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TALK, TWEET, SHOUT ABOUT ANTIBIOTICS
THE BEEF MAGAZINE
October 2014 $3.00 www.canadiancattlemen.ca TEST IT! Don’t gamble on feed quality
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Terry Kowalchuk, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture 3,000,000 Herefords Registered
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Canadian Hereford Association • 5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6V1 • 1-888-836-7242 • www.hereford.ca Established 1938 ISSN 1196-8923 CATTLEMEN EDITORIAL Contents CANADIAN CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 · VOLUME 77, NO. 10 Editor: Gren Winslow 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 (204) 944-5753 Fax (204) 944-5416 Email: [email protected] FORAGE Field Editor: Debbie Furber Box 1168, Tisdale, SK S0E 1T0 (306) 873-4360 Fax (306) 873-4360 Be ready for whatever Mother Nature Email: [email protected] has in store for you this winter. ADVERTISING SALES Deborah Wilson RR 1, Lousana, AB T0M 1K0 (403) 325-1695 Fax (403) 944-5562 Email: [email protected] Crystal McPeak (403) 646-6211 / (403) 360-3210 Email: [email protected]
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Associate Publisher/Editorial Director: John Morriss Email: [email protected] DON’T GAMBLE Production Director: Shawna Gibson Email: [email protected] ON FEED QUALITY 10 Circulation Manager: Heather Anderson Email: [email protected] WATER FEATURES President: Bob Willcox Glacier FarmMedia Don’t gamble on feed quality ...... 10 Email: [email protected] A small herd built with pride ...... 14 Contents of Cattlemen are copyrighted and may be reproduced only when written permission is obtained from the editor and proper Talk, tweet and shout credit is given to Cattlemen. Cattlemen and Canadian Cattlemen are Trade Marks of Farm about antibiotics ...... 20 Business Communications. Cattlemen is published monthly by Farm Business Communications. Pasture pigs prove pro£ table ...... 26 Head o ce: Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed by Transcontinental LGMC. Cattlemen is printed with linseed oil-based inks. Winter water systems ...... 28 Subscription rates in Canada — $39 for one year, $58 for 2 years, $83 for 3 years (prices include GST). Manitoba residents add 8% PST. U.S. subscription rate — $35 (U.S. funds). Subscription What can we do rate outside Canada and U.S. — $55 per year. Single copies $3. about mycoplasma? ...... 38 We acknowledge the financial support of the Govern ment of Winter water 28 Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund The full cost of pink eye ...... 40 of the Department of Canadian Heritage. systems Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240. Vitamin case cracked ...... CanadianPostmaster:ReturnundeliverableCanadian 42 addresses (covers only) to: Circulation Dept., PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3k7. HEALTH Veri£ ed Beef Production ...... 44 U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable addresses (covers only) to: Circulation Dept., PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3k7. PRINTED IN CANADA DEPARTMENTS Circulation inquiries: Comment ...... 4 Call toll-free 1-800-665-1362 or email: [email protected] Newsmakers ...... 6 U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5766 Our History ...... 8 Member Nutrition ...... 18
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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions Holistic Ranching ...... 33 to Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications attempt Research on the Record ...... 36 to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. The full cost 40 However, the editors, journalists, Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Straight from the Hip ...... 46 Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of pink eye of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well Prime Cuts ...... 48 as Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications assume More than dollars are at risk. no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for CCA Reports ...... 50 this publication based on any and all information provided. Our commitment to your privacy: At Farm Business Communications News Roundup ...... 52 we have a fi rm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect Congratulations! Purely Purebred ...... 62 personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, To our October survey winner, The Markets ...... 65 we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Sam White of Gardners Mill, N.S. Market Talk ...... 67 Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Offi cer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Oc- This month’s survey is on page 54. Letters ...... 68 casionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable fi rms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If Cover Photo: Debbie Furber Sales and Events ...... 68 you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-1362. CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 3 COMMENT By Gren Winslow A packer’s view of the meat world The more access, the better
bout a week before Prime Minister Harper they need to be split and laid flat in the box. In Korea signed off on the Korean Free Trade agree- there is a market for inverted intestine to put the fat on A ment and released the text of the Compre- the inside, so it almost looks like a sausage. hensive Economic and Trade Agreement between This is another of those products where demand and Canada and the European Union, Jeff Cline was giv- supply must be carefully managed. Cline learned that les- ing the Canada Beef forum in Toronto a look at how son the hard way when they had a Korean customer offer a packer sizes up his various markets. to take all the inverted intestine they could produce. They Cline started out his career by earning a teaching did, for six months, then had to call a halt because they degree from Brandon University before collecting an had a two-year supply on hand. MBA and heading to Japan to teach English and learn “If I put one extra load of intestines into Korea that’s Japanese. After three years in Japan he joined Cargill in going to crash the market and what does that do to the 20 High River as a sales account manager and five years later people at the plant who are producing that product. It’s transferred to the Cargill Beef’s headquarters in Wichita, just so sensitive,” he explained. Kansas where he is now the senior program manager, The small intestine is used in soups. international beef, for Cargill. Abomasum, the fourth stomach, looks good on the A large portion of his talk dealt with variety meats grill in Japan and Korea. Honeycomb tripe, the second (a nicer term for offal) and the role market access plays stomach, is an attractive product that displays well, and is in his attempts to maximize the value of every carcass popular in many cultures. that comes out of the eight plants that Cargill operates in North America. They also market Australian beef through a joint venture with Teys Australia. North Americans may turn their noses up at variety In many parts of the meats but in many parts of the world offal is sought after and can drive profits. Far from being the leftover bits, world offal is sought after variety meats are a large and vital portion of the export and can drive profits business but it takes some management to gain the maxi- mum value from this portion of the carcass. You can’t just throw it in a box and expect top price for it. Take tongue for example. Traditionally the highest- Omasum, the third stomach, is popular in Hong Kong value product per pound among the variety meats, and China and is starting to rival tongue, fetching close tongue also offers numerous opportunities to add to $6 a pound, more than AA ribs or steaks. value in processing. You can trim the tip off or skin it Taken together with the rumen the stomachs can add to produce a product that looks nothing like tongue $20 to $25 to a carcass if they are in good shape. With a when it is presented to a Japanese consumer in the burned-out rumen that value is lost. Add the liver, another supermarket. organ that can be damaged by poor feeding management, Cline says tendons provide a good example of how and you strip $35 or more from the value of the carcass. access to multiple markets can leverage up the value of Each of these products puts certain demands on the a beef product. There is demand for tendons in many staff in every plant that Cargill operates which comes countries but it isn’t a large market. If Korea, say, was the with a cost that must be factored into Cline’s marketing only market open for beef tendons Cargill alone could plan. Net return is the measure he uses when targeting easily flood the market. But with access to Korea, Japan, markets. With high-value cuts and offal the rule is the Hong Kong and the U.S. they have buyers scrapping for same, it goes to the highest net return. a shrinking supply on this particular product. As a result In assessing the bigger picture for Canada Cline the world price has gone from $1 to $2 and more recently expects our shipments to the U.S. will shrink some more $3 per pound. To gain that value though you must have with time. Japan is probably the quickest win for Cana- the labour available at the plant to trim the tendons dian beef as we are still running well back of our pre-BSE properly and in a fashion that suits the buyers in different share of this market, and he thinks we need to target the countries. In Japan, for instance, consumers like to see manufacturing side of the market to regain that share. them laying out straight like a cucumber. Focusing on Japan may slow down the growth of our Large intestine presents a similar marketing challenge Hong Kong and China business. South Korea will take where the return for the extra labour required has to be more time but it will become a major market for years carefully assessed in each market. In Japan, for example, to come. c
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Saskatchewan beef pro- research station. In the spring of 2013 she troscopy (NIRS) calibration equations to ducer Jack Hextall was became an assistant professor of sustain- predict forage quality traits. elected chair of the board able grassland/livestock production sys- Graeme Finn and his wife Heather and of directors of Canada Beef tems at the U of M. daughters run a cow-calf and yearling oper- Inc. last month at its annual Bruynooghe and her husband Chad ation with a focus on year-round intensive meeting in Toronto. He started Spring Creek Land and Cattle grazing of both high-legume pastures and replaces Chuck MacLean Consulting in 2003 at their ranch in Out- annual crops. Jack Hextall of Alberta who served look, Sask. She also served as the direc- as chair of the industry’s promotion and tor of the Saskatchewan Forage Council New Holland Agriculture and Construc- marketing agency for the past two years. for 11 years up to 2012 and is currently tion signed on as a strategic partner of the Trevor Atchison, the Manitoba producer involved in creating a Saskatchewan For- Canadian Forage & Grassland Association representative, is vice-chair. The various age Network. last month. committee chairs are: finance,Lonnie Lake Sandy Russell became a partner in of Sysco Canada; governance, Arden Sch- Spring Creek Land and Cattle Consulting Chad Saxon is the new neckenburger, Ontario; planning and pri- in 2008 after working for six years with the communications co-ordi- orities, Mike Kennedy, Cargill; foreign trade, provincial Agriculture Ministry as a beef nator of the Manitoba Arthur Batista, Ecolait. economist and industry analyst. She is also Beef Producers (MBP). He co-owner of the Russell Cattle Company comes to the MBP with 16 The Canadian Association near Outlook. years of newspaper experi- of Bovine Veterinarians Dr. Bill Biligetu is being ence at the Estevan Mer- and Boehringer Ingelheim mentored by Aaron Ivey Chad Saxon cury, rising to editor of the (Canada) Ltd. presented its of Ituna, Sask. publication in 2008. 2014 Metacam 20 Bovine Biligetu took a bach- Welfare Award to Dr. Joe elor of science in grassland Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has Stookey of the Univer- sciences and a master’s in awarded $500 bursaries to four students Dr. Joe Stookey sity of Saskatchewan last rangeland management who are children of beef producers or are month in recognition of his widely recog- Dr. Bill Biligetu at Inner Mongolia Agri- beef producers themselves. The winners are: nized research into beef cattle behaviour culture University then moved to Canada Bradley Wright of MacGregor who is work- and welfare. He was a key member of the to complete a PhD in perennial forage ing toward an agriculture diploma at the beef welfare code development committee physiology and management at the Uni- University of Manitoba; Samantha Rimke and sits on numerous other committees versity of Saskatchewan. He worked as a of Oak Lake enrolled in the faculty of arts involved in animal welfare, both in Canada forage breeder for Agriculture and Agri- and science at the University of Saskatche- and internationally. Food Canada and forage specialist with wan; Stephanie Dousselaere of Cartwright, The Metacam 20 Bovine Welfare Award the Saskatchewan Agriculture Ministry enrolled in agriculture and food science at is given annually to a veterinarian or animal before his appointment as assistant profes- the University of Manitoba and Kendra scientist working in Canada, a faculty mem- sor of forage crop breeding at the University Elliot of Brandon who is completing a bach- ber or a graduate student of a Canadian uni- of Saskatchewan in May of this year. elor of science degree with plans to apply to versity to recognize his/her achievements in Aaron Ivey runs a mixed cattle and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine advancing the welfare of animals. cropping operation with his wife Adri- in Saskatoon. enne near Ituna. They are the 2014 Out- The Beef Cattle Research standing Young Farmers for the province Western Beef Development Centre Council has paired up and Aaron is the past chairman of the Sas- economist Kathy Larson is looking for three young beef research- katchewan Forage Council. young Saskatchewan ranchers willing to ers with industry mentors Dr. Raquel Rodriquez share their management and marketing to broaden their practical Doce, a post-doctoral fel- practices with the rest of the industry. understanding of the entire low at the Agriculture and Her findings could help to shape future Canadian beef industry. Agri-Food Canada research research, extension, policy and program- Dr. Emma Dr. Emma McGeough centre in Lacombe is being ming efforts by the centre and govern- McGeough at the University of Mani- mentored by Graeme Finn ments. Her definition of young is anyone toba has been paired with Janice Bruy- of Madden, Alta. raising cattle who is 35 or under. She’s also nooghe and Sandy Russell of Spring Creek Dr. Raquel Dr. Rodriquez Doce interested in hearing from anyone who Land and Cattle Consulting. Rodriquez Doce studied animal produc- started into cattle within the last five years, Dr. McGeough received her bachelor tion and economy at the University of Leon even if they are over 35 years of age. Larson of agriculture science and a PhD in rumi- in Spain, followed by a master’s in animal can be reached at [email protected]. nant nutrition before moving to Canada to production and PhD in ruminant nutri- The interviews begin in November. For take a post-doctoral position at the Leth- tion. Among other things her work has more details visit http://www.wbdc.sk.ca/ bridge Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada generated near infrared reflectance spec- youngrancher.htm. c
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PRODUCTION: DOCKET # FPE SDY A41972 LIVE: 7” x 10” COLOURS: 4C Milan S. DATE INITIAL CREATIVE: Cyan Mike L. REGION Magazine TRIM: 8.125” x 10.75” STUDIO Magenta ACCOUNT EXEC: Wes D. Yellow CLIENT: Ford PROJECT MANAGER: Black PRODUCTION BLEED: 8.625” x 11.25” None JOB DESC.: Super Duty Trailer Mag ENG STUDIO: FILE NAME: 41972_MAG_CAT_R0_SuperdutyTrailer_EN_8.125x10.75.indd Lino Scannapiego FOLDED: None CREATIVE START DATE: 07/17/14 PREV. USER: MOD. DATE: 7-22-2014 11:18 AM Chan, Hiu
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FONT DISCLAIMER: The fonts and related font software included with the attached electronic mechanical are owned (“Y&R Proprietary Fonts”) and/or licensed (“Y&R Licensed Fonts”) by The Young & Rubicam Group of Companies ULC. They are provided to you as part of our job order for your services, and are to be used only for the execution and the completion of this job order. You are authorized to use the Y&R Proprietary Fonts in the execution of the job order provided that any and all copies of the Y&R Proprietary Fonts shall be deleted from your systems and destroyed upon completion of this job order. You warrant and represent that you have secured the necessary licenses for the use of Y&R Licensed Fonts in order to execute our job order and will abide by the terms thereof. our history By George Copithorne
Predator destroyed From the December 1948 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
anchers over the years have not into my fields making two kills on the way “The bear must have been close by when only had to protect their herds and a third kill right by my fence. I was working because my horse has a habit Rfrom disease and poison weed “In the fall of 1947, I had a long talk of blowing through his nose when he smells but have had to be constantly alert to with Jack Butler who is now ranger at a bear and he signalled twice. protect them from predatory animals. Sheep Creek. He told me he had helped to “The next morning as I rode out to In the case of cattle, wolves and grizzly trap grizzlies farther south. He advised to see if had any success, I noticed a cow bear are the worst killers and when one look for a fresh kill and then build a solid grazing within 50 yards of my set. I of these appears in a community, no pen around it with a roof on top and one thought I had missed again; I was to be time is lost in hunting down the unwel- small opening where I should set a trap. I surprised. I noticed my pen was broken come invader. The grizzly which eased and the heavy drag log, which was fas- into the Cochrane and Morley district tened to the trap, was missing. My heart took a heavy toll on cattle before rancher thumped and I nearly froze in my tracks George Copithorne trapped and shot I had no scales large as I quickly gazed around. At 40 feet away, him, but let the rancher tell his story. standing quietly among the small trees “I first saw grizzly tracks in the district enough to weigh he had beaten down, stood the killer. To in February 1946: a lot of cattle died that him, but I judged make certain I had a good cartridge in spring from poison weed and I think he got my gun I pumped in another shell. In my a craving for beef then. In the spring of 1947 he weighed about excitement the fact that the shell I ejected he killed a calf at Buckley’s. He was shot at 700 pounds was a good one didn’t matter. The most and disappeared only to come back dur- exposed part of him was his shoulder and ing the summer and lived high until win- I brought him down with a well-placed ter. He came back to Buckley’s again in the shot and for good measure I shot him spring of this year and was chased off after was not long now in finding a fresh kill and through the neck with a second shot. My several kills. I suspicioned his presence in did as I was instructed a year earlier. I had gun was a .300 Savage rifle. my field when I noticed a large number of the pen and trap set before dark. Two days “He was caught securely by the hind leg; coyotes in the district. They were following later I came back and found he had sprung there was no chance of him pulling free. his kills. He killed two of my yearlings and the trap without getting caught. He tore The trap was a Newhouse double-spring then moved to an adjoining field of heavy the side of my pen, had a good feed and No. 5 bear trap with teeth set in the jaws. bush where he killed six calves and one was gone. I hauled the carcass back into “The bear looked very dark in the shad- cow before the stock could be moved out. the pen and not only nailed the pen up sol- ows and if it was not for his dished face, one He always battered his victims’ head and at idly but wired it securely leaving no open- would have taken him for an overgrown the first meal removed the stomach, ate the ing at all. I set the trap after digging a bed black. When he was dragged out in the sun- lining, tore off the brisket and scooped out for it to make it level with the surrounding light, however, there was a golden sheen to the heart. For a time he moved south into ground and covered the trap with moss his pelt. While it was September 18 when I the Bragg Creek district but ranchers there and leaves. I placed the trap near where the shot him, his hide was still strictly a sum- immediately hunted him and he came back opening was before. mer one. His head was well furred, however, and I am having it mounted. “ I had no scales large enough to weigh him, but I judge he weighed about 700 pounds. He measured seven feet from his nose to his hind feet and probably nine feet from front claw to hind toe.” George Copithorne estimates that before the grizzly met his end he had killed, since the summer of 1946, no less than 100 head of cattle. Small wonder the Jumping Pound Stock Association was glad to pay over to the rancher the $500 reward which had been posted for the bear’s destruction. c
For more of the past from the pages of our magazine see the History section at www.canadiancattlemen.ca.
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123 N. Third Street Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55401 P: 612-623-8000 www.broadheadco.com COVER STORY · forage By Debbie Furber Don’t Gamble on Feed Quality
Test so you’ll be n a survey of Saskatchewan forage winter, says Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial last fall 62 per cent of the 200 bales forage crops specialist with the Saskatch- prepared for whatever sampled did not meet the energy ewan Ministry of Agriculture (SMA). Mother Nature throws Irequirement for a 1,350-pound cow in your way, says forage mid-gestation at -25 C. Only five per cent Sampling Bales of the alfalfa, alfalfa-grass, grass and cereal The goal with forage samples is to end up specialist Terry greenfeed bales supplied enough energy with something that accurately represents Kowalchuk to carry pregnant cows through the last what the cattle will be eating this winter. month of pregnancy. Then winter hit with Grabbing samples from bales isn’t likely a vengeance and stayed well into spring, to do that. Leaves fall off when you pull out sending feed values down even further. handfuls and you can’t reach very far into Only five to 10 per cent of producers in the bales. the province would have been aware of what A bale probe with a sharp cutting tip is their bales contained, because they are ones a better solution. Inserted 12 to 18 inches who bothered to test their 2013 feed supply. into the bale it will pull out a uniform cross- 2014 is shaping up to be much the same cut sample of leaf and stem material. with heavy summer rains spurring lots of SMA regional service centres loan out growth and delayed harvests and plenty of probes that fit onto a cordless drill at no charge weathered feed in many areas. but when you consider what’s at risk Kowal- You can’t avoid the weather but you can chuk figures a standard probe is a worthwhile avoid shortchanging your cattle with a sim- investment for any sized operation. ple feed test so you’ll be prepared for what- The probes demonstrated at Western Beef ever Mother Nature throws your way this Development Centre’s summer field day
10 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca forage were supplied by Star Quality Samplers of Edmonton, and range in price from $135 to $400, depending on features. The ideal is to sample each lot of hay sepa- rately. Nutritional quality varies enormously depending on the forage mix, soil type, fertil- ity, disease, growing conditions, stage of cut- ting, dry-down time and condition of the windrows at baling. A lot can cover an entire field or parts of it when cutting or baling times differ. If you move bales to a stackyard, Kowal- chuk recommends arranging them by field or lot for ease of sampling and identification. It also makes it easier to select bales of a certain quality as needed through the gestation cycle. Probe bales from each layer of the stack to get your sample. Round bales should be probed on the side, small square bales near the centre of one end and large square bales anywhere along the end or side. Obviously you want to avoid sampling or feeding any mouldy material. Sample at least 20 bales from each lot, drop- ping the cores into a pail as you go. Then mix Sample at least 20 bales per lot, then mix and note the forages and location on each bag. them well before you pull out a composite sample to seal in a plastic bag for testing. You’ll Analysis own calibration curves built off wet chemis- need at least 250 grams from a probed sample, You’ll need to let the feed test lab know try analysis of forage samples representative or a large Ziploc bag full of a grab sample. whether you want your samples analyzed by of tame and native forages grown in Canada Use a permanent marker to label each wet chemistry, near infrared (NIR) or some rather than relying on the general calibration bag with your name or farm name, along of each. curves that come with the machines. with an accurate description of the mix of The samples for the 2013 Saskatchewan NIR works well at predicting moisture forage species in the sample, the field or forage survey were analyzed by wet chem- and organic elements like protein, starch stack, and sampling date. istry at Central Testing Laboratory in Win- and fibre needed to estimate energy content nipeg. A basic wet chemistry package for and feed value. It’s weak at predicting min- Silage forages (hay, silage, cereal greenfeed and eral levels since minerals don’t absorb near- For silage, Star Quality Samplers custom swaths) for beef cattle is $32 per sample. infrared energy unless they are bonded manufactures push-type and drill-driven Wet chemistry analysis is the gold stan- with hydrogen in a molecule. probes up to five feet long, but remember to dard for feed testing, says Central Testing Central Testing’s NIR package for hay seal the probe punctures in the silage cover general manager Yvan Bruneau. (grass, alfalfa and alfalfa/grass), and silage or bag to prevent spoilage. NIR costs a little less and is quicker than (alfalfa, alfalfa/grass, barley, corn, cereal) Some people just grab samples from the three to five days for wet chemistry, but or straw costs $23 per sample. It includes spots at various levels across the face of the it’s more of a general estimation. It might the same six minerals as the wet chemistry silage during successive days of feeding. be good enough if you’re not weighing out package: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, Again, gather at least 20 samples, mix feed ingredients and you can decide from magnesium, sodium and salt; however, a well, push the air out of the bag, label it there if the sample needs to be retested by NIR analysis with minerals analyzed by wet and put it in the fridge or freezer to prevent wet chemistry, he explains. chemistry is available for $25. spoilage before it gets to the lab. NIR is based on the amount of energy They also test for pH in silage and nitrates With silage it’s best to test after it ferments from the near-infrared light spectrum in greenfeed when requested. More details and the pH stabilizes, which usually takes absorbed by hydrogen bonds in feed mol- are available at www.ctl.mb.ca. about six weeks, says Kowalchuk. ecules and calibration curves programmed SMA and Alberta Agriculture maintain into the machine. The feed sample is scanned an online listing of labs across Western Swaths and compared to the calibration curve spe- Canada and some in the U.S. that analyze For swath grazing, take grab samples from cific to the feed type to predict the amount feed and water samples. various slopes across the field. Avoid areas of each component. See Canadian Cattlemen, October 18, that aren’t representative, such as weed The accuracy depends on how well a feed 2010, for more on feed testing methods and patches and saline spots. The material can component absorbs NIR light energy and weather effects on forage quality. c be coarsely chopped with scissors and then the accuracy of the calibration curves. mixed well to obtain your test sample. Bruneau says Central Testing developed its Continued on page 12
www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 11 forage
Continued from page 11
Sa skatchewan 2013 forage survey: partial feed test results (dry matter basis)
Crude Digestible Hay Quality range Calcium % Phosphorus % protein % nutrients %
Alfalfa High 19.0 59.3 1.76 0.28
Average 14.7 51.9 1.31 0.19
Low 8.0 53.2 0.79 0.11
Alfalfa/grass High 19.5 62.0 2.30 0.39
Average 11.5 57.0 0.96 0.16
Low 7.0 52.7 0.30 0.08
Grass High 12.7 59.6 0.92 0.22
Average 9.2 57.8 0.56 0.14
Low 6.0 54.3 0.24 0.09
Cereal greenfeed High 15.0 64.5 0.77 0.33
Average 9.6 59.5 0.37 0.23
Low 7.1 53.8 0.19 0.14
This table illustrates the wide variability in hay quality across Saskatchewan last year. The scenario could be much the same this year given that growing conditions have been similar to 2013 in many areas. (Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture). More detail on making use of the survey is available at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca.
