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Tag Archives Cows

Fortunately, a cow herd can acclimatize to cold weather but their feed intake will increase in order to stay warm.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Increase in open cows blamed on poor diet

Start with a decent body condition after summer grazing and keep it maintained through to calving

By
Many beef producers this fall confirmed a surprising number of open cows after they brought them home. I speculate that not enough feed last winter, a record-breaking cold winter and a wet spring failed to prepare many beef cow herds for good conception rates. Fortunately, most producers now have good feed inventory, which I am […] Read more
Proper management of cull cows
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Proper management of cull cows

Several factors to consider, including animal welfare and economics, when deciding whether to ship

By
An important aspect of cattle production, often given low priority, is the care and marketing of our cull cows. It’s one of the areas in cattle production where producers need to be particularly aware of animal welfare issues that include decisions about not culling, shipping or putting down cull cows when it becomes necessary. We […] Read more
Research shows cows kept in proper condition in fall and early winter will have a much better chance of raising high producing calves the following year.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Cow nutrition now has huge impact on 2023 calves

Keeping animals properly fed this fall will lead to high-performing calves next year

By
Many beef producers I’ve talked to over the years have improved cow nutrition after their cows are confirmed pregnant, but there still are the diehards that don’t believe they need much nutrition. That’s too bad, because sound research has proven that poor nutrition during the early/mid-gestation months can sharply reduce newborn calf survival and long-term […] Read more
It is important to figure out the economics of backgrounding 
calves for your operation.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Backgrounding calves is an option

Important to look at the economics to make sure

By
Recently, I asked a local beef producer of a 200-head cow herd what she planned to do with her spring calves after they were weaned. She said that in late October, her son brings all cows and calves home from pasture, weans them, retains two dozen replacement heifers and trucks the rest to a feedlot […] Read more
There are some pretty strict guidelines that define what is truly a closed beef herd.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Are you really running a closed herd?

You can’t be ‘a little bit pregnant’ or ‘mostly closed’

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(Editor’s note: This column, written by Karin Schmid, Research and Production Manager with the Alberta Beef Producers, first appeared as a blog post on the Beef Cattle Research Council website at beefresearch.ca) A surprising proportion of producers believe they run a closed herd. The 2017 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey requested reasons why certain management practices […] Read more
Allowing May/June calves to run with their mothers until mid-winter (February and March) is considered a more natural weaning cycle.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Wintering calves with their mothers

Most cows and calves will naturally wean themselves by February

By
Many beef producers are calving later in the year (April, May or June) rather than early, to be more in tune with nature. They have green grass at calving and less need for harvested forage when the cow’s nutritional needs peak during lactation. Along with later calving comes the necessity for later weaning. Some choose […] Read more
In this line of work, offspring are welcome on the job site.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A job interview for a cow

It is important to find out who is working for whom

By
I have heard the statement “My cows need to work for me.” This leads to the somewhat logical question of “If a cow works for me, what should a job interview look like?” and further what answers I should hope to hear. Knowing that cow depreciation and cow herd maintenance are the two biggest costs […] Read more
(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)
Livestock, Markets

Cattle inventories continue to decline, StatsCan says

Canada's hog herd also down on year

By ,
MarketsFarm — Canada’s cattle herd in 2019 continued on its generally consistent path of declining numbers, according to new data Statistics Canada released Tuesday. Aside from a few slight increases in 2012, 2013 and 2018, Canadian cattle inventories have moved lower since 2005. At 11.2 million head, the reported number of cattle on farms in […] Read more

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