Most of the time cows handle calving just fine on their own, but producers should also be watching and ready in case something does go wrong.

No single measure ensures successful calving season — Part 2

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Looking after the details will pay dividends later

I wish the more experienced producers could share with others the little things they do and watch for when checking cattle at calving time. Watch for problem signs such as bloody discharge from the vagina, or meconium (first feces) in the water bag, indicating the calf is stressed and needs to be extracted. Some producers […] Read more

Brightly coloured dog collars are useful to Rob Somerville in locating calves that needed treatment or extra attention.

Good producer ideas improve cattle management

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

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


It is important cows and calves be monitored closely or given the space to ensure they get mothered up correctly and the calf get’s sucking.

Pairing up is critical at calving — Part 1

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Looking after the details will pay dividends later

Calving time (winter and spring) will soon be upon us, bringing the excitement of seeing what the next calf crop will be like. Several good practice tips emerge from my experience working with many great cow-calf managers over the years I hope some of these ideas will lead you to save more, and more productive, […] Read more



Doug Wray has the main herd calving on pasture. Once he has some calves on the ground — three or four days or 
a week’s worth — he moves those cow-calf pairs out of the main herd and onto to fresh pasture.

Keep cow-calf pairs moving at calving

Separating newborns from older calves reduces scours risk

Editor’s Note: This is part of a feature blog article produced by the Beef Cattle Research Council on the value of developing a calving system that separates newborn cow-calf pairs from older calves to reduce the risk of disease spread. The concept is known as the Sandhill Calving system although there are variations on the theme. Doug Wray believes […] Read more



Photo: Debbie Furber

Six ways to keep your cattle wormer working

Resistance among internal parasites to broad-spectrum cattle wormers is emerging in Canada and experience in other countries leaves no reason to believe the problem won’t worsen. On the brighter side, producers here still have a fighting chance to retain the efficacy of available cattle wormers by combining parasite control strategies, says epidemiologist Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle upward trend stalls

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Noticeable slippage was noted in shorter-keep cattle while lighter weight categories experienced spurts of $2-$3 above last week’s prices. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $292 on a dressed basis, up about $4-$6 from week-ago levels. However, auction rings experienced a subdued tone […] Read more


Photo: File

Six risk factors for BRD in feeder calves

There are many factors to consider to minimize BRD (bovine respiratory disease) when bringing in feeder calves. Knowing the history of the calves at weaning time, distance transported, vaccination and health history, as well as upcoming weather conditions will help you determine the level of risk. In bringing in calves, or for that matter feeding […] Read more

 This kind of diarrheal mess at the back of a calf is clear sign of coccidiosis.

Tackling coccidiosis on several fronts

There are effective treatments, but the best approach is prevention

Coccidiosis can be one of the most frustrating diseases to treat in your young beef calves. If not caught early, death losses can be as high as 20 per cent and many calves will have enough intestinal damage to make them poor doers for life. Coccidiois has a long life cycle and the oocyst (like […] Read more