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CHECKING UP ON PRION RESEARCH THE BEEF MAGAZINE

February 2015 $3.00

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Start heifer selection at birth 10 Five steps for successful calving 50 Erika Fossen, Rock Creek, B.C. Erika Strande, Merritt, B.C.

4:06 P

Announcing number 3,000,000 & 3,000,001 A Huge Thank You to Copper Creek Ranch & Dallas Farms for supporting the Hereford Research Fund

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CCR 100W ADELA ET 2B Breeder:

Copper Creek Ranch Princeton, British Columbia

Copper Creek Ranch was established in the year 1999 with the purchase of the Princeton Stock Ranch. A commercial cow/calf and purebred Hereford herd has developed from that time, with strategic additions and with sales into Canadian and global Hereford markets, as well as into local commercial herds.

Registered Name:

BCD BELLA 403B Breeder:

Dallas Farms Bowden, Alberta

The Dallas family appreciates the importance of marketing their product to both the seedstock and commercial industry. They have shown their cattle extensively throughout North America and have realized numerous champions.

Thanks in part to our Sponsors:

Canadian Hereford Association • 5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6V1 • 1-888-836-7242 • herefords@hereford.ca

Established 1938 ISSN 1196-8923 Cattlemen Editorial Editor: Gren Winslow 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 (204) 944-5753 Fax (204) 944-5416 Email: gren@fbcpublishing.com

Contents canadian cattlemen · February 2015 · Volume 78, No. 2

 R A NC H I NG

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reach out with a blog  research

FEATURES

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Start heifer selection when calves hit the ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Making headway on prion diseases. . . . . . 12

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Reach out with a blog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Recycled paradigms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Making headway on prion diseases

12

Mustering and drafting Down Under. . . . 42 Five steps to a successful calving season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

 H A N D L I NG

Necrotic laryngitis or calf diphtheria. . . . 52

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Saskatchewan’s 21-day calving challenge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Verified Beef Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Checking in 10 years later.

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis.

However, the editors, journalists, Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Canadian Cattlemen and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

26

Mustering and drafting Down Under

Congratulations!

To our February survey winner, Tony Hengstler, Olds, Alta.

This month’s survey is on page 62.

Cover Photo: Supplied by Erika Fossen

42

Comment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Newsmakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Our History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Vet Advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Research on the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Holistic Ranching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Prime Cuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 CCA Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Straight from the Hip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 News Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Purely Purebred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Market Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Sales and Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

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 COMMENT

By Gren Winslow

Dissenting over yield The manager of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency is not enamored with USDA yield grades

I

f the stars align as predicted sometime this spring over 700 pages of regulations regarding agricultural products controlled under the new Safe Food for Canadians Act will pass through the hurdles of Canada Gazette I and II and come into force.

The act itself was approved by Parliament in November but doesn’t really become empowered until all the regulations are modernized to suit this new law. That was supposed to happen early in 2015 but as this issue moves to press it was still in the works and with a federal election in the wind, it may be held up even longer.

Whenever the regs are passed one of the options the new act will offer is the chance to slice through some red tape by having a document “incorporated by reference.”

It’s a way to update a document, say something like beef grading standards, without having to amend the regulation itself. Thus the regulations can be updated as new science or innovations come along without the long and torturous process involved in making an actual amendment. Sounds like a good idea.

Of course the government requires that the change be appropriate for the document and all stakeholders have input into the change, so any third-party organization wanting to make a change in a document in a regulation has to do its due diligence before it submits it.

When the government gets around to passing these regulations the carcass grading requirements for beef, bison and veal are likely to become one of the first industry-managed documents to be incorporated by reference in Canada Gazette I. Some would say, it’s about time. A joint industry request to the minister of agriculture to replace Canada’s three-yield grade standard with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) five-yield class classification was first submitted way back in November 23, 2011.

There is no doubt such a change will make life simpler for Canada’s larger packers as they already utilize the USDA yield class system, and producers who market fed cattle north and south of the border.

Ironically, one of the people who won’t be happy to see this change pass is Cindy Delaloye, the longtime general manager of the CBGA. “Personally I have never been fond of the industry position to move to the USDA yield algorithm with its five-yield classes. Yes, it is based on cutability of a carcass but only on the yield of four of the five primals. It is also based on what was considered industry standard trim in 1960, which was one-half inch. In addition to these items which are not representative of the entire carcass or current industry processing practices, the algorithm for USDA cutability was generated from a sample population that was 21.6 per cent cows, not the typical cattle

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population to which we assess yield grades. Add to that the fact that the Canadian gene pool for slaughter cattle is very different from the gene pool used to develop the algorithm by the USDA in the 1960s and we may be heading for a step back in yield assessment for true carcass value.”

Now the USDA has also recognized that its carcass evaluation is inadequate for today’s herd and is currently assessing comments from the industry before it makes a change. The comments found on the U.S. Federal Registry site (Docket AMS LPS 14-0052 Beef Carcass Revisions) suggest the industry also recognizes the deficiencies in the current USDA yield equation and the need for a more meaningful classification of expected yield to provide “relevant classification of beef carcasses by value,” as noted by National Beef Packing Co. LLC. Other comments point to a bias in the current USDA algorithm that favours light carcasses and penalizes heavy ones so that it “systematically underestimates retail meat yield for heavier carcasses,” according to the Indiana Farm Bureau.

“Are Canadian cattle going to be penalized using this algorithm?” Delaloye wonders, pointing to CanFax research that shows average Canadian slaughter cattle have been heavier than U.S. slaughter cattle, even without accounting for the kidney, pelvic, and heart fat that adds to U.S. carcass weights.

“This may be the time to suggest a North American standard that is reflective of 21st century fed slaughter genetics and management practices,” she says.

The American Meat Institute wants a thorough scientific review by credible individuals and institutions before it recommends any grading change. Delaloye couldn’t agree more, and she would like to see what comes out of the research at the Lacombe Research Station into new methods for predicting per cent lean, cut yield and salable yield before we simply jump on the U.S. coattails. “ We need yield assessment methodology that will help Canadian and potentially North American cattle industries select and improve production thereby achieving better efficiencies which should be reflected in profit.”

To that end she says the CBGA has initiated discussions between Canadian and U.S. researchers.

“The five USDA yield classes do distribute cattle over a well-proportioned bell curve compared to the Canadian three-yield class system which is heavily skewed to the Canadian Y1 class. Unfortunately neither of the classification systems are set up to communicate production efficiencies to producers, and help them select cattle accordingly.”

“The truth is out there. Why don’t we seek it objectively and build a more meaningful scientific classification of carcasses by expected yield?” c

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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 THE INDUST RY

NewsMakers Dr. Ian Goodband of Provost, Alta., is the 2015 recipient of the Boehringer Ingelheim WCABP Veterinarian of the Year award presented last month at the annual meeting of the Dr. Ian Goodband Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners. Raised on his parents’ ranch near Youngstown, Alta., Ian started his career at an RM clinic in Pierceland, Sask. after graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. One year later he purchased the present Border Veterinary Clinic in Provost where he and his wife Connie developed a mixed animal practice with a focus on beef production medicine and consultation. With Connie’s father they started their own cattle-ranching and -feeding operation around the same time. In 2005 during the darkest days of the BSE crises they added an auction market to their growing list of business interests.

Letters Checkoff

I quit going to ABP fall producer meetings three years ago. They are scheduled with boring speakers and the voting attendance is stacked with people who hold positions as ABP staff. They don’t leave time to discuss the things that producers want. I went every year for nine years and made a conscious effort to write resolutions that usually passed at my

Jordan Kowal of Tisdale was elected president of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association at the group’s annual meeting last month in Regina.

