calf Archives - Page 7 of 11

Once she calves, this cow's dietary needs will change.

Old school nutrition works after calving

It doesn't have to cost a lot to maintain proper body condition

By Peter Vitti April 11, 2017

Already, I know a few producers have had a couple of sleepless nights checking cows at calving. Most have told me all has gone well, because their cows came through the winter in good shape and were well-prepared for this year’s calving season. Moving forward, they now feed their calved-out beef cows diets which contain […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

2017 bull sale off to good start

Plenty of good events ahead involving people, animals and machinery

By Lee Hart March 24, 2017

Stewart Ainsworth has no complaints after their 48th annual bull sale at the ranch earlier this winter. Ainsworth, who along with family members is part of Lazy S Ranch at Mayerthorpe, Alberta, just northwest of Edmonton, says it wasn’t a record year, “but still we were very pleased with the results” … considering the year, […] Read more

Luing cattle have been developed to maintain maternal characteristics and are also very efficient grazers on poorer-quality forages.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner

Luing cattle – an efficient maternal breed

A newer British breed that performs well on lower-quality forage

By Heather Smith Thomas March 17, 2017

Iain Aitken is passionate about his Luing (pronounced ‘Ling’) cattle and their outstanding traits that make cattle-raising easy. He and his wife Rowena have 200 head of this Scottish breed on their farm near Belmont in southwestern Manitoba. “I came to Canada from Scotland in 2000,” says Aitken. “I grew up with Galloways, then my […] Read more

Consult with your herd veterinarian to determine which antibiotics are most effective, or whether they are needed at all.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Don’t overuse antibiotics in livestock

Cattle sometimes heal themselves, but get veterinary advice

By Heather Smith Thomas March 6, 2017

Ranchers often wonder which antibiotics they should have on hand for calving. They like to be prepared, in case a calf becomes ill, a cow needs treatment after a difficult birth, or develops mastitis or some other infection. Dr. David Smith of Mississippi State University says cattlemen probably need to use fewer antibiotics than they […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Gruesome, but sometimes necessary

Animal Health: When there’s no other options, a dead calf needs to dismembered for removal

By Roy Lewis February 17, 2017

Fetotomy is a veterinarian’s fancy word for cutting up a dead calf within the cow during the birthing. While it sounds gruesome the process still has a valuable place in a competent veterinarian’s bag of tricks. The object is to reduce trauma or minimize damage to the cow. The calf at this point is a […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Short-term gains, long-term pains

The market still needs to discourage beef production — and that hurts

By Jerry Klassen February 9, 2017

Fed and feeder cattle prices have been percolating higher recently as the markets adjust to lower-than-expected first-quarter beef production. Alberta fed cattle prices have been hovering in the range of $162 to $165, which is approximately $25 above break-even pen closeout values. Healthy feedlot margins allowed feedlots to bid up feeder cattle prices. Larger-frame steers […] Read more

More whole milk is needed to meet the basic water requirement of pre-weaned calves.

Dairy Cattle, The Dairy Corner

Pre-weaned calves need extra water

Dairy Corner: Satisfying thirst also promotes good dry calf starter intake

By Peter Vitti January 19, 2017

Feeding milk replacer or whole milk does not provide enough water for growing pre-weaned dairy calves. Young calves have a natural requirement for water which is often higher and separate than what is provided by most milk-based feeding programs. By providing all the water needed, calves adapt to dry calf starter quicker, grow faster and […] Read more

Livestock, Markets

The 2017 market has flickering bright lights

Lower retail prices help to fuel increased beef demand

By Jerry Klassen January 13, 2017

The price outlook for fed and feeder cattle prices has improved over the past month. First, beef production during the first half of 2017 will be lower than earlier anticipated. Second, offshore North American beef demand has strengthened in Southeast Asia due to lower exports from Australia. Third, Canadian exports of fed cattle and beef […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Important to maintain proper BCS

Cattleman's Corner: Cows looking good going into winter still need to be fed

By Peter Vitti January 3, 2017

Warm temperatures and lots of rain right into fall regenerated pastures producing plenty of nutritious grasses for cattle. Many gestating cows are going into the winter, healthy and in decent shape. By feeding them well-balanced overwintering diets, we can continue this momentum, so these beef cows can get through a typical cold winter and be […] Read more

Easy weaning and putting yearlings onto pasture or grass hay can help transition them into backgrounding.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Ease weaned calves into backgrounding

It is difficult if not impossible to recover losses due to sick animals

By Heather Smith Thomas December 22, 2016

Some ranchers hold calves over as yearlings, and some buy light calves in the spring to put on grass and gain weight. Some calves go into a confinement program and are fed a growing ration until they are ready to enter a finishing facility. Backgrounding covers a spectrum of situations that includes preconditioning before and […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit contract highs on shock herd decline

Alberta Crop Report: Harvest more than three-quarters finished

NFU says proposed plant breeders’ rights come at farmers’ expense

GFM Network News