
Author Archives

Tips on selecting female replacement cattle
In reality, bulls are more dispensable than good cows
Beef producers place a lot of emphasis on finding a suitable herd sire as no one can dismiss the importance of bull power in the herd. As the overworked but entirely accurate phrase aptly illustrates, “your bull is half the herd.” However the “other” half merits significant consideration for the single largest livestock investment is […] Read more

Market good bulls with sincerity
Auctions have both up and downside potential
Selling one’s annual calf crop is a relatively painless marketing process for commercial cattle producers. Purebred selling strategies however need to be substantially more complex, since individual customers seldom buy more than a small percentage of a farm’s annual cattle production, particularly bulls. I don’t presume to instruct breeders in the art of selling, particularly […] Read more
We need to cut coyotes some slack
In common with some other counties throughout Western Canada, our municipal government has introduced a bounty on coyotes and wolves. In their rush to a “one size fits all” solution I wonder if participating councils have given sufficient weight to greater good considerations and if verifiable studies have indeed been done affirming conclusively that coyote […] Read more
We need to cut coyotes some slack
In common with some other counties throughout Western Canada, our municipal government has introduced a bounty on coyotes and wolves. In their rush to a “one size fits all” solution I wonder if participating councils have given sufficient weight to greater good considerations and if verifiable studies have indeed been done affirming conclusively that coyote […] Read more
Easy-to-build hen feeder
Hens can be easily upset if things deviate from the expected norm, therefore they should never run out of feed once laying has begun. Taking this into account I built an efficient automatic feeder that is simple and inexpensive to construct. Dimensions are flexible, but the one I built is 27 inches wide, 24 inches […] Read more
It’s a dry cold
A contributing factor to winter breathing disorders may simply be a deficiency of moisture in household air. I have the advantage of heating with wood, so can add moisture to the air by keeping pots of water on the stove. Part of the daily routine is to keep filling the pot(s) with water. There is […] Read more
Manage consumer beef costs — eat chicken
One constant in the Canadian food industry is there will always be producers of cattle in Canada. Stock markets may go up or down, generations return to or leave the farm, economies tank or soar, yet some residue of beef production will remain. There is far too much infrastructure investment in productive capacity and non-grain […] Read more
A Trustyworthy Tailgate Latch
There are occasions when it’s the seemingly little problems that bug us more than larger issues. Higher concerns demand more attention and in consequence find faster resolution. Too often small things are mentally tossed into the “when I get a minute I’ll fix this” bin which all too often translates into nothing being done. We […] Read more
Good Times Up North – for May. 2, 2011
Is it possible to write a meaningful story about a cat, any cat ? I don’t know. The fact I may not be able to write this story doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Every living creature has a history unique to itself. Even the humble fish jumping and fighting desperately for its life at the […] Read more
A Few Tips On Bovine Thinking
HERD MANAGEMENT A cow herd’s social structure is admirably efficient and once established is generally firm until one or more members are permanently removed or a new animal is introduced. Regrettably the only way such pecking order can be established is through fighting, and if such entanglements come late in gestation there is always potential […] Read more
Grainews is written for farmers and often by farmers. It is about putting theory into practice on the farm. Each issue also features Cattleman’s Corner for cow-calf producers and farmers with mixed cattle and grain operations.