Cow-Calf & Production Tips

Highlights of the Western Canada Cow-Calf Survey

By Angela Lovell October 7, 2015

Here are some of the key averages that showed up in the 2014 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey (WCCCS). The survey provides an opportunity for producers to see how their production practices compare with industry averages. 2013 Breeding season Average ratio cows to bulls — 24:1 (Heifers to bulls 17.5:1). Average breeding season length — 91 […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Drought brings its own package of health risks for livestock

Pests, toxic plants and disease can all thrive under dry conditions

By Roy Lewis August 6, 2015

With the current lack of runoff moisture and few spring rains across much of Western Canada, certain disease conditions may become more prevalent. It will pay to be extra vigilant this year when checking your herds. We commonly see more blackleg and all the other clostridial diseases in dry conditions. With shorter grass, cattle and […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder cattle prices stabilize

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News August 4, 2015

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices found some footing this past week trading at similar levels to seven days earlier. Auction market volumes consisted of stragglers and late bloomers with minimal numbers on offer; buyers on hand continue to promote the scarcity principle which caused the market to stabilize. Feedlots operators were quite aggressive on 800 […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Help cattle cope with the three Bs of heat stress

If cows and calves aren't eating, overall performance and weight gains are down

By Peter Vitti July 28, 2015

I always feel sorry for beef cattle in an open field that cannot escape the hot summer sun. The other day I was driving a pasture with about 30 Black Angus cows and spring calves. Not a tree or waterer in sight. All the animals were crowded together, none were grazing and their calves were […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Various views on the feeder cattle market

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News July 27, 2015

If you talked to three Western Canadian cattle buyers this week, you probably would receive four different views on the market. Certain auction barns were reflecting an average week-over-week decline of $3 to $5 but feature strings of cattle were back up to historical high prices. Early sales in the season are like tryouts at a […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Klassen: Softer beef complex weighs on feeders

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News July 21, 2015

Western Canadian feeder cattle experienced a week-over-week decline of $3 to $6 on average. In central Alberta, the market appeared to hold value on larger strings of quality feeders but the market in all other regions of the Prairies appeared to lack buying enthusiasm. Alberta fed cattle prices were quoted in the range of $186 […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf

Drought management strategies for cow-calf operators

By Beef Cattle Research Council July 20, 2015

Whether in the form of pasture, stored forage, or supplements, feed is the largest variable input cost in cow-calf operations. A big challenge is to feed the cow in a way that meets her current and future nutritional requirements for maintenance, lactation, maintaining a successful pregnancy, giving birth and getting rebred within 80-85 days of […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cow-Calf, Livestock, Weather

Sask. to open protected grasslands for grazing

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News July 14, 2015

Crown-held native prairie and other grasslands held for wildlife conservation in Saskatchewan will be opened up to ranchers needing grazing land for cattle in dry areas. Environment Minister Herb Cox announced Tuesday the province will make about 90,000 acres of Fish and Wildlife Development Fund (FWDF) land available to cattle producers. The same grazing lease […] Read more

Lynn using the tractor and blade to clear grass and debris from a ditch that will carry water for hayfield irrigation.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Cows can’t wait to head for green grass

Rancher's Diary: A quick look back at May as the spring season got underway with the end of calving, and time to start irrigating

By Heather Smith Thomas June 29, 2015

May 5 – Last Wednesday Andrea helped Lynn put up a temporary electric fence along the south side of the pasture where the cows and calves are. This will keep the calves from eating gravel along the ditch bank and keep them away from the elk panels on that side of the field (the backside […] Read more

Cow-Calf, Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

Rain sprinkles Prairie canola fields, pastures

By Rod Nickel, GFM Network News June 15, 2015

Winnipeg | Reuters — Light rains sprinkled Western Canada’s crops and pastures during the weekend, but amounts fell well short of what’s needed to remedy dry conditions that have stunted growth, analysts said Monday. Rains were scattered across the Prairies and similar light amounts are expected during the next two weeks, Commodity Weather Group said […] Read more

GFM Network News

Large gap in canola ending stocks between AAFC, USDA

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs rally

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans hit lowest prices since October on big supplies

Cow-Calf