The 2015 board of direcJordan Kowal tors includes vice-president Chad Ross of Estevan, past president Bill Jameson of Moose Jaw, finance chair Ryan Thompson of Ceylon, Brad Welter of Viscount, Steven Pylot of Meadow Lake, Greg Thompson of Moose Jaw, Philip Lynn of Marquis, Will Lowe of Kyle, and Kevin Woods of Moosomin.

Murray McGillivray

Rancher Murray McGillivray was honoured last month as one of five inductees into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame for 2015. A past president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers

zone meeting and were almost always voted out at the annual meeting by only delegates.

I will be lobbying my government officials to reject any checkoff proposals by the ABP as they are not in the best interest of beef producers. Many of the delegates do not even derive the largest portion of their income from the cattle industry. The REAL cattlemen are out raising cattle and not interested in the good old boys club the ABP has become. I will continue to apply for my rebate because the ABP does not represent me.

Peggy Bayne, Bluffton, Alta.

Association Murray served on numerous committees and boards over the years including the Agri-Food Council during the formation of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. He will be inducted into the hall on August 1 along with farmer, former ag rep and marketing manager of the Western Producer newspaper, Jack Braidek; swine producer and Fast Genetics founder Harold Fast; soil scientist Rigas Karamanos and founding president of the Palliser Wheat Growers Association, Wally Nelson who was instrumental in the building of the farmerowned Weyburn Inland Terminal.

Jessica Hextall of Grenfell, Sask., is the 2015 recipient of the $1,000 Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference Scholarship.

She is in her fourth year of studies at the UniverJessica Hextall sity of Saskatchewan working toward a bachelor of science in agriculture majoring in animal science.

Tyson Buyer, a third-year student in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from Carnduff, Sask., is the recipient of the $500 scholarship.

Since our last issue the seedstock sector has suffered a number of notable losses.

In late December Kurt Gilmore, the past publisher of the Canadian Hereford Digest passed Kurt Gilmore away from cancer. He was 65. Following graduation from Washing-

21st Annual

Selling: 70 Head of Simmental & Charolais Bulls

Red SimmentaL - Charolais Guest Consignor Saddleridge Charolais

Feb 24, 2015 at 1:00 pm Bow Slope Shipping Association Brooks, AB

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Brian Bouchard Sales Manager 403.813.7999 Office: 403.946.4999 Fax: 403.946.4919

Rainalta Simmentals & Charolais Bill Swenson 403.362.0854

Rainier, Alberta rainalta@eidnet.org

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

NEWS mak e rs

ton State University in 1971, he joined the field staff of the Digest, visiting breeders throughout Alberta and British Columbia.

In 1980, he purchased the publication from his father Keith. After Keith died in 1987, Kurt took a keen interest in the Keith Gilmore Foundation and became a trustee in 2009. He was honoured by the Alberta Cattle Breeders for his service to the Calgary Bull Sale in 2009, then inducted into the Alberta Hereford Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and Canadian Hereford Association Honour Roll in 2013. The Canadian Hereford Digest was sold to the Canadian Hereford Association in 2009.

Alexa Church passed away at the end of December at the age of 106 years. She is survived by her five children who all live in Alberta, Robert of Calgary, Gordon of Balzac, Beverly (Wilson) of Drumheller, Stanley of Bearspaw and Mabel (Hamilton) of Innisfail. She lived on the farm at Balzac, from the time of her marriage to Bert in 1934 until her death 80 years later.

ment of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment and the development of the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre.

Southern Alberta Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Program established last June with a $5-million contribution from feedlot operator Cor Van Raay.

Agricultural students at Lethbridge College will benefit this fall from a new partnership with the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association (ACFA) that will jointly develop a business-risk management curriculum. The new course is part of the

Alberta Farm Animal Care completed its move to a larger office in High River late last year. It can now be reached at High River, P.O. Box 5201, #5 112, Centre Street S, High River, Alta. T1V 1M4. The email remains the same: afac@afac.ab.ca. c

A World of Knowledge in Every Bag…

In early January Mernie James, of Okotoks, Alta., the wife of Rodney James passed away prior to her 88th birthday.

Rodney, along with family members operated Transcon Livestock, a sales management company that managed sales across Canada for many years.

Finally in mid-January Wendy Belcher lost her own battle with cancer at the age of 55. Wendy was raised in Alexander, Manitoba and attended Brandon University and Olds Wendy Belcher College before moving to Calgary. She served the Canadian Gelbvieh Association as general manager for nearly 30 years and was a member of the board of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council since its inception in 1994.

Dr. Karin Wittenberg has been appointed dean of the faculty of agricultural and food sciences at the University of Manitoba for a three-year term. A professor in the departDr. Karin ment of animal science, Wittenberg she has served as acting dean of the faculty since July 2014. Prior to this, she led the faculty in several capacities including associate dean (research) and department head of animal science. Her research program has been directed at the development of sustainable animal production systems. She also led the establish-

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 our histo ry

By W. Henry McKay, Brooks Alta.

early traders Excerpt from the March 1949 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

T

he first white people to see the “Red Deer Forks,” which are about four miles east of Empress, Alta., were most likely the Frenchmen under De Niverville who built a small fort at the forks of the Elbow and the Bow rivers in or about 1733 which they called Fort La Jonquier in honour of the governor of New France as our country was called at that time. It was still in the power of France. It would have been too dangerous to have come so far with horses and carts on account of the many hostile Indians who roamed the plains. So they must have come up the rivers. When the North West Mounted Police built on the same site one hundred and 42 years after (1875) Captain A.E. Brisbois says that there were still signs of the old fort there.

The next brigade would have been the Frenchmen who built Chesterfield House in 1791 about six miles below the Forks on the north side of the S. Saskatchewan River, opposite the present site of Estuary, Sask. It was a North West Company fort.

The man in charge was a Scotsman named MacDonald. A Frenchman by the name of Michel La Fromboise helped to build the fort. He was my mother’s great-grandfather.

My maternal grandfather, Francois La Fromboise operated a small trading establishment right between the two rivers from 1872 to 1878. A trader from Winnipeg by the name of James Mulligan also traded there about 1874. A Scotsman by the name of George Gunn also traded at the Forks about 1878 to 1880. He was the father of Mrs. Gabe La

Vallie of Maple Creek, Sask. Mr. Gunn was in partnership with my uncle, Colin McKay and had the first garden ever planted in that neighbourhood, 1886, right about where the railroad now crosses the river on the south side. Mr. Gunn was a well-educated man.

After the Riel Rebellion of 1885, two brothers named Palmer sold their hotel in Regina to start ranching. The hotel went by the name the “Palmer House.” It was later bought by Douglas Peterson and later known as the Douglas Hotel.

The eldest of the Palmer brothers was the owner of the hotel and his brother was his clerk and helper. His name was Echabode, the name of the younger brother being Theodore. We later knew them as Eck and Ted. They brought their cattle to the Red Deer Forks either in the fall of 1885 or early in 1886. They located about a mile and a half below the Forks. In later years when I worked with Echabode in Montana he told me that if he had settled at Sounding Lake where there was an abundance of hay it would have changed the course of his life.

The winter of 1886, as old-timers have told us, was a very severe one with deep snow.

