The tradition of branding has cultural and practical reasons for support on ranches, Saskatchewan rancher Tara Mulhern Davidson says.
Tag Archives livestock management
The ranch tradition of branding is based in the cultural and the practical
A Little Bit Western: Cattle’s brands can help to identify them at a distance and when they get mixed in with others
More than one way to get replacement cows
The general rule of an annual 10 per cent turnover in the cow herd may be an underestimate
I had the privilege of presenting a replacement female course in the Maritimes this fall (after three years or so of COVID, and airport-related delays). It provided a good opportunity to take some time to think through replacement strategies and the actual issues surrounding replacements. Most of us underestimate the replacement rate of our cow […] Read more
New beef house for finishing cattle
In a part of the world that receives 30 to 40 inches of rain per year, it’s common practice to finish beef cattle indoors
A young farmer and agricultural contractor in Northern Ireland has built a high-tech livestock house in which to finish beef cattle, with emphasis on safety. With so many farm accidents with livestock these days, when James Kennedy, 27, needed a new beef house, he decided it must be safe to work in and last his […] Read more
Ranchers apply new practices summer and winter
High-intensity grazing along with swath grazing boosts overall production, plus how to construct a 3-D fence
Matt and Angela Kumlin, a young farm couple near Cochrane, Alta., are making major changes to their forage management and winter feeding programs, and they’re seeing beneficial results. They have cattle of their own and take in yearlings for custom grazing in the summer, utilizing different forages in their pasture mix. “Most of our grassland […] Read more
A few tips on livestock risk management
Consider the obvious as well as less obvious tools in the tool box
The last few weeks have been wild, even though most of us have been locked up at home. Bull sales have moved online and auction markets have been closed to everyone but buyers. Processors are adjusting lines to allow for social distancing and restaurants are closed to everything except pickup and delivery. These factors have […] Read more
Gaps in vaccination programs can be costly
Animal Health: Forgetting to vaccinate or missing booster shots can increase risk of disease
We as veterinarians and producers should constantly review our vaccination protocols to check for lapses in either booster shot administration, missing certain antigens in our vaccines, or keeping current with new or emerging diseases to which vaccines are now available. Cattle transported to other areas where other diseases may be more prevalent have often been […] Read more
Maintain facilities for improved workflow
The job gets done and it’s safer for both workers and livestock
Because the facilities and equipment around here are all showing some age, I have had to make an effort to go through them a bit ahead of working cows and calves in order to find, repair, or replace items that have worn out or been damaged, and we still have a few surprises. Cattle chute […] Read more
Grants available to help with traceability programs
Traceability technology helps to track animals or food products from farm to consumer
Traceability is a high priority for the livestock industry in Canada, and federal and provincial governments have been working in collaboration with the industry to develop a National Agriculture and Food Traceability System, primarily focusing on livestock and poultry. Traceability, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website is the ability to follow an item or […] Read more
Handling emotions is the key to handling cattle
If you’re chasing them, you’ve already lost the battle
More beef producers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of low-stress livestock management as part of the time-honoured tradition of raising and handling cattle. Human instincts, however, can present a major obstacle by contributing to a lack of control and the conflicts, anger and frustration that commonly accompany plans gone awry. Dylan Biggs, a […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
