By Bruce Derksen, Freelance writer Veterinarians who look after cattle are shifting priorities to emphasize disease prevention over treatment, says Gordon Atkins of the University of Calgary’s veterinary school. The change is occurring as greater focus falls on reducing antibiotics in livestock production. Overall management, nutrition practices and the need to gain a better understanding of the…
Some American ranchers are ‘making a lot of noise’ but odds of a return to COOL law seem slim By Jennifer Blair, Alberta Farmer Express Mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) is gone, but there’s a new effort by American beef producers wanting to bring it back. “It’s still hugely on our radar,” said Alberta Beef Producers…
Canfax fed steer and heifer prices closed last week around $157.50/cwt, $5/cwt lower than the previous week. Dressed sales were reported from $260.50-264.50/cwt FOB the lot. All three Western Canadian packers procured cattle last week. In some instances, packers were limiting the amount of cash cattle they were buying from each producer. Most of the…
The following is a preview of a two-part series by the Beef Cattle Research Council. It was originally published in 2019, but remains relevant today. Fear of bloat costs more money than actual cases of bloat do Respect it, but don’t fear it. That’s the message from cattle producers and beef specialists alike who through…
Producers often prefer to cut alfalfa or alfalfa-grass hay as the crop reaches its peak volume, but that could result in a need for additional supplementation at feeding time. If you’re fortunate enough to have a hay crop to harvest, you might be curious how the heat can affect crop maturity, as well as the…
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of monthly columns by Melissa Downing, Alberta’s Provincial Coordinator with VBP+. This post focuses on VBP+ as a whole, while subsequent articles will address specific aspects of beef production through the VBP+ lens. Verified Beef Production (VBP) has been around for awhile now and, like many…
Producers are urged to take precautions this summer because of how dry it has been; vaccinations are recommended By Heather Smith Thomas, published in Western Producer Anthrax is one of the oldest killers of humans and livestock, mentioned in some of the earliest recorded history. It has been called splenic fever, charbon, milztrand and woolsorter’s disease…
From semen quality to conception rates, prolonged heat stress can take an incredible toll on cattle, and acute heat stress can even be life-threatening. “These several days in a row is really what adds to the heat stress,” says Dr. Roy Lewis, semi-retired veterinarian and regular contributor to various ag publications. “Long-term affects can add…
More than three decades after graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), Dr. Gillian Muir (DVM, PhD) is set to become the college’s dean on July 1. By WCVM Today Muir, who served as the college’s interim dean for the past 12 months, was appointed by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) for a…
Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) executive members and Canada Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Alberta board members participated in virtual fly-ins with Conservative Members of Parliament during the month of June. Over the course of 10 meetings, the producer representatives discussed issues ranging from the need to safeguard our food systems to Canada’s negligible risk status for BSE….
In the past couple of weeks, Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has had the distinct pleasure to share stories and perspectives with both mainstream and beef production audiences through various channels. From explaining what drought means to ranchers to considering some favorite cuts for barbecue season, here are some of our latest guest appearances: Hoping for…
Canfax fed steer and heifer prices closed last week around $162.25/cwt, $2/cwt lower than the previous week. The last time fed prices averaged over $160/cwt in June was back in 2015, other than 2015 this stands as the second strongest price for June on record. Last week dressed sales were reported from $270-272/cwt FOB the…