“Producer perspectives from across the country help ensure the code reflects the diversity of Canadian beef production systems and remains practical for producers who raise cattle,” Canadian Cattle Association president Tyler Fulton said in a news release.

WHY IT MATTERS: The national code serves as a reference point for provincial animal enforcement officers and courts and sets a basic standard of care for beef cattle in Canada, the Canadian Cattle Association says.

The current code of practice was published in 2013. An update began in 2023 with a 15-person committee that includes representatives from the cattle, processor and transport sectors, veterinary and animal welfare experts, researchers, government representatives and others.

The process involves “respectful dialogue, evidence-based decision-making, and shared accountability,” the news release said.

The draft code of practices includes changes such as:

• Added requirements for monitoring cattle “more frequently” during heat waves and cold weather
• Added requirements for natural or man-made shelter from wind in cold weather
• Expanded guidlines around low-stress handling
• Added requirements around not branding cattle on the face or sensitive areas, and use of pain medication when branding cattle under six months old
• An added section on spaying of female cattle — a practice it says isn’t common in Canada
• Expanded requirements and information around euthanizing cattle, including acceptable methods

Public consultation is open until June 12.

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“We found a very unified group that all have the same interest at heart and that’s to make a strong national committee or revamp to make it a strong one,” said Kevin Boone, British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association general manager at the Dec. 9 meeting in Toronto.

WHY IT MATTERS: Alberta signalled in August its intention to leave the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), putting the sector’s national representation at risk.

“CCA is a pretty old, established organization, and I think that every now and again, you’ve got to step back and take a look at what you have and how you’re structured,” said Boone.

If the industry and CCA as a whole want to remain at the top of their field, the provincial members need to provide that direction, he added.

“They’re there to steer the ship, but it’s the directors from every province that are there to tell them how much steam to put in it and where and which way to turn.”

Boone said there isn’t any best time to address the potential fracturing of an organization. However, providing a toolbox of directives from members could help them build forward.

Alberta’s concerns extensive

“It started as a withdrawal,” said Doug Roxburgh, ABP chair, of Alberta’s stance with the CCA. “But I think it’s very much become more of a review.

“It’s been amazing to see what other provinces have had for both positives around CCA but also concerns.”

Alberta’s list of concerns is extensive, said Roxburgh; however, commonalities between provinces and an openness to change fostered positive discussions. The group will craft a review framework to present to the CCA, likely in the spring.

“We went into these meetings with a positive mindset, that we’re coming here to improve our organization,” said Chad Ross, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association chair.

“It’s healthy to look at governance, communication, financial reporting and funding and find solutions that are good for everyone.”

New Brunswick Cattle chair Trevor Welch said CCA’s representation at the federal level is critical. There are no plans to eliminate the organization. Rather, they will explore restructuring options to ensure it remains sustainable, financially responsible and “more palatable for all the provincial organizations to work with.”

He acknowledged that six or seven months ago, the provinces weren’t sure what to do or how to handle the potential fracturing of the CCA. The workshop showed they were aligned on “nitty-gritty” issues and were willing to work together to find a way forward.

Ross agreed, and while hesitant to give specifics, mentioned “a-ha” moments during the day. He highlighted the need to streamline communication to ensure grassroots voices are heard and to contribute to business plans, strategies and collaborations within provinces and national organizations.

“Then there’s funding it, and that’s always the hard question. How do we fund it all the way across Canada? It’s not going to be equal,” Ross said.

“I think there’s got to be some give and take. How do we negotiate that with the different provinces to be in the federal organization, get it funded and get it working?”

Looking for a better balance

Roxburgh said Alberta believes in a strong national organization that is appropriately funded, but “it can’t come on the backs of Alberta being underfunded within our own province.”

He doubted Alberta beef producers would reach 50 per cent representation based on funding, nor does he want to see less representation for other provinces — but he suggested that’s not the main question.

“I think the question is, how do we build this structure that’s the most effective for not just the producers today, but for our industry going forward?” Roxburgh said. “Things are changing all the time. It’s just about trying to figure out a little bit better balance right across the board.”

Beef Farmers of Ontario president Craig McLaughlin said the real challenge lies ahead — namely, in fine-tuning the funding model to ensure CCA’s sustainability without harming the provincial organization’s budgets, and negotiating representation.

“We feel there’s a time for change, and it should happen now when we’re going to get a new executive director at the national level,” said McLaughlin. “(The recommendations) will help them foster better relations across the provinces.”

Roxburgh said Alberta faced criticism for withdrawing so close to the retirement of Dennis Laycraft, CCA executive vice-president for the last 35 years.

Roxburgh said that the new CCA manager could view the current situation as an opportunity to listen, bring new ideas, explore the working group’s framework and recognize that the CCA isn’t “100 per cent where it could be or should be going forward.”

“We’re certainly going to be respectful to whoever that new person is taking that role and look forward to working with them to help shape the future of CCA,” Roxburgh said.

