livestock Archives - Page 13 of 15

Cattleman’s Corner, Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Maintain forage fibre in a dairy diet

Dairy Corner with Peter Vitti

By Peter Vitti October 19, 2017

I recently visited a dairy producer running 200 cows having problems maintaining butterfat at 3.9 per cent in his 35-kg milk producing herd. He asked me to walk the lactation barn and see what I could find out. It took about 20 minutes to walk the feed bunk and cows, and in the end, I […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Sell calves early or hold them until spring

Market Update: Big U.S. calf crop will hit the market in November and December

By Jerry Klassen August 31, 2017

Alberta fed cattle prices were hovering in the range of $143 to $145 in mid-August. The market has been trending lower since the first week of May when the fed market reached up to $197. Despite the softer selling prices, feeding margins remain in positive territory. Break-even pen closeout values are near $135 for August; […] Read more

Dairy Cattle, Livestock, The Dairy Corner

Know your lactating dairy diet costs

Look to find a balance between very expensive and very cheap rations

By Peter Vitti August 21, 2017

Occasionally, I talk to dairy producers about the financial aspects of operating a barn, aside from dairy nutrition. All producers wish to reduce their lactating feed costs. One producer I know wants to switch to a notorious cheap protein supplement, while another wants to hire a private dairy consultant and tender out all dairy feed […] Read more

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham met Wednesday in Victoria. (Photo courtesy AAFC)

Forages, Livestock, Weather

Options weighed for AgriRecovery in B.C. fire zones

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News August 16, 2017

Officials in British Columbia are now gauging what sorts of damages and expenses can be covered through an AgriRecovery plan for ranchers and farmers affected by wildfires. The federal and B.C. governments announced Wednesday they’re “working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Reuters

China promotes livestock farming to digest corn stocks

By GFM Network News August 10, 2017

Beijing/China – China wants to turn its grain basket in the northeast into a national meat and dairy production base, said the agriculture ministry on Thursday, as part of a broader plan to create stronger demand for the region’s main crops. Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia account for around a quarter of China’s total […] Read more

Livestock

Saskatchewan sets new cougar, bear trapping seasons

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News July 10, 2017

Saskatchewan has set up a new cougar season for trappers, plus a southern expansion of its black bear trapping season, in part to help limit livestock predation. The province on Wednesday announced a new “trapping-only” cougar season will open Oct. 15, 2017 and close March 15, 2018. It also announced a new “black bear opportunity” […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Beware of grain bloat in self-fed cattle

Feed roughage and avoid very fine grain particles

By Peter Vitti May 17, 2017

Self-feeders are both a blessing and a curse. A handful of self feeders makes life a lot easier by augering in tonnes of creep or grower ration into each one for growing beef cattle. They can also be a curse when a few cattle become victims of grain bloat. Since nobody wants to lose animals […] Read more

Livestock, Machinery

Federal rules tightened for recreational drone use

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News March 16, 2017

Citing recent “reckless use of drones that is putting the safety of Canadians at risk,” the federal government has set up new temporary rules limiting where and when drones can be flown for the heck of it. Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Thursday announced an interim order with new rules for the recreational operation of […] Read more

Moisture and a reduced stocking rate helped pastures to get back into a productive state above and below ground.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock, Pasture

Keeping soil biology ticking

Pasture Management: Grazing setbacks happen, but find opportunities to get back on track

By Kim Nielsen March 1, 2017

Normal weather” at 4 Clover Ranch near Rocky Mountain House, Alta. has been illusive for a couple of years at least and it has created some grazing challenges at the expense of pasture performance. Our planned grazing system, where we look at the health of the grass on an ongoing basis, has responded well over […] Read more

A number of heating systems can be used to keep water open  and available to cattle during winter.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Options for keeping winter water open

Water supp??lies need to be reliable but also safe

By Heather Smith Thomas January 13, 2017

Providing adequate stock water can be a frustrating challenge during colder months. Having adequate water and keeping it ice-free is not a simple task. In some pastures, water availability is also an issue. Trey Patterson, CEO of Padlock Ranches in Wyoming, says one of the challenges is keeping water thawed. “If you have multiple groups […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures spike, hogs mixed

U.S. grains: Soybean ease on harvest pressure, competition from Brazil

Russia’s top agriculture official blames low global grain prices for export slowdown

Tag Archives livestock