Plan to attend the... 2014 5 TH Annual CFGA Conference & AGM November 17-19, 2014
Hôtel Château-Bromont Bromont, Québec hosted by the Quebec Forage Council ‘CLOSING THE FORAGE GAP’ ADDRESSING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF FORAGES IN THE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE Call for Leadership Award Nominations Deadline Oct 3, 2014
Canadian Forage & Grassland Association Association Canadienne pour les Plantes Fourragères
For more information please contact: Canadian Forage & Grassland Association Ph: (204) 254-4192 www.canadianfga.ca
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M-1997_cancatPLP_beef_EN.indd 1 2014-09-19 3:28 PM management By Karen Dallimore
bought the farm from his mother. The next generation, Dave Jr., was three years old when he started coming to the farm on weekends with his parents. While young Dave showed a passion for farming and equipment at an early age, he generally figured that most of how his Dad did things was ridiculous. They would hand clean the barn with wheelbarrows because they couldn’t get equipment in the barn and feed 3,000 small squares in a year, 20 every day. “I couldn’t do what he did,” admitted Dave Jr. But when Dave Sr. fainted in Home Depot one day, life at the Grist Farm changed. His aortic valve was only 25 per cent useful. For a man who didn’t know how to stop until the job was done, the last six years have been hell.
FATHER Versus SON There never was a “conversation” about Dave Jr. taking over the farm. “I don’t think Dave Grist and we saw eye-to-eye — we never have,” said his son Dave Jr. Dave Jr., “but we have similar ideas on what it takes to raise animals.” “I’ve always wanted to farm, but not being able to make money at it is a really big problem,” Dave Jr. admitted, especially now, A small herd as the father of four young children. Aside from farming he owns a second-hand store in nearby Kitchener which allows him the built with pride flexibility to schedule around changes in the weather when the farm calls. n 1969 Dave Grist’s parents bought And as for the bull, temperament was Their farm still consists of 20 cows — 19 a farm in Erin Township, Ont. Dave number one because of safety concerns. It purebred Angus and one sentimental cross- I was 30 years old at the time and his only took one incident to make them real- bred, which Dave Jr. says makes his dad father, Ken, had just retired with no pen- ize that safety was paramount. They turned happy, “he can tell which one it is, the only sion. He thought he would buy a few out a young bull into a loafing parlour only one with white, all the rest are solid black or cows to give his father something to do to have to hide behind posts when it wanted red.” This year they’ve got nine bred heifers while earning him a bit of income. to play — with them as the toy — until they and 20 calves on their 98-acre farm and rent The thought of using EPDs — Expected could escape. another 120 acres. Progeny Differences — would have been The plan was to sell calves in the fall since science fiction. there was nowhere to separate them from the GETTING GOOD ADVICE Dave’s off-farm career was as a bull or feed them separately. When it came Early on, the Grists counted themselves schoolteacher. His wife was a teacher to selling them though Dave soon found lucky to have the help and guidance of a too. He worked in the city and came out out that what he thought was a great look- neighbour, John Cartwright. It was Cart- to the farm on weekends. ing animal wasn’t what the market wanted. wright who introduced them to genetics. The cow-calf operation expanded from Their calves would weigh up to 800 pounds (“You can select a bull genetically for calving three cows to around 20, which was all that at six or seven months of age, but the feedlot ease? We didn’t know that!”) would fit in the old barn. They were one buyer wanted cheaper, lighter calves. Until then calving ease was an after-the- of the first to have a Charolais bull back “We were always proud of our calves,” fact issue: the calves would come before you in the ’70s; using Shorthorn, Simmental, said Dave. “They had great body condition, could judge the bull. Limousin, Hereford — all types of cows. got great feed, they looked amazing, but They were looking for quality, based on people said they were too fleshy.” Dave Grist THIRD GENERATION EPDs how they looked, and ease of calving was struggled with that for many years. Calving ease was an important issue for always important since they had little expe- them because it affected them most, but rience. Temperament was important too; if THE NEXT Dave Jr. wanted to know more. What else they had to hide behind a feeder to escape a GENERATION — DAVE JR. cow’s wrath, she didn’t stay long. Dave’s father Ken died in 1980 and he Continued on page 16
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Continued from page 14 to keep a new yearling herd bull and nine heif- even with one very good herd bull. He wants ers for seed stock. The others didn’t make the a well-balanced animal that is optimized for can I select for? What else can I learn? cut; they were sold as stockers or freezer beef. calving ease, growth and carcass merit. What’s all this about EPDs? The Grist farm debut was a futurity sale in He’ll use low birth weight sires, almost Along came another friend and mentor, Orangeville about five years ago, where they exclusively in the negative one to two Jason Koudys. With his background and had the top-selling Black and Red Angus range, but sometimes a little less. “I can experience, he asked Dave Jr. the impor- heifers. This was confirmation to the father- remember too many times where I spent tant question: Are you breeding for show and-son team that they were heading in the time at 2 a.m. pulling my guts out, try- or traits that the commercial guy would right direction. Ironically, with little experi- ing to get a calf out and still alive with my appreciate? ence or interest in showing, they had to pay dad or a neighbour before we started using Dave Jr. considered himself pretty naïve someone to prepare the animals and walk EPDs. Not a fond bunch of memories.” so he didn’t want to show animals, but what them in the pre-sale parade. “The animals Dystocia also has a poor effect on rebreed- he did enjoy was the statistical side. looked great but there was more to it for me,” ing, increasing the amount of time it takes He’d learned from Koudys how to look at says Dave Jr. for the cow to recover and rebreed, plus the EPDs, pedigrees, and trace the background calf is stressed and that can often affect the of cattle to third and fourth generation amount of time it takes for it to stand and before deciding which cow he wants before nurse. They’ve only pulled three calves in he ever sees her. At the sale, it was just a mat- the last six years. “Definitely an EPD that I ter of confirming in person what he had They’d both like to would never ignore and certainly one that is already decided on paper. hear, “I want that crucial when breeding a heifer.” And Koudys happened to have just the For weaning weight, plus 50 to 70, year- bull they needed — an Angus, a black, but a heifer. It came from ling weight plus 75 to 110. There are lots of red carrier, setting the stage for their mixed the Grist place.” A.I. bulls on the market, including their lat- red and black herd. est yearling herd bull, that maintain a nega- It used to be when they saw a cow was That’s something tive birth weight with lots of growth. Their close to calving they would cancel appoint- to strive for Red Angus yearling bull has a -1.8 BW but ments and not leave the farm. “It was that still has a +64 WW and a +110 YW. bull,” said Dave Jr. “We went from utter The milk EPD is typically between +15 chaos, panic and arguments at calving time to +25. “An animal’s ability to produce milk to 42 calves born by that bull that we didn’t Their vision of a good calf remains the can’t be ignored, especially when producing have to do a stinking thing with. We never same, although now they have put in a new seed stock and our replacement heifers.” even saw one of them born.” barn to finish their own calves, ensuring Other traits include carcass data, REA The Grists now have two herd bulls, one that their genetics didn’t get lost at an auc- and marbling. mature to clean up after A.I. on the main tion with a pen full of other similar-looking “I’d like to get rewarded for what we’re herd and one yearling as a backup, in case of calves. Three years ago they did a heifer doing,” says Dave Jr. They’d both like to unforeseen injury and to clean up after A.I. test group of 11 and last year they finished hear “I want that heifer. It came from the on the yearling heifer group. Dave Jr.’s goal five bulls in another test group through Grist place.” That’s something to strive for. is to have a uniform looking calf crop born BIO (Beef Improvement Opportunities). within 80 days, with A.I. calves in the first 30 Weighing and data collection have become FOURTH GENERATION days and natural service calves in the next 50. part of their routine. “Our goals are so similar it’s scary,” says Incorporating the performance program Dave Jr., acknowledging the vision he still EPDs FOR THE PLATE from the Canadian Angus Association gives shares with his father. “Handing the farm He continues to use EPDs to focus on what additional information to buyers of their from one generation to the next has worked he calls “traits for the plate,” with his atten- cattle at registered Angus auction sales. out well, even though the roads to getting to tion on traits such as marbling and rib-eye “Now, I would never buy an animal without our goals have been quite different.” area. It wasn’t possible to address the issues EPDs and I think there are more and more The fourth generation of the Grist fam- of each individual animal before, but now people on the same page as I am,” says Dave ily, 11-year-old Nathanial, started 4-H last he can, especially with the use of A.I. With Jr. “Some people wouldn’t even look at year. Dave Jr. won’t discourage the boy from genetic evaluations and EPDs he doesn’t them (EPDs) in a sales catalogue, or maybe farming. He watches from a distance as his have to wait to find out what he’ll get; with even understand them. That’s fine, but son goes nose-to-nose with his calf, combing A.I. the farm bull no longer has to be a jack- there is no way I’m losing a sale of a nice- it, hugging it, making a connection just as he of-all-trades. looking animal to a buyer that thinks like did at that age. He hopes that his son will take Others have also started to notice. “Seed me, that simply needs to know more than a liking to the showing part so he can prepare stock sales are very important,” says Dave Jr., what’s on the surface.” the cattle for the sales. “it’s our best foot forward. I don’t offer animals “I’m sure my friends wonder why I do for sale from our seed stock program that I BREEDING GOALS this,” admitted Dave Jr. “My wife shakes wouldn’t be proud to put our herd letters on.” As Dave Jr. explains, the use of A.I. allows her head and puts up with a lot. Someday This year he’s selling bred heifers instead of them to use sires with specific traits to either I would like to make money, but in the bulls. The reason for this is simple: he did 50k enhance or pull EPDs in the direction they meantime I will continue to do other things panels on his top calves and the results led him want, which is something that can’t be done to allow me to farm.” c
16 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca B:8.625” T:8.125” S:7”
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Wes Simian Jack Crifasi Cameron McIntosh 8.625” x 11.25” Angel Allen Linda Rosbury grinselj 8.125” x 10.75” 1 7” x 10” Chevrolet Canada:Volumes:Chevrolet Canada:2014 Chevy Canada:637-185622 010-CVVSNMG4002 Canadian Silverado LD NATY Ad- Maga- None 9-29-2014 2:32 PM zine:GCVS14MGF00H_Silverado LD Print_PG.indd Actual Size
NOTES: None IMAGES: 14CHSL00817_V4.tif, Chevrolet+Bowtie_SM_2in_CMYK.ai, FNR+Bowtie_SM_2in_CMYK.ai, TNS1500_Logo_White_FPO2.ai COLORS: FONTS: Louis KC SWOP 178923A01 1st_Assembly 09-30-14 Nutrition By John McKinnon
Is Your Roller Mill Stealing your Profits?
s you read this, harvest should be drawing microbes and the result is a higher net energy value for John McKinnon to a close and we will soon have a handle on both maintenance and gain. Cattle fed steam-flaked is a beef cattle this winter’s feed grain supply and pricing. corn typically exhibit more efficient gains relative to nutritionist at A the University For those looking to feed this winter, ensuring that those fed whole or dry-rolled corn. The benefits of cattle effectively utilize the grain portion of the diet is steam flaking, however, need to be balanced against of Saskatchewan a critical component of your management. One only the increased processing cost, particularly with cereal needs to walk a pen to realize that poor feed process- grains such as barley or wheat. ing practices result in an unacceptable level of whole Evaluating the efficiency of your roller mill is unfor- kernels in the manure. These whole kernels are in tunately not an exact science. Subjective appraisals effect stealing your profit, as they do not provide any include monitoring the feed bunk and intake of the nutritional value to the cattle and contribute to poor cattle, as well as walking the pens and observing the feed utilization. manure. With respect to the feed bunk, one does not Poor feed processing practices can be traced directly want to see an excessive accumulation of fines or back to the roller mill. In most cases, the rollers are set erratic eating habits by the cattle. Visual inspection too tight and the grain is overprocessed (i.e. too high a of the manure for both consistency (i.e. normal ver- proportion of fines) or they are too far apart and the sus grey and runny manure) and relative quantity of grain is underprocessed (too many whole kernels). whole kernels are also good indicators of the effective- Damaged rollers or those that need to be re-grooved ness of the grain processing and feeding management also have a negative impact on the efficiency and quality programs. Too many whole kernels indicate that the of the rolling process. roller is not performing as it should. Some nutrition- The need to process and the degree of processing ists and feedlots will go so far as to analyze the starch required varies depending with the type of cereal grain content of manure to evaluate the effectiveness of the you are feeding. Remember that rumen microbes need processing program. access to the interior of the grain kernel if they are to A more objective approach is to measure the degree efficiently ferment the starch. With grains such as barley to which the grain has been processed. This is com- and wheat, the outer seed coat (and hull in the case of monly done in one of two ways. The first method, barley) provides protection against chewing and rumen developed by Dr. Garry Mathison of the University of fermentation activity. When barley or wheat kernels are Alberta, involves measuring the proportion of fines by fed whole, a significant proportion will pass through the sieving a known amount of processed grain through a animal undigested. For this reason these grains need to one-millimetre screen. Ideally the proportion of fines be processed, typically by dry-rolling, although in some passing through the screen is less than three per cent; cases the grain is tempered before rolling. Overprocess- however, in reality, one needs to accept five per cent ing results in excessive production of very fine particles or slightly higher, if one wants to ensure that the vast that can cause a variety of digestive upsets ranging from majority of kernels are processed. A second method is cattle going off feed to more severe issues related to sub- to look at the processing index, which is a measure of acute and acute acidosis. the weight of a volume of processed grain relative to Oat grain is also covered by a hull. Young calves will the weight of an equal volume of unprocessed grain. effectively utilize the whole oat; however, with older While values found in industry range from as low as cattle, this grain needs to be dry rolled for optimal feed 65 to as high as 85 per cent, it is not uncommon to utilization. Corn grain is unique as the kernel does not see values between 75 and 80 per cent. Values below have a hull; however, its outer seed coat is relatively this range indicate a more aggressive feeding program easy to disrupt by chewing. For this reason, feeder and the need for close attention to proper bunk man- cattle perform relatively efficiently when fed whole agement practices, while higher values indicate a less corn as the main concentrate in the ration. Corn can aggressive feeding program and potential issues with also be dry rolled, although the benefits over feed- poor feed efficiency. ing whole are debatable, particularly when the cost While such attention to your roller mill may seem of rolling is considered. Typically, the most efficient overboard, remember that a 10 per cent improvement gains are achieved when corn is steam-flaked. The in feed efficiency translates to a reduction in feed costs starch in steam-flaked corn is more available to rumen of $15 to $20 or more per head. c
18 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca vet aDvice
BROOD COW NUTRITION PART OF FALL PLANNING
he best indicator we have for assessing the nutritional is needed to accomplish this in a 90-day period; 30 per cent more status of beef cows is body condition and all mea- over 60 days. T sures of production are tied to this. Thin cows produce These figures do not take into account the weight of the fetus. poorer-quality colostrum, have weaker calves, wean lighter Fetal membranes and fluid, can add up to another 130 to 180 calves and are less likely to breed back in the first 21 days of the pounds through late gestation. A cow that is just maintaining weight breeding season producing more open cows in the fall. Because during late gestation is actually losing body mass, and possibly body 50 per cent of fetal growth occurs during the last 60 days of condition because the fetus is growing by at least one pound per day. pregnancy, managing body condition through the last three Feed analysis provides important information on the nutrient months of gestation becomes important. levels of the feed and is necessary to accurately formulate rations. Poor body condition can influence the size of two calf crops: this As much as underfeeding affects body condition and poor perfor- year’s and next. Using body condition scores this fall to assess the mance in the breeding herd, overfeeding is costly and wastes feed. nutritional status of cows as they come off pasture is the right place Important points to remember: to start planning nutrition programs for the winter. Having cows • The body condition of cows at the start of the winter feeding period in optimum condition for calving season next spring will impact has a major effect on the amount and quality of feed required. things like the length of calving season the following year. When • Cows have greater difficulty gaining weight during cold winter the breeding herd is in good condition, producers make better use conditions. Thin cows must gain weight through winter. First- and of their bull inventory and benefit from better response to vaccines second-calf heifers require additional feed to support growth. used in both cows and calves. • Cows coming off grass thin in the fall stand to be thin going onto For example, going from a BCS 2.0 (thin) to a BCS 3.0 at calving, grass the following spring unless winter rations are adjusted for gains up to 30 days in return to heat after calving. In other words, a energy and protein. cow between BCS 3.0 and 3.5 will start cycling about a month earlier • Cows reach peak lactation around six weeks post-calving. Energy than a herd mate at BCS 2. This single step helps maintain a 365- and protein demands also peak at this time. day calving interval and the reproductive momentum herds need to • Early-spring grazing is not always the answer. New pasture growth maximize profit. can be affected. Each day grazing is delayed in the spring two or The body condition of a brood cow significantly impacts her eco- more days of grazing are added in the fall. nomic contribution to the bottom line. Tracking body condition • Cows eat what they like, not what they need. Cows will eat until scores and monitoring the year-to-year productivity it influences full, given voluntary free-choice access to feed. Cows do not bal- allows producers to makes performance-based decisions on matters ance nutrients needs, only feed intake. like adjustments to rations, time of weaning, managing the breed- • Nutrient levels of forages and grasses fluctuate widely from year to ing herd in groups through fall and winter, and culling strategies. year (as much as 30 per cent). Planning ahead puts producers in a position to manage, rather than • A cow’s nutrient requirements (energy, protein, minerals) will react, when a tough winter or poor feed compromises the health and increase about 30 to 40 per cent with calving. Forage intake will condition of brood cows. generally increase about 30 per cent. Optimal targets for body condition scores (BCS) at key times are: • Feed costs represent 50 to 70 per cent of total production costs for • Fall pregnancy check, or start of winter feeding program — BCS cows and the major factor influencing reproductive performance. 3.0 • For a beef female to reproduce, requirements for maintenance, • At calving — BCS optimum for mature cows is 2.5; optimum score growth and milk production must be met first. for first-calf heifers is 3.0 Total body energy reserves greatly affect reproductive perfor- • Thirty days before the start of breeding season — BCS 2.5 mance and profit. Thin cows at calving mean reproductive perfor- A key factor when looking at a group of cows is the number that mance in the subsequent breeding season will suffer. Therefore, as are thin and below optimum body condition. Small numbers may be winter approaches and you look forward to optimal reproductive indicative of cattle that simply don’t fit your environment or man- performance in the spring, managing winter rations based on feed agement system; larger numbers are symptomatic of feed shortages, quality and nutritional requirements of the cow herd becomes a part or poor-quality feed. Groups falling outside optimum ranges should of fall planning. be sorted and managed separately. Larger percentages of thin cows Seek professional help with questions about nutrition and feed indicate a general requirement for additional inputs and a signifi- analysis. It’s important to remember that all measures of production cant change to ration management. Producers should consult an are affected to some extent by nutrition, and that is the very thing animal health professional (veterinarian, nutritionist) for help. BCS is all about. c When rations need adjustment, the sooner they start the easier it is to reach desired targets for weight gain. To move one full point Dr. Ron Clarke prepares this column on behalf of the Western Canadian on the five-point body condition scale, say from BCS 2.0 to BCS 3.0, Association of Bovine Practitioners. Suggestions for future articles can requires 160 pounds additional weight in medium-framed cows be sent to Canadian Cattlemen ([email protected]) or WCABP and 200 pounds in large-framed cows. Twenty per cent more energy ([email protected]).
www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 19 health By Debbie Furber
Talk, Tweet and Shout about Antibiotics We’ve sat back long enough
ickness happens. When animals “I’m not saying don’t use antibiotics get sick they need treatment every because sick animals need medicine, but Sbit as much as people. Retaining before you pick up that bottle, think once, access to effective antibiotics for food twice and three times whether the health ben- animals is important for animal welfare efit outweighs the burden on resistance,” she and food safety because raising healthy says. “Get your veterinarians involved because animals means healthful, safe food. they have the training and resources to guide This is an important message consumers you down the road toward minimizing devel- need to hear from producers in the discus- opment of resistance in your herds.” sion on antibiotic resistance, says Dr. Leigh If resistance evolves, producers will need Rosengren, a veterinary epidemiologist who to move to more potent, more costly drugs runs her own consulting firm from the fam- and some of the most powerful antibiotics ily’s beef and grain farm near Midale, Sask. approved for use in cattle are also catego- “Antibiotic resistance is a threat to Canadi- rized by Health Canada as highly important ans’ health. This isn’t a fear-mongering cam- and very important in human medicine. paign made up by some marketing agency. It’s If agriculture should lose access to the a true, honest and real threat,” she says. “It’s our top antibiotics, due to resistance or regu- responsibility as producers to explain what we lation, there will be economic and animal do in Canada and on our ranches, particularly Dr. Leigh Rosengren welfare consequences because of increased when consumers are afraid, occasionally mis- sickness and death loss. informed and incredibly worried.” ited a bit of a mess,” Rosengren says. Finger Antibiotic resistance is not the same Antibiotic resistance is about the abil- pointing by or at livestock producers isn’t as antibiotic residues and people need to ity of bacteria to resist a normally effective going to solve this very complex issue that know there are no antibiotics in Canadian concentration of antibiotic. affects everyone and needs everyone on meat, she stresses. Residues are chemicals Many antibiotics are produced in nature board working toward a common solution. that can easily be measured and that’s how by fungi and bacteria. Ever since the begin- “Antibiotics are one of those common- withdrawal times are determined. ning of time, bacteria have been evolving good things; a societal resource, we all All veterinary drugs in Canada are various defences that make them resistant need to manage responsibly because when licenced by Health Canada for specific to antibiotic substances as they compete for managed irresponsibly, the effect impacts species, uses and dosages with methods of survival in their environments. us all,” she says. “Nobody understands administering them and withdrawal times In this context, it’s easier to understand stewardship of societal resources better stated on the labels. The Canadian Food how antibiotic-resistant bacteria can turn than producers — the ethic of planning Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducts rou- up in animals that have never been treated and managing a resource to leave it in a bet- tine testing at packing plants to make sure with antibiotics and even in places where ter state than those before us.” there are no antibiotic residues. antibiotics have never been used to treat Practice antibiotic stewardship daily, she animals. It’s also why some antibiotics have urges, because all antibiotic use for people Shout back never worked against some bacteria and and animals will contribute to resistance. “Be engaged and speak out to let consum- never will. Sometimes bacteria have natural Antibiotics never kill 100 per cent of the tar- ers know the beef industry takes food resistance to several antibiotics. get bacteria, nor the millions if not billions safety seriously. We are being out-shouted Though the use of antibiotic drugs in of other bacteria exposed to them during in social media. Tweet back with your two human and veterinary medicine isn’t the treatments. The survivors that have defences cents because people against farming are root cause of antibiotic resistance, it has to the antibiotic go on to reproduce more out there tweeting,” Rosengren says. been exacerbating the prevalence of antibi- of their kind. Some bacteria can collect and Tweet the good news about what you do otic-resistant bacteria ever since penicillin trade genes of resistance with other bacteria to raise healthy animals. She says it’s like from the Penicillium fungi became com- and pick them up from the environment via night and day how vaccines and biosecurity mercially available in the 1940s. tiny plasmids that have nothing to do with have supplanted antibiotic use just in the “So to be perfectly frank, we’ve all inher- their core genetics. past decade alone.
