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This refractor can be used to measure colostrum quality.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Using meters to measure feed quality

Fairly simple tools are available to evaluate colostrum and milk

By
This calving season arrived in the midst of a worldwide vitamin A, D and E shortage. The quality of colostrum depends greatly on maternal nutrition. The health and viability of the young depends on the quality of the colostrum. So how can farmers test the quality of their calf colostrum/milk at home? There is a […] Read more
Calves are comfortable on good bedding, 
even on cold days.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Proper bedding keeps calves warm and dry

Straw and windbreaks can help get calves through poor spring weather

By
This spring has been less than ideal for calving. In west-central Saskatchewan we’ve had record cold temperatures with wind and snow, and the wet weather is just around the corner. Calves born in these conditions often show the effects with frozen ears and feet — that’s if you can keep them alive in the first […] Read more
The first Angus/Hereford cross bull calf of the year, doing well.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

The bulls and the bees

The purchase of a heifer bull stirs excitement for next season

By
Sometimes opportunities come up and you just have to jump on them. We have been hauling our cows to pasture in a two-horse trailer, just waiting for an opportunity to purchase a bigger one. Then a friend showed Gregory an ad. The used trailer was in rough shape but the price was good, so Gregory loaded […] Read more
Can you afford to select cows for longevity?
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Can you afford to select cows for longevity?

Keeping old cows isn’t improving performance of the beef herd

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One of the biggest costs on a cow-calf operation is cow herd depreciation. For most of us, even if we are not aware of it, cow depreciation is our second-highest expense after cow herd maintenance. It is a problem often ignored because cull cows generate cash flow, but having cows drop out of the cow […] Read more
Bloated calf
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Treating colicky bloat in calves

Calf Management: Timeliness is critical and treatments are no guarantee


By
In some herds, calves die nearly every year from enterotoxemia caused by bacterial toxins. The calves are usually about a month old, but may be as young as a few days or as old as two to three months. They are generally healthy, fast-growing calves that suddenly develop acute gut pain, kicking at their belly […] Read more
Prodding the inside of a nostril with a straw is one trick that may stimulate a calf to breathe.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Tips on getting a newborn calf breathing

Hanging them upside down doesn’t work and can make things worse

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There are many traditional practices and old wives’ tales about how to get a newborn calf breathing — some of which are valid and helpful, and some that are not. Cody Creelman, with Veterinary Agri Health Services (VAHS), a five-veterinarian beef cattle practice at Airdrie, Alta., says there are a few practices that are actually […] Read more
About eight per cent of most common beef breeds will produce twins, and it is also quite common among bison. Economics show there is value in making the extra effort to save the extra calf.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Problems and benefits of twin calves

Animal Health: It is worth the extra management effort to save both calves

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In my practice I often hear producers complaining about twins, mainly because often the focus is on the problems they can present. However, research done on a twinner population over the last 10 years in the U.S. found there to be a definite economic benefit with twins. So it is important to look at both […] Read more
After a bit of trial and error we discovered a simple and inexpensive way to modify these feeders to prevent the heifers from climbing in.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Modify bale feeders for yearlings

Simple, relatively low-cost solutions to keep young stock out of the feeders

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We have used large rectangular and round hay bale feeders for several years to feed replacement heifers and bull calves We prefer the flex feeders because they will accommodate a large rectangular bale or round bale, and, if not allowed to freeze to the ground, permit the calves to push and collapse the feeders to […] Read more

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