The Palmer Bros. having only a small amount of hay for their team and saddle horses and probably a milch cow, lost most of their cattle. As the younger brother Ted was only working for his brother he had the remaining cattle seized for his wages. That left Eck with nothing but his team and few personal effects. In disgust and on very bad terms with his brother he went to Montana where in 1904 I worked with him for Simp-

son Bros. Theodore sold the cattle to someone in Medicine Hat and met a 16-year-old boy who was willing to work for his board and room while he learned the ranching business. The lad’s name was Charlie Montgomery. He may have been a Doctor Barnardo boy sent to Canada from England.

After buying a few provisions such as flour, tea, sugar, beans and salt pork he took the boy down to the old log shack at the Forks to watch the place while he went to Macleod to buy some little pony mares for after such a hard winter he intended to become a horse rancher. That was the spring of 1887. He left the boy there all alone telling him that he would be back in about 10 days. But 10 days went by and there was no sign of Mr. Palmer, then 20 days, then 30 days and still he wasn’t back on the 40th day. We camped a little below along the river as my father and my uncle, Norbert Poitra, had been hunting below the Forks. After supper my father went off to see his friend Palmer but to his surprise there was only the young lad, who had run out of food and was living mostly on goldeyes and flapjacks. So he brought him over to our camp where my mother gave him a good supper. My mother named him the Christ Child when she heard that he had been all alone for 40 days. The nearest town was 80 miles away. He was known by that name ever after by the half-breeds and Indians. The last time I saw Charlie Montgomery was at Bull Spring, 30 miles north of Medicine Hat in March 1901.

Ted Palmer returned a day later or so afterwards with a number of cayuse mares which he bought from the Blood Indians south of Macleod. Palmer sold out to the Shannon Brothers in 1897 for $6,000, good money to make in 10 or 12 years at that time.

Echabode didn’t do well in Montana. He went to Gull Lake, Saskatchewan in 1908 where I lost track of him. As far as I know neither of the Palmers were ever married.

Ted went to Hanley, Sask., to buy furs.

A full version of this article will be posted on the History section of our website, www. canadiancattlemen.ca. c For more of the past from the pages of our magazine see the History section at www. canadiancattlemen.ca.

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 managem e n t

By Helen McMenamin

Start heifer selection when calves hit the ground

She will look a lot like her mom in a couple of years so this is a good time to think about whether that’s what you want.

Y

ou’ve got more than enough to do at calving time, but a little thought and a few notes now could be a great investment in your herd’s future. Do that and a Nebraska researcher figures you will have most of the information you need in your calving notes to choose the heifers you want to breed.

Rick Funston, of the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, says the best way to find heifers that grow into cows that deliver a decent calf and stay in the herd year after year is to choose from calves born early in the calving season.

Don’t include heifers born to mothers with problems, but expose the rest to a 30- to 45-day breeding period to pick out the most fertile heifers as your replacements. If that’s more than you need, sell some as bred heifers.

Funston bases his advice on work at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) showing heifers calving early in their first calving season have increased longevity and wean more pounds of calf, compared to those delivering their first calf later in the season.

In his own research, Funston tracked over 1,100 heifers born from 1997 to 2009 from

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birth to second pregnancy and found a big advantage to those born in the first 21 days.

Those heifers as yearlings were more likely to be cycling at the start of the breeding season. They had a 90 per cent pregnancy rate and 81per cent calved in the first 21 days of their first calving season — the ones MARC says are most likely to become the ideal cow, delivering a decent calf year after year.

The number pregnant after weaning their first calf wasn’t significantly different from cows born in the third 21-days cycle, 93 per cent compared to 84 per cent, but it was higher. Choosing those older heifers is selecting for fertility, he says.

Not only were those heifers more fertile, they had lower birth weights, but being a few weeks older than calves born in the following 42 days, they had higher weaning weights. They maintained their weight advantage over younger animals into their first pregnancy even though later-born animals had slightly higher rates of gain.

Funston advises eliminating daughters of cows that need help calving, those with big teats that you have to help nurse and those with attitude problems. All these things really show up around calving time, and should be in your

PHOTO: Erika Strande

notes. Sometimes by weaning time a calf looks so good her mother’s flaws don’t seem so bad.

But, that calf may well look a lot like her mother a couple of years from now. Calving is the time to think about whether that’s what you want.

The Edmonton-based, Delta Genomics, Igenity’s Canadian testing partner, is working to identify superior replacement heifers from DNA. They use fertility, longevity and feed efficiency markers as guides to maternal functions. It’s still early in their verification process, but they can give a score of 1 to 10 for each of those traits that allows you to rank animals in your herd.

“We don’t have the confidence and accuracy we’d like in our replacement female tests yet,” says Delta CEO, Colin Coros. “We need 2,000 or 3,000 animals to show our tests work, but ideally we’d like to validate them on 10,000 animals. We work by ranking a population, so the more animals the better.

We’ve worked a lot with Angus cattle and our testing for them is quite accurate. Now we’re working on other cattle populations.

“Longevity, which is so important for replacements in cow-calf herds is very complex — so many traits are involved.”

DNA testing works by correlating records

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

management

Calving period and heifer performance in Rick Funston’s research Calving period

0-21 days

22-42 days

No. of animals

651

304

43-60 days 64

Heifer birth weight (lb.)

77

93

113

Weaning weight (lb.)

483

470

434

Pre-breeding weight. (lb.)

653

644

608 39

% cycling at start of breeding

70

58

Pregnancy rate (%)

90

86

78

% calved in first 21 days

81

69

65

Pregnancy rate as 3-year-old (%)

93

90

84

of an animal’s performance with the chemical reactions when a sample of its DNA is added to a number of specific DNA pieces or “snips,” each containing a known marker, Coros explains. At present, testing replacement heifer traits requires a panel of 50,000 snips. As more and more cattle are tested Coros expects they will be able to identify the most important markers so they can use fewer DNA snips but achieve greater accuracy and bring down the cost of testing from its present $25 per sample. Accuracy is better within breeds than in crossbreds and

testing in very different environments can be more challenging, he says.

Eventually, Coros expects DNA results will be used like EPD values today to rank animals within a population.

“There is value to testing now,” he says.“The tests definitely allow you to rank animals for each trait. That should have some value in choosing among animals. But, the real value of this technology is that you can make decisions earlier in an animal’s life. And, other tests for negative traits in a population can eliminate some animals you don’t want to keep.” c

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C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

11

 researc h

By Debbie Furber

Dr. David Westaway

Making headway on prion diseases

12

The search for answers about how BSE and other TSE prions work is still ongoing at the Alberta Prion Research Institute

C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

A

s the Alberta Prion Research Institute (APRI) enters its 10th year it seems as good a time as any to look back on what has been learned and what it sees ahead in the prevention of prion diseases.

Set up by the province in 2005 in response to the disaster brought down on the cattle industry by BSE, the institute was given a mandate to fund research into transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

Besides BSE in cattle, APRI investigates chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild and domestic elk and deer, scrapie in sheep and CJD in people, as well as other prion-like human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

In 2005, says APRI executive director Kevin Keough, there were no prion experts in Alberta and only a couple in Canada. So

the first step was to recruit experts in the field to study how these brain cell proteins normally fold and how and why diseased ones change and propagate. Over time these investigations naturally branched out to include diagnostic, surveillance and control strategies, the socio-economic challenges of TSEs, and the disposal and uses of specified risk materials (SRM) rich in prions.

To date, the APRI has pledged $40.5 million on 103 projects by 48 researchers and three industry partners. The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) has partnered on several. Another $4 million went to the universities of Alberta and Calgary.