20 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca health sources
Let people know that beef producers have However, there isn’t a system in place Tell people what an antibiotic stewardship program as part to measure the distribution of pharma- of the Verified Beef Production program. ceuticals or actual on-farm use by spe- we are doing It was introduced by the Canadian Cattle- cies in Canada or the U.S. She encour- In Canada, research continues to shed men’s Association as Quality Starts Here in ages producers to take every opportunity light on questions related to the use of the early 2000s and after revisions to incor- to participate in research on this topic antibiotics in beef cattle. So far, it’s a porate international HACCP standards because this is a weakness agriculture very good news story as illustrated by and technical reviews by the CFIA, was needs to address. recent publications by the Beef Cattle rolled out with the new name in 2005-06. The 80 per cent figure started with a 2010 Research Council (BCRC), a division of The producer manual, available to anyone blog post by a U.S. researcher who simply the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). online, includes standard operating proce- subtracted U.S. pharmaceutical companies’ Fact sheets on the projects, dures for animal health management, cattle sales data on antibiotics for human use in findings from past research, and shipping, medicated feed, pesticide control the U.S. from that for use in food-produc- a document with video clips from and training. The goal of the animal health ing animals in the U.S. Agricultural use did researchers entitled “Antimicrobial management procedures is to minimize the include ionophores, later said to account Resistance” are posted at www. risk of drug residues, antibiotic-resistant for one-third of the sales. The U.S. Food beefresearch.ca. bacteria and broken needles in cattle. and Drug Administration issued a caution Other reliable Canadian sources Rosengren searched “antibiotics in meat” about the shortcomings of comparing the of information are the Verified to find out what naysayers are shouting two figures this way. Beef Production program (www. about and offered some facts of the matters 2. Agriculture is simply using antibiotics to verifiedbeef.ca), the CCA’s new Beef Advocacy Canada program (www. to get out to consumers. make animals grow faster. beefadvocacy.ca) and the CCA site 1. Agriculture uses 80 per cent of all antibiotics. In the early years, research sufficiently (www.cattle.ca) for the updated The organization that represents pharma- showed that adding small amounts of an oral code of practice, environmental and ceutical companies in Canada does release antibiotic, such as tetracycline, to the ration other stewardship and sustainability some sales data, which show that most anti- improved both health and growth, so growth initiatives. biotics used in animal agriculture are unre- lated or unimportant in human medicine. Continued on page 24
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health
Continued from page 21 Ionophores are classified as a polyether antibiotic, not a therapeu- tic antibiotic. They have never been used in human medicine, there- promotion was also approved as a label claim on some antibiotics fore have no relevance in the resistance debate, Rosengren says. In approved for delivery through feed or water. ruminants, they improve feed efficiency in several ways, one of which That’s about to become passé as pharmaceutical companies in is by reducing the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen that Canada follow suit with their U.S. counterparts in voluntarily remov- waste feed energy that would otherwise be available for growth. ing growth-promotion claims from therapeutic antibiotic labels. 3. Agriculture is creating superbugs that make us vulnerable to dis- Ultimately, the goal is to achieve labelling harmony with the U.S. so eases we used to be able to cure. that the onus isn’t on Canadian veterinarians to decide on extra-label use, Superbugs is a catchy word that refers to bacteria with resistance Rosengren explains. Label claims on some antibiotics approved in both to more than one antibiotic. countries are much broader in the U.S. than in Canada because Health The World Health Organization and Health Canada have stated Canada’s tight regulations make it burdensome for pharmaceutical com- that antimicrobial resistance in human medicine is primarily asso- panies to bring new products with wide label claims to Canada. ciated with the use of antimicrobials to treat human infections. The products with the revised labels will still be available for Antibiotics are one type of antimicrobial. They act specifically therapeutic and preventative use. Consumers don’t understand the against bacteria, whereas antimicrobials include a broader range of preventative approach because it’s not used in human medicine, substances, right down to common bleach and soap that kill bacte- she says. Beef production systems on the other hand are very pre- ria, viruses, fungi or parasites. dictable and often preventative use can be the most appropriate. One statistic that doesn’t get much publicity comes from the U.S. “If I have a pen of newly weaned calves and one starts to cough, I Centres of Disease Control (CDC). It estimates that 20 to 50 per cent of had better be proactive or I will have a pen of coughing calves. Is it all antibiotics prescribed in U.S. acute-care hospitals are either unnec- humane to let them all get sick so I can prove they needed the drug essary or inappropriate, stating that this misuse has contributed to the when I predictably knew the whole pen would get sick and I delayed growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The CDC initiated an antibi- use of the small guns and now need to go in with the big guns?” otic awareness program in 2009 to promote improved use of antibiot- Removal of growth-promotion claims doesn’t apply to iono- ics in hospitals and this year recommended that all acute-care hospitals phores and other technologies that have gained favour over oral implement antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs). antibiotics for this purpose, those being hormonal ear implants Canadian hospitals are also taking this positive step. As of 2013,
and beta adrenergic agonists. Accreditation Canada added ASP requirements to its program and Ontario has required ASPs for acute-care hospitals undergoing accreditation. The Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) was set up to monitor trends in antimicro- bial use and resistance to 15 antimicrobials in certain bacteria from human, animal (beef cattle, chicken, pigs) and their food products. The latest results online (2011) show generic E. coli from retail ground beef as having negligible resistance to the highly important antibiotics and low resistance to the older drugs of lesser impor- tance in human medicine. The levels of resistance to some antibiot- ics rise and fall through the years and in some cases were lower in 2011 than in 2003. This closely mirrored the pattern of resistance in abattoir samples taken from the beginning of the large intestine. Rosengren summarizes a 2013 CDC report on antimicrobial resistance and threats that lists 18 bacteria for which antibiotic resistance is considered to be urgent, serious or of concern. None of them have anything to do with agriculture. Only three of the seri- ous threats relate to agriculture through foodborne exposure, and none of the threats of concern relate to agriculture. “Yes, it can be very serious if someone gets resistant bacteria from meat, but the probability of that happening in Canada is infi- nitely small because we have incredibly good programs in slaughter plants, good kitchens and we know how to handle and cook meat,” Rosengren says. Remember, foodborne bacteria are not resistant to heat. Proper cooking destroys them. People need to understand, too, that concern is not the same as risk, she says. It’s a long journey from farm to fork and then a resis- tant bacteria would have to actually cause illness and be resistant to the drug of choice for treatment. In the U.S., a risk assessment followed the chain from farm to fork and estimated that the human health impact from flouroqui- nolone use in dairy cattle was one case in 13 years for campylo- c bacter and one case in 293 years for salmonella.
24 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca
grazing By Steve Kenyon
Pasture Pigs Prove Profitable
hen I was a child we lived in rural Saskatchewan on a mixed grain and beef farm. I was never involved W in 4-H but I always had some type of business ven- ture on the go. I was fortunate enough to have a YEP (youth education program) in my home. One of my favourite profit centres was the pigs. We would pick up a few each spring for us kids to manage and then we would sell pork off in the fall to neighbours. As young boys would, my brother and I spent hours out with the pigs, playing with them, scratching, tormenting and quite often riding them! I’m sure my mother appreciated how dirty we could get. It was never all play and no work. We all had our chores: feed, water… the “pig pail.” We had to pay for feed and processing and we almost always managed to make a profit out of it. Except for the one year that our wolf/shepherd cross decided he liked Huey, Dewey and Louie a little bit too much. It was a hard lesson on death losses, but most years we did all right. It’s been a long time since I fell off a pig in the mud, but I have additives. The “pasture-raised” refers to what is still in the meat. Pasture gone back to my roots. We now raise pasture pork. Not quite the pork has higher levels of Omega 3 which are better for our diets. None same as the barn-raised, grain-fed pigs we had back then, but they of our little piggies go to market. We direct sell to the consumer. are still just as entertaining to me as they were when I was a child. If We adjusted a few things this year. As with any business, we learn you ever have a bad day, just go hang out with the pasture pigs. They from our mistakes. The electric netting allowed us to move the will always put a smile on your face. pen less often at the beginning of the season. Last year we needed We buy weaner pigs in the spring and they go straight onto pasture. the pickup truck every day to move the portable pen. The netting We have a portable pen that we drag around the grass and added a big allowed us to keep the cage in the same spot for three or four moves; tarp to make sure they always have some shade because little pink pigs as we can move the netting on foot. This lowered our equipment from a barn have the tendency to burn when out on open pasture. use, but still protected our pigs from predators. When they are young we move the cage every day to give them fresh We also switched from a small water bowl-style portable waterer grass and get them used to the portable pen being “home.” to a water nipple mounted to the portable pen. The pigs seemed to We provide a hog grower as well in a self-feeder which is attached always pack the bowl with mud so the nipple make less work. to the pen. In the spring, the majority of their ration is from the pel- Last year I would go out on hot days and give the pigs a spray lets as they are just learning to eat grass. As they get older we open up down to help them cool off. This would give them a bit of mud to their cage and give them more space with the use of an electric net- roll around in. This year, the nipple waterer did that for me. They ting fence. This trains them to electricity and helps keeps predators would spill enough water when they argued over the nipple that they out. We try to move them before the ground starts to look damaged, always had a bit of mud. I do not mind if it leaks a little. which this year was about every second or third day. We did get some advice from a friend about supplying extra vita- These little piggies put on the pounds fast, so it’s not long before mins to help ward off a skin parasite that was reducing our gains. A they are eating a lot more grass each day. We switched to using a one- little extra vitamin A, D and E sure worked well. This makes sense wire electric fence to keep them contained. The netting is difficult to as the vitamins and minerals in the grower are planned as if the pel- move compared to the one wire, and by now they need more space lets are the whole ration. As these pigs eat more grass, their vitamin and are big enough so we don’t worry about predators any more. intake gets lower so we add some extra later in the summer. By midsummer, we give three or four days worth of grass each I love our pasture pigs — just like I did as a kid. I’m so glad that move. We still provide grower pellets, but by now their ration is a lot my children are able to enjoy them now as well. I know I should get higher in grass than in pellets. mad if I ever catch them out “riding” the pigs but I will admit, I’ll By August they are not only eating lots of grass, but have learned probably just show them a better way to mount up. to dig around and are more interested in the roots of the plants. I I also look at our piggies a little differently today. Now I just see guess that’s where the term “rooting” comes from. They love the bacon and pork patties! Mmmmmmm! c roots. We still give them their pellets, but the diet has switched over to a majority of plants and less of the grower ration. Steve Kenyon runs Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd. in Busby, Alta., We produce all natural, pasture-raised pork. The “all natural” is what www.greenerpasturesranching.com, 780-307-6500, email skenyon@ is not in the meat: no hormones, no chemicals, no preservatives, no greenerpasturesranching.com or find them on Facebook.
26 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca CRAPSmar14.indd 1 9/19/2014 8:23:55 PM water By Heather Smith Thomas
Winter Water Systems
inter water for cattle can be into the wet well, with a tub at the top that weather. Occasionally those holes freeze over a challenge in cold weather, the water pumps into. “Once the pump shuts at night when the cattle aren’t drinking. “If Wespecially in regions without off, after the cow leaves, the water in that little it’s 40 below zero and the wind is blowing, we electricity for running a pump or tank tub drains down into the wet well, so there is have to go out in the morning and knock ice heaters. There are several options includ- none left in the tub to freeze,” he says. out of the drinking tubes, but as long as there ing solar power and the frost-free nose The ranch also uses another system from is fresh water coming in regularly the trough pump. George Widdifield, ranch manager Kelln Solar that runs a pump with solar won’t freeze up,” he says. at the Western Beef Development Centre’s power from a regular ground well. “We The ranch has many small groups of research ranch at Lanigan, Sask., says their run that water in an underground pipe 1/4 cattle for various research trials, so they operation utilizes frost-free nose pumps mile to a winterized trough that works off depend on numerous water sources. “We and also solar power, including a water a float system. This trough has six drinking have several different systems and also system purchased from Kelln Solar at holes and you can cover or open as many made some of our own insulated troughs Lumsden, Sask. as needed, depending on how many cows because we have to haul water to certain it waters. We’ve had very little trouble with fields for the trials. As long as we put fresh SOLAR this system,” he says. water into them every day, they stay open “One of our solar-powered water systems “Running from a well, the water line to a long time in cold weather. The insulation from Kelln works off a motion detector. the trough must be down about eight feet makes a big difference,” says Widdifield. When the cattle walk up to it, the pump so it won’t freeze. The trough itself has six starts running and they can drink from it. inches of insulation. As long as there is fresh NOSE PUMPS It runs for a while and shuts off after they water coming into it all the time it doesn’t The ranch has also used frost-free nose move away. This system runs the pump off freeze. The drinking holes go down through pumps the past four winters. These consist a wet well that we put in from a dugout. the insulated cover.” of a vertical culvert to access water from a The pump is down in that shallow well and Cattle drinking throughout the day lower nearby dugout. A small drinking basin sits doesn’t have to pump the water very far,” the water level, which activates the float atop the culvert. A cylinder with a piston says Widdifield. valve and brings more water into the trough, pump is inside the culvert, pumping water A three-foot-wide cribbing goes down which keeps it from freezing during cold up to the basin when the cows push a lever
28 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca WATER with their nose. When the cow stops pump- ping a hole in the ice and a cow pushed him we lost 29 head that fell through the ice on ing, any water remaining in the upright pipe in. They are so eager to get to the water that a dugout. It wasn’t just the expensive loss, drains back down and there’s no water left in they shove and push each other. Lots of but also the emotional tragedy. These cattle the pipe to freeze. farmers work off the farm and leave their were all home raised and my wife and two “These work fi ne but the cows must learn wives to take care of the cattle and their wives daughters had them all named,” he says. to use it. We did it the recommended way, are chopping holes in the ice,” she says. “This is why we went to the nose pumps, starting with just a few cows at a time, and Don Viste, a rancher 120 miles northeast but there are a lot of other benefi ts besides they teach the others. There are different lev- of Calgary, Alta., has been using frost-free making winter watering a lot safer for the els in the drain holes in the line, and when nose pumps for four years and says they cattle. It keeps the dugouts cleaner through we are training cows we put it at the highest work very well to provide water for his 300 level (during warm weather with no danger cattle. “What started it for me was the year Continued on page 32 of water freezing in the pipe) so it’s very easy for them to pump. After they learn, we lower the drain hole.” After they know how to use it they will push it as hard as necessary to pump the water. “We’ve found that even in summer when there is other water available, some cows prefer to use the nose pump and have cool, clean water,” says Widdifi eld. The big advantage of the nose pump for cold weather is that it is very simple, with little chance for breakdown and problems. The fail point in most water systems is an electronic component. There is only one moving part in this pump — the piston that goes up and down in the cylinder. In sub-zero weather you need it simple — less things to go wrong or freeze up. One nose pump will easily water 100 head. Be part of the third annual Canfax Cattle With 400 head, a person can put four basins on top of the upright culvert. James Madge, Market Forum. Get the current market a rancher in Alberta, has two sites with four information specific to cattle producers basins at each site and waters 500 cows in that pasture all winter. He has another site and industry stakeholders. with two on it, where he waters all his bulls. “We’ve never had anyone tell us a nose Tuesday, November 18, 2014 pump got damaged, whether they are water- – Registration, Evening Guest Speaker ing bulls or bison,” says Jackie Anderson, wife of Jim Anderson who invented the nose and Reception pump 15 years ago. “There are some bison Wednesday, November 19, 2014 ranchers using nose pumps, including one of our neighbours. He’s used a nose pump – Full-day Plenary Session successfully for a number of years. It’s ideal Deerfoot Inn and Casino for bison because they are strong enough to Location: , push the levers, even when water has to be 1000, 11500 – 35 Street SE, Calgary, AB brought up from deeper wells. Also, many bison producers tell us they have trouble For more information and to register online with any water system that drains back down www.canfax.ca because hairs from bison beards get into the for the Forum visit or moving parts and cause problems. The nose call 403-686-8407. pump eliminates that risk.” Using a nose pump for water is good insur- ance against losing cows. “Cows are worth so much right now that one cow saved from drowning in a dugout would more than pay for installing a frost-free nose pump. We heard of someone losing an entire herd because they were all out on the ice, milling around trying to fi nd water,” Jackie says. “One fellow told us his uncle was chop-
www.canadiancattlemen.ca CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 29 Canfax2014_CanadianCattlemen_HalfPageIsland Activate_CCM_Oct_14.pdf 1 23/09/2014 6:18:18 PM
Tags... We’re it ! IT’S HARVEST
. . . AND WE KNOW YOU’RE BUSY ! Here’s a QUICK and EASY-TO-USE guide for handling the top three producer-support requests during fall-run:
ACTIVATE your CANADIAN LIVESTOCK TRACKING SYSTEM database account: If you have purchased approved Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in your name, you will already have a Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database account. The account will be set up with the name, address and telephone number that you provided to the tag dealer at the time of your first tag purchase. The account remains in Placeholder status until it is activated by a CCIA Client Support Representative (CSR). If you have not purchased tags, you will need to have a CLTS account created. If you would like to activate your web store account to order tags online, you will need to activate your CLTS database account first.
C 1. To activate your account or to have one created, contact a CSR by toll-free telephone at 1-877-909-2333 or M email at [email protected]. Y 2. Provide a business name (optional), contact name (first and last), mailing or street address, telephone number CM and email address (optional). MY 3. Once the account has been created or verified by a CSR, the CSR will activate it and provide you with your CY account number, username and a temporary authorization code to set up a password for your account. CMY 4. Go to www.clia.livestockid.ca. After Need to activate your account with Authorization K code, select Click here.
5. Then follow the last few quick and easy steps to activate your CLTS database account ! QUICK AND EASY-TO-USE Including an email address in your CLTS account information It takes fewer than five minutes to activate a web store account, choose USER TIP: enables you to reset your password as well as receive system and order from the full array of approved tags, and have the tags issued to your notifications and updates. CLTS database account before you receive them in 3-5 business days !
CREATE a COST-FREE email address: ACTIVATE your WEB STORE ACCOUNT to order tags online: 1. Go to www.hotmail.com. 1. At http://tags.canadaid.ca, click Place an Order for producers. 2. In the bottom right of the screen, select Don’t have a Microsoft account? Sign up now. 2. The login page will appear, click Register – Create your Access Codes. 3. Enter your information into the data fields. NOTE: The User name will be your email address. Enter an email 3. Enter your CLTS account ID and telephone number, then click AutoFill. address of your choice and select @hotmail.com, @live.com OR @outlook.com from the User name 4. If you receive a notice indicating your account cannot be found, please contact us drop-down menu. to confirm your account information or have your information entered into the 4. Enter the captcha code as it appears on the screen. It is not case-sensitive. 5. Click the checkbox to opt-in or out of the offer to receive information about products, services, events and tag order database to set-up your tag order account. latest solutions. 5. If your account can be found, your address will appear and you will have the 6. If you agree to proceed after reviewing the Microsoft Services Agreement as well as the privacy opportunity to enter your user information. Once entered, click Submit. and cookies statement, click Create account. You have now successfully created a cost-free 6. The home page will appear with your tag order account information located on
email address ! the right hand corner of the page. Go ahead and place your order ! Activate_CCM_Oct_14.pdf 1 23/09/2014 6:18:18 PM
Tags... We’re it ! IT’S HARVEST
. . . AND WE KNOW YOU’RE BUSY ! Here’s a QUICK and EASY-TO-USE guide for handling the top three producer-support requests during fall-run:
ACTIVATE your CANADIAN LIVESTOCK TRACKING SYSTEM database account: If you have purchased approved Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in your name, you will already have a Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database account. The account will be set up with the name, address and telephone number that you provided to the tag dealer at the time of your first tag purchase. The account remains in Placeholder status until it is activated by a CCIA Client Support Representative (CSR). If you have not purchased tags, you will need to have a CLTS account created. If you would like to activate your web store account to order tags online, you will need to activate your CLTS database account first.
