Health & Production

Before ice settles over farm and ranch dugouts, a fall inspection can help producers protect water quality, check equipment, and prepare for reliable winter livestock watering. Whether a dugout supplies water year-round or serves seasonal pastures, checking its condition now provides an opportunity to address maintenance needs before winter makes access more difficult. Alberta Agriculture’s Quality…

When feed supplies are tight, every bale and every tonne of silage counts. But after a growing season affected by drought, heat, hail or frost, it’s worth paying attention to more than just yield. Under certain conditions, forage crops can accumulate nitrates. While it’s not a concern every year, elevated nitrate levels can create challenges…

When people think about native prairie grasslands, they often picture wide-open spaces and grazing cattle. But those grasslands are also home to a surprising amount of wildlife and play an important role in keeping prairie landscapes healthy. During a recent Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) webinar, Ellie Annett with the Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum discussed…

Alberta Beef Producers’ (ABP) Board of Directors is sharing the final report of the Working Group on Traceability, including recommendations to support adoption of current requirements and voluntary, industry-driven improvements to cattle movement records.  The Working Group on Traceability, developed out of ABP producer resolutions, presented its final report to ABP’s Board during its September…

Every fall, producers take stock of the feed they’ll be relying on through the winter. In some years, there’s a fair bit of confidence in what’s sitting in the stack. Other years, not so much. Growing conditions this year have varied across Alberta. Some areas received timely moisture while others stayed dry for much of…

For many producers, silaging is well underway. Once the pile is covered, it’s tempting to move on to harvest or tackle the next job on the list. But taking a few minutes to check that cover now can help protect months of work. Silage needs to stay sealed to ferment properly and maintain feed quality….

Providing cattle with the right minerals is an important part of herd nutrition, but the way those minerals are delivered can affect costs, labour requirements, and how consistently cattle receive the nutrients they need. A new resource from the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) compares five common mineral delivery methods and outlines the advantages and…

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is highlighting resources to help producers manage pasture conditions, cattle nutrition, and herd performance throughout the summer. The latest edition of BCRC’s Vet Tools brings together science-based information on grazing management, water quality, feed testing and forage nutrition, helping producers address potential challenges before they affect productivity. The summer…

Moisture conditions across Alberta remain highly variable heading into harvest, with some areas dealing with excess moisture while others continue to see below-normal rainfall and declining soil moisture reserves. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation’s latest moisture update shows rainfall during the week ending August 20, 2026, was lighter than in previous reporting periods. The heaviest precipitation…