The University of Alberta multiplied its APRI grant tenfold and founded the Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases (Prion Centre) with three Continued on page 14

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away

r es ea rc h

Continued from page 12

enhanced biosafety level (BSL2+) labs. It was certified in 2009 and a smaller version at the University of Calgary received certification this year.

The prion mystery

Prions are one type of protein found in the brains of mammals. All mammals have them, so they are normal proteins. Yet not much is known about their purpose or how the way they are folded influences whatever it is they are supposed to do.

Most puzzling is that sometimes a prion will change its shape and transpose its new pattern onto other prions, setting off a domino effect that riddles the brain with tiny holes and eventually causing death.

Dr. David Westaway, the prion centre’s director since 2006, offers an overview of the current state of the science on prions and prion-like diseases.

It’s now widely accepted that a gene determines the normal shape of cellular prions. As such it is subject to genetic mutation, meaning everyone carries the potential to develop misshapen prions. This is how sporadic forms of TSE disease pop up

in about one in a million people and perhaps one in 10 million cattle, says Westaway.

The evidence to date suggests normal prion proteins are involved in the electrical activity and signalling mechanisms between brain cells. They also protect brain cells from stress and fatal chemical hyperactivity.

Dr. Stephen Moore’s team, when he was the bovine genomics chair at the U of A, found genes associated with susceptibility to BSE and others become activated when BSE is present. It also found 85 genes associated with CWD. More recently, Dr. Stefanie Czub with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at Lethbridge found a biomarker in urine for a gene associated with BSE. Westaway and his team have taken this discovery to the next level by developing a potential non-invasive live test for prion disease. It has been validated on miniaturized samples using mouse models and is now being tested on samples from larger animals. It is slow work due to the long incubation period and slow progression of prion diseases in large animals.

Understanding the fundamental biology and chemistry of normal folding pri-

ons compared to rogue prions remains a priority. APRI-funded research has identified three proteins that regulate how other proteins fold and several proteinto-protein interactions associated with BSE. Researchers are moving these discoveries forward by investigating whether modifying certain protein activity could be one way to stop the progression of prion disease.

Scientists now know that there are at least three strains of BSE — classical, low type and high type (Canadian Cattlemen, October 2013). Czub is now investigating whether one strain could lead to another and whether sporadically formed prions differ from the other strains.

Others are looking at how CWD strains differ and whether some may be capable of jumping the species barrier. Much of the CWD research underway focuses on wild elk and deer to learn how the disease spreads and control measures such as oral vaccines.

In an article published in the January Journal of Clinical Investigation, Westaway’s team reported the body does have some natural protection against some TSEs. “It has always been believed that

 other av e n u es o f stu dy

Tracking prions in plants Thankfully for beef and dairy producers, there is no evidence anywhere in the world that BSE prion proteins can be picked up from the environment, only from contaminated feed.

The case isn’t that open and shut for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Dr. Tim McAllister, principal research scientist in ruminant nutrition and microbiology at Ag Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre, says U.S. research has confirmed CWD prions left on the surface of plants by body fluids and decaying carcasses can persist for years and definitely act as a vector for transmitting CWD. This wasn’t a surprising result because of a known case where elk and deer became infected in a pasture that had been kept free of widlife after it was contaminated with CWD five years before. The same persistence has been demonstrated with scrapie in sheep.

BSE prions don’t seem to share the same trait. Supporting evidence for this comes from the United Kingdom where

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dairy cows didn’t get sick when placed on farms that had been depopulated because of BSE during the crisis there.

A second way plants could act as a vector for CWD prions would be if infectious proteins are absorbed by the roots and transported to the stems and leaves. McAllister’s team put this question to the test by soaking the roots of intact wheat plants grown in the lab for 24 hours in CWD-positive and CWDnegative elk brain homogenates that were either digested with proteinase K or left undigested. Protein extracts from the roots, stems and leaves were then tested for the presence of CWD prions. Only the digested CWD prions were detected interacting with the roots, leading to the conclusion that if CWD prions were transported to the stems and leaves, it was at a level undetectable by the three kinds of diagnostic tests commonly used for this purpose. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has ask them

to rerun this study with a more sensitive diagnostic test.

At this point, McAllister can say that the likelihood of CWD prions being taken up by plants in a natural setting is infinitesimally small, but may not be zero.

Prions have an affinity for organic matter and would likely be bound by the soil particles reducing the likelihood of plant uptake. On the other hand, the chance that they would be taken up likely increases in plants if the roots were damaged, such as the holes created by a nematode attack.

His team is now looking at whether uptake differs when roots are exposed to purified CWD prions, and hopes to investigate soil interactions with CWD prions.

All of the plant research is with CWD prions because experience and research has shown plants are a possible route of transmission for this disease. That is not the case with BSE prions.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

research

the body has no defence against prion diseases,” says Westaway. “We now know that there is a natural partially effective protective response that seems to apply to BSE, CWD and CJD, so we are trying to understand how we can make it more effective. We are now starting a second generation of experiments to hit (the disease process) from two directions.”

They’ll be using drugs already approved for other human diseases by Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Edmonton neurologist Dr. Valerie Sim is filming diseased prions growing in a Petri dish to understand how these diseases progress. The hope is she’ll identify opportune times during its development when the drugs could either halt the disease or render it less infective.

A second investigation is looking into what Westaway describes as a lock-andkey approach to decontaminate the infectious material. Some early research has been completed, but it’s a long-term goal because the shape of the key remains a mystery.

“No one has yet been able to solve what the surface of a prion looks like.

Once that is known, it may be possible to synthesize a reverse molecule that, when locked with the infective protein, would deactivate the disease,” he explains.

The next frontier and subject of current studies is to understand what triggers a prion to change shape and, in turn, what can be done to prevent the change from occurring.

“We want to understand what goes wrong, stop it from happening, detect it in cases when it does happen, and dampen down the disease,” Westaway sums up.

cent of SRM was going into landfills for the lack of economically feasible alternatives to recapture its value.

David Bressler, an associate professor of bioengineering and fermentation at the U of A, estimated that amounted to 5,000 metric tons per week back in 2011.

With funding from APRI and ALMA his team developed a process for converting SRM into heavy-duty industrial plastics relying on thermal or caustic hydrolysis to meet the CFIA’s safety requirements for SRM. Dr. Tim McAllister and colleagues at Ag Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre have compiled a lengthy list of research on composting cattle mortalities as a viable method of destroying prions and other pathogens. APRI and ALMA funding has also allowed them to test whether plants absorb prions from soil contaminated with CWD prions. Results published earlier this year suggest that prions interact with roots of wheat plants, but if prions are transported to stems and leaves, the level is below what can be detected by current testing methods. c

APRI executive director, Kevin Keough.

“When my pen riders pull cattle, I want them to have a fast acting treatment that’s cost-effective.”

The thorny side

Keough says the other arm of their prion research deals with the thorny question of how to handle SRM, the parts of cattle that harbour misfolded prions in animals with BSE. The ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban has been in place since 1997. As a precautionary measure, CFIA removed all SRM from the food supply in July 2003. Then in 2007 the feed ban was enhanced to remove SRM from all animal feed, pet food and fertilizer, which had far-flung implications. Not only did it couple additional processing cost with a loss of salvage value of animals 30 months and over, it also resulted in a significant waste of protein.

According to the CFIA’s 2012 review of the enhanced feed ban, more than 90 per

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1. Giguère S, Huang R, Malinski TJ, Dorr PM, Tessman RK & Somerville BA. Disposition of gamithromycin in plasma, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid, bronchoalveolar cells, and lung tissue in cattle. Am. J. Vet. Res. 72(3): 326-330 (2011).