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He did have to make one trip late in the evening to Outlook, but they left the part out for him so he could pick it up after hours, and the next morning he got the machine fixed and going again.

We did shut the combines down to attend Gregory’s Auntie Pat’s funeral in Unity on Sept. 19. She had been battling with cancer. It has been a rough year in terms of deaths in the family.

On Oct. 7 we finished our grain harvest. The crops were great this year and the grain is sitting in the bins, dry. It was a very good harvest.

The next day we switched gears and took the horses out to sort some sale calves off from their mothers. We needed to be able to sort the sale calves off and then move the cows over to the other pasture. Earlier this year the bull had jumped in with the neighbours’ cows, so after sorting him off we decided to move the whole herd over to the other side so there were two fences in between them. Gregory had built the cross fence last fall and it was very helpful for this year’s management.

Joseph got to ride for this little roundup and he was very excited. After we got the cows in the corral and had sorted and loaded the calves, we switched riders and James got to ride to move the cows over to the other side of the cross fence. Afterward we took the calves home and fed and watered them for their overnight stay.

The next morning, we loaded the sale calves and the horses and then went over to the Landis pasture to sort off more calves so that we would have a full load to take to Provost. Joseph got to ride again for the roundup and then, while Gregory and I sorted, he rode Reba around in the pasture showing Grandma and Grandpa his skills. Once we were loaded, we got the kids in the truck and headed for Provost. We always try to make it a family event when we take the calves to the sale.

On the 11th we had a beautiful day for digging our potatoes. John and Barb were away at a wedding and so it was just Gregory and I and the kids and a neighbour who stopped in to give us a hand. Joseph and James were pretty good help and Ian and Anna played together pretty well.

The next day it snowed. It was the first snow of the year and the kids were very excited! They worked together and made several little snowmen in the yard. The snow didn’t stick around very long but they did have lots of fun with it while they could.

On Thanksgiving we had a nice little meal with James’ godfather, Ron Hango. We all ate too much and visited quite late.

On the 14th we headed over to the Scott Hutterite Colony to pick up our horses. I had taken over three colts earlier in the summer for Willy to work with. He had done a nice job and had ridden them several times to check and move their cows.

Two days later, Gregory rode the three-year-old mare that Willy had worked with to round up some cows at Landis, to sort off the last of the sale calves. Gregory has always enjoyed riding, but his old mare has developed a stiff gait that hurts his back, so riding has not been as enjoyable for him as it should have been. Gregory loved the little mare. She moved very nice and was very responsive to cues. She was completely at ease going off to chase cows away from my horse and nothing bothered her. We even had a jackrabbit jump up right in front of us and she never even startled at it. Old Reba can now become the kids’ horse full-time and we will be taking more colts to Willy next spring.

On the 20th we loaded up the family and went just down the road to pick up our new tractor, a John Deere 4430. Danny and Sheila have let us keep a few horses in their pasture over the summer for several years now. When I take water to the horses, we usually stop and visit for a few minutes. When Dan mentioned he might sell some of his tractors, I mentioned it to Gregory.

Gregory and James went one evening to visit Dan and to take him some beef as a small thank-you for the use of the pasture. Gregory and Dan talked about the tractors and Dan gave us the opportunity to buy the 4430. It was a very exciting day to go and pick it up. We will be able to use this tractor to do a number of jobs, but perhaps the most exciting one at this time is that Gregory will be able to use it on the processor. He won’t have to use the open tractor to feed the cows and horses all winter. We are very appreciative of this opportunity and it was a treat that Gregory was able to just drive it home.

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Most of the time, we simply forget it’s present when we provide loose cattle mineral on pasture. However, when it’s not there in the required amounts, or somehow gets biologically tied up, we eventually find out.

That’s why it’s important that cattle eat a well-balanced, zinc-fortified mineral in order to prevent any zinc deficiencies.

Most commercial pasture cattle minerals are formulated with about 10,000 mg/kg zinc to be fed at rates of at least 50 grams per head per day. Such predicted intake covers the National Research Council recommendations for dietary zinc in most classes of beef cattle. Factors such as age of the animals, growing and production status, stress and disease challenges are taken into account and often call for additional zinc to be added to cattle mineral.

Such trace amounts, compared to other essential nutrients, show us just how powerful zinc really is in beef cattle nutrition. For example, an average beef cow requires about one kg (2.2 lbs.) of crude protein per day to cover biological functions: vital body maintenance, producing milk, growth, immune function, reproduction. On the other hand, 500 mg of pure zinc equals 0.7 grams of zinc oxide, which gets lost at the bottom of a small teaspoon.

The odd thing about zinc is that it often works side-by-side with crude protein (and other essential nutrients) in the metabolisms of beef cattle. That’s because it’s scientifically proven to be part of more than 300 of their enzyme systems (specialized proteins that trigger chemical reactions in the body), and therefore is involved in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, DNA functions and the internal workings of cattle immunity.

