At the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s (BFO) annual meeting in Toronto on Feb. 18, Brocklebank told Glacier FarmMedia her focus is on national delivery and stakeholder engagement, noting the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is at a turning point following Dennis Laycraft’s retirement, after guiding the sector through crises for 30 years.

“With a change in leadership, it’s a good time to have that conversation,” said Brocklebank.

WHY IT MATTERS: Alberta’s July exit from the Canadian Cattle Association over fiscal transparency, governance, and communications issues would remove more than half of the CCA’s funding.

“CCA has a strong national and international voice built on sound principles and producer-led advocacy and policy,” she stated. “Producers who come to these boards really want to make sure the industry moves forward as a whole.”

She believes the Provincial Working Group’s unified approach supports that goal.

Provincial Working Group

The Working Group, a coalition of provincial beef associations, seeks to provide the CCA with insights to align with producers’ evolving needs while upholding national unity.

As a fourth-generation Alberta beef producer whose original farmstead was near the Toronto Airport, Brocklebank says she understands that Canadian beef production is diverse, with distinct challenges in cow-calf operations, backgrounders, feedlots, and processing.

Brocklebank noted that even though the conversations can be difficult, openness to solutions and change fosters collaboration and results.

“We’ve experienced that in the past, with policy discussion, that there isn’t always consensus,” she explained. “Generally, it comes (down to) what’s best for the long term and what’s best for the industry.”

Craig McLaughlin, BFO’s past president, sits on the working group with BFO president Jason Leblond. McLaughlin said Brocklebank’s approach to the Working Group’s concerns regarding fiscal transparency, governance, and communications is positive.

“Andrea’s a breath of fresh air. She’s open to change, and she’s certainly been having dialogue with Alberta beef producers,” he said. “She’s optimistic. The Provincial Working Group is optimistic. When you have people with that kind of mindset, you overcome barriers.”

Despite this optimism, BFO members still voiced concerns about how Alberta’s exit from the national organization could affect their CCA check-off payments.

McLaughlin suggested CCA reserves could ease transition costs, but he remains optimistic that Alberta will stay.

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Brocklebank is currently the executive director of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), a division of the Canadian Cattle Association.

Brocklebank will be replacing executive vice president Dennis Laycraft, who is retiring. Laycraft will be maintaining business as usual until the leadership transition takes place in March.

Brockleback was chosen based on the reccomendation of an executive recruitment firm.

“She’s been leading the BCRC for about 20 years and it’s grown tremendously over that time, including building a reputation for being a very trusted, credible organization that keeps producers at the centre of all its decisions,” said BCRC communications director Tracy Herbert.

During that time, the research council has funded important research and collaborated with many other groups.

“Our extension and knowledge mobilization portfolio started under Andrea’s leadership and has grown tremendously as well,” Herbert said.

“Andrea was born and raised on a beef operation and manages it now with her husband, so she’s very grounded in the realities of production and takes a very pragmatic approach and strategic forward-thinking approach to her leadership.”

“Working with Andrea for the past 15 years, I’ve watched and been inspired by her qualities, which are integrity, resilience, humility and clarity, and she has led a fantastic culture here at the BCRC,” Herbert said.

”It’s a culture of pragmatism, respectfulness and curiosity, and those are some of the qualities that have contributed to her success, her positive impact and her collaboration. Those will serve her very well at the CCA.”

The CEO role is new to the Canadian Cattle Association. CCA president Tyler Fulton said it was chosen because it more accurately represents the role of the senior staff member.

Herbert will be BCRC’s interim executive director. She has led the BCRC’s knowledge mobilization and communications program since 2011.

Herbert lives in Lloydminster. Her family operates a mixed farm between Neilburg and Maidstone, Sask.

-Updated Jan. 7

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Sometimes there are new products that have a definite place in cattle production, or we find easier ways to do things. Products are changed due to developing resistance or the need for alternatives. It’s a global market, and Canada can occasionally find itself on the outside looking in. Regulatory changes can make our lives more complicated as more paperwork is introduced, and sometimes the speed of commerce slows down.

In this column, I am going to provide a variety of tips that can work on western Canadian cow-calf operations, both commercial and purebred.

Stomach ulcers are blamed on a number of factors, but research by Dr. Murray Jelinski has found they always happen in the transition from milk to grass consumption at around six weeks, resulting in a one per cent death loss. Some producers are creeping calves with very soft palatable grass hay and access to their own minerals to decrease incidence.

Clostridial vaccination is a possible prevention method, but whether it is or isn’t, the vaccine is a core one for young calves.

Speaking of clostridial vaccination, a new broader-spectrum product has just come on the market. It is called Covexin 10 but includes clostridium perfringens A. This is pretty rare in beef cattle and is seen more in mature dairy cows, but I talked to a purebred producer who had it diagnosed in younger calves that were dying. Discuss it with your herd veterinarian because, like all vaccines that have tetanus, it does not include histophilus somnus.