C 1. To activate your account or to have one created, contact a CSR by toll-free telephone at 1-877-909-2333 or M email at [email protected]. Y 2. Provide a business name (optional), contact name (first and last), mailing or street address, telephone number CM and email address (optional). MY 3. Once the account has been created or verified by a CSR, the CSR will activate it and provide you with your CY account number, username and a temporary authorization code to set up a password for your account. CMY 4. Go to www.clia.livestockid.ca. After Need to activate your account with Authorization K code, select Click here.
5. Then follow the last few quick and easy steps to activate your CLTS database account ! QUICK AND EASY-TO-USE Including an email address in your CLTS account information It takes fewer than five minutes to activate a web store account, choose USER TIP: enables you to reset your password as well as receive system and order from the full array of approved tags, and have the tags issued to your notifications and updates. CLTS database account before you receive them in 3-5 business days !
CREATE a COST-FREE email address: ACTIVATE your WEB STORE ACCOUNT to order tags online: 1. Go to www.hotmail.com. 1. At http://tags.canadaid.ca, click Place an Order for producers. 2. In the bottom right of the screen, select Don’t have a Microsoft account? Sign up now. 2. The login page will appear, click Register – Create your Access Codes. 3. Enter your information into the data fields. NOTE: The User name will be your email address. Enter an email 3. Enter your CLTS account ID and telephone number, then click AutoFill. address of your choice and select @hotmail.com, @live.com OR @outlook.com from the User name 4. If you receive a notice indicating your account cannot be found, please contact us drop-down menu. to confirm your account information or have your information entered into the 4. Enter the captcha code as it appears on the screen. It is not case-sensitive. 5. Click the checkbox to opt-in or out of the offer to receive information about products, services, events and tag order database to set-up your tag order account. latest solutions. 5. If your account can be found, your address will appear and you will have the 6. If you agree to proceed after reviewing the Microsoft Services Agreement as well as the privacy opportunity to enter your user information. Once entered, click Submit. and cookies statement, click Create account. You have now successfully created a cost-free 6. The home page will appear with your tag order account information located on
email address ! the right hand corner of the page. Go ahead and place your order ! water
Continued from page 29 to take a loader along with the trailer. “It tank doesn’t get knocked off kilter. You have will just be an A-frame that I can put up and to make sure the nose pump doesn’t build the year because cattle aren’t wading out take down, for doing this. I move my nose up ice on the push lever,” says Widdifield. into them. The cattle also seem to do better pumps several times during winter. I just You might have to knock it loose. on the nose pumps because they get fresh, choose a warm day when it won’t freeze up “What I like about all of these systems clean water,” he says. when I’m relocating it,” he says. — the solar power with the eye, or the nose Some ranchers in his area have 700 to There are many ways to put in a nose pump — is that you don’t have to worry 2,500 cows watering with nose pumps. pump. Some people install a large culvert about cattle walking out on the dugout and Viste has10 dugouts set up for wet wells and in a spring, and then divert the water from falling through the ice.” nose pumps, but only needs three working that large one underground to a smaller Even in summer it’s nice to have cattle at a time. He moves the upright culverts one with the nose pump, to keep the ani- fenced away from the dugouts, watering and drinking basins around to various loca- mals away from the spring and keep it them with the nose pump or solar-powered tions when he moves the cows. cleaner. “One fellow in Prince George had wet well, because they aren’t tromping in the “I have a trailer set up to do this, with to lift water 300 feet,” says Jackie. “No nose dugout, damaging the banks, or contami- timbers across it — with slots cut out, to set pump can do that. He was away at work nating the water. They aren’t getting footrot everything in. I just pull up the culvert, set it all week, so he buried a gigantic tank and or spreading fecal-borne diseases. “If you can on the trailer, and away I go to the next loca- pumped water into it every weekend when get your water source farther from your dug- tion. I use a loader to pull it up, and to set it he was home. Then the cattle used the nose out you can keep the water cleaner,” he says. back in at the next place. Most people don’t pump off that big underground tank. Most For more information about solar water have as many dugouts as I do, and just leave farmers can be very creative,” she says. systems, contact Kelln Solar at 1-888-731- the culvert/nose pump in a permanent loca- 8882 or 306-731-2224 or by email: info@ tion, but I move mine around as I move the Precautions kellnsolar.com. cows,” says Viste. “With any winter water systems you still For information about the nose pumps, He eventually wants to make a tripod on have to check them regularly and make sure contact Jim, Jeff or Jackie Anderson at the trailer so he can just pull the culvert up they are working and free of ice. With solar- 886-843-6744 or by email: info@frostfree- with a winch, and reset it with a winch at powered systems you have to make sure the nosepumps.com or go to the website: www. the next dugout location, so he won’t have batteries stay good or the valve switch in the frostfreenosepumps.com. c
November ------24-29, 2014
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32 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Holistic Ranching By Don Campbell
exiting the beef industry
’ve written a couple of articles about benefiting from the The first group will have the good fortune to have a son, current strong cattle prices. This month I want to target daughter or some other relative take over and carry on the busi- Ia group of producers from age 60 to 90. There are a lot of ness. This is a wonderful position to be in. If you are in this group cows owned by producers in that age group. I happen to be I commend you for your planning and foresight. If you have an one of them. opportunity to take this road I encourage you to action. Don’t With today’s strong market this might be an opportune time to delay, get some help and make a plan. Implement the plan and exit the beef industry. Cattle prices have basically doubled in the reap the rewards. last year. If you are anywhere near retiring you might want to con- The second group will be in the position of being the last to sider this fact. No one knows what future prices may be. What we farm or ranch in their family. This isn’t good or bad, it just is. This do know is today’s price. group can be divided into two subgroups. One will deal with the There are basically three stages to a business cycle. First comes reality. They will make plans to downsize and/or retire. Life will the startup. At this stage we are young and ambitious. We are full of continue to be good. The last group will deny reality. They will run energy. Things are exciting. Life is good. their business until forced by illness or death to turn the reins over The second stage is operating the business. This might go on for to someone else. This may not be the wisest choice. 40 or more years. Hopefully you enjoyed your business and can look back with fond memories. Points to Ponder The third stage is exiting the business. For many this is the most 1. Who is best suited to implement an exit strategy for your business? difficult stage. We are older. Our health may be an issue. We are 2. Do you want to finish your business cycle? being called to give up something that has been our life and move 3. Do you want your spouse, children or an estate lawyer to finish to something unknown. This is a scary time. If there is ever a time your business cycle? for rational, unemotional thought this is it. Be assured that there 4. Do you want to sacrifice yourself and thereby eliminate your is life after retirement. In fact with a positive attitude and a good spouse from having to finish the business cycle? I believe this is outlook retirement can be as enjoyable as any other stage of life. the definition of Love. To have a truly successful business I think it is necessary to deal Do I know what is best for you in your unique situation? Defi- with all three stages of the business cycle. I am very fortunate that nitely not. my dad was an excellent role model in this regard. He was involved Do I believe you can find your own best choice by deliberation in a lot of organizations and operated two businesses. As I look and thought? Definitely. back I am amazed at how Dad let things go when the time was Ending the business cycle is difficult. This is perhaps the most right. He never held on too long. He exited when the time was challenging part of the business cycle. I believe it is important, right and moved on to something else. I hope to be blessed with however, and I wish you success in whatever road you choose to his good judgment. travel. Happy trails. c All of us will exit the beef industry one way or another. I can see two main ways this will happen. The important point is that Don Campbell ranches with his family at Meadow Lake, Sask., and each one of us has the power to choose how we will deal with this teaches Holistic Management courses. He can be reached at 306-236- important decision. 6088 or [email protected].
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www.canadiancattlemen.ca C at t l e m e n · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 33 Get more horses for your cattle business. In this line of work, power gets the job done. It helps build the business and pay the bills. So you need a tractor that brings the muscle to work. And the 6M does. With tractors from 105- to 170-hp, you can fnd a model for your operation. You’ll have the hydraulic capacity to cycle heavy loads and lift rear implements, the engine power needed to pull through harsh conditions and the versatility you want for just about any job you’ve got.
Flex some hydraulic muscle that delivers four, clutch- Get up to 30 gpm (113 lpm) for big lift and fast free shifts in each range, cycle times. And with a 3-point hitch capacity of to an AutoQuad™ Plus up to 10,582 pounds (4799 kg), you can handle that lets you program a variety of implements. the transmission to shift automatically within a Engines that power up range depending on and stay productive the load. Pick a trans- Before you even realize mission with 25 mph your power requirements (40 km/h) capability and have changed, your 6M you’ll cut transport time in will respond. The engine a hurry. Or get the creeper control unit checks engine option with speeds as low as speed and load changes .09 mph (1.4 km/h). And if you do 100 times each second, loader work, we have you covered. All sensing and adjusting pow- PowrQuad transmissions feature a left-hand er requirements as needed. SSitit inin ccomfortomfort reverser for no-clutch, no-skid direction changes. 105- to With John Deere PowerTech™ engines, produc- while putting 170-hp tivity goes up, the need for shifting gears, fuel Get into heavy lifting all that power engines that consumption and operator effort goes down. Take on the toughest chores out there with the to use. respond more than capable, high-performing, heavy lifter. instantly to Work in any weather See your dealer and learn why the 6M gives you changing Take a seat in the cab of a 6M and you’ll instantly demands. the horses you need to get the job done. get a feel for how comfortable – and protected – you’ll be regardless of the conditions outside. There is great visibility in all directions, colour- The 6M has hydraulics and controls coded controls at your fngertips and critical made for loader work. information available at a glance. Five Even if you don’t need a cab tractor, you’ll fnd different transmission that the open station 6M doesn’t cut corners options are on comfort. available. Shift productivity into high gear On the job, the right gear makes all the difference. And the 6M helps fnd the speed you need for the work you do. Choose between fve different trans- missions – from the PowrQuad™ More power. More getting work done. JohnDeere.ca
60422.1_6MLongFrom2pAd.Indd 1 9/9/14 7:11 PM Get more horses for your cattle business. In this line of work, power gets the job done. It helps build the business and pay the bills. So you need a tractor that brings the muscle to work. And the 6M does. With tractors from 105- to 170-hp, you can fnd a model for your operation. You’ll have the hydraulic capacity to cycle heavy loads and lift rear implements, the engine power needed to pull through harsh conditions and the versatility you want for just about any job you’ve got.
Flex some hydraulic muscle that delivers four, clutch- Get up to 30 gpm (113 lpm) for big lift and fast free shifts in each range, cycle times. And with a 3-point hitch capacity of to an AutoQuad™ Plus up to 10,582 pounds (4799 kg), you can handle that lets you program a variety of implements. the transmission to shift automatically within a Engines that power up range depending on and stay productive the load. Pick a trans- Before you even realize mission with 25 mph your power requirements (40 km/h) capability and have changed, your 6M you’ll cut transport time in will respond. The engine a hurry. Or get the creeper control unit checks engine option with speeds as low as speed and load changes .09 mph (1.4 km/h). And if you do 100 times each second, loader work, we have you covered. All sensing and adjusting pow- PowrQuad transmissions feature a left-hand er requirements as needed. SitSit inin comfortcomfort reverser for no-clutch, no-skid direction changes. 105- to With John Deere PowerTech™ engines, produc- while putting 170-hp tivity goes up, the need for shifting gears, fuel Get into heavy lifting all that power engines that consumption and operator effort goes down. Take on the toughest chores out there with the to use. respond more than capable, high-performing, heavy lifter. instantly to Work in any weather See your dealer and learn why the 6M gives you changing Take a seat in the cab of a 6M and you’ll instantly demands. the horses you need to get the job done. get a feel for how comfortable – and protected – you’ll be regardless of the conditions outside. There is great visibility in all directions, colour- The 6M has hydraulics and controls coded controls at your fngertips and critical made for loader work. information available at a glance. Five Even if you don’t need a cab tractor, you’ll fnd different transmission that the open station 6M doesn’t cut corners options are on comfort. available. Shift productivity into high gear On the job, the right gear makes all the difference. And the 6M helps fnd the speed you need for the work you do. Choose between fve different trans- missions – from the PowrQuad™ More power. More getting work done. JohnDeere.ca
60422.1_6MLongFrom2pAd.Indd 1 9/9/14 7:11 PM research on the record By Reynold Bergen
Flipping for Mechanically Tenderized Beef
ll food surfaces carry bacteria, including of E. coli O157:H7. The E. coli inoculation sites were steaks and roasts. Because beef cooks from marked with a dye. After refrigeration, the steaks were A the outside in, the outer surface is exposed barbecued or cooked on a hot plate (skillet). Internal to higher temperatures for a longer time than the temperature was monitored at various locations in the inside of the beef. The heat of cooking will inactivate steak during cooking. Some steaks were flipped once bacteria as long as they remain on the outside of cuts, during cooking, some were flipped twice, and others and the surface is cooked thoroughly. That’s why flipped more often. Steaks were cooked until the centres steaks and roasts can be eaten rare. In ground beef, reached temperatures ranging from 56 C to 75 C. The microbes from the surface get mixed throughout the numbers of E. coli that survived the cooking process beef, so consumers are encouraged to cook ground were then counted. beef to an internal temperature of 71 C. What They Learned: The internal temperature at the Mechanical tenderization pierces beef with small centre of a steak is not the only indicator of food safety; blades or fine needles. This cuts the connective tissue and how often the steaks are flipped is important too. Flip- makes the beef more tender. This improves the eating ping steaks only once allowed some of the E. coli to quality of lower-cost, tougher beef cuts. Price and ten- survive, even if the centre of the steak was cooked to a derness are two of the major drivers of consumer buying well-done end point. Heat doesn’t always penetrate the behaviour and eating satisfaction, so mechanical tender- steak at a uniform rate, so not all parts of the steak were ization has proven quite useful. Approximately 20 per heated enough to inactivate all of the E. coli when flipped cent of Canadian beef is mechanically tenderized. once. When steaks were flipped twice or more at four But if there are microbes on the surface of the steak, minute intervals, they heated more uniformly, and no E. mechanical tenderization may push some of them coli survived. More E. coli were inactivated in steaks that deeper into the muscle. Other steaks in the same pro- were flipped twice and cooked medium rare (63 C) than cessing batch may be cross-contaminated if the blades in steaks that were flipped only once and cooked well transfer microbes from one steak to the other. Taking done (71 C). care to disassemble, thoroughly clean, sanitize and dry What it Means: Mechanically tenderized beef can be the equipment between batches is critical to minimize prepared safely without cooking it like hamburger. These this risk. This risk became very apparent in 2012, when research results were submitted to Health Canada as it several human E. coli O157:H7 infections were linked to developed the new labels for mechanically tenderized mechanically tenderized beef. beef. The Health Canada label was finalized and released In response, Health Canada proposed labelling in August. The new label recommends that mechani- mechanically tenderized beef with recommended cook- cally tenderized beef be cooked to a minimum internal ing instructions. Initially, the proposed label recom- temperature of 63 C (medium rare), and flipped at least mended cooking mechanically tenderized beef to 71 C twice during cooking. (well done). These researchers and the producer checkoff dollars This posed a dilemma for packers, retailers and restau- that fund their work are essential to developing effective, rants. Mechanical tenderization makes beef more tender, science-based solutions to important industry challenges. but cooking a steak until it is well done makes it tougher, Industry checkoff dollars supported Dr. Yang’s train- drier and less tasty. If consumers are asked to choose ing through the first Beef Science Cluster, and the BCRC between eating satisfaction and safety, they may choose worked to have AAFC hire her as a research scientist. This not to buy beef. Canada’s beef industry should be able to research contributed to a simple, practical, easy-to-follow ensure both satisfaction and safety. label for mechanically tenderized beef, and is an example National Checkoff funds from the Beef Cattle Research of how industry checkoff funds are important to ensure Council (BCRC) and provincial government funding that Canada maintains core research expertise. from Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency supported The Beef Research Cluster is funded by the National a series of research projects to identify the best way to Checkoff and Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada with cook mechanically tenderized beef. This research was additional contributions from provincial beef industry led by Drs. Colin Gill and Xianqin Yang at Agriculture groups and governments to advance research and tech- and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Lacombe research nology transfer supporting the Canadian beef industry’s centre, and was published in the Journal of Food vision to be recognized as a preferred supplier of healthy, Research (2:77-89) and the Journal of Food Protection high-quality beef, cattle and genetics. c (6:919-926). What They Did: Eye of round steaks (one to three cm Dr. Reynold Bergen is the science director thick) were deliberately inoculated with known amounts of the Beef Cattle Research Council.
36 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Canadian Simmental Association #13, 4101-19th St. N.E., Calgary, AB, T2E 7C4 Tel: (403) 250-7979 Fax: (403) 250-5121 Email: [email protected] Website: www.simmental.com health By Roy Lewis DVM
What Can We Do About Mycoplasma?
hen talking to feedlot own- the chances of recovery are very slim. It other cattle cause stress and all play a role ers and backgrounders then becomes an animal welfare issue and in determining whether calves get sick. W across this country one often lots of money is spent on antibiotics, Pre-immunization is one precaution question almost always comes up. “Is painkillers and other medications before cow-calf producers have direct control there anything new out there to combat the decision is made to euthanize. over and feedlots can then ask for pre- mycoplasma?” In the bison industry, mycoplasma is immunized calves. Fortunately this cov- While there are things being worked on almost always a primary pathogen and can ers the vast majority of calves in Canada. it is not an easy fix. What we have found is cause considerable death loss in naïve pop- Cow-calf producers are vaccinating calves there are procedures, vaccines combined ulations of calves, cows and bulls. There younger today and reaping the benefits with minimizing stress (often easier said appears to be immunity established once with fewer sick calves on summer pasture. than done) that go a long way to reducing the disease goes through but death losses If the boosters are given at weaning then its incidence. But when cases do become can get quite high on the initial exposure. we should, in theory, have less respiratory clinical a decision has to be made early for Researchers are working on an effec- disease. the welfare of the calf to either treat and tive vaccine and in some cases autogenous We can also avoid unnecessary trans- ship, or euthanize. vaccines have been tried. That is where portation stress by selling directly to Mycoplasma comes in many clinical the organism is isolated from the farm feedlots through satellite or online sales. forms but in feedlots we mainly see it in and used to make a vaccine. This is easier The distance transported is maybe not respiratory and joint infections. said than done. Often there are commen- as significant as the stress of loading and The respiratory cases are often indistin- sal mycoplasmas present but not the ones unloading the calves a couple of times. guishable from other common pneumo- causing the disease. As well, mycoplasma is Various electrolyte formulations have nias in the feedlot and the joint form can not like other bacteria in that it has no cell been tried to minimize shrink during be very similar to histophilus abscesses. In wall, making it more difficult to develop a transport. Excessive shrink is a sign of a great number of chronics in our feedlots, vaccine. stress. if lab specimens were submitted to verify Several of these vaccines have been tried Controlling parasites increases the gain what your veterinarian had diagnosed, in the bison industry, some with reason- for cow-calf producers and boosts an ani- mycoplasma would commonly play a role. able success. There is a commercial swine mal’s immune response to vaccines. These cost the feedlot industry millions in vaccine for mycoplasma so it stands to Taken together all these steps should treatment and labour as well as deaths and reason perhaps one may be developed for result in healthier calves with less propen- chronics that need to be euthanized. the cattle industry. But for now it remains sity to get sick when entering feedlots. With mycoplasma we need to concen- the most frustrating pneumonia and joint And less sickness should translate to less trate on prevention. Even though a few infection in the feedlot sector. mycoplasma. antibiotics have indications for myco- Researchers at VIDO, the Veterinary In the absence of an industry-saving plasma on the label they are more for Infectious Disease Organization, are vaccine or treatment for mycoplasma, metaphylactic treatment when exposure is looking at it. This is the organization we have had to concentrate on preven- imminent. that came up with the first scours vaccine tion, and I think it is working. On average, After a few weeks in the feedlot they say years ago. They are world-renowned and death losses are decreasing as we prevent pretty much all calves are infected (mean- if we look at how scours vaccines have more of the other respiratory pathogens, ing they have been exposed and are car- evolved we can hope mycoplasma vac- and so is the incidence of mycoplasma. rying the organism) yet in well-managed cines will follow suit. And this trend should expand as we see yards with pre-immunized and precondi- Antibiotics don’t appear to be the more collaboration between the cow-calf, tioned calves the incidence can be kept to answer. When we treat chronics long trucker, backgrounder and feedlot sectors. a minimum. term with antibiotics with no hope of We may never totally eliminate myco- In cattle, mycoplasma is a secondary eliminating the infection we also raise the plasma but we can keep it at bay with these invader. In the case of respiratory disease it possibility of creating resistance to these prevention strategies. often comes in on the heels of viral patho- antimicrobials. In light of high calf prices this fall we gens, primarily IBR. Other respiratory So that leaves us relying on anything should all be aiming for the fewest pos- bacteria such as mannheimia, pasteurella that reduces stress and/or reduces the like- sible cases of mycoplasma in our feedlot or histophilus can also get established and lihood of other respiratory bugs taking population. c set up the lungs for the invasion of myco- hold. Theoretically, that should reduce the plasma later in the course of the illness. incidence of mycoplasma pneumonia. Roy Lewis is a Westock, Alberta-based A good number of these infections may We, as veterinarians, always talk about veterinarian specializing in large-animal spread to the joints. Once in the joints, reducing stress. Transportation, process- practice. He is also a part-time technical especially if more than one joint is involved, ing, weather, parasites and exposure to services vet for Merck Animal Health.