Here is what we should expect from feeding zinc at recommended amounts to beef cattle:

Strong hooves

Because zinc is part of specific enzyme systems involved in epithelial (skin) formation and repair, feeding extra dietary zinc is thought to strengthen cattle hooves, particularly under harsh field and housing conditions.

A few years ago, I was working with a beef producer who calved out about 150 cows. Many of these cows seem to have very soft hooves and had a higher incidence of foot rot on pasture. Therefore, I formulated a loose mineral with four grams per head of zinc-methionine. It could have been coincidence, but fewer lame cows were treated by the end of that summer.

Good immunity

One particular field study showed zinc-methionine supplementation in spring calves enhanced their immune response to vaccination. The study was conducted on calves no more than two months old — when their colostrum immunity is in decline and their permanent immunity is not yet fully developed.

In this way, a Colorado study showed about one-third of pre-conditioned weaned calves were still getting sick after they were shipped to feedlots. This high incidence of morbidity was traced back to poorly formulated cow-herd mineral lacking sufficient dietary zinc and other important trace minerals.

Reproduction

Zinc plays an essential role in many of the average cow reproductive functions such as strong estrus cycles, improved conception rates, normal post-partum uterine involution and reduction of metritis. In the bull pen, zinc is essential for sperm production and circulating male hormones such as testosterone. A study at Kansas State University demonstrated that viable sperm counts in Angus bulls increased by one-third when bioavailable chelated zinc was fed.

Such positive responses were due to feeding more bioavailable organic sources of zinc — namely zinc-methionine. Subsequently, ruminant scientists will tell you that competitive inorganic zinc sources are still biologically active, but their supplementation in cattle mineral often doesn’t elicit a response due to many compounds that may bind them up in the cattle diets. Zinc-methionine, on the other hand, retains its high biological activity because it cannot combine with other systematic compounds.

Regardless of the source, there is no doubt as to zinc’s essential role in beef cattle nutrition. But zinc is only part of any well-balanced cattle diet, which must also contain other essential nutrients such as energy, protein, other minerals and vitamins. Plus, they must all work together to promote successful health and performance in beef cattle.

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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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Just like any team through junior high, high school, college or the pros, there are some fundamentals required to make a good team. First, the new recruits need a bit of coaching on where to go, what to do, what to graze, et cetera. This is true not only for new entrants from within the herd, but also purchased cows. Often cows that come into a herd aren’t aware of the systems in place, or even what plants are good grazing.

There are a few problems a cow herd team can have that really cause damage, and surprisingly they are quite similar to those in a human team.

Failing to fit

Some cows may come into a system or a team and just be unable to fit in with what is going on. That doesn’t mean they are not good players, but it may mean their talents are better suited for a different playing style. This could be cows that are in a low-input, grazing system trying to keep up with the power of cows in a more high-octane system — or it could be the reverse. Sometimes players just don’t fit the overall scheme of things. We don’t want to sign a goalie when we are really looking for a power forward.

Not a team player

This could be something as simple as being aggressive toward coaches and ownership, or more complex, such as choosing to leave the playing field at inopportune times (fence-crawling). It sometimes takes a bit of time for a cow to adapt to her new teammates and understand the pecking order — but some things are relatively inexcusable. It partly relates to non-performance, but cows that require extra attention or care relative to their teammates are a drag on the entire roster. It’s often a fine line between a cow learning the game versus a cow being a literal on- and off-field distraction.

Non-performance

This may also seem basic and, as previously mentioned, it may take a while for new recruits to really learn the game. For example, we don’t necessarily expect the calves from first-calf heifers to weigh the same at weaning as calves from mature cows. That said, various teams have different expectations and teammates need to meet these expectations at the risk of shortened careers and being traded.

Sometimes we can end up with a recruit that creates a lot of team drama or is not a good fit. It is often better to trade your way out of this team member and search for a better fit. That also goes for injury-prone players. Every time we add new herd members we need to empower their success, but we also need to hold them accountable and not adjust the rest of the team just to make a few new players happy.

Salary cap

Most operations work on a salary cap. There is only so much money that can go into players and at the end of the day it is nice to have a bit left for the coach and ownership. While we may have our favourite players (remember old No. 27?) it’s important that everyone pulls their weight toward the end goal.

I think it’s also fair to state every team needs a coach whose playing style matches the environment and the players. That is the role of the farm or ranch manager. The players need to clearly understand the expectations of the system and ownership needs to work to ensure the right players are in place. It’s possible to adapt the system to the cows — but be aware of the salary cap and if you want to pay for a team of superstars or grinders.

There are a lot of teams of cows with different playing styles that can be extremely successful. The trick is making sure that the style matches management resources and coaching. Additionally, it’s important to know the system you are working in and ensure players are accountable to whatever standard that requires.

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