Vaccination tips

The latest information released by the Beef Canada Research Council is worth looking at. It’s a review of proper vaccinating techniques, which is always nice to have, not only for new employees or producers but also for those who have been in the business for a long time because over time, we can develop bad habits.

Producers pay good money for vaccines, so it’s important to look after them and take a little more time and thought to administer them properly. Vaccination is still a huge part of a producer’s biosecurity program, so keep abreast of new developments.

The BCRC put out information on core vaccines necessary in the cattle industry, and I would say pretty much all veterinarians would agree with 80 to 90 per cent of it.

Histophilus somnus should be considered a core vaccine because it is added to a lot of clostridial vaccines, and I remember when we saw the brainers and heart forms of it in our calves, especially in feedlots post-weaning. If we do see it now, it’s because there is a lack of a booster shot at the proper time.

Work in progress

We sometimes need to pat ourselves on the back for how far the industry has progressed in the last two to three decades. We’re seeing fewer navel infection and joint issues in young calves as a result of improving colostral consumption and hygiene. And we’re seeing far fewer calving issues because of proper selection for birth weight and body type in our herd sires.

Almost no dehorning is necessary now due to polled genetics, and cancer eye has a super low incidence because of dark pigment in almost all the breeds. Even Charolais animals have a darker pigment, resulting in a super low incidence. We used to perform a lot of surgeries for this condition at our clinic because of the complete white faces, and now they are a rarity.

We now try not to over-treat lameness because we know that non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDs), in a lot of cases, are a better choice. In bad cases, we can get a diagnosis before treatment. Each case is different and may simply require convalescence, trimming, surgery or, if something is incurable, shipping.

I used to do a lot of claw amputations. They are easy to recognize and worth doing, depending on the value of the animal and stage of pregnancy. It might even make sense in feeder animals. The success rate is very high.

Some feedlots have trimming tilt tables because they have recognized the recovery success rate and the growth potential, not to mention the animal welfare implications. If this service is required, look for clinics that will do it. The procedure is preferably done on a tilt table, but occasionally they can be done in a squeeze chute with good access, depending on which claw is involved. Your veterinarian will tell you their comfort level.

Record high cattle prices are helping speed up the decision to ship or treat as producers weigh the prognosis for success based on past experience. Both producers and veterinarians are more engaged now on the animal welfare side of livestock production. Again, treatment often involves NSAIDs.

A multitude of options are on the market, and veterinarians have their preferences as to which ones they want to use in each situation. Any NSAID is likely better than no NSAID in almost all situations, but producers must pay attention to withdrawal times.

We are fortunate in Canada that in most places, winter frosts and frozen yards and fields prevent transmission of lots of problems, eliminating the need for year-round treatment for internal and external parasites. This slows the development of resistance. But we still need to be cognizant of this and not over-treat. Treat for flies only when they reach the economic threshold. One life cycle in the summer may likely do it for most climates.

Foot-and-mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis have received a lot of attention lately because of recent outbreaks. Prevention needs to focus on border security, and our cattle organizations need to continually lobby the federal government on this.

I have great faith in our canine friends and the work they do, not only in drug detection but also with all citrus fruit, plants and meat. They are specialists and get lots done.

I am not a trained epidemiologist, but it appears that a new strain of bovine TB has been found in these last few outbreaks that hadn’t been detected before and isn’t found in surrounding herds, trace-outs, trace-ins or wildlife. Where is it coming from? We have one of the best surveillance systems in place during slaughter, which is how we find these cases in the first place. I also realize the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s handling of reportable diseases is always under scrutiny from our trading partners.

My last couple of points involve equipment.

When buying applicator guns, look for ones that can be used on different products. Clean them out and maintain them like you do your vaccine guns. All things will wear out, so parts should be replaced often.

Chutes and pens

For those just starting out in the cattle business, chutes, alley systems, maternity pens and calf chutes are available at auction.

Any squeeze chute or maternity pen is better than nothing because they will help you treat your animals appropriately and on time. Some may need a bit of repair, but I see chutes that are 50 years old or older that are still functioning well if maintained. This will make your life easier while maximizing animal welfare and minimizing injuries when handling.

Equipment can be upgraded as your herd grows, and herds larger than 200 head warrant a hydraulic chute. Expanding producers will seldom sell older chutes because they will be moved to a pasture to be used out there.

I hope that at least a couple of these points will resonate with you.

As well, if you ever feel a health area should be covered in these columns, plant the seed with one of the veterinary writers. Your idea or question will likely help others.

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Feed costs are easy to spot in a beef cattle operation, but what about the other expenses quietly chipping away at your bottom line? This is where yardage comes in; it’s a crucial part of managing winter feeding costs in cow-calf operations.

