow has disappeared and pastures are turning green. Whenever I drive past the occasional drylot, I see a lot of beef cows waiting to be released on pasture. It reminds me that with record cattle prices on the board, it might be a time to […] Read more
Supply a proper feeding program for replacement heifers
It takes proper management and feed investment to raise calves to the milking age
Since growing replacement heifers don’t generate any income until they enter the lactation barn, it’s important to set up a well-balanced feeding program that matches their nutrient requirements.
Preventing frothy bloat on early spring pasture
A couple of treatments are available, but management practices can avoid the problem
As a beef nutritionist, I haven’t heard about many fatal cow bloat cases over the last 10 years, but of the few I’m aware of, it seems it takes only a few things to come together to make bloat deadly. From talking to experienced beef producers, I am also aware that the risk of annual […] Read more
Include high-quality alfalfa in a balanced dairy ration
Dairy Corner: Test for nitrates if the crop was produced under high-moisture conditions
High-quality alfalfa has not escaped the high cost of other dairy feeds, and thus significantly contributes to the record-setting cost of producing milk. And last year’s foul growing season, with wet conditions in some areas across the Prairies, was not kind to some alfalfa crops, resulting in some sprouting. This resulted in a few cases […] Read more
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