38 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Questions about the weather?
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The full cost of pink eye Cure the pain as well as the losses
ink eye or, more properly, infectious bovine kerato- pink eye woes conjunctivitis (IBK), ranks high on the list of most Pexpensive cattle health issues. The impact in lost weight gain alone is substantial. For pre- on pasture weaned calves, pinkeye is the second most costly disease, behind scours. One study showed a 17 pound (lb.) loss when one eye was affected and up to a 65 lb. loss when both eyes were affected. In the U.S., pinkeye affects more than 10 million calves annually, result- ing in economic losses topping $150 million per year. In addition to the lost weight, production losses include the time and expense of treatment. Costs can exceed $100 per incident in beef cattle. And the losses persist beyond weaning as calves with pink eye are unable to catch up unaffected herd mates. One Kentucky study with Hereford calves reported a 36 lb. drop in weaning weights for bulls and a 40 lb. drop in heifers suffering from pink eye before weaning. After weaning, bulls that had not experi- enced any disease before weaning were 70 lb. heavier at their 365-day adjusted weight. Chronic pink eye Chronic with ulcer Permanent damage from corneal scarring also seriously damp- ens sale prices in seed stock, and discounts for animals with lesions or damaged eyes can far exceed production losses by hun- dreds of dollars.
Cause Cattle are susceptible to pink eye year-round, with most cases occurring in the summer. Not uncommonly, outbreaks follow the introduction of new cattle. Younger cattle exhibit a higher inci- dence of the disease than older cattle. Calves with less pigmenta- tion on the eyelid, calves born from younger dams, and bull calves Painful eyes Painful eyes experience a higher incidence and more severe lesions. The differ- ence in incidence between bull and heifer calves has not been fully explained other than bulls tend to move around on pasture more than heifers, and as a result are exposed more to conditions that produce pink eye. Classic IBK is the result of infection of the cornea with Morax- ella bovis. Other common infectious etiologic agents include Mycoplasma spp, bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), and Moraxella branhamella ovis. Contributing factors include anything that irritates a calf’s eyes. Feeding practices play a role as do dust, plant particles, pollen or mechanical irritants. Ultraviolet light from prolonged Corneal ulcer Early cancer exposure to sunlight certainly contributes. When animals eat out the middle of round bales, leaving a hay shelf over their heads, the likelihood of irritants getting in the eyes increases substan- tially. The same situation occurs when hay is fed in overhead feed- ers. Viral diseases like IBR and BVD that compromise the calf’s immune system can make them more vulnerable to Moraxella bovis bacteria. It has also been associated with large face fly populations. Flies not only irritate the eye, they also spread the bacteria around. Mycoplasma may be another cause. In one study both Myco- plasma bovoculi and M bovis were isolated from conjunctival swabs from calves with clinical signs of IBK.
40 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca health
Prevention ing the eye when approached. Animals may display decreased appe- While effective vaccination remains the Holy Grail of pink eye pre- tite, bruxism (teeth grinding), droopy ears and vocalization when the vention, much remains to be done to improve vaccine effectiveness. painful region is touched. At the moment the fight against pink eye requires attention to three Freedom from pain, injury and disease is central to animal wel- things: vaccination, fly control and environmental management. fare as dictated by our new beef code of practice. Poor vision also The cost of anything that prevents or moderates an outbreak pales increases fear and distress in animals. in comparison to costs associated with managing outbreaks once The cornea is one of the most densely innervated areas on the body. they become established. Damage to the outside of the cornea causes inflammation to struc- Pink eye vaccines provide variable protection because of unpredict- tures inside the eye, which is painful, so we can assume that the pain able factors involved in causing the disease. associated with acute pink eye is significant. Affected animals are often Planning ahead and monitoring face fly populations is another step depressed, accompanied by loss of appetite and weight. producers can take to “get ahead” of pink eye and minimize losses. The same is true with cancer eye and any other disease — IBR, liste- IBK is most common in late spring, summer and early fall and flies ria, BVD, malignant catarrhal fever — that cause eye lesions. seem to play a significant role in transmitting the disease when Treatment options include topical treatments, injectable broad-spec- populations are high. There are several fly management tools — trum antimicrobials and injections into the soft tissue surrounding the tags, sprays, back rubbers and in-feed growth regulators — all eye, application of a fabric patch over the eye and temporary suturing of designed to help control fly populations. Although fly resistance the third eyelid to keep the eye closed. to pesticides is a growing problem, strategic use of parasite control While prevention is always better than a cure, staying on high ground products can help. with pink eye isn’t always possible. Our current preventative measures and treatments need to be improved. Unfortunately, disorders associ- Dealing with pain ated with ocular pain and discomfort, or the negative effects of compro- Most animals, especially mammals, have the same pain-reception mised vision in food animals, are seldom considered when discussing mechanisms as humans. It would be foolish not to attribute somewhat conditions involving the eye. Much research is still needed in identifying similar pain sensations to them, especially for diseases affecting the eye. and treating ocular pain and discomfort in all animals, but particularly A big part of the problem in assessing ocular (eye) pain in ruminants is food-producing ones that instinctively camouflage pain. When treat- that evolution has designed them to disguise their pain response. This ing IBK it is important to remember that this is a painful condition. So is common in prey species because predators target animals in distress. any approach to prevention and therapy needs to address pain manage- Pain symptoms include spasms of the eyelid, tearing and guard- ment as well as the economic losses attributable to this disease. c
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Scan the code or visit the website for more information www.agcanada.com/aggronomytv www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 41 health By Debbie Furber
Vitamin Case Cracked
igh mortality isn’t normally cient in vitamin E, three were marginal and ease — you don’t expect to walk out and associated with vitamin defi- nine were normal. find dead calves every day. Also, we didn’t Hciencies, but for one Alberta The test results weren’t conclusive see the selenium deficiency in conjunction producer, stressful winter weather may because some of the deficient heifers had with vitamin E deficiency that characterizes have been the tipping point. The family live calves and some of the heifers with nor- typical white muscle disease, or a vitamin A lost 22 of the 70 calves born to heifers mal vitamin E levels had lost their calves. deficiency often seen in conjunction with a during the 2013 calving season. “We hypothesized that because the heif- vitamin E deficiency.” Getting the Viking Veterinary Clinic ers were still growing, their vitamin E needs Treatment results show they hit the nail involved from the outset, when unex- would be higher,” Fowler says. on the head because the death toll rapidly plained deaths started happening early in decreased after they started supplementing the calving season, led to corrective mea- vitamins in the ration with injections. sures that prevented further losses. Dr. Lacey Fowler says it was initially Treatment disheartening when heart, lung, liver and The first step was to add a vitamin E/sele- intestine samples taken from dead calves nium supplement into the heifers’ diet. It still left them empty-handed. The colour takes a few days to build up to a steady level, of the heart muscle was paler than normal so the heifers also received a single injection with some noticeable white streaks, but of vitamin E/selenium with vitamin A/D. the findings weren’t consistent with white Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble, muscle disease. No reason could be found but the risk of toxicity is relatively low. for the deaths that kept happening day Selenium is a different matter. A little is after day. crucial, but a little too much can be deadly. Be The only common denominator was careful when feeding supplements that con- that all of the dead calves had been born to tain selenium because it’s quite easy to reach first-calf heifers, while everything appeared a toxic level of selenium before meeting the to be fine among the 200 mature cows. “We hypothesized that vitamin requirements, Fowler cautions. Some calves were stillborn. Others lived All calves on the ground received vita- only two or three hours regardless of whether because the heifers minE/selenium with vitamin A/D injec- they were weak and couldn’t stand or quite were still growing, their tions as did subsequent newborns immedi- alert and able to nurse with assistance. ately after birth. After the fifth death, the carcasses were vitamin E needs would The newborns were also tube-fed a com- taken to Prairie Diagnostic Services at the be higher.” mercial colostrum product to ensure ade- University of Saskatchewan for complete quate intake of colostrum for effective pas- Dr. Lacey Fowler post mortems with requests for full mineral viking Veterinary Clinic sive immunity and essential vitamins. panel screening on the livers and cultures Given that vitamin E is necessary for for neospora and bovine viral diarrhea. The proper immune system function, it was results were negative for both diseases, but highly probable that the calves had com- the mineral tests gave them their first real promised immune systems, therefore all clue — low vitamin E levels. It’s possible that the calves were defi- newborns were treated with an antimicro- Subsequently, blood samples were drawn cient in vitamin E at birth and that alone bial as a preventative measure. from 24 heifers selected at random to test compromised their ability to survive. The The farm was running an excellent vac- for magnesium, manganese, iron, cobalt, mechanism by which this could cause death cination program and the herd appeared to copper, zinc, selenium, molybdenum and isn’t well described in scientific literature. have sufficient amounts of feed and bedding. vitamin E levels. If their dams were deficient in vitamin E, Both the heifer ration and cow ration Fourteen happened to be home-raised then calves able to suck would have received were based on greenfeed bales. The cows heifers; eight were from a group of 40 pur- vitamin E-deficient colostrum. This would received 10 pounds of alfalfa-grass hay as chased in late December, and the origin of further compromise their viability because a supplement and loose trace mineral fed two wasn’t confirmed. Some had calves at colostrum and milk are the main sources of free-choice. The heifers received 10 pounds foot and others had lost their calves. vitamin E for newborn calves. of hammered oats with a 32 per cent protein Fowler says nothing in the results was “Our presumptive diagnosis was hypo- supplement and a trace mineral salt block unexpected or unusual for an Alberta win- vitaminosis E,” Fowler says. “This is unique with selenium. A 2:1 (calcium:phosphorus) ter except, once again, low vitamin E levels because vitamin deficiencies are normally mineral/vitamin mix was fed for the first were suspicious. Twelve heifers were defi- associated with low-level subclinical dis- half of the winter feeding period.
42 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca health
Feed supplies weren’t tested, so it can with their veterinarian to find out if this is Feed testing is a good start, but be aware only be assumed that the heifer ration was recommended in their specific area. of dwindling vitamin levels in hay as the short on vitamin E. Injections of vitamins A, D and E meet winter progresses. A general observation overall was that the requirements for about two weeks, which The best way to ensure adequate vitamin condition seemed to be affecting the home- means that giving injections at preg- and mineral intake is to top-dress grain raised heifers more than the purchased heif- check time in fall isn’t enough to carry or in a total-mixed ration. If feeding free ers. Fowler says this may have been because animals through winter. In fact, cattle choice, know what the intake per head per the home-raised heifers received a vitamin-E coming off pasture could already have day should be and monitor the number of deficient diet for a longer span of time than depleted stores of fat-soluble vitamins if bags, blocks or tubs the herd is consuming. the purchased heifers, which probably had a they have been grazing mature forages. Herd investigations are a collaborative more balanced diet before arrival. Pregnant and growing heifers would effort between producers, veterinarians deplete vitamin stores more rapidly than and nutritionists, often involving experts Take-home messages mature cattle because of their higher at veterinary schools, she says. Having good Giving all newborn calves an injection of requirements. management records, including feed labels selenium/vitamin E with vitamins A/D Vitamins A, D and E are plentiful in and freezing liver samples from suspicious shortly after birth is a common practice, green forage, but don’t overwinter well in deaths, can help get to the bottom of a dis- Fowler says, advising producers to consult stored forages, Fowler says. ease outbreak. c
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www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 43 BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF
RESPECT REQUIRED FOR FEED INGREDIENTS Why the Standard Operating Procedure in VBP is important One problem with one cattle operation. That’s all it could take for a feed ingredient error to become an industry issue. Not surprisingly, given their signifi - cance in the production chain, feedlots have been leaders in information develop- ment and managing feed issues. As cattle move from ranches and farms into feed- lots, the industry is tested on its ability to manage feed ingredients properly. Feed- lots are front and centre. One of the most important Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with the Verifi ed Beef Production (VBP) Program is “Feed and water: Medicated and non-rumi- nant feed.” It covers standards for receiving VBP supports existing feed management protocols in Canada’s cattle-feeding sector. and storing medications, mixing in feed or water and ways to avoid cross-contamina- Complementing packer affi davits. VBP understanding of the effect these standards tion. It also includes information on what to standards fi t hand-in-glove with the food have downstream in the marketplace. do if something goes wrong. industry chain requirements. For example, When something goes wrong. Out- The SOP for feed ingredient manage- complementing affi davits required by pack- comes outlined by VBP are an important ment in the VBP Program backs the feedlot ers. VBP provides supporting evidence that support for individual producers and their industry in a number of key ways. label requirements or veterinary prescrip- industry if something does go wrong. Support for individual programs. tions are followed. Canada’s feedlot industry is among the Training employees. Some feedlots use GET MARKET-READY most developed and sophisticated in the VBP as a basis to train new employees. Beef producers know each issue that affects world. Many have record-keeping and staff This training is particularly important in customer confi dence is a lesson from the mar- training programs specifi c to their opera- feedlots during the busy fall run when new ketplace. The secret is simple: Be prepared. tion. VBP provides an important industry employees join the team, or people are tack- Those that feed medicated ingredients backup support for individual programs. ling new positions. can check the VBP website www.verifi ed- Averting regulatory overload. One of Cross-reference check. The standards in beef.org under the Producer Manual for the simple principles the beef industry has VBP are a simple double check to confi rm SOP 2, to ensure they are current in their operated by is to be proactive in meeting correct procedures have been followed, and knowledge of feed ingredient management. customer needs. Operating at a high level early detection for possible errors. Better yet, they can participate in VBP and voluntarily helps prevent regulatory pro- Furthering understanding. The SOP become registered under the program. That grams being forced on the production level for medicated feed and water ingredients means third-party proof they are doing the of the cattle industry. helps all those involved to have a common right things before someone comes asking.
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Value branded
ittle did Teressa Bellissimo know that the ball brand. Recently, Imperial Tobacco paid US$7.1 bil- night she poured hot sauce over leftover lion for buyouts to get to the recognizable cigarette brand L chicken wings in Buffalo New York, and of Winston. served them with celery and blue cheese, that she had Apple generates the highest sales per retail foot in created a marketing sensation. The snack prepared North America. Easy to recognize and use, Apple fans for a bunch of hungry boys in 1964 became the cor- stay for the long haul, not only for the technology but nerstone of the bar that still sells them today. Those for the ease of upgrading. Making it easy to remember wings that once went as scraps into the soup pot are the brand, easy to buy and easy to use make for a better now eaten by 81 per cent of adult Americans generat- consumer experience. ing US$32.8 million annually. In the experience economy, even when you don’t have The “Buffalo” flavour of the wing is what is branded a widget to sell, you must still sell the experience. The in this example. And although several recipes exist, the memory by association then kicks in. If you see the name common thread is the taste of the Buffalo wing. Jaguar you think of a sleek finish and wealth, while ads I was in Eastern Canada this summer visiting packers on German cars create images of solid engineering and and processors of meats and vegetables. On the poultry- driving at top speed on the autobahn (which is fun by the processing floor, there were two things happening — the way). Jaguar reminds potential clients of the long asso- flavour tumbling of chicken wings (Buffalo wings) and the ciation of wealth related to the car when it refers to its packaging of chicken breasts for Costco which were to be “recognizable DNA.” Who is going to argue the euphoric sold under their private label brand. The protocols for the state driving this car may create? raising and processing of the birds were in place and that Consumers buy the brand. Which tractor are you demanded a separate line for the chicken breasts going to using? Why? What jeans are you wearing? Why? What the mammoth wholesaler. In this case the producer/pro- kind of car do you buy? Why? The answers lie in your cessor was branding the supply to the wholesale chain. recognition of the brand and your loyalty to it. It may not We often think that this is not branding but it is. Assur- be that the Wranglers you wear are better than another ances behind the product and private standards are part brand but your loyalty to these jeans is driven by your of the brand. From conception through to cellophane, the experience and a good memory or two while in them. product is strictly regulated. Costco itself does not raise or Now — what beef are you eating? Why? Is there a point butcher chickens but it creates standards that gives it the of differentiation on the shelf that is so strong that you confidence to brand the meat under its name. In Alberta are driven to that product every time? And more impor- and Ontario, Cargill Value Added Meats is the branded tantly, is the product always what you expect? supply source of beef patties to McDonald’s that sells When our combine breaks down we have a certain the Big Mac and other identifiable beef burgers. Did you degree of tolerance because it is the brand we chose and notice how many names you recognized in the last sen- there is a service man behind it. When we buy a tough tence? That is the power of branding. steak — whom do we turn to? Who is the holder of the In traditional branding we think of the big guns Nike brand and the one responsible for both the differentiation or Coca-Cola. But Nike and Coca-Cola are trademarks of product and the consistency in it? This leads to a ques- that have risen to brand status and consumer recogni- tion — are we going to be forever satisfied being a branded tion. You are on your way to being a star athlete if you run supplier of beef in Canada if there is opportunity to create in a Nike and the world is a better place when drinking a brand that goes beyond the back of the shelf? Coca-Cola. The fact that pop is sugared water does not Every business model should have complete customer enter the consumer psych and the Nike brand overshad- satisfaction at its core. Without this central fundamental ows the fact that the shoes are made primarily in China belief, our lives in any line of production and process- and Vietnam in non-unionized shops. So profound is ing are short and without cause. That is why we need consumer loyalty because of brand recognition that to support branded initiatives for what they are — an all other aspects of the brand are ignored or forgotten. opportunity to differentiate, align by recognition, cre- Nike does not own any production plants but to put that ate consistency through private standards, develop loy- brand on the shelf, every company must follow the stan- alty and increase sales. Would you like a beer with those dards for production. wings? What brand? c Some folks, I expect those outside of a brand, debate the value of branding food and consumer goods. But Brenda Schoepp is a motivating speaker and mentor who companies aggressively buy out other companies for works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and around their brands every day. In Canada, Quebec co-operative the world. She can be contacted through her website www. Exceldor bought out the P&H turkey side for the Butter- brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014
46 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca I go to AgDealer.com because it has the ag equipment selection I’m looking for!