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 Nutritio n

By John McKinnon

A frosty start to 2015 raises energy requirements

A

s I write this most of the country is in a deep freeze with no end in sight. We all know how hard the cold is on equipment, machinery and people, however, we sometimes forget that our cows are also susceptible to severe environmental conditions. Fortunately, beef cows are hardy animals that can adapt to extreme conditions. However, in order for them to do so three conditions must be met. First and most importantly they need to have access to feed that meets their nutritional requirements for maintenance functions as well as that for pregnancy and perhaps lactation. Secondly, they need shelter from the wind, either natural or man made and thirdly they need to be kept dry, either through bedding of pens or an appropriate wintering area.

Cold weather impacts the maintenance energy requirements of cattle. Maintenance energy is the proportion of dietary energy that is used to keep cattle alive (i.e. not for pregnancy or milk production but to keep them alive). Typically the maintenance energy requirement of a beef cow is fairly constant within certain environmental temperatures. These are known as the upper and lower critical temperatures. The lower critical temperature is that temperature below which the cow must increase metabolic activity (i.e. heat production) in order to maintain core body temperature.

The increase in metabolic activity increases the maintenance energy needs of the animal. The colder the temperature, the greater the exposure to wet, windy conditions, the greater the increase in maintenance energy requirements.

This increase in maintenance energy requirement has several important consequences. First, it increases your feed costs as you need to adjust your feeding program to account for the extra energy required to combat the cold. More importantly, failure to provide this extra energy will result in weight loss, as your cows will use stored fat to keep warm. In situations where your cows went into winter in good body condition, losing some weight during periods of cold stress is not that critical as long as the weight loss is not excessive.

However, when cows are in poor to marginal condition to start, such weight loss can have very negative effects, not just on the comfort of the cow and viability of her calf, but also on her subsequent breeding performance.

The question often asked is what is the lower critical temperature at which we see an increase in energy requirements? While there is no set answer to this question, remember that cows like people, become acclimatized to winter. They do this in a variety of ways

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including coming off fall grass in the fall in good body condition, growing a winter hair coat and through an increased metabolic rate. It is my experience that cows adapted to winter in such a fashion that are kept dry and out of the wind acclimatize very readily to winter temperatures as low as -15 to -20 C. An important caveat to this statement is that in addition to environmental protection, a feeding program that meets nutritional needs for both maintenance and pregnancy must be provided. In such cases, most cows will winter without losing condition and should have minimal issues calving. Further, proper attention to post-calving nutritional needs will help to achieve a tight successful breeding season.

However, once the temperature drops below this range, we need to take proactive steps to meet the increased maintenance energy requirements and to prevent excessive weight loss. There are a number of approaches that can be used. Feed intake for example generally increases in cold weather. Providing access to more feed or in cases where cows are being wintered on a low-quality forage, switching to a higher-quality forage will provide more digestible energy. However, in many cases, cows particularly those on extensive wintering programs (bale grazing/swath grazing) have access to full feed, so supplying more of the same forage is not always an option. In such cases providing additional grain or another concentrated energy supplement (i.e. fortified grain screening pellets, dry distillers grains) is likely the easiest method of supplying additional energy during periods of cold stress.

One rule of thumb often cited is to provide one pound of additional grain per head per day for every 5° the temperature drops below -20 C. For cows exposed to temperatures of -30 C to -35 C, this means providing an additional three to four pounds of barely (or its equivalent) per head per day.

Another area where cows can run into issues with cold weather is with abomasal impaction. As stated above, during periods of extreme cold cows will increase feed intake. When fed low-quality forage-based diets (i.e. straw), dietary energy and protein content can limit rumen fermentation activity. The result is a reduction in digestibility, a reduced passage rate and eventually the rumen and abomasum (true stomach) can become “plugged.” To prevent this condition, you can feed a higher-quality forage or provide supplemental grain to ensure an active rumen.

A final word of caution — when supplementing with relatively high levels (eight to 10 pounds or more) of grain there is a potential for rumen acidosis to occur so it is wise to supplement twice a day. c

John McKinnon is a beef cattle nutritionist at the University of Saskatchewan

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Canadian Forage & Grassland Association The national voice for all sectors of the forage and grassland industry The Canadian Forage & Grassland Association (CFGA) is a national, non-profit association representing Canadians who produce hay and forage products, as well as stakeholders who depend on forage and grasslands to support their industries. The livestock sector is the largest user of forages in Canada, with 80 percent of Canada’s beef herd diet and 60 percent of a dairy cow diet dependant on forages.

The CFGA was formed in 2010, to provide a national voice for forages and a coordinated approach for the industry to address several market barriers on a national basis that restrict market access in a competitive way, such as transportation costs, currency rates, trade protocols, energy costs and market demands.

CFGA’s main role is to uphold Canada’s robust forage industry and realize the potential of the domestic

and export forage market. This is accomplished in several ways.

RESEARCH. Efforts undertaken by the association have national interest and focus on innovation, marketing and promotion. Research projects are initiated in collaboration with regional provincial councils, and its member directors.

FORAGE MARKETING. Canadian forage and forage products are marketed coast to coast and internationally to support domestic and export markets.

EVENTS. The CFGA Conference and Annual Meeting is held annually and includes tours and special workshops that provide exceptional learning and networking opportunities.

RESOURCES. In addition to event proceedings, the CFGA website provides access to technical information, fact sheets, reports, manuals, reference materials and more.

CFGA LEADERSHIP AWARD. Presented annually, the award recognizes individuals, groups or organizations that exemplify or enhance the goals of the CFGA and whose leadership has impact of national and/or international significance.

NEWSLETTER. Sent approximately three times a year, the e-Newsletter provides information on CFGA initiatives, research, events and updates on the general progress of the association.

MEMBERSHIP. The CFGA has four membership categories: 1) Membership from recognized provincial forage councils or organizations AND Organizations/ Groups representing Users/Producers, 2) Overseas Exporters, 3) US Exporters, and 4) Patron Memberships

For more information on CFGA, please contact us at info.cfga@gmail.com.

The livestock sector is the largest user of forages in Canada, with 80 percent of Canada’s beef herd diet and 60 percent of a dairy cow diet dependant on forages.

CANADIAN FORAGE & GRASSLAND ASSOCIATION www.canadianfga.ca

 vet aDvi c e

Antimicrobial resistance tug of war stands In the way of progress

T

he tug of war between government’s discounted ability to mount a meaningful defence against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), recent accusations that pull the ethical and professional conduct of food animal veterinarians offside, and the reality that we may be losing the battle against antibacterial resistance hinders the progress toward resolution.

Three recent events highlight the tug of war. First is the long-awaited treatise by the federal minister of health titled Antimicrobial Resistance and Use in Canada: A Federal Framework for Action. The document is a rhetorical review of material documented and addressed prior to 2004 and several times since. While recognizing that antimicrobial resistance is a serious and growing global public health threat, it does little to instil confidence that fresh initiatives will arise from the depth of concern, enough to stimulate investment and commitment to solving problems.

The document identifies four key goals: • To establish and strengthen surveillance systems to identify new threats or changing patterns in antimicrobial resistance and use, in human and animal settings.

• To strengthen the promotion of the appropriate use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine.

• To work with the animal agriculture sector partners to strengthen the regulatory framework on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds, including facilitating access to alternatives and encourage the adoption of practices in order to reduce the use of antimicrobials.

• To promote innovation through funding collaborative research and development efforts on antimicrobial resistance both domestically and internationally.

