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Brightly coloured dog collars are useful to Rob Somerville in locating calves that needed treatment or extra attention.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Good producer ideas improve cattle management

You never know how sporting goods store supplies can benefit beef production

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How can colourful dog collars and game cameras help to improve beef production and management? The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), is always interested in hearing from producers about how often simple ideas not only reduce the workload but ultimately produce more pounds of beef. From a BCRC blog posting last fall, here a few […] Read more
Consumer spending has been a major pillar of the U.S. economy, contributing to among other things, stronger beef demand.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Demand continues for U.S. beef

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: American consumers have more disposable income

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As of mid-December, Alberta fed cattle were trading in the range of $152 to $155, up approximately $10 to $12 from a month earlier. The February and April live cattle futures continued to trade near contract highs due to the uncertainty in beef production during the first quarter of 2020. It appears that beef production […] Read more
In southern Alberta, Simmental based steers weighing 510 pounds were quoted at $230 in mid-November while black heifers were valued at $195. It’s looking like feast-or-famine beef production in early 2020.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Markets

Calf prices will be sideways into 2020

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Both the U.S. and Canada produced smaller calf crops in 2019

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Alberta packers were paying $142 to $144 on a live basis in mid-November, relatively unchanged from last month’s average price. While Alberta prices have traded in a sideways range, fed cattle values south of the border have been percolating higher. In Nebraska, fed cattle were trading in the range of $114 to $116, up from […] Read more
Late fall pasture may fill cows up but are they getting enough protein?
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Pregnant cows need their protein

Molasses lick-tubs can help maintain cow condition and keep fetuses growing

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I was recently driving west through the southern Prairies and saw a beef cow herd grazing late-autumn straw-coloured pasture. I suspected the calves were probably just weaned, which simply puts these dams at their lowest dietary requirements. I believe that these particular cows were getting plenty to eat, but they were probably not getting enough […] Read more
While yearling prices have been very strong, calf prices are trading $10 to $15 lower than a year ago.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock, Markets

Calf prices below year-ago levels

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Seek price protection if you're backgrounding calves this winter

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Western Canadian feedlot margins have hovered in negative territory throughout the summer and early fall. In late September, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $231 to $232; live bids were quoted from $136 to $139. Recent prices are about $15 to $20 below break-even pen closeout values. […] Read more
Either store-bought or homemade creep feeder designs, stocked with a proper ration, can be used in early spring.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Creep feeding spring calves pays dividends

This program pencils out to a $23 per head net premium in 2019

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It’s always heartwarming to see the twitch of a spring calf’s tail as it nurses its mum. As this calf approaches three months of age, the brood cow’s milk production decreases, only supplying about half of the calf’s nutrient requirements. The rest must be delivered by sprouting pastures. But that could spell trouble to calf […] Read more
This mother cow readily accepted a grafted calf after her own died.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Spring mishaps and hardships but still hope

Eppich News: Though for different reasons, problems just seem to work out

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On March 23 we had another mishap — a four-day-old heifer calf got stepped on and we lost her. Later that same day we went over to Lee and Erica Redlich’s, neighbours by Landis, to pick up the pig they butchered for us. We had a very nice visit with them and Lee’s father Terry. […] Read more
Calves are dropping at about 
70 pounds but they quickly begin to gain weight.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Breeding program favours short-gestation bulls

Little or no calving difficulty as calves get off to a good start

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For southwest Saskatchewan ranchers Barry and Anne Wasko, switching the heifer-breeding program a few years ago to select for shorter-gestation bulls is producing smaller but vigorous calves while reducing concerns about calving difficulty. By breeding their Hereford/Red Angus-cross heifers to Black Angus bulls selected for EPDs showing shorter gestation, heifers are calving about 10 days […] Read more
Make sure cows have a good body condition score and aim for a 60-day breeding and calving season.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A short 60-day breeding season leads to profit

Produces a more uniform batch of calves and higher weaning weights

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The calving season is well underway on the Prairies, with some cow-calf operations calving with snow on the ground, while others plan to calve on pasture. Regardless of the starting date, the length of the calving season is directly related to the length of the previous breeding season. Research shows moving toward a desirable 60-day […] Read more
Despite cold temperatures this newborn calf is up and nursing.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Calving season improved after a sad start

Eppich News: Extra attention was needed to get cattle through a cold February

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February was cold! Temperatures were frigid and the wind was terrible. On Feb. 17 we bedded our corrals and sorted off our heifers to keep them up front where we could keep an eye on them. It was a good thing but for a different reason than we had in mind. On Feb.19 we doctored […] Read more

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