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Working for the industry October 23 t’s just over 10 years ago that Can- and the border was to open immediately. Pre-sort Gelbvieh ada then the U.S. discovered their Later that evening we had taken all the Cross Calf Sale Ifirst homegrown BSE cases. The Five Nations’ cattle producer leaders to Heartland Livestock North American industry has largely the grandstand show at the Calgary Stam- Swift Current, SK put BSE behind it. But the huge cost pede when the grandstand announcer to the industry is a reminder how eco- came on and told the crowd of several nomically devastating an animal dis- thousand people that the border was to ease can be. Then there’s the emotional open that night. A huge cheer went up October 27 cost of producers being forced out of from the crowd that was amazing and Gelbvieh Infl uence business and the resulting impact of very satisfying. Feeder Sale declining cattle numbers on the struc- “Another was being invited to accom- ture of the industry. pany the prime minister to Brussels, VJV Auction, Stavely, AB BSE’s biggest cost, particularly for Belgium to sign the Canada-Europe the U.S., was the bans on cattle and agreement in principle for a Compre- beef exports. Then there was the cost of hensive Economic and Trade Agreement October 29 reduced cattle prices and increased costs (CETA) that provides for creation of a Pre-Sort Gelbvieh for processors because of new regulations very significant quantity of duty-free regarding the removal and disposal of beef access to Europe. CCA, primarily Cross Calf Sale specified risk materials. The full costs of Dennis Laycraft and myself, put in many Medicine Hat Feeding Co. BSE might never be known. But to date, trips to accompany negotiators to Europe Medicine Hat, AB BSE has cost the Canadian industry C$5 throughout the four years of negotia- billion to $7 billion and the U.S. industry tions. I know that if we hadn’t done that, more than US$16 billion. Costs remain, an agreement likely would have been November 27 because neither country has regained full reached much earlier but it wouldn’t have access for cattle and beef to every market been an agreement that Canadian cattle Agribition it had in early 2003. producers could have supported. Because Gelbvieh Sale BSE and other big issues spotlight how we worked so hard to get the right out- Regina, SK important it is for the industry to have come, the prime minister personally strong leaders and skilled people behind insisted that the deal include acceptable the scenes. Top of the latter group in access for Canadian beef. Canada must surely be John Masswohl, “The most satisfying moments tend to December 6 the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s come from areas where we work the hard- Wish List lobbyist in Ottawa. Canadian Business est and everyone else thinks it’s hopeless Gelbvieh Sale recently named Masswohl as No. 40 in its and questions why we put in the effort. Red Deer, AB list of Canada’s 50 most powerful busi- The reason we do it is because we know ness people in 2014, calling him low pro- that it will be worth it in the end and since file but effective. few others believe, no one else is going to Masswohl has been involved with do the work if we do not. The issue I’ve December 13 the CCA since late 2004. So I thought it worked on the longest is COOL. Even Prairie Gelbvieh was timely to ask him what he thought though we are not across the goal line on Alliance Sale were some of the association’s biggest that yet, we are going to get there. That will moments over the past decade. Here’s be a sweet moment indeed.” Moose Jaw, SK what he told me. The Canadian industry is fortunate to “There was that Friday evening in July have people like Masswohl, Laycraft and of 2005 while we were hosting the Five others working on its behalf. c CANADIAN Nations Beef Alliance meeting in Alberta. We had gotten the word in the afternoon A North American view of the meat industry. GELBVIEH that the Appeals Court in Seattle had Steve Kay is publisher and editor of Cattle overturned Judge Cebull’s injunction Buyers Weekly. ASSOCIATION 403.250.8640 [email protected] www.gelbvieh.ca
48 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Davidson Gelbvieh & O'Faelan Farms Inc. Foursquare Gelbvieh Lonesome Dove Ranch Ron Whalen Roger & Kim Sayer Vernon & Eileen Davidson 902-651-2006 403-875-8418 306-625-3755 Vernon River, PEI Carstairs, AB [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.davidsongelbvieh.com www.ofaelanfarms.ca Ross & Tara Davidson & Family Twin Bridge Farms Ltd. 306-625-3513 Ron, Carol, Ross, Gail, Owen [email protected] Stone Gate Farm & & Aaron Birch www.davidsonlonesomedoveranch.com V&V Farms Ltd. Ron & Carol 403-792-2123 Darrell & Leila Hickman Aaron 403-485-5518 Gelbvieh Stock Exchange Sale Group 780-581-0077 Lomond, AB Vermilion, AB [email protected] Don Okell - 403-793-4549 [email protected] www.tbfarms.ca [email protected] Vern & Vivienne Pancoast www.jentygelbviehs.com 403-548-6678 Gary or Nolan Pahl - 403-977-2057 Redcliff, AB Maple Grove Gelbvieh [email protected] [email protected] Lee & Neal Wirgau www.towerviewranch.com 204-278-3255 Narcisse, MB Keriness Cattle Company Ltd. [email protected] Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance Sale Group Kert Ness - 403-860-4634 Kirk Hurlburt - 306-222-8210 [email protected] [email protected] Joe Ness - 403-852-7332 Gelbvieh Association of Chad Nicholas Airdrie, AB Alberta/BC 306-436-7300 [email protected] c/o Merv Tuplin - 780-450-1280 [email protected] Edmonton, AB Ian Thackeray [email protected] 306-861-7687 Carroll Creek Cattle Company [email protected] Jason Hurst 519-881-7929 Fir River Livestock Eastern Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc. Durham, ON Dave Hrebeniuk - 306-865-6603 c/o Laurie Hurst [email protected] Darcy, Renee, Colt & Durham, ON Kenzie Hrebeniuk - 306-865-7859 519-369-1763 Hudson Bay, SK [email protected] Man-Sask Gelbvieh Assoc. [email protected] www.go-gelbvieh.com c/o Lee Wirgau - 204-278-3255 www.gelbviehworld.com Narcisse, MB [email protected]
CANADIAN GELBVIEH 5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6V1 Ph: 403.250.8640 • Fax: 403.291.5624 ASSOCIATION Email: [email protected] • www.gelbvieh.ca CCA reports By Dave Solverson
Trade and labour issues
hat a hectic few weeks it has been, with Social Development Jason Kenney to a reception before Dave Solverson harvest on the go at home, lobbying the opening of Parliament and was able to continue our is president activities to lead and significant progress ongoing discussion about labour issues on farms and in of the Canadian W Cattlemen’s being made on trade files with huge potential for processing plants. Ultimately, we need to ensure Cana- Canada’s beef cattle industry. These new opportuni- da’s beef industry has access to a ready supply of workers Association ties come at a time when most producers are think- to be able to grow our output in response to the oppor- ing about next year’s business plan. Much like the tunities provided with new and regained market access. opportune arrival of the late blast of summer on the Labour was among the key industry issues discussed at Prairies that turned snow-flattened crops around in the CCA’s fall picnic on Parliament Hill on September 23. time for harvest, the trade achievements could mean This is a high-profile event for the CCA and it is always the difference between staying the course or setting well attended by members of Parliament, senators, min- off in a new direction. isters and their staff and other key influencers. In addi- The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) was on tion to the event, the CCA has meetings with MPs from hand on September 22 when Prime Minister Stephen all political parties from across the country who sit on Harper and Korean President Park Geun-hye signed various committees. the final text of the Canada-Korea free trade agreement International Trade Minister Fast was the keynote (CKFTA) in Ottawa. speaker at the fall picnic and in his remarks announced This landmark achievement is the direct result of the that he had introduced legislation to implement the diligence of Prime Minister Harper, Agriculture and CKFTA. Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau Agri-Food Canada Minister Gerry Ritz and Interna- also attended and we had good discussion about CCA’s tional Trade Minister Ed Fast. The CCA thanks them for top priorities. A lot of MPs and senators posted pictures their efforts and encourages swift passage of the CKFTA of themselves to Twitter from the event, enjoying the through the Canadian Parliament and the Korean Leg- high-quality beef served at the CCA fall picnic, which islature. proved popular with followers of @Cdncattlemen. The deal provides Canada’s beef producers with the In addition to the labour concerns, we also discussed ability to get every piece of the animal to the market that our desire to see the CKFTA and the Canada-European will pay the most for it, and that’s what maximizes prices Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement at the farm gate. A big plus in this regard is that Canada (CETA) become implemented. will also be getting an aggressive phase-out on offals that The need to continue to challenge the unfair U.S. get more value in Korea than they do in North America. mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) regula- Under the terms of the agreement, the 40 per cent tion was also discussed and I shared our appreciation of Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef will be fully elimi- the Government of Canada’s efforts to date. The govern- nated in 15 equal annual steps and the 18 per cent tariff ment’s articulation of its intent to impose tariffs on U.S. on offals will be fully eliminated in 11 equal annual steps. exports has been very helpful in building support for a The tariff has been the main impediment to access- COOL resolution in Washington, D.C. and we encour- ing the Korean market since Korea lifted its BSE prohi- aged that pressure to increase. bition on Canada in early 2012. For the past few years, Prior to the fall picnic, I was in Washington with CCA Canada’s key beef competitor, the U.S. has enjoyed an vice-president Dan Darling and executive vice-president increasing tariff advantage flowing from its free trade Dennis Laycraft where we held meetings and discussed agreement with South Korea. The formal signing of the issues including COOL in advance of the World Trade text brings us an important step closer to restoring a Organization compliance panel ruling on COOL, which competitive position for Canadian beef in the Korean is expected to be made public this month. market. In late September the Canadian Roundtable for Sus- The weeks leading up to the CKFTA were filled with tainable Beef (CRSB) held its first annual meeting in lobbying. I met with Minister Ritz along with our packer Kelowna. Discussions focused on the sustainability partners, on September 15 to discuss the ongoing chal- initiatives that the CRSB is working on and shed some lenges of labour shortages in beef-processing operations. light on the work that the CRSB is engaged in to help set Minister Ritz commented that it helps him advocate for future goals for the organization. the beef industry amongst his colleagues when there is There is never any shortage of industry issues to dis- good collaboration between sectors of the beef industry. cuss and I’m looking forward to engaging with producers Collaboration is central to the Five Year National Beef on these and other topics at the upcoming fall meetings Strategic Plan being developed by industry groups. in Alberta and Saskatchewan and at the next CCA town I was invited by Canada’s Minister of Employment and hall in Dauphin, Man. on October 28. c
50 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Needs Your CalviNg tips & tales
Friends and neighbours, we are once again looking for your best calving tips and tales for Cattlemen’s January 2015 Calving Special. We’re looking for good ideas, practical advice, or humorous tales and photos to share with fellow readers. A reward will be sent for Tips & Tales printed in this special.
Send your calving tips to Calving Tips & Tales (and your address) to Canadian Cattlemen YOUR 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 REWARD A limited edition Email: [email protected] Fax: 1-866-399-5710 Canadian Cattlemen cap ENTER BEFORE NOV. 29, 2014 THE INDUSTRY NewsRoundup n to PHOTO: bill new PHOTO: bill
Forage tion when grown in a pure stand for hay or graze a high-quality, highly productive forage Mountainview, a sainfoin with staying power once-over fall grazing, but weren’t suitable stand. Early research in this intensive grazing By Peg Strankman for multi-cut hay or grazing systems. Forage system is showing promise.” growers found that although sainfoin was At least 15 per cent sainfoin on a dry mat- Mountainview, a new sainfoin cultivar, palatable, it just did not persist more than ter basis in the sward seems to be enough to developed by Dr. Surya Acharya through one or two growing seasons in mixed stands ensure no bloat occurs. the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and so was not worth the high cost of seed.” Foothills Forage and Grazing Associa- (AAFC) research station in Lethbridge “AC Mountainview is a different kind of tion (FFGA) arranged a tour of some of appears to have met the challenge of persis- sainfoin and unique in North America,” says the test fields in southern Alberta in August. tence for this palatable forage. In field test- Hunt. “This new variety was selected from First stop was at the AAFC research station ing it has shown it can survive and prevent populations being grown with alfalfa under in Lethbridge to get the latest information bloat in mixed stands with alfalfa. a multi-cut system. The resulting variety has on the field trials from forage researchers, “Up to this point sainfoin had been excellent regrowth and the potential to persist Drs. Alan Iwaasa and Eddie Sottie. selected for biomass production and winter in stands of alfalfa. The idea is that the tannins Trials at the AAFC Lethbridge and Semi- hardiness,” explains Alberta forage specialist in the sainfoin, when seeded in the right pro- arid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre Linda Hunt. “This resulted in the develop- portion with the alfalfa, will buffer the bloat (SPARC) at Swift Current indicate Moun- ment of varieties that had excellent produc- risk of the alfalfa and allow producers to safely tainview has good stand survival under
52 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca NEWS ROUNDUP continuous grazing with low stocking rates. seed collection back a year. Although a cou- for 2016. Producers should contact their However, SPARC forage researcher Alan ple of seed companies do include sainfoin local forage associations for the results of Iwaasa says the survival rate was not as good in some seed mixes these are likely a U.S. how well sainfoin performed in the local in rotational grazing trials with high stock- variety and may not persist under Cana- trials and to check on seed availability for ing rates. dian conditions. next year. Based on these results Iwaasa suggests It is expected there will be some seed for Dr. Bill Newton who ranches at the the Mountainview cultivar may have limi- the new Mountainview cultivar available in tations in the dryland brown soil zone. 2015 with a more abundant supply ready Continued on page 54 It seems that to maintain a sainfoin stand under an intensive grazing system in the brown soil zone management needs to include delayed grazing or harvesting after seed pod formation Sottie, a forage researcher at AAFC- SPARC, says the Mountainview sainfoin Feed & Water consistently showed higher mean total yearly dry matter yield over older varieties Testing like Nova in pure and mixed stands in the plots maintained at Lethbridge and Saska- Ph: 204-237-9128 toon. “We also found average daily gain in alfalfa-sainfoin mixed pastures were similar Fax:855-754-1046 to gains in pure alfalfa pastures,” he says. For producers who would like to try the www.ctl.mb.ca new sainfoin in their grazing rotation there are still challenges. Seed supply for Moun- tainview is not yet available. A hailstorm last year at the Lethbridge research station set
www.canadiancattlemen.ca CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 53 GREENER PASTURES RANCHING LTD. Presents: Continued from page 53 *Year-Round Grazing Systems* A Business News south end of the Porcupine Hills west of Management School Fort Macleod has plenty of experience Topics include: Roundup with sainfoin. During the FFGA tour • Human Resources Newton showed two sainfoin pastures, • Economics and Finance STAMPEDE By Jerry Palen one seeded 11 years ago and a second • Pasture Calculations • Grazing Management that was seeded prior to 1979. The key • Pasture Rejuvenation to sainfoin persistence in his experience • Weed Control is making sure the plants set seed at least • Cell Designs/Water Systems • Swath Grazing/Bale Grazing every two to three years. “You have to be prepared to manage it,” he says. “As the Location: Westlock, AB pastures mature I probably have lost When: Nov. 10th, 11th & 12th, 2014 some production but given the ecosys- Or ask us about setting up a school in your area. Funding through the Growing Forward 2 program tem services like carbon retention and water infiltration I get back it’s more than Can you Graze 365 days a year? We provide a 3-day course that will take you right into the design and planning of a worth it for me. I try not to come back in year-round grazing system. The course tuition is $750/Farm less than 60 days. It’s so palatable the cows Unit, which allows two members from your farm business to attend. This course is well worth the investment. will graze the same plant repeatedly and Check out our website for details that weakens it.” about funding available! Gary Brown, the second grazier on the sainfoin tour says he likes the sainfoin for To register please contact: grazing but not for hay. He seeded his field Steve Kenyon to sainfoin and brome grass in 1997 seeding Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd. into barley stubble in poorer soil just south- “I’ll bet this has something to do with east of the Pine Coulee reservoir. Brown (780) 307-6500 you forgetting your anniversary.” www.greenerpasturesranching.com grazes the sainfoin mix later in May, then [email protected]
Answer our survey — and have a go at winning one of our caps We have a goal to be the best beef cattle magazine in don’t like. There’s also some space for you to tell us the business. But we need your help. If you could what you would like to see in future issues. just fill in this survey and return it to me, you would ClIp And enClose your mAIlIng lABel. be helping us set the future editorial direction for each month, we will draw one name from all the Canadian Cattlemen. All you have to do is tell me surveys sent in and send that person a Cattlemen what you like about the magazine, and what you cap. It could be you!
We’d appreciate it if you could tell us a What do you think of: On a scale of 1 to 5, how do Regular Columns 5 4 3 2 1 little about yourself. It makes it easier for you and your family like these features? News Roundup us to keep your main interests in focus 5 – I always watch for it; let’s see more of it Purely Purebred The Markets I’m ranching or farming 4 – I regularly read it and like it 3 – I usually read it Market Talk Enterprise # of head 2 – There are things I’d rather read Total beef cattle 1 – I don’t want it; get rid of it Sales and Events Yearlings on feed/pasture Regular Columns 5 4 3 2 1 Nutrition Registered cows Comment Research Fed cattle (sold yearly) Newsmakers Special features 5 4 3 2 1 Commercial cows Letters Calving Issue (Jan.) Horses CCA Reports Custom Feedlot Guide (Sep.) Calves on feed/pasture Prime Cuts Stock Buyers’ Guide (Aug.) Other livestock Straight From The Hip Animal Health Special (Sep.) I no longer take an active part in farming Holistic Ranching Beef Watch (May & Nov.) If not an owner/operator of a farm, are you: What would you like to see? ______ In agribusiness (bank, elevator, ag supplies, etc.) ______ Other (please specify) ______How much time do you and your family spend reading My approximate age is: 1666 Dublin Avenue Canadian Cattlemen? Under 2 hours Over 2 hours a) Under 35 b) 36 to 44 c) 45 to 54 Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 d) 55 to 64 e) 65 or over
54 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca NEWS ROUNDUP letting it regrow and set seed. He usually puts cattle back in for a while after it has gone to seed. Past experience from producers and forage researchers in establishing sainfoin in Alberta suggests it does well in well- drained, dry sites in soils that have neutral to alkaline pH. It does not like wet roots. Heavy trash cover should be avoided. It’s rec- ommended the seed be placed within one to two centimetres of the soil surface. Sainfoin has a large seed. There is just one seed in each seed pod so the seed is sold with the hull intact. It’s recommended it be seeded in the pod at a rate of 36-42 pure live seed/metre (nine to 13 seeds per foot of row). This is equivalent to six to 35 pounds per acre, depending upon how far apart the rows are spaced. Row DeStress is a nutritional therapy width should not be more than 12 inches to keep appropriate sain- product developed to deliver animal foin density in a mixed pasture stand. It is not recommended for welfare and productivity benefi ts. seeding with a cover crop. Reduce the seeding rate by one-third in mixtures with grasses. • Manages stress & shrink Because the sainfoin seed is so much larger than alfalfa mixed when weaning, handling stands of the two, legumes have to be seeded in alternate rows in and transporting cattle two passes or using two planter boxes with alternate runs blocked. • Lower shrink by 2% Sainfoin seed should be inoculated, however, no inoculant is (e.g.: That’s 12lbs more on currently registered for use in Canada. The fact that sainfoin-spe- a 600lb calf, @ $2.50/lb is an extra $30 per head!) cific inoculant has a relatively short shelf life has been a barrier to Manufactured by: obtaining CFIA registration. The Canadian Forage and Grassland • Reducing stress will Association is working to find a solution. improve animal health
Continued on page 56 Call 1-800-729-9155 Or 780-352-9155
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November 22 • VJV Cow Sale TUBS NOW AVAILABLE IN 3 SIZES November 29 • VJV Cow Sale “The Horse Supplement of Choice” December 6 • VJV Cow Sale PROTEIN & MINERAL BLOCKS FOR HORSES December 13 • VJV Cow Sale For more information or for a dealer Regular Sale Every Wednesday near you call: 1-800-340-2311 Dairy Sales 3rd Tuesday of the month PROUDLY CANADIAN www.canadianagriblend.com www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 55 His advice is to consider boosting vita- no need for a second feed test when hay is min E by ordering custom mineral mixes stored under a tarp or shed. News or purchasing vitamin E separately and Retesting two-year-old bales is strongly adding it to your commercial mix. Vita- recommended, he adds. Carry-over hay can Roundup min E is available from feed mills and some be one to three per cent lower in protein, farm supply centres in 25-kilogram (kg) five to eight per cent lower in total digest- Continued from page 55 bags containing 50,000 international units ible nutrient and five to 10 per cent lower in (IU) per kg for roughly $125 per bag. It digestibility than current-year hay. nutrition might seem pricey, he says, but the results CowBytes is available for $50 from Vitamin E levels drop in stored feeds of increasing vitamin E levels to support Alberta Agriculture by calling 780-427- immune function and reproduction will be 0391, or search for “cowbytes” to see the Fresh, green forages supply adequate lev- worth it. program demo and order online. Yaremcio els of vitamins to meet the needs of beef The latest version of CowBytes (a ration can be reached at 403-742-7926. Also see cattle, but that’s not so once it’s cut, says balancing calculator with supporting John McKinnon’s nutrition column and Alberta Agriculture beef and forage spe- information on feed requirements for beef Ron Clarke’s vet advice column in Cana- cialist Barry Yaremcio. Within days of cut- cattle), includes higher vitamin E levels dian Cattlemen’s February 2014, issue for ting, the precursors for vitamins in hay than the 2000 National Research Council more on vitamin supplementation. start to oxidize. How fast this happens guideline of a minimum 15 IU per kg of depends on moisture content of the bales dry matter intake. Dry matter intake can trade and weather conditions. be anywhere from one to three per cent Free trade creeps closer Precursors are substances in feed that of the animal’s body weight depending the animal converts to active forms of on hay quality and many other variables, Canada’s free trade files with South Korea vitamins. The precursor for vitamin A, for whereas the CowBytes calculation is based and the European Union (EU) took some example, is beta carotene. The sun’s ultra- on IU per head per day. giant steps forward last month. violet rays convert the vitamin D precur- Research since 2000 has recommended First Prime Minister Stephen Harper and sor to active vitamin D. 500 IU of vitamin E per head per day for South Korean President Park Geun-hye Supplementing with the actual vitamins lactating cows and heifers and 300 IU formally signed off on the final text of the is recommended when feeding forage that per head per day for all other classes of Canada-Korea free trade agreement, three has been baled for more than 90 days, cattle. Cattle under stress, including newly months after it was tabled in the House of Yaremcio says. Ensiling destroys vitamin weaned calves and those arriving at feed- Commons, and agreed to put the agree- precursors, so vitamins have to be added lots, should receive 400 to 1,000 IU per ment into force “as quickly as possible.” to silage-based rations. head per day for one to two weeks. Before that can happen the enabling leg- Vitamin injections won’t sustain ade- The increase to 300 IU for calves isn’t islation and regulations must be approved quate vitamin levels through the win- reflected in the CowBytes program. This by the Canadian Parliament and the Korean ter and it’s important to check the label can be updated by clicking on the modi- National Assembly. on injectables to find out if vitamin E fications tab, changing the 100 value for The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is included at an effective level. Gener- vitamin E to 250, and then saving the (CCA) noted the final text calls for a 40 per ally, vitamin A-D injectables contain only change for future use. cent Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef to small amounts of vitamin E as a preserva- You have to remember, he says, that be “fully eliminated in 15 equal annual steps” tive. A nutrient must supply at least 10 per weathering reduces overall hay quality. while an 18 per cent tariff on offals will end cent of the daily requirement to be listed Even if minerals and vitamins test ade- in 11 such steps — a faster pace than the rate on a label as an active ingredient. quate, animals won’t get the full value if of reduction for offals from the U.S. The best way to supplement vitamins is poor quality reduces daily feed intake. Tariffs of two to eight per cent on beef to feed them. Unfortunately, most com- If the feed was borderline for quality fats and tallow are to be eliminated imme- mercial mineral-vitamin products are not when tested in September and stacked diately on implementation. meeting vitamin E requirements, accord- outdoors, then it should be retested four Korea reopened to Canadian beef in 2012 ing to Yaremcio. weeks before the start of calving. There’s — the same year Seoul’s free trade deal with feedlot DIRECTORY
