Supplementing cattle rations with mineral may seem expensive at first glance, but the cost of an incomplete nutritional package can show up as quickly as one breeding season where fertility rates plummet. The cost of open heifers or cows adds up far faster than the cost of mineral. When deciding on a mineral supplement, amount,... Read More
Category: Livestock
In a recent post on the Fast Company website, Comedian Nick Offerman was photographed chewing on a piece of raw meat. I like rare steak but I am not sure I would like this meal. I think the good thing is that even though it is meant to be funny in a series of strange... Read More
After a busy week of networking, mind mapping and proposing solutions to food insecurity at the Youth Ag Summit in Calgary, I am now preparing to leave for Australia to meet up with the Five Nations Beef Alliance. Who is that, now? Allow me to elaborate. Four of the world’s major beef producing nations –... Read More
With the recent decision by Tyson to ban Zilmax use by the use of its supplying feedyards and then Merck deciding to suspend the sale of Zilmax until a further evaluation is completed, many people in the cattle industry are surprised and wondering what will happen next. This week I talked to Kevin Grier, George... Read More
Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, was on hand at Airdrie Alta., yesterday to announce news of $14 million in funding for the Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster under Growing Forward 2. The Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC) funding supports strategic research that will drive the efficiencies that enable producers to realize continuous improvements, while enhancing overall... Read More
If your grain-farming neighbour is wincing at crop prices and that makes you smile, you might be a cattle producer. And so begins a series of events and conditions converging to support solid cattle prices for the near term. As you'll hear in this interview with Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, cattlement are enjoying strong... Read More
Establishing the vaccination needs and schedule for your operation is going to depend heavily on your herd's risk level. Fully closed herds, where not even bulls are bought in, have a lower risk level and different risk profile than a herd that is buying replacement heifers, feeder cattle or mature animals, be they bulls or... Read More
The Government of Canada released a statement today regarding formally asking the World Trade Organization to establish a compliance panel on U.S. Country of Origin Labeling. The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, today issued the following statement on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling... Read More
In a surprising move, U.S. company Merck Animal Health has suspended sales of the beta-agonist Zilmax, a cattle growth promotant, according to a Reuters report. The decision comes on the heels of Tyson Foods Inc. announcing last week that the company would no longer accept slaughter cattle that had been fed the feed additive. JBS... Read More
If you had asked me in February what “CYL” was, I likely would have answered with a completely made-up, yet entirely coy response. Six months later? I have a whole new network of industry leaders at my fingertips, a very encouraging mentor, a community of friends, educational opportunities galore and a $1,000 budget to attend... Read More