What is yardage?

Yardage refers to the overhead and non-feed costs incurred while maintaining cattle during the winter feeding period. These costs include day-to-day expenses such as labour, equipment and building maintenance, fuel, utilities, manure handling and other general expenses such as farm taxes and accounting fees. They also include non-cash costs, such as machinery and facility depreciation, which represent the graduate loss of value in assets over time.

Yardage is typically expressed on a per-head per-day basis.

Why does yardage matter?

Yardage may not grab attention like feed costs, but it significantly impacts profitability. These costs, especially non-cash costs like depreciation, often remain unnoticed but can erode profitability over time. For example, underestimating yardage may lead a beef producer to assume their operation is more efficient than it truly is. Ignoring yardage also makes it difficult to identify areas where costs can be optimized. For example, the exclusion of machinery maintenance and repair costs may make the cow-calf enterprise look more profitable than it is.

Yardage insights can mean better decisions

Yardage is more than just a line on a spreadsheet — it’s a key component to understanding and controlling costs, and can be a powerful tool for improving financial outcomes. Here are some examples:

Pinpoint cost driver: Identify the most significant contributors to yardage and pinpoint opportunities for savings.

Evaluate resource utilization: Determine if equipment and facilities are underutilized or can be used for other farm tasks.

Explore alternatives: Yardage insights can highlight opportunities to lower non-feed costs through alternative feeding methods.

Assess economies of scale: Knowing yardage costs can help assess whether expanding the herd could lower costs per head. Overhead costs are often considered fixed, because they don’t change significantly with the size of the herd — up to a point. This means increasing the herd size can spread these costs over more animals, reducing the per-unit expense and improving cost efficiency. However, as the herd grows beyond the capacity of existing resources, additional expenses for equipment or labour may arise.

Keeping track of yardage

Accurate yardage calculations start with diligent record-keeping. Keep detailed records of cash expenses, such as utility bills, equipment maintenance costs and labour hours.

Many overhead costs are incurred at the whole-farm level, making it necessary to allocate these costs across different enterprises and production stages to calculate yardage accurately.

—> READ MORE: Rethinking yardage costs by Sean McGrath

Overhead costs include machinery maintenance and repairs, building repairs, utilities, insurance, property taxes and salaries.

For farms with multiple enterprises (say, cash crops and cattle), allocating whole-farm costs to the cow-calf winter feeding period can be complex but essential. Various methods can be used for this allocation:

Time-based allocation: For assets like machinery or facilities, costs can be divided based on the proportion of time these resources are used for winter feeding.

Revenue-based allocation: It can be difficult to track or estimate the use-time of each fixed asset used on a diversified farm. In this case, costs can be divided based on the cow-calf enterprise’s share of total farm revenue. For instance, if the cow-calf enterprise generates $40,000 in revenue and the crop enterprise generates $60,000, the total farm revenue is $100,000. The cow-calf enterprise’s share is 40 per cent, so 40 per cent of overhead costs would be allocated to it.

Alternative methods: Costs can also be allocated using the percentage of gross margin or total expenses contributed by each enterprise. For example, if the cow-calf enterprise incurs 45 per cent of the total farm expenses, 45 per cent of the overhead costs would be allocated to it.

The BCRC cow-calf yardage calculator

The Cow-Calf Yardage Calculator is designed to help producers estimate their yardage by providing a clear template and streamlining the calculation process. It requires data input on herd size, winter feeding days, whole-farm cash overhead costs and the values of machinery and buildings allocated to the cow-calf winter feeding period. This tool calculates the total yardage cost, including a breakdown of cash expenses and depreciation on machinery and buildings.

In this calculator, non-feed variable costs — such as veterinarian services, medicine and bedding — are treated separately from yardage. However, they can be entered in a supplementary section to calculate the combined total of yardage, bedding and veterinary and medicine costs.

Making other yardage-related calculations

While yardage is commonly expressed on a per-head per-day basis, the calculator also provides results in cost per animal unit day (AUD) when animal weights are entered. Production cost and feeding capacity can vary significantly with animal size. Yardage on a per-AUD basis helps allocate overhead cost or shared resources based on cattle size or type.

This approach is useful when calculating profits, as both costs and revenue can vary with cattle size and type. For example, a larger 1,500-lb. cow may have a higher yardage cost but could also wean a heavier calf compared to a smaller 1,300-lb. cow. Calculating yardage per AUD also provides a standardized measure for comparing costs across farms with different herd compositions or within the same farm as herd composition or cattle sizes shift over time.

Bottom line

Understanding yardage is vital for identifying inefficiencies, managing resources and improving profitability. By tracking yardage, producers can better navigate challenges and create opportunities for growth.

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