“Custom Feeding With Personal Care” John Schooten & Sons Calhoun Cattle Co. ltd. KLASSEN AGRIVENTURES LTD. Custom Feedyard Ltd. * 4,000 head capacity P.O. Box 148, Diamond City, AB T0K 0T0 * Finishing/Backgrounding Phone: 403-381-3883 • Fax: 403-381-8809 * Proudly producing Alberta beef since 1980 Box 488, Linden, AB T0M 1J0 Email: [email protected] Rod or Carol Calhoun 303007 Rge. Rd. 250 * Calves — Background — Finish * Share Pens * Feedlot Solutions — Bunk Management — Medical Program (403) 546-2655 Cell (403) 333-5440 * Age Verification Technology Jason Calhoun Myron Klassen Tel: 403-312-3577 * Professional Nutritionalist on Staff (403) 546-2766 Cell (403) 333-5438 [email protected] * Lot Capacity is 20,000 Head Fax (403) 546-3831 “CUSTOM CATTLE FEEDING” Justin: 403-315-5679 Shane: 634-1535 Cody: 634-4116 Box 72, Swalwell, AB T0M 1Y0 www.schootenandsons.com
56 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca NEWS ROUNDUP
the U.S. came into force. As a result, the U.S. Herman Van Rompuy and European Com- For Canada’s beef sector, CETA will has enjoyed an increasing tariff advantage mission president Jose Manuel Barroso eventually offer duty-free access for 64,950 flowing from its free trade agreement with released the negotiated text of the Canada- tonnes per year. Of this, 50,000 tonnes — South Korea. EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade 35,000 tonnes of fresh/chilled beef and In 2002, Korea was a $40-million market Agreement (CETA)in Ottawa. 15,000 tonnes of frozen beef — would be for Canadian beef and our fourth-largest When this deal comes into force, which reserved for Canada. export destination. In 2013, our export sales may not be until 2017, almost 94 per In a release the Canadian Cattlemen’s to Korea were down to $7.8 million. cent of EU agricultural tariff lines are to Association (CCA) Canada said the 20 The CCA’s director of government and become duty free, including durum wheat per cent duty on the existing 14,950-tonne international relations, John Masswohl, (up to $190 per ton), other wheat (up to “Hilton quota” shared with the U.S. will be noted the deal calls for “an aggressive phase- $122 per ton), and oils such as canola oil reduced immediately to zero, and Canada out on (tariffs for) offals that get more (3.2 to 9.6 per cent), the government said. will also still have access to the existing value in Korea than they do here in North The Canada/EU deal also sets up a mech- shared duty-free quota for high-quality America.” anism under which Canada and the EU will grain-fed beef. Just as the Korean deal started to fade discuss and “attempt to prevent or resolve “Combined with the new access, there is a from the news cycle Prime Minister Harper non-tariff barriers that may arise” on ag along with European Council president exports. Continued on page 58
www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 57 The ratification process can get under- in this agreement, such as high tariffs, way on a Canada/European Union free enables Canadian beef producers to ben- News trade deal now that negotiations are for- efit from the high-valued European beef mally concluded. market. Roundup CCA president Dave Solverson says cat- The CCA has been working on the tlemen would like to see the same unani- CETA from the outset of negotiations in Continued from page 57 mous endorsement from all the provinces 2009, engaging with the Canadian nego- and territories that the agreement-in- tiating team and conducting advocacy potential to reach more than 100,000 tonnes principle received last fall. “The CCA urges with key EU and Member State officials per year of duty-free access for Canadian the federal and provincial governments to and industry representatives. CCA repre- beef,” the CCA said. move quickly to implement the agreement sentatives attended numerous negotiating Live cattle, genetics and most beef offals as soon as possible.” rounds in Brussels and Ottawa and met and processed beef products will benefit from The agreement has been hailed as a regularly with the Canadian negotiators “immediate” unlimited duty-free access, the game changer for Canada’s beef industry, of CETA to ensure they clearly understood association added. as the removal of long-standing barriers the needs of Canada’s beef sector. auction market Directory
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Regular cattle sale every Tuesday 9 am Mankota Please check our Ph: (403) 362-5521 Fax: (403) 362-5541 Website: www.bowslope.com E-mail: [email protected] website for all Lachie McKinnon 362-1825 Erik Christensen 403-362-9942 Stockmen’s Weigh Manager Assistant Manager special sales. Serving Alberta’s Livestock Industry since 1940 Co. Ltd. is in the heart of cattle country in Office - 204-434-6519 • Fax - 204-434-9367 Regular Sales: Every Friday @ 9 a.m. southwestern Saskatchewan Email - [email protected] SPEcial SalES and indeed we are Harold Unrau - 204-871-0250 (cell) - manager Henry Penner - 204-355-7518 Oct. 20, 27 & Nov. 3 @ 10 a.m. “Proud of our cattle, Proud of our Market”. www.grunthallivestockauctionmart.com Red & Black Angus Calf Sales Oct. 22, 29 & Nov. 5 @ 10 a.m. Regular Sales Start @ Noon Meadow Lake Livestock Sales Ltd. LimoX & CharX Calf Sales GPS Location • Regular Cattle Sales - Monday’s 9:30 a.m. N 49.25.19.7 Lat. • Presorted Internet Calf Sales - Thursday’s 11:00 a.m. Nov. 4, 10, 12, 19 & Dec. 1 @ 10 a.m. • Regular Monthly Horse Sales - Friday’s All Breed Calf Sales W 107.03.57.2 Long. • Bred Cow & Heifer Sales scheduled throughout the fall - 1:00 pm Nov. 15, 22, 26, 29 & 178 Railway Ave E or Highway 18 E Order buying services available. Dec. 3, 6,10,13,17 @ Noon For sale information & market info. visit our website Bred Cows & Heifer Sales P.O. Box 248, Mankota, Saskatchewan, S0H 2W0 www.mlstockyards.com Phone: 306-478-2229 • Fax: 306-478-2443 Brent Brooks (306) 240-5340 Blair Brooks (306) 240-9883 Alberta’s Largest Producer Owned Auction Market Email: [email protected] Boyd Stuart (306) 841-7998 office (306) 236-3411 Internet Sales: Every Thursday www.dlms.ca @ 10 am E-mail: [email protected]
58 Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca NEWS ROUNDUP
SEEDSTOCK Lowlines make the cut
North Dakota State University’s Dickinson Research Extension Center has given the Lowline breed a permanent place for now in its beef evaluation program. The deci- sion to establish a fi rst-cross (F1) Lowline herd evolved from an earlier look at the potential of Lowline bulls as easy-calving sires to produce crossbred feeder cattle with performance and carcass quality suit- able for today’s mainstream beef industry. From 2004 though 2007, the average birth weight of the 126 Lowline-sired calves from the conventional herd of Red and Black Angus females ranged from 64 to 75 pounds. In the feedyard, average daily gain each year ranged from 2.73 to 3.81 pounds, with 68 to 100 per cent of carcasses grading Choice or higher and 75 to 87 per cent being yield grade three and lower. Satisfi ed that Lowline-infl uence steers will meet the needs of today’s beef industry,
Continued on page 60
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“Constantly Creating Confidence” PICTURE BUTTE Regular Cattle Sales Tuesdays @ 9 am Auction Market VIKING AUCTION MARKET LTD. Special Sales Pre Sort Calves Box 6, Picture Butte, Every Friday Every Friday AB T0K 1V0 Sept to Dec @10 am Dec to April @ 10 am Your Total Auction Connection CLIFF GRINDE Preconditioned Calves Bred cows and Herd Reg. Feeder & Slaughter Cattle Sales–Tues. 10:30 a.m. OWNER/MANAGER Every Tuesday Dispersals Reg. Mixed Cattle, Hog, Sheep Sales – Sat. 11 a.m. 780-336-2209 CELL: 780-336-6333 Oct to Dec @ 1 pm Special Calf Sales in the Fall Phone: 403-556-3655 Toll Free: 1-877-556-3655 Phone 403-732-4400 Fax 403-732-4405 CORNER OF HIGHWAY 26 & 36 SALES TAKE PLACE EVERY PLACE Owner/Auctioneer:Owner/Auctioneer: Erik Dunsbergen Erik Dunsbergen• Office: Jenn Schultz Olds Auction Mart TUESDAY & THURSDAY http://www.oldsauction.com www.picturebutteauction.caOffice: Jenn Koot
OntariO LivestOck exchange inc. P.O. BOx 443 WaterlOO, OntariO n2J 4a9 Phone: (519) 884-2082 Or 1-800-265-8818 Website: www.olex.on.ca e-mail: [email protected] FEEDER/SLAUGHTER SALES SHEEP & GOAT SALE Every Friday 9AM First & Third Wed. of CONTACT David Ropp (519) 749-5072 Regular cattle Sales Receiving open until every month. Receiving Allen Colwell (519) 501-0147 Highwood - Mondays at 9:00am | Fort Macleod - Tuesdays at 9:00am 11PM Thursdays open until 9PM Tuesday LIVE Wednesday - 1:00 PM - Vaccinated Feeder Cattle www.livestock.ab.ca Gates Open Mon.-Wed. 8AM-4PM Thurs. 8AM-11PM SALES Thursday - 11:00 AM - Regular Stocker Sale • Highwood • • Fort Macleod • Friday 8AM-6PM Sat. 8AM-4PM SPECIAL Daily internet presort sales & direct from ranch sales. For more info call: 204-694-8328, Jim Christie 204-771-0753, Contributing markets: Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Livestock Auction Livestock Auction
SALES Provost, Lloydminster, Vermilion, Yorkton, Maple Creek, High River, Alberta Fort Macleod, Alberta Scott Anderson 204-782-6222, Mike Nernberg 204-807-0747 MARKET Meadow Lake, Mankota, Assiniboia, Weyburn 1-888-652-7743 1-888-553-7715 www.winnipeglivestocksales.com Licence #1122 www.canadiancattlemen.ca CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 59 an initial evaluation of the heifers’ perfor- mance, so the question expanded to how News to make the most of Lowline genetics in a commercial cow herd. www.plainjans.com Roundup A comparison of the 2010 F1 Lowline More on the web those plainjans.com Continued from page 59 replacement heifers to replacement heifers “famous” from the conventional herd (in brackets) n s Roper 620-872-5777 the program discontinued use of Lowline was: weaning weight 487 (574) pounds, lain ja bulls but retained the F1 Lowline heifers. hip height 41.1 (43.3) inches, frame score gloves s m: lainjan The researchers liked what they saw in 3.75 (5.26), rib-eye area 5.31 (5.94) square p 800-235-6140 fro p inches; rib-eye per hundredweight 0.92 (0.82), fat depth 0.08 (0.25) inches, spring weight 552 (664) pounds. WELSH BLACK In 2011, they followed cow size and calf weight through to weaning with the fol- lowing results for F1 Lowlines and con- those THE BROOD ventional females (in brackets): calf birth “famous” more on the web Forage Additive weight 68 (91) pounds, cow weight 999 COW Roper For alfalfa silage, corn (1,358) pounds, weaning weight 537 (585) plainjans.com silage and baled hay ADVANTAGE pounds, cow weight at weaning 1,035 gloves Dry granular or ready-to-use liquid Check out why at: can 800-235-6140 Value of dry matter saved handle it - treatment cost = dollars saved www.canadianwelshblackcattle.com Canadian Welsh Black Cattle Society s INTERNATIONAL STOCK FOOD Box 546, Trochu, AB. T0M 2C0 om: lainjan 1-877-473-2474 O ce: ph/fax: 403-442-4372 fr p [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.isfcanada.ca
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60 CATTLEMEN · OCTOBER 2014 www.canadiancattlemen.ca NEWS ROUNDUP
(1,287) pounds, calf weight as a percent- age of cow weight at weaning 51.9 (46.2), acres per pair 10.1 (12.5); gain per acre 32.4 (23.6). Kris Ringwall, the centre’s director of animal science, says Lowline-sired steer calves could be finished through tradi- tional channels, while the half-blood heifers could go into a terminal Lowline cow herd to reduce cow size, reduce calv- ing issues, and produce additional gain per acre. Ritchie manufactures a complete line of livestock watering The net result would be shaving 300 Ritchie manufactures a complete line Abilityof livestock Pump & Equipment watering products products with the highest specifications in the industry. From pounds off cow size, while retaining a singlewith horse the Stall highest Fount to a specififountain thatcations waters upin to the 500 industry.Calgary, FromAB, Canada a single horse Stall muscle mass to produce mainstream beef head, Ritchie fountains are top quality. Plus, every Ritchie 800-263-5353 or 403-273-6414 fountain Fountis backed to by oura fountain 10 year limited that warranty. waters For more up to [email protected] head, Ritchie - www.abilitypump.com fountains are carcasses with more rib-eye per hundred- top quality. Plus, every Ritchie fountain is backed by our 10 year limited weight, which translates into more muscle warranty. For more information visit us online at: mass per pound of body weight. The centre’s program will continue www.RitchieFount.com with both the conventional and F1 Low- line herds bred to Red and Black Angus and Limousin bulls. Some of the F1 Low- line females will be bred to Lowline bulls with the goal of establishing a foundation purebred Lowline herd. Ringwell’s presentation is available at www.usa-lowline.org. c
What’s on the horizon in agriculture?
Watch This Country Called Agriculture and be infomed.
This Country Called Agriculture is a new on-demand video series that delivers relevant news & information on the agriculture industry. Host Rob Eirich interviews ag pioneers,
professionals and academics that offer insight into today’s TCCA CURRENT EPISODES trends and what the future holds for agriculture – Consumer Benefits from Genomics on and off the farm. Video topics include: Rob Eirich talking with Tom Lynch-Staunton of Livestock Gentec, and Colin Coros of Delta Genomics, about the Sustainability Ag innovations Exporting benefits of animal genomics for consumers. Starting a new farm Renewable energy Alternative energy New technology Production & fuel sources Food production and marketing AND MORE Brought to you by Start watching now at AGCanada.com/TCCA Or scan the code with your phone to watch. www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 61 NEWS ABOUT YOU By Deb Wilson
Suggestions are always welcome. My phone number is 403-325-1695 Email: deb.wilson@ PurelyPurebred fbcpublishing.com
backlog of samples and improve turn- around time for these tests. It is confident that this transition will result in better service for its members. Samples that are currently in transit to Quantum Genetix (GenServe) in Sas- katoon, Sask., will be forwarded to Delta Genomics. Members who are concerned about samples they submitted should con- tact the CAA office at 1-888-571-3580 or [email protected]. Be prepared to pro- vide the animal tattoos and dates that you submitted your samples. The CAA says its members will soon be able to rely on a turnaround time of 10 business days for processing of SNP parent- age verification test results.
n Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) recently participated in welcoming an incoming Mexican delegation that was vis- n Recently, I was invited to attend a 4-H registered in a post-secondary education iting Alta Genetics along with representa- windup evening for the Delburne 4H Beef college or university program. Applicants tives of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Club at the Cumberland Community Hall, or their family must have purchased or be (AAFC), Market Access Secretariat, Trade east of Red Deer, Alta. In attendance were using a Charolais bull. For more informa- Commissioner Service and Alberta Agri- two representatives from Ronald McDon- tion visit the website at www.charolais. culture. ald House of central Alberta Patti Parker, com/association/scholarships. John Crowley also represented the donations and community relations co- CBBC at the American Simmental Asso- ordinator, as well as Linda Caponpon, n The Canadian Hereford Association, ciation meetings along with Canadian co-ordinator of volunteer and recreation Canada’s largest beef cattle registry, has Simmental Association general manager programs. These two ladies were presented reached three million registrations. The Bruce Holmquist where they met with a with a cheque for $6,757.46 for Ronald association has held number 3,000,000 number of American geneticists and breed McDonald House, by the 16 members of and it will be auctioned off at Agribition, associations. the 4-H club. The money was raised by the immediately following the Grand Cham- Executive director Michael Latimer and sale of a charity steer raised by the club pion Female Class during the National Doris Rempel participated in a conference members, and sold at their annual sale. Hereford show on November 28, 2014, call with AAFC staff regarding the agri- This year’s purchaser of the charity steer and is available to any 2014 born Her- marketing program which will replace the was Pike Wheaton Chevrolet, of Red Deer, eford animal. Online bidding will be avail- Legacy funds that CBBC currently receive Alta. Patti and Linda tell me that several able through www.cattleinmotion.com. for International Market Development. of the other central Alberta clubs have All money raised will be donated to the The discussion was very encouraging, and raffles to raise funds for Ronald McDonald Hereford Research Fund for use in future there will be more information available as House, as well. With an operational budget research. Visit www.hereford.ca for more it is received. of over $1.2 million dollars annually, these details as they become available. Sponsor- CBBC staff were also invited to par- funds are hugely appreciated. ing the event are Cattle In Motion, T Bar C ticipate in Canada Beef’s hosting of an Congratulations to Delburne 4-H Beef and Agribition. incoming delegation from China. This Club members, their leaders and parents. group imports and distributes a signifi- What an awesome initiative for your club n If you have not already heard, the Cana- cant amount of beef in China. Also in to undertake. It is very supportive of your dian Angus Association (CAA) is transi- attendance were reps from the Canadian community. tioning to Delta Genomics in Edmonton, Cattlemen’s Association, Canfax and beef Alta., for SNP parentage verification test- processors. One of many items these visi- n The Canadian Charolais Association ing. The association’s newsletter thanked tors were interested in is how Canadian Scholarship Deadline is October 31. Appli- members for their continued patience and genetics affects the quality of our beef com- cants must be involved in agriculture and understanding as it works to reduce the pared to other countries.
62 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca PURELY PUREBRED n Recently, representatives from around France and secretary, Clement Perrodin, tech- html. The new YCSA president is Sophie the world met in France, the birthplace of nical sales with Herd Book Charolais, France. Wotten. This year the Canadian Simmental Charolais, for the World Charolais Con- Charolais International provides a plat- Association national show is at the Royal gress 2014. Among the delegates were 18 form for organizations to network and share Winter Fair in Toronto. Canadians who were treated to French information for the betterment of the Cha- hospitality and the breathtaking scenery rolais breed on a global scale. There were 20 n The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) as they toured through south-central voting delegates for International Charolais headed to southern Ontario in late August France. As well as the celebration of the hailing from 10 countries including Mel for a tour. The three-day trip began in 150th anniversary of the Herd Book Cha- Reekie, general manager of the Canadian Toronto on August 21 at a dinner with Can- rolais, and 50th Anniversary of Charolais Charolais Association. The Canadian Cha- ada Beef Inc. staff where CYLers learned International, tour participants took in rolais Association will welcome the world more about that organization’s marketing farm visits, an A.I. centre, the Institute in 2015 when they host the World Charolais and promotions role in the industry. The of Charolais, a 500-year-old auction yard, technical conference in June. next day the group headed to the McDon- feed efficiency meetings and the National ald’s Canada head office where they met Show and Sale. n The Canadian Simmental Association with CYL mentor and McDonald’s senior During the congress (CSA) has hired Carla Schmitt to fill the manager of sustainability, Jeff Fitzpatrick- the general assembly position of CSA programs co-ordinator with Stilwell. Staff from McDonald’s supply of Charolais Interna- the primary focus on its youth program, the chain department along with staff from tional met and elected Young Canadian Simmentalers Associa- Cargill’s Spruce Grove facility joined the its executive; president tion (YCSA). Schmitt has previous involve- group via conference call to discuss supply Helge By, publisher of ment with junior programs as a director of procurement. the Charolais Banner, Canadian Western Agribition. She led the The group’s next stop was Gilbrea Farm, Canada; vice-president 4H and educational programming efforts outside of Hillsburgh, for a tour of their Helge By Luis Enrique Villasenor at the show, which provided her with valu- cow-calf operation and a BBQ supper. The Gutierrez, president of Charolais Charbray able experience for this position. The new CYLers toured the farm’s barns and han- Herd Book de Mexico; vice-president Michel national YCSA board is listed on the asso- Baudot, president of Herd Book Charolais, ciations website www.simmental.com/ycsa. Continued on page 64 Cattlewomen for the Cure golf tournament August 18 at Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course, Medicine Hat
$ Raised for 71,000 STARS Thank-you to all our sponsors, donors, and volunteers who made this year’s tournament another huge success! SEE YOU IN 2015! MAJOR SPONSORS • Klassen Agriventures • Thorlakson Feedyards Inc • Canada Beef Inc • TEAM • Grandview Feeders • Kolk Farms • RBC Royal Bank/ • CanFax • Veno Ranches • Andy Rock Livestock • Hi-Pro Feeds RBC Dominion Securities • CIBC • Western Financial • Boehringer-Ingelheim AA SPONSORS • Grow Safe Systems Ltd • Elanco Animal Health • Animal Medical Center • Farm Credit Canada • Gateway Group of Companies • AFSC HOLE SPONSORS MEDIA • Helical Pier Systems • Alberta Beef Producers • AFSC - Cattle Price • ITS Global • Jacobson Livestock Farms • Alberta Beef Magazine • G K Jim Group of Companies • Alert Agri Distributors Insurance Program • Jody Moltz Proffessional • Canadian Cattlemen Magazine • JBS Foods Canada Inc • BMO • Adams Ranch • Laidlaw Ranching • The Western Producer • MNP LLP • Hamiota Feeders • Ballco Feeders • Landmark Feeds • Scotiabank Agricultural Banking • Highway 21 Feeders • Bar 4 Bar Land & Cattle LUNCH • JGL Livestock • Bio Agri Mix • Monarch Feeders • Sunset Feeders • Livestock Export Services • Linus Ag Services • Bruce Farms • Northwest Livestock • Zoetis Canada • Merck • Livestock Export Services • Burns Valkenburg and • Porter & MacLean Livestock • The Hartford • Merial Canada Associates • Pritchard & Co WATER & ICE AAA SPONSORS • Mesabi Ranches • C & H Irrigation • Remington Land and Cattle • Medicine Hat Co-op • KCL Cattle Co. • TFS Expanse • Can Simmental Assoc • Takeda Feeding Co Ltd • UFA www.canadiancattlemen.ca C at t l e m e n · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 63 PURELY PUREBRED SAVE UP TO 26%! GIVE THE GIFT OF… Continued from page 63 Canadian dling system and asked questions about basic production practices and record-keeping. The next day saw the group taking in more farm Cattlemen tours as well as a stop at VG Meats in Simcoe. VG Meats has a pro- cessing facility and retail stores that offer consumers a locally raised, Please respond by fully traceable product that is tested for tenderness — 25 per cent of December 24, 2014 which is their own cattle that they raise on their cow-calf operation. In addition to the cow-calf operation, VG Farms has a feedlot to sup- ply the processing plant. The next stop was Miller Land and Livestock near Jarvis. The group met three generations of the Miller fam- Gift #1 ily and toured their feed yards and purebred Charolais herd. There ❍ 1 Year $39.00 $32.00 ❍ 2 Years $58.00 $43 were many questions from the group that included topics such as the ❍ New Subscription ❍ Renewal difference between feeding cattle in Western Canada as compared ✃ Gift Name:______to southern Ontario, the crops the Millers grow, land acreage, and ✃ Address:______succession planning. From there the group headed north to their last City/Town: ______Prov.: ______stop near Woodstock. This division of Nature Farms finishes Hol- Postal Code:______Ph: ______stein cattle and the group toured the feedlot including the new barn Sign Gift Card : ______and handling system. Many questions were asked about the decision to finish Holstein cattle instead of beef cattle and also about the feed- Gift #2 lot, such as bedding, feedstuffs, marketing, etc. ❍ 1 Year $39.00 $32.00 ❍ 2 Years $58.00 $43 The group thoroughly enjoyed their time in southern Ontario. ❍ New Subscription ❍ Renewal Many CYLers had never experienced agriculture in this region and Gift Name:______it was a great learning experience. The group had many questions Address:______and each stop spurred on quality conversation with their hosts. City/Town: ______Prov.: ______Postal Code:______Ph: ______CYL would like to thank their hosts for welcoming the group and Sign Gift Card : ______the great hospitality during the tour. Funding for the CYL program is made available through its foundation partners: Cargill, UFA Co- Please attach a sheet with additional gifts. operative Ltd., the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), MNP and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) as well as Gifts Are From:
✃ Gold Partners Farm Credit Canada and New Holland. My Name: ______✃ Address:______n National Breed Show at the Royal Winter Fair: City/Town: ______• National Simmental Show — Sat., Nov. 8, 2 p.m., Scotiabank Ring Prov:______Postal Code: ______of Excellence. Phone:______Fax: ______Tax Deduction: Farm-related subscriptions qualify as a n National Breed Shows at Canadian Western Agribition: deductible business expense. Order today and save on your 2014 return! • National Speckle Park Show My 1st subscription: — Wed., Nov. 26, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. $ 1 year ($32.00) or 2 years ($43) • National Gelbvieh Show Additional Gifts: 1 year ($32.00) or 2 years ($43) $ — Wed., Nov. 26, 12 p.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. • National Red Angus Show Manitoba Residents add 8% PST $ (we’ll pay the GST) — Thurs., Nov. 27, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. US 1 year $45 Outside Canada & US 1 yr. $70 $ • National Black Angus show Total $ — Thurs., Nov. 27, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. New gift subscriptions start with the January 2015 issue. • National Limousin Show ❍ Cheque enclosed ❍ Charge My: ❍ Visa ❍ Mastercard — Thurs., Nov. 27, 2:30 p.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. Credit Card #: ______• National Shorthorn Show Expiry Date: ______— Fri., Nov. 28, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. Are you currently: ❑ Farming ❑ Ranching • National Polled Hereford Show ✃ — Fri., Nov. 28, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. ✃ Mail this ad with payment to: • National Horned Hereford Show Canadian Cattlemen — Fri., Nov. 28, 9 a.m., Chevrolet GMC Stadium. 1666 Dublin Ave, TWICE-OVER GRAZING LEADS TO HERD MAKEOVER — Other national events at Canadian Western Agribition: Winnipeg, MB R3H OH1 T H E B E E F M A G A Z I N E Or call toll-free: 1-800-665-1362 • RBC Beef Supreme Challenge
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Bryce and Dawn McKenzie, Rosetown, Sask.
Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240 64 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Market Summary By Debbie McMillin TheMarkets
Fed Cattle caused a few jumps in the price, as well. DEB’S OUTLOOK Alberta 550-pound steers averaged Fed cattle prices increased steadily and $274.20/cwt near the end of Septem- Fed Cattle unseasonably though the summer. At ber, up a full $112 from last year. The There is good support for the fed market a time when we usually see slumping normal slump seen during the fall run moving forward; however, some volume prices as demand tails off and larger didn’t show up this year. The small calf needs to move through the system before front-end supplies and carcasses hang crop and a growing number of for- supplies tighten up towards the later part of over the market, 2014 summer fed ward-sold feeders kept auction market the fourth quarter. It will be important in the cattle prices increased steadily, reach- volumes light enough to keep buyers coming weeks to keep inventories moving in ing a high of $165.28/cwt in August keen on sale day. a timely manner. The risks moving forward and holding above $160/cwt since then. Alberta 850-pound feeder prices told a are sticker shock as consumers face higher In the last week of September Alberta similar tale, averaging $230.96 at the end prices for their beef, and retailers needing to steers averaged $161.81/cwt, nearly of September, an $87.33/cwt improve- sacrifice some margin on features to keep product moving. Positives include a Canadian $43 above the same week in 2013. The ment over last year. The feeder basis dollar that just broke below the 90 cent mark cash-to-cash basis is currently -9.45/ remains stubbornly wide at -23.96/ which should hold U.S. interest, and expected cwt compared to a five-year average of cwt, which is 5.18 above last year and smaller North American supplies available -12.09/cwt. 14.56 wider than the five-year average. through November and December to satisfy The Alberta and Saskatchewan Even so feeder exports to date in 2014 a seasonal fourth-quarter spike in demand. cattle-on-feed report for September 1 are running 38 per cent ahead of the showed fewer cattle than a month ago last year. Feeder Cattle or last year at 615,152 head. For the Support for feeder prices is coming from a second consecutive month, August historically strong fed market plus the lower Non-Fed Cattle Canadian dollar, good competition among placements reached a record low, 30 buyers, falling costs of gain and the smaller per cent smaller than last year and 34 Despite increased volumes during the number of feeder calves that will be coming per cent below the five-year average. fall run, cows continue to trade at his- to the market in the coming months. Supplies In Canada the number of fed steers torically high levels. Since the high of moving forward are more unpredictable as it slaughtered to date is up four per cent $128/cwt set six weeks ago, D1,2 cows depends on how many replacement females year-to-year at 1,049,535 head. Heifer have ranged from $123 to $126, averag- end up in the feeder market. The signals for slaughter is up 10 per cent at 628,041 ing $123.40/cwt at the end of September growth are in place but we still don’t know head. Carcass weights are running 24 which is $45 more than the same week last if producers will choose to expand or take pounds below year-ago averages; how- year. Domestic cow slaughter is down five advantage of record feeder cattle prices and ever, the gap has narrowed recently. per cent at 284,957 head and exports are sell their entire calf crops. The replacement heifer market is also enticing for those who Current steer carcasses are averaging off by 11 per cent at 173,585 head reflect- choose to sell first-cut females. 877 pounds, just 10 pounds under ing the drop in the female herd over the the same week last year, in response to past few years. By the end of 2014 total Non-Fed Cattle strong cash prices and a falling cost of cow marketings will be nearly eight per Today’s cow prices have producers analyzing gain. Slaughter cattle exports are also cent smaller than last year. the benefits of selling older cows versus up, running four per cent ahead of Most producers are in the midst buying younger ones or keeping replacement last year to date with a total of 269,409 of pulling their bulls and deciding heifers to maintain the herd. The head having crossed the border to the whether to keep them for another demographics of today’s cattle producers middle of September. breeding season. At the end of Sep- suggest some may be digging deeper into the herd and cutting back on overall numbers tember slaughter bulls were trading for which would bring more cows to town late Feeder Cattle an average $139.50/cwt. Bull slaughter in the year. Whatever happens, the cow was up slightly over the past few weeks numbers will remain tight relative to demand Feeder cattle prices continue to break pushing year-to-date totals up by 19 and that will be reflected in the price. U.S. new records, fuelled by shrinking sup- per cent to 4,012 head. Exports are also 90 per cent trim is still trading near all time plies and excellent profit margins in up by 13 per cent with the Americans record highs, putting a solid floor under the the fed market. The shrinking dollar’s buying 54,544 bulls to date this year. Canadian market. The slumping dollar further bounce in the export market and a supports export sales. As a result, the non- lower cost of gain are other contrib- Debbie McMillin is a market analyst fed market should hold in a steady trading range in the short term and move with the uting factors. Unfavourable harvest who ranches at Hanna, Alta. fed market should fourth-quarter demand weather with the anticipated bump in prompt a seasonal rally late in the year. feed grain supplies available for cattle More markets www.canadiancattlemen.ca C at t l e m e n · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 65 MARKETS
Break-even Prices on A-Grade Steers Market Prices
170 280 ALBERTA Steer Calves (500-600 lb.) 160 250 150 220 140 190 130 160 120 110 130 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
180 130 ONTARIO D1,2 Cows 120 165 110 150 100
135 90 80 120 70 105 60 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Canfax weighted average Break-even price for Ontario Alberta price on A-Grade steers steers on date sold 2014 2014 2014 2015 2013 2013 2013 2014 Ontario prices based on a 50/50 east/west mix
September 2014 prices* Market Summary (to September 6) Alberta 2014 2013 Total Canadian federally inspected slaughter...... 1,856,417...... 1,770,487 Yearling steers (850 lb.) ...... $215.51/cwt Average steer carcass weight ...... 848 lb ...... 872 lb . Barley ...... 3.89/bu. Total U .S . slaughter...... 20,502,000...... 22,058,000 Barley silage ...... 48.63/ton Trade Summary Exports 2014 2013 Cost of gain (feed) ...... 59.84/cwt Fed cattle to U .S . (to August 30)...... 256,920 ...... 247,549 Cost of gain (all costs) ...... 93.75/cwt Feeder cattle and calves to U .S . (to August 30)...... 249,606 ...... 178,905 Fed steers ...... 162.07/cwt Dressed beef to U .S . (to July) ...... 279 17. mil .lbs. . . . . 250 84. mil .lbs Total dressed beef (to July)...... 397 .21 mil .lbs. . . . . 352 40. mil .lbs Break-even (February 2015) ...... 155.21/cwt IMPORTS 2014 2013 Slaughter cattle from U .S . (to July) ...... 0...... 0 Ontario *Dressed beef from U .S . (to July) ...... 172 60. mil .lbs...... 221 .22 mil .lbs Yearling steers (850 lb.) ...... $219.05/cwt *Dressed beef from Australia (to July) ...... 31 .51 mil .lbs...... 19 .24 mil .lbs *Dressed beef from New Zealand (to July) ...... 15 06. mil .lbs...... 23 64. mil .lbs Corn silage ...... 37.76/ton *Dressed beef from Uruguay (to July) ...... 10 63. mil .lbs...... 22 42. mil .lbs Grain corn ...... 4.47/bu. Canadian Grades (to September 27, 2014) Cost of gain (feed) ...... 70.19/cwt % of A Yield grades +59% 54-58% –53% Total Cost of gain (all costs) ...... 98.59/cwt AAA 22 .2 21 7 . 11 1 . 55 0. Fed steers ...... 160.00/cwt AA 28 6 . 8 8 . 2 1 . 39 .5 Break-even (March 2015) ...... 169.21/cwt A 1 9 . 0 .1 0 0 . 2 0. Prime 0 .3 0 .5 0 7 . 1 .5 *Mid-month to mid-month prices Total 53 0 . 31 1 . 13 9 . Breakevens East: end wt 1,450, 183 days Total A grade 98 0%. West end wt 1,325 lb., 125 days Total graded Total ungraded % carcass basis EAST 445,709 17,051 82 4%. WEST 1,557,664 480 89 0%. Only federally inspected plants
66 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca market talk By Gerald Klassen
Feed Grain Update
eed grain prices in Western Canada have been grind- carry in stocks, total corn supplies for 2014-15 will be nearly 1.0 ing lower over the past month. Harvest pressure is billion bushels larger than last year. Ftypical for this time of year and producers have been On the demand side, U.S. domestic demand will experience a actively selling barley and feed wheat off the combine in the year-over-year increase but exports are showing a marginal decline, major feeding regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan. While despite the historically low prices. The 2014-15 carry-out will reach the barley fundamental situation is somewhat tighter for the over 2.0 billion bushels which is extremely bearish for the market. 2014-15 crop year, adverse weather in late August and early The Chinese ban on a specific GM variety of U.S. corn is one September downgraded approximately 20 per cent of the reason for the lower export program. We now find DDGS and wheat crop to feed quality confirming burdensome supplies corn moving into alternate destinations and southern Alberta is of feed grains. a prime home for the additional supplies. The second reason for In addition to the larger supplies in Western Canada, U.S. corn the year-over-year decline in U.S. exports is the larger crops in is trading into southern Alberta more readily as the harvest nears. Europe and Ukraine. European and Black Sea supplies are trad- Keep in mind cattle inventories in Alberta and Saskatchewan are at ing into traditional U.S. markets distorting the traditional trade seasonal lows in September so the market is experiencing burden- flow. France and a part of Germany also experienced adverse rains some supplies during the lightest demand period of the crop year. during the winter wheat harvest period resulting in burdensome Feedlot margins remain in positive territory. supplies of feed grains in Europe as well. Finally, South American Fed cattle prices have traded sideways but the weakness in the corn has been trading at a discount to U.S. corn tempering export feed grains complex has caused feeder cattle values to percolate sales from the U.S. This price relationship is slowly changing but higher. I’ve received many inquiries from backgrounding opera- has been a major factor over the past couple of months. Slower off- tions and feedlot managers regarding the price outlook for bar- shore movement will continue to weigh on the corn market into ley and feed grains in general. Cow-calf producers also need to the spring of 2015. be aware of these input costs given the indirect relationship with U.S. cattle-feeding margins are positive US$230 per head com- feeder cattle prices. I thought this would be a good time to revisit pared to negative US$30 per head last year at this time. This has the outlook for feed grains. enhanced demand for Canadian feeder cattle in Manitoba and east- The USDA estimated corn production at 14.4 billion bushels, ern Saskatchewan as feeder cattle exports to the U.S. are 40 per cent up from 2013 crop size of 13.9 billion bushels. Given the larger above year-ago levels. In Western Canada, margins are in the range of CD$120 to CD$140 per head. Therefore, expect feeder cattle u.S. corn supply and demand prices in the U.S. to continue leading Canadian values higher. Statistics Canada estimated barley production at 7.2 million USDA USDA 5-year USDA USDA 10/11 11/12 USDA 12/13 av. 13/14 14/15 mt, down sharply from 10.2 million mt in 2013. Barley supplies Acres seeded 88.2 91.9 97.2 90.0 95.4 91.6 in Western Canada will be relatively tight during the 2014-15 crop year with a forecasted carry-out near 1.0 million mt, down from Acres harvested 81.4 83.9 87.4 82.2 87.7 83.8 the 2013-14 ending stocks of 1.9 million mt and way below the Yield (bu./ac.) 152.8 147.2 123.4 148.4 158.8 171.7 10-year average of 2.1 million mt. The function of the barley mar- SUPPLY (million bushels) ket is to ration demand which will be done in three fashions. First, domestic barley prices will remain above world values to shut off Opening stocks Aug. 1 1,708 1,128 989 1,424.6 821 1,181 exports. Secondly, barley is projected to trade at a premium to feed Production 12,447 12,360 10,780 12,159.6 13,927 14,395 wheat so that feedlots use more wheat in the rations. Finally, bar- Imports 27 29 162 48.0 35 30 ley prices have to move high enough to encourage imports of U.S. corn into southern Alberta. TOTAL SUPPLY 14,182 13,516 11,931 13,632.2 14,783 15,606 During harvest when selling pressure generally drives the market USE (million bushels) lower, barley prices will remain at a discount to alternate feed grains Feed-waste-dockage 4,803 4,548 4,335 4,816.8 5,177 5,325 but this will not last during the winter period. I’m not saying barley Food seed industrial 6,415 5,867 6,044 5,846.4 6,505 6,530 prices will experience a steep rally but will only increase to encour- age the use of U.S. corn and feed wheat. It is important to realize that Ethanol 5,020 5,011 4,648 4,587.8 5,075 5,125 there will be limited exports of feed wheat during the first half of the Domestic demand 11,218 10,985 10,379 10,777.2 11,682 11,855 crop year. Therefore, farmers wanting to sell feed wheat are basically Exports 1,835 1,543 731 1,590.8 1,920 1,750 dependent on the domestic market for the price structure. c TOTAL USE 13,053 1 2,528 11,110 12,368.0 13,602 13,605 Gerald Klassen analyzes markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an TOTAL CARRY-OVER 1,128 989 821 1,264.0 1,181 2,002 interest in the family feedlot in southern Alberta. He can be reached at Stocks-to-use ratio 8.6% 7.9% 7.4% 10.2% 8.7% 14.7% [email protected].
www.canadiancattlemen.ca Cattlemen · O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 67 GOINGS ON Sales&Events
17 Canadian Beef Breeds Council Board Events Meeting, Calgary, Alta. ADVERTISER INDEX November 4-9 Farmfair International and Canadian January 2015 Page Finals Rodeo, Northlands Expo Centre, 10-25 National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, Ability Pump 6 1 Edmonton, Alta. Airdrie Trailer Sales 60 National Western Complex, Denver, Assiniboia Livestock Auction 58 5-8 Agri-trade Farm Show, Westerner, Colorado, www.nationalwestern.com BK Tires 33 Red Deer, Alta. 21-23 Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference, Balog Auction Services Ltd. 45 7-16 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Evraz Place, Regina, Sask. Boehringer Ingelheim 9 Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ont. Bow Slope Shipping Assoc. 58 13 Best of Canadian Agri-marketing, Association Calgary Stockyards Ltd. 58 Sales Calhoun Cattle Co. Ltd. 56 Awards, Westin Hotel, Ottawa, Ont. Canadian Agri-Blend 55 17-19 5th Annual Canada’s Forage & Grassland Canadian Angus Assoc. 60 Conference and AGM — “Closing the december Canadian Cattle Identification Assoc. 30, 31 Forage Gap,” Bromont, Que. 15 Sandan Charolais Spring Calving Canadian Charolais Assoc. OBC 18-19 Canfax Forum, Deerfoot Inn, Calgary, Alta. Dispersal, at the farm, Erskine, Alta. Canadian Forage & Grassland Assoc. 12 19 Market Access Secretariat Meeting, Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc. 48, 49 Ottawa, Ont. January 2015 Canadian Hereford Assoc. IFC 31 MC Quantock “Canada’s Bulls” Sale, Canadian Limousin Assoc. 22, 23 24-29 Canadian Western Agribition, Evraz Place, Canadian Red Angus Promotion Society 27 Regina, Sask. at the ranch, Lloydminster, Alta., Canadian Shorthorn Assoc. 57 www.mcquantock.com Canadian Simmental Assoc. 37 Canadian Speckle Park 53 December Canadian Welsh Black Society 60 1-3 Alberta Beef Producers Annual General February Canadian Western Agribition 32 Meeting, Calgary, Alta. 7 Hill 70 Quantock Ranch “Barn Burnin’ Canfax Cattle Market Forum 29 9-11 2014 Western Canadian Grazing Bull Sale,” at the ranch, Lloydminster, Canterra Seeds 5 Conference — “Going Beyond Alta./Sask., www.hill70quantock.com Cattlesoft-Cattlemax 12 Sustainability,” Radisson Hotel South, Cattlewomen for the Cure 63 Edmonton, Alta., www.wcgconference.ca Central Testing Laboratories 53 March Foothills Auctioneers Inc. 58 10-11 Saskatchewan Farm & Food Care Launch 7 26th Annual Davidson Gelbvieh Bull Sale Ford Motor Company Canada 7 Transitioned from Farm Animal Council & Lonesome Dove Ranch Bull Sale, General Motors 17 of Saskatchewan, Sheraton Cavalier, at the bull yards, Ponteix, Sask., Greener Pastures 54 Saskatoon, Sask. www.davidsongelbvieh.com c Grunthal Livestock Market 58 Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment 60 International Stock Foods 60 John Deere Ag Marketing Center 34, 35 Noise restrictions apply only from dusk to Klassen Agriventures Ltd. 56 dawn during the sage grouse mating season. Kubota Canada 15 Lakeland Group/Northstar 18 a-p Letters These do not apply to a person driving a motor Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance Inc. 58 vehicle to or from a residential building, or vis- Mankota Stockmen’s Weigh Company 58 iting a person or place where an agricultural Meadow Lake Stock Sales Ltd. 58 SAGE GROUSE order operation is being conducted. Merck Animal Health 3, IBC explained Mosaic Company 41, 61 None of the prohibitions apply within 100 Nester Livestock 43 I would like to provide some information to metres of a residential building, a building/ Nilsson Bros. Livestock 59 your readers in response to Don Campbell’s shelter used for an agricultural operation or Northlands Farmfair International 25 Olds Auction Mart 59 column,“The Greater Sage Grouse” published a machine or structure used to feed, handle, Ontario Livestock Exchange Inc. 59 in your August 2014 edition of Canadian treat or provide water to livestock. Perlich Bros. Auction Market Ltd. 59 Cattlemen Magazine. In areas where grazing could be modified Picture Butte Auction Market 59 Plain Jan’s Inc. 60 The purpose of the Emergency Order for to improve the habitat, the government will Salers Assoc. of Canada 60 the Protection of the Greater Sage Grouse is provide incentives for voluntary stewardship John Schooten & Sons to address imminent threats to the survival measures through programs like the Habitat Custom Feedlot Ltd. 56 Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange 59 and recovery of the sage grouse. Stewardship Program for Species at Risk and Stettler Auction Mart (1971) 59 It applies to habitat on federal and pro- the National Conservation Program. The Cattle Range 8 vincial Crown lands, in southeastern Alberta I encourage your readers, particularly Tru-Test Inc. 21 and southwestern Saskatchewan and focuses landowners in the area of greater sage grouse, Viking Auction Market Ltd. 59 Vold, Jones & Vold Auction Co. Ltd. 55 on limiting activities known to be harmful to to contact Environment Canada for infor- Western Canadian Grazing 24 the sage grouse. There is no requirement to mation on the emergency protection order Wetaskiwin Co-op 55 remove buildings, fences or other structures (fact sheets are available online at sararegis- Winnipeg Livestock Sales Ltd. 59 that are already in place. try.gc.ca), the Amended Recovery Strategy Zoetis Animal Health 13 Environment Canada recognizes appro- for Greater Sage Grouse and the possibility priate grazing is beneficial to sage grouse for funding to support recovery of this spe- Event listings are a free service to industry. habitat. That is why the duration and inten- cies. They are encouraged to contact the Sale listings are for our advertisers. sity of grazing is not regulated by the order. department at 1-855-245-0331 or sara.pnr@ Your contact is Deborah Wilson Existing fences do not need to be modified ec.gc.ca. at 403-325-1695 or replaced, however, new fences must meet David Ingstrup, Regional Director or [email protected] the standards set out in the emergency order. Canadian Wildlife Service
68 Cattlemen · o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 www.canadiancattlemen.ca Optimize BRD protection with ZUPREVO®
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* Per like-sized vial in animals of comparable weight. † Consult your veterinarian for details. NOTE: The correlation between pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (pk/pd) data and clinical efficacy is unknown. 1. Menge, M., Rose, M., Bohland, C., Zschiesche, E., Kilp, S., Metz, W., Allan, M., Röpke, R., Nürnberger, M. Pharmacokinetics of tildipirosin in bovine plasma, lung tissue, and bronchial fluid (from live, non-anesthetized cattle). J. Vet. Pharmacol. Therap. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2011.01349.x. 2. As per the approved Canadian product label concentrations and recommended dosages. ZUPREVO® and RESFLOR® are registered trademarks of Intervet International B.V., used under license by Intervet Canada Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, operating in Canada as Merck Animal Health. MERCK® is a registered trademark of Merck Canada Inc. in Canada. Copyright © 2014 Intervet International B.V., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. All rights reserved.
Zuprevo ad Canadian Cattlemen.indd 1 2014-07-30 09:56 CCA Sept14.indd 1 9/19/2014 1:38:21 PM