All listed goals have been identified in one form or another at every major scientific gathering on antimicrobial resistance for at least 10 years. What is always missing is the financial incentives and resolve to make them happen. The goal of AMR surveillance, while being actively pursued for much of the last decade, is always orphaned by the fact that an overall surveillance plan for monitoring endemic disease levels and emerging diseases is missing. Multiple strategic plans have identified surveillance as a critical component of moving forward in both animal and human health, and offer recommendations that simply gather dust.

Organizational dysfunction has certainly played a role. At the federal level, no less than five agencies toss the ball back and forth: The Public Health Agency of Canada; Health Canada; Canadian Food Inspection Agency; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Add to this mix all the provincial departments of Health and Agriculture, a myriad of municipal agencies, and a broad network of international bureaus. Dysfunction becomes inevitable.

The next and more recent event hindering progress on the issue of antimicrobial resistance is media pressure launched by U.S. news agencies that challenges the ethics and professionalism of veterinarians, especially food animal practitioners. The media has tried to link relationships with pharmaceutical companies that develop, research and market animal drugs with the routine use of antibiotics by veterinarians.

The article, “Veterinarians face conflicting allegiances to animals, farmers, and drug companies,” was part of a series of articles under

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the heading Farmaceuticals that ran in the U.S. This particular article states a “Reuters examination found the FDA will be empowering a profession that not only has allegiances to animals, farmers and public health, but also has pervasive and undisclosed financial ties to the makers of the drugs.” The relationships between medical doctors and the pharmaceutical industry are subject to strict rules that require the public disclosure of payments for meals, trips, consulting, speaking and research. Similar rules on the veterinary side are missing.

Professional groups, like the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and American Veterinary Medical Association challenged the accuracy of a number of statements made in these articles, and welcomed a wider debate on the responsible use of antibiotics in cattle.

The Indianapolis Star carried a similar series (Pets at Risk), attacking the integrity of veterinarians in small-animal practices and calling their motives into question.

This coverage had a ripple effect in Canada, as well.

While largely sensationalist and laced with inaccuracies, this media barrage has pronounced veterinarians guilty in the court of public opinion and unfortunately has detracted from any meaningful progress on solving the antimicrobial-resistant dilemma.

Although many unanswered questions remain about the degree to which antimicrobial use in food animals promotes AMR, the realities are: • AMR is an issue, and an often misunderstood one; • Antibiotics are an important tool for treatment of bacterial infections in food animals and humans; • Antimicrobial use for growth promotion, disease prevention, and treatment contributes to improved health and productivity of food animals, which benefits human health; • The use of antimicrobial compounds creates selective pressure on bacterial populations and contributes to antimicrobial resistance, which negatively impacts human health; • Antimicrobial use in food animal production is under increased scrutiny; • Consumers are concerned about unwarranted use of antimicrobials; • The extent to which antimicrobial use in food animals contributes to human health problems because of antimicrobial resistance is likely small, but perhaps not inconsequential; • The issue is complex and controversial, and while a science-based approach is frequently advocated, emotional arguments are frequently presented; • Continued use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine depends upon the profession’s ability to use them wisely.

Veterinarians and animal owners share a responsibility for minimizing the risk. We have not effectively communicated the value of antibiotic use in food animals to the consuming public and the risks of doing without them.

In order to progress to a sensible resolution around AMR this tug of war for public opinion has to cease. c Dr. Ron Clarke prepares this column on behalf of the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners. Suggestions for future articles can be sent to Canadian Cattlemen (gren@fbcpublishing.com) or WCABP (info@wcabp.com).

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Simm-December 14.indd 1

12/11/2014 9:38:51 AM

 seedsto c k

By Debbie Furber

Bruce, Jean, Treena, Ken and Heidi Adiar

Building consistency into a seedstock operation

A

ttention to detail paired with a no-fuss production system have been behind the Adair family’s success in building consistency into its seedstock Simmental herd.

The ranch maintains a 42-day breeding period and has a firm policy of culling open females and those that don’t bring in a seedstock-quality bull or heifer calf each year.

Cows and heifers that make the cut must also be structurally sound, calve and mother up without assistance, and be able to maintain body condition on pasture and in an extensive winter grazing program without supplemental grain.

“It is tough to have to cull quality animals and especially disappointing if it’s a young cow that comes up open, but we do this because we want to build fertility into the herd and have consistency in the 45 to 50 bulls we offer at our annual sales,” says Ken Adair. He and his wife, Treena, run their herd and pool labour, expertise and equipment with his parents, Bruce and Jean Adair, whose families have long histories of ranching in the Brownfield area, located in the brown soil zone bordering the Battle River in east-central Alberta.

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Their calving season evolved from January-February calving in the barn and corrals to calving on pasture with most of the calves now arriving in May. In the early 2000s, the ranch was carrying some commercial cattle that calved in April and after enjoying the perks that come with later calving, the family decided to move 30 of their purebreds into a spring calving program even though it meant a shift to selling rising two-yearolds rather than yearling bulls.

“The first purebred bulls from the spring calving program were born in 2004 and sold in 2006. They were well accepted by buyers, so we moved more over the next year,” Ken explains.

The changeover was completed by 2012 and they haven’t looked back for several reasons. Labour and lifestyle were definitely deciding factors, but the herd benefited as well. The health of the calves has improved considerably because the weather is favourable, whereas, pneumonia was always a concern with calves born and housed in the barn for a couple of days, then turned out into cold winter weather. The cows and replacement heifers have a good two

months on quality fresh meadow bromealfalfa pasture to be cycling before breeding season starts in the middle of July.

Their pastures are divided with permanent and portable electric wire into 20- to 30-acre paddocks for managed grazing with several paddocks managed to stockpile forage for calving season. One of the first challenges they came up against was moving new pairs out of the calving paddock every second or third day. They’ve learned by trial and error that it’s much easier and quicker to leave the pairs behind and move the cows that haven’t calved.

He starts a move by quietly riding through the herd with his working dog at side. Cows that have calved instinctively pick up their calves and trail them off to the side, leaving the cows that haven’t calved in a group that’s content to move on. Within 15 minutes the job is done.

A week or so later, depending on forage growth and water availability, they start bunching pairs into groups and eventually into a large group to drive to another pasture.

Breeding season starts in mid-July with a short artificial insemination (AI) program

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

seedstock

wherein they visually heat detect and AI for seven days, then give the remaining cows a shot of Estrumate and continue to heat detect and AI for another three days.

Afterwards, the cows are sorted into their breeding groups and continue on through the pasture rotations.

Weaning is far less stressful for all concerned when one-piece plastic nose paddles are used in the calves. They stay with the moms for 10 to 14 days and are then separated into a small pasture with room for grazing where they are introduced to their ration.

“There’s no bawling and walking the fence and no problem getting them onto feed,” Ken says. “The nose paddles stay in well for the most part. Five calves out of 100 might lose them and there are always a few smart ones that figure out how to rub the cow’s flank to lift the paddle then dip under.”

The nose paddles stay in place best if the calves are released into an open area with the cows. There’s more chance of them getting bumped out if the cattle are held in a tight space or trailed somewhere right away.

Both the bull-calf and heifer-calf groups are developed through the winter on a silage and grain ration targeting a conservative 1.5 to two pounds of gain per day. By the end of April, they’re back out on pasture.

The second winter, the bulls receive silage and the bred replacement heifers and first calvers winter together on the best-quality feed available, be it bales, swaths or silage.

