Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)

This article was originally posted on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website. Calves born unassisted and uncompromised will typically stand and nurse from their mothers within one to two hours after birth. However, calves that experience a difficult or prolonged birth, have a swollen tongue, experience hypothermia or are a twin may be less vigorous…

This article was originally posted on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website on January 30, 2025. Do you know the cost of producing the forage you feed? For beef cattle producers, optimizing forage crop production is essential for financial sustainability. However, estimating the costs associated with forage production can be challenging. The new BCRC Forage…

This article was originally posted on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website on November 1, 2021. Bale feeding is common across Canada for all classes of cattle especially during winter months. There are many different management strategies to deliver bales as feed. To help you determine the best option for you and your cattle, see…

Germany confirmed that Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was detected in water buffalo on January 10, 2025. This is the first case of FMD in Germany since 1988. This incursion of the FMD virus into Europe warrants heightened awareness by Canadian producers and travellers.  Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious virus that can…

This year the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) celebrates a decade of its Beef Researcher Mentorship Program, which has connected more than 40 mentees with countless beef producer and industry mentors to bridge the gap between science and industry.  Launched in 2014, the program was inspired by the need for stronger connections between researchers and industry….

This article was originally posted on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website on October 9, 2024. Often hidden hazards in beef cattle diets, mycotoxins can create a variety of problems including impaired immune response which can lead to secondary infections, compromised growth rates, reduced reproductive performance, lameness and gangrene. Illnesses caused by mycotoxins can be difficult to…

This article was originally posted on the Beef Cattle Research Council’s website on October 31, 2022. If starch (from grain) is the fuel in a feedlot diet, fiber (from a roughage like silage) is the engine governor that slows digestion. A backgrounding diet might contain 60 per cent silage to moderate animal growth so that…