Health & Production

With calving season in full swing for many beef producers, the issue of calf scours may arise. Understanding the causes of this disease can help with our preventative efforts. This fact sheet, created through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, provides valuable information on why a calf may be susceptible to scours, and the differences in major…

Clearly livestock need water to survive, and enough good water, helps them thrive. Yes, livestock may be able to get this in frozen form: there are situations where they can survive or even thrive on snow, but it needs to be consistently available and of suitable type, which isn’t always the case. Chopping a hole for…

Researchers at the University of Calgary are looking at potential ways to manage the health of wild wood bison with a focus on tuberculosis and brucellosis, and they need your help. Drs. David C. Hall and Kyle Plotsky, independent researchers employed by the University of Calgary, are working to understand peoples’ attitudes about wood bison, the disease…

Fall is manure spreading season for many producers, including confined feeding operators, and the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) wants to remind you of a few things. Manure application Under the Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA), you must incorporate manure or compost within 48 hours of the start of application on cultivated lands. If you…

Let’s do what we can to keep our animals safe from blue-green algae By Roy Lewis, for Alberta Farmer Express Over the years with increased phosphorus and nitrogen getting into bodies of water, there have been more blue green algae blooms and that means more contact with cattle, as well as dogs, birds, wildlife and,…

With the ever-changing summer weather in Alberta, producers need to be on the lookout for anthrax. Typically appearing during periods of hot, dry weather following wet conditions, anthrax is a rapid and fatal disease caused by bacteria in soil.  A few isolated cases of anthrax occur almost every year in Western Canada. Animals contract the disease…

Johne’s disease is a sneaky production-limiting disease that damages herd health. We introduced Johne’s in the November 2021 issue. A new digital risk-reward calculator has been developed to help beef producers predict the future spread of Johne’s in their herds, and compare costs and benefits of different management strategies. As cattle herds grow and consolidate,…

Dystocia, otherwise known as a hard calving, is a stressful and painful event for both the cow and her calf. To decrease the risk of dystocia, producers can maintain the cow’s body condition score between 3 and 3.5 and breed for smaller birth weights to reduce the risk of dystocia. However, there is no way…

By Reynold Bergen, BCRC, for the May 2022 issue of Canadian Cattlemen After last summer’s pasture conditions and last winter’s feed costs, it’s safe to say that many cow-calf producers are facing the upcoming grazing season with some anxiety. Some are looking for new grazing arrangements, opportunities to trim input costs, or both. No single solution…