“Silage is a nice way to make feed because weather doesn’t matter as much as with hay, but it is tedious to feed out,” Adair says. So, last winter they tried a new approach to get around the chore of feeding it daily. Instead of hauling it to one central location, they formed one 400- to 500-tonne pile out in a field for the sale bulls and one in another field for the cows. The piles are packed and covered with plastic held down with silage around the edges, leaving one end open for grazing. Access is controlled with electric fencing and a single strand of polywire on fibreglass posts inserted into the pile around the rim so that cattle can only eat from the open end.

The winter of 2013-14 turned out to be bitterly cold and given free-choice access the cattle did consume more than expected, but all in all, the setup worked well enough to try again this winter.

Adair says one big advantage is that if the animals breach the wire, you’re only dealing with 50 yards of fence to fix and they only break into the silage pile, not out of the field.

The Adairs’ preference for silage and hay-

have some cattle on the ranch and this is one way they can be involved in ranch activities.

The sale is held at the Provost Livestock Exchange where it is broadcasted over the Internet with live online bidding on the DLMS system. Sale catalogues are published online complete with pictures and video clips of individual animals.

Even he can now talk about days gone by when photos were few and far between in catalogues and most of their bull buyers were from the local area. Today there are buyers who have never been to the ranch or attended a sale in person. For this reason, they include information about disposition, hair coat, a muscle score and grass test results (pounds per day gained from beginning to end of grazing season) along with the expected progeny differences (EPDs) to give potential sight-unseen buyers finer details that may not be picked up from a photo or video clip alone.

“Our hope is to continue to build on both quality and numbers so we don’t sell many heifers,” Adair says.

If you won’t be able to drop by, visit www. adairranch.com, or call 403-578-4468. c

lage is Cowboy barley, but they do grow oats or soft white spring wheat for crop rotation purposes. This year they made some nice haylage from a new grass-clover stand and planted some fall rye to put up next summer.

Some years they’ve cut the barley for swath grazing or wrapped it up as greenfeed for bale grazing and buy in hay if needed.

Chaff piles dropped on stubble fields by a neighbour who pulls a chaff wagon behind the combine have been another feed source for wintering cows in an extensive system.

Optimism prevails

Optimism might be putting it mildly when it comes to this year’s market prices for calves and salvage bulls, but it’s definitely in the air as bull-sale time rolls around again.

This March will mark Adair Ranch’s 22nd annual bull sale and it has come to take on a different look and feel in recent years with the Internet opening their ranch to the world, thanks to his brother-in-law’s computer know-how in creating and maintaining the ranch’s website. Though his sister and brother-in-law, Tammy and Chuck Dube, are miles away in Minneapolis, they

“Cattle coming into my feedlot are usually heavier, so I treat ’em with long lasting ZACTRAN on arrival.”

Heavier weight cattle are often at lower risk to BRD so it makes sense to treat them with the fast acting,1 long lasting2 product that won’t break the bank. (And it’s plastic, so you won’t break the bottle either.) ®

Treat them with ZACTRAN .

Ask your veterinarian why ZACTRAN is ideal for cattle in your feedlot.

1. Giguère S, Huang R, Malinski TJ, Dorr PM, Tessman RK & Somerville BA. Disposition of gamithromycin in plasma, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid, bronchoalveolar cells, and lung tissue in cattle. Am. J. Vet. Res. 72(3): 326-330 (2011).

2. Based on label claims.

ZACTRAN® is a registered trademark of Merial Limited. © 2014 Merial Canada Inc. All rights reserved. ZACT-13-7560-JAD-E

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C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5 3515 Zactran Metaphylazis-CndCttl.indd 1

Client: Merial Project: Zactran Metaphylazis Ad

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2013-12-13 8:37 AM

Publication: Canadian Cattlemen Size: 4.58” x 5”

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 COVER STO RY · r a nc h i ng

By Debbie Furber

Reach out with a blog These two B.C. women explain ranch life to the world through their blog

A

rancher’s vocabulary has some colourful words, and dare we say a few choice ones now and then, but “blog” isn’t usually one of them unless you’re talking with Erika Fossen and Erika Strande (Stewart). 2erikas, as they are now known around the blogging world, created “Life on a BC Cattle Ranch” and as of November had attracted 1,160 followers since their first blog post in March 2013.

Fossen knows ranching inside out, but blogging? “What’s a blog?” she recalls asking Strande when she suggested the idea.

Blog is short for web log, so it’s a record of activities posted in an online forum to interact with readers. Strande’s idea for the blog was to help debunk erroneous myths about beef production by giving readers an insider’s view of everyday life on the two family ranches.

“People are as many as three generations removed from the farm and now they are interested in food,” Strande says. “We want to reach out with our side of the story of ranching and the cattle industry because it’s a side they never got before. We’d like consumers to learn and understand what it means to take care of animals so that they will be able to think critically and not be blinded by negative information about the industry. Whatever decision they reach, we want it to be an informed decision.”

Fossen knew from her family’s involvement in the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association’s (BCCA) Meet-A-Rancher program at local

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grocery stores that young moms, in particular, are searching for factual information.

Oddly, many shoppers thought the ranchers featured on the display poster were just actors. Once she pointed out that she is the rancher in the picture, they really wanted to talk, asking whether beef is safe, what’s added to beef, about treatments and if animals are treated humanely.

“My goal is to teach my audience and reach young mothers trying to decide if beef is a safe product to feed their children, that beef is a beautiful, awesome, natural product they can be proud to serve,” she says.

Thinking at least their families and friends would follow along, they began posting a few blogs and soon found that people really did want to learn about ranching. The reach into faraway countries such as India and Australia was totally unexpected! Encouraging comments and questions from readers have helped fuel their motivation.

2erikas

The two Erikas met for the first time at the 2012 BCCA annual general meeting shortly after Strande had been accepted into the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s (CCA) Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) mentorship program and requested Fossen as her mentor. She had heard that the Fossens’ Bar 7 Ranch near Rock Creek markets some of its beef locally and was interested in furthering the natural beef venture she had started as part of her business plan to ranch full time

with her dad on the family’s Pine Ranch, near Merritt.

“In thinking about where I fit in coming back to the ranch and seeing the city perspective of what people want, natural beef seemed to be an easy fit for us,” says Strande who obtained her degree in education from the University of Alberta.

Even though Rock Creek (near Osoyoos along the B.C.-Washington border) is three hours south of Merritt, the two ranches share commonalities typical of B.C. ranches that set them apart from other parts of Canada.

Calving season is pretty much set in stone, running from February through April, because their home fields and pastures need to be emptied by the end of April to grow winter feed supplies and the calves have to be old enough to travel to government range (Crown lease pasture) in May. The Fossens’ 280 cows and heifers calve in separate areas on a 25-acre field close to the yard. It can still be wintery in early February when the heifers start calving a couple of weeks ahead of the cows, but by the beginning of March most of the snow has melted.

On average, snow accumulation is two to three feet and average daily temperature is -7 C through winter. The bonus is that the area doesn’t get hit with the late-spring storms that wreak havoc on the Prairies.

