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
Category: Livestock
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
Sandy Arrow Ranch of Saskatchewan was recently announced as the 2013 recipient of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA), according to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The ranch, operated by Allen and Lillian Patkau, received the national honour at the CCA Semi-Annual Meeting in London, ON., going on this week. Sandy Arrow Ranch is located east of… Read More
Beef producers in North America, like everyone else in this day and age, have to deal with a lot of issues. Some of those are ground level and some of those are big picture, thirty-thousand foot level issues. As the world gets both bigger in population and smaller (more globally interconnected through advances in technology… Read More
The interesting news on the cut-out front is that the Canadian AAA cut-out has finally caught up to the equivalent US Choice cut-out (in Canadian dollar terms). At the end of July the AAA cut-out was reported at $194. Meanwhile the Choice of $188 converted to $193 Canadian equivalent or $1 lower than the Canadian… Read More
Editor’s note: This is Owen Roberts’ Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. Transparency – that is, being forthright, ethical and proactive… Read More
Trichomaniasis and vibriosis are infectious diseases that cause infertility in cattle as a result of embryonic death. Cows will often abort within the first 90 days of pregnancy, making it difficult to detect. One of the few signs of infection is a higher than average number of cows coming back into service in late fall,… Read More
In the last Beef Research School episode, we took a virtual walk through a riparian area to assess its health. Healthy riparian areas, that transitional zone from pasture to waterway, are critical to decreasing riverbank erosion and nutrient migration to waterways. Once you’ve determined the general health of your riparian areas, it’s time to put… Read More
Horses are an integral part of the cowboy culture and a symbol of all things honky tonk and down-home country. But has anyone ever thought to ask horses what type of music they prefer? Of course not. The video below is the one no one in the country music industry wants you to see —… Read More
How often do you walk the waterways, riverbanks and marshy areas of your pastures? These transitional areas from pasture to waterway, called riparian zones, are vital to soil and water health and deserve attention now and again to ensure cattle haven’t been too hard on them, or that invasive species or undesired species have moved… Read More
It’s always a treat to find an economist whose insights and discussions don’t bore you to tears or leave you feeling a wee bit deflated (sorry, economists!). That’s why RealAgriculture.com is always glad to cross paths with Glen Hodgson, senior vice president & chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, as he’s not just… Read More
It costs money to promote Canadian Beef and finally some of this funding will be on the backs of importers. Federal Agriculture Minister, Gerry Ritz announced this morning that an amendment to the Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Levies Order to include an import levy on beef cattle, beef and beef products. The… Read More
The 2013 calving season was, to say the least, awful on our farm. Ugh, I still shudder at the thought of it. If you were anything like me, you were confused. The lack of sleep and surplus of snow certainly didn’t help. Why is this calf sick? What are these signs and symptoms indicative of?… Read More
Well-managed pastures can produce good yields for years, but will produce best if fertility of those pastures is planned for the long-term. Big producing pastures require big fertility numbers, though grazing helps to cycle these nutrients back to the soil. Over-grazing, too low or high stocking densities and time all can begin to mine pasture… Read More
Mid-summer is typically a lower price window in the cattle market, and this year is no different. What is different, however, versus the last few summers, is the cattle-feeder friendly weather and crop prices building for this fall. As Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, discuss in this latest Beef Market Update, seasonal… Read More