calving Archives - Page 2 of 8

First-calf cows need to be able to feed their calf, continue to grow and become ready for breeding, which means they need special treatment.

Take care of first-calf beef cows after calving

Keep them separate from older cows and a different ration could make sense

By Peter Vitti April 18, 2024

Despite some market volatility, the good value of all cattle is holding for the time being. That’s a good thing because last year, many cow-calf operators bred more replacement heifers that are now calving or about to calve. Some of these producers told me they throw them into their main cowherd if they are big […] Read more

First calf heifers are maturing, feeding a calf, and often going through teeth changes at the same time.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

The teenage years, beef cow edition

First-calf beef heifers are going through the biggest challenges of their lives and need some support

By Sean McGrath April 11, 2024

Anyone reading this column who has been a teenager or has raised one can appreciate how challenging and interesting those years can be. Even good teenagers can be expensive. In our beef cattle production systems, the teenage role is filled by replacement heifers, and like teenagers a bit of understanding about the changes they are […] Read more

The shortage of veterinarians often becomes most apparent during calving season. |

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

How to manage in a veterinarian shortage

Hauling an animal to a clinic is one solution, as are larger clinics with satellite sites

By Roy Lewis March 8, 2024

There’s huge talk about the shortage of veterinarians — especially large-animal, but also small-animal and emergency animal care. There was a recent announcement that the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) will raise the number of training seats to 100 from the current 50, when an expansion is completed next year. I would […] Read more

Beef cows’ TDN energy maintenance requirements generally increase about two per cent for every degree Celsius drop in temperature below freezing.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Beef cows in good condition, feed accordingly

Optimize cows' condition with target diets based on the animals' BCS

By Peter Vitti February 29, 2024

A warm start to winter has caused many beef cows after weaning to come off pasture in decent shape. Some of these cows are not truly obese, but they retained a lot of flesh. Those beef cows in optimum body condition should be put on a nutritious feeding program that maintains them until they calve […] Read more

Energy needs of cows for reproduction are low, but milk production and body maintenance create need for more feed.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Reproduction planning necessary for this herd’s breeding success

By Peter Vitti February 23, 2024

Last year, I asked a friend who operates a 400-Simmental x Angus beef cow operation about his No. 1 goal, after all his cows dropped their calves by the end of April. He replied that all his mature and young cows should show a couple of strong heats before they are let out with the […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Use an NSAID for the right reasons

Mitigating pain makes sense in many areas of cattle production

By Roy Lewis February 16, 2024

Pain medication may be accompanied by treatment with antibiotics, but sometimes this is unnecessary. If your veterinarian prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain, he or she may choose one based on label claim, experience in the field, price per treatment, duration of activity, ease of administration, advice of associates or slaughter withdrawal. There are […] Read more

During a pasture ride in early September, it was learned that four of six purebred Herefords had already calved out.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Did late August cloudburst bring more than rain?

Eppich News: Harvest is winding down but still plenty of fall projects ahead

By Heather Eppich October 20, 2023

In late August we were able to combine the last of our organic wheat — it was very slow going. With a little more rain it would have been a nice crop. The evening of August 31 we got a crazy rainstorm. John and Gregory were swathing in two different fields when Gregory called me […] Read more

Hopefully the beef herd remains healthy, but when there is a case of illness or injury getting a proper diagnosis as well as prognosis for recovery will help determine whether treatment is warranted.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

To butcher or not to butcher that cow?

Animal Health: Have a proper diagnosis of a sick or downed animal before administering any treatments

By Roy Lewis June 6, 2023

Which bovine conditions might prevail if butchering the animal to salvage the meat would produce the most practical or successful outcome? We often think of this after the fact when products such as antimicrobials or painkillers have already been administered. That is where the dilemma begins. What is the slaughter withdrawal period if you plan […] Read more

The first profit driver for many operations is to increase yields of biodiverse forages.

Cattleman’s Corner

Looking at key ranch profit drivers

Beef production is a bit more involved than having cattle eat grass, but putting efforts into management produces the best return

By Sean McGrath June 3, 2023

I often think that the ranching business is very simple until you get humans involved. At the most basic level, sun and rain grow forage, cows consume forage and reproduce and ranchers sell the offspring. Pretty simple, until it’s not. Fundamentally, this simple picture does provide some insight into what drives profit on most cow-calf […] Read more

Later calving was supposed to avoid the snow, but winter just didn't want to give up this year with a heavy snowfall in late March.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Weather didn’t co-operate for calving beef cows

Rancher's Diary: After a short labour, a new great-granddaughter is welcomed into the family

By Heather Smith Thomas May 16, 2023

March 22 We’re about to start calving. Andrea put boards over gaps at the bottom of the barn wall where critters have been crawling into the barn —to block their access and stop the wind. There were sheets of ice where water ran into the barn when snow fell off the roof, melted and ran […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle fall sharply as Trump says he’s working to lower beef costs

Alberta Crop Report: Harvest reaches completion

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans rise on yield uncertainty, firming cash markets

Tag Archives calving