They use their land and rent private pasContinued on page 28

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Friday, February 13 :: Rimbey, AB 16th Annual Genetic Edge Bull Sale Friday, February 20 :: Carstairs, AB 26th Mader Ranches Bull & Female Sale Saturday, February 21 :: Grenfell, SK Double Bar D Best of Both Worlds Sale Saturday, February 21 :: Olds, AB 1st Annual Diamond T “Stockman’s Choice” Bull Sale Monday, February 23 :: Olds, AB Select Opportunity Simmental Bull & Female Sale Monday, February 23 :: Flintoft, SK JYF Farms Production Sale Wednesday, February 25 :: Shell Lake, SK 9th Annual Crossroad Farms Bull Sale Thursday, February 26 :: Lloydminster, SK 10th Annual Robb Hoegl Bull Sale Saturday, February 28 :: Spruce Grove, AB Lewis Farms 30th Annual Bull Sale Monday, March 2 :: Shellbrook, SK 13th Annual Muirhead Cattle Co. Simmental Bull Sale Tuesday, March 3 :: Bowden, AB Belvin Angus Bull Sale Wednesday, March 4 :: Camrose, AB 20th Anniversary Herd Master Bull Sale Wednesday, March 4 :: Saskatoon, SK Erixon Simmentals Bull & Female Sale Thursday, March 5 :: Balcarres, SK 11th Annual Pheasantdale Bull & Female Sale Friday, March 6 :: Moose Jaw, SK Labatte Simmentals 35th Annual Bull & Female Sale Saturday, March 7 :: Carievale, SK 21st Annual McMillen Ranching Production Sale Monday, March 9 :: Oungre, SK Ashworth Farm & Ranch Simmental Sale Tuesday, March 10 :: Olds, AB 6th Annual Harvie Ranching Bull Sale Wednesday, March 11 :: Saskatoon, SK 25th Anniversary Sunny Valley Simmentals Bull & Female Sale Thursday, March 12 :: Moosomin, SK In Pursuit of Perfection Simmental & Angus Bull Sale Thursday, March 12 :: Olds, AB 12th Annual Westway & Deeg Annual Bull Sale Thursday, March 12 :: Stettler, AB Bar E-L Angus Sale Friday, March 13 :: Rumsey, AB 18th Annual Richmond Ranch Grass Country Bull Sale Saturday, March 14 :: Lloydminster, SK Next Generation Bull Sale Saturday, March 14 :: Erskine, AB 30th Annual LLB Spring Spectacular Bull & Female Sale Saturday, March 14 :: Saskatoon, SK Cattleman’s Bull Event

Saturday, March 14 :: Ste-Sophie de Levrard, PQ 4th Annual Synergie Bull Sale Monday, March 16 :: Olds, AB Remitall Farms Bull & Select Female Sale Tuesday, March 17 :: Lloydminster, SK Kuntz-Stoughton-McIntosh-SAJ Bull Sale Tuesday, March 17 :: Walsh, AB Reid Angus “Heat Seeker” Bull Sale Wednesday, March 18 :: Dundurn, SK 20th Annual Wilbar Farms Tools of the Trade Bull Sale Wednesday, March 18 :: Edgerton, AB Pugh Farms Spring Bull Sale Thursday, March 19 :: Forestburg, AB Get-A-Grip Angus Bull & Female Sale Thursday, March 19 :: Oyen, AB 20th Anniversary Bar 3R Limousin Bull Sale Friday, March 20 :: Stony Plain, AB Porter Ranches Bull Sale Friday, March 20 :: Saskatoon, SK 14th Annual Anchor B/B Bar/Carpenter Limousin Bull Sale Saturday, March 21 :: High River, AB 12th Annual Highland Stock Farms Bull Sale Saturday, March 21 :: Cheneville, PQ Ferme Gagnon Inc. & Guests Annual Bull Sale Monday, March 23 :: Radville, SK 3rd Brooking Angus Ranch Bull & Female Sale Monday, March 23 :: Lloydminster, SK 11th Annual Butts, Gutt & Nutts Simmental Bull Sale Tuesday, March 24 :: High River, AB 19th Annual U2 Ranch Bull & Female Sale Wednesday, March 25 :: Cochrane, AB Hamilton Farms 20th Annual Bull & Female Sale Friday, March 27 :: Turtle Lake, ND Rust Mountain View Ranch “Ace in the Hole” Bull Sale Friday, March 27 :: Saskatoon, SK 29th Annual Prairie Gold Limousin Sale Saturday, March 28 :: Moose Jaw, SK Stockmans Select Angus & Hereford Bull Sale Wednesday, April 1 :: Wood Mountain, SK Peak Dot Ranch Spring Sale Friday, April 3 :: Paynton, SK Currie – 20/20 – Roymac – Bullerwell Angus Bull Sale Saturday, April 4 :: Sangudo, AB Towaw Cattle Co. & Guest 35th Annual Bull Sale Tuesday, April 7 :: Sedley, SK Pursuit of Excellence Red & Black Angus Bull Sale Thursday, April 9 :: Ceylon, SK Southview Ranch Bull Sale Saturday, April 11 :: Fir Mountain, SK 40th Annual Six Mile Ranch Bull Sale Monday, April 13 :: Lloydminster, SK 20th Annual Justamere Bull Sale Monday, April 13 :: Ste. Rose, MB The Western Gateway Bull Sale Saturday, April 25 :: Swift Current, SK Wiwa Creek Bull Sale Scott Bohrson 403.370.3010 Darryl Snider 780.385.5561

Geoff Anderson 306.731.7921 Rob Voice 306.361.6775

Colton Hamilton 403.507.5416 Martin Bohrson 306.220.7901

r a nc h i ng

Erika Fossen, (front) and Erika Strande use their blog to explain the reality of a rancher’s life.

Continued from page 26

ture for early grazing until the cows can go to government range sometime between May 7 and June 1 through to late October, depending on the range. The Fossens’ leases encompass 70,000 acres, while the Strandes, with 250 cows, have 126,000 acres. At $2 per animal unit per month, access to government range is pivotal to their management strategies and a bargain compared to renting private pasture for $15 to $30 per animal unit per month.

There are frustrations, though. Strande blogs about gathering cows off a major highway built through one of their leases because recreational users, who by the way don’t pay for access, leave gates open.

The Fossens are firm supporters of the forestry industry, but discouraged with present-day reforestation plans that leave acres of heavy logging debris to purposely favour tree growth. This comes at the expense of forage regrowth and is gradually reducing the amount of usable forage on government ranges.

The trials and tribulations of checking, moving, and rounding up cattle on the expansive rugged ranges of the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains make for interesting blogs and likely many more to come given the predictable unpredictability of cow behaviour.

The Fossens, similar to many ranchers in their area, use a small plane to spot cattle, then ride out to look after whatever needs to

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be done. Steady horses with cow sense and smart working dogs are a must to manoeuvre through, but hopefully around, heavily forested areas on both ranches.

Irrigation is indispensable for securing adequate winter feed. Strande blogs about moving the wheel lines four rotations, or 60 feet a day across the hay land, which was her job as a kid and still is! She explains the haying process, the difference a new rotary mower has made in getting their hay put up in a timely manner, what happens to cut hay when it lays out in the rain, and how a neighbour helped salvage some weathered hay by putting it up as baleage. Hay production off their timothy-orchardgrass-brome stands has doubled since they began fertilizing with manure from nearby chicken barns two years ago.

Fossen talks about hand-line irrigation, or irritation as a friend dubbed it, because the pipes have to be manually disassembled, moved and reassembled to cover 200 acres every day or so from early May through August. Rain takes on a special meaning considering it’s an eight-hour job for two people and the electrical bill runs up to $200 a day when the three pumps are running.

Upgrading to a centre-pivot system this year, made possible in part through participation in the farm environmental plan program, has shortened the job by two hours a day.

The Fossens switched from hay to mainly silage more than 20 years ago because it takes some of the weather worry out of putting up feed and there’s very little leaf loss

relative to rolling up bales at lower moisture content. It does take more people working at the time to chop, haul, pack and cover silage, but once it’s in the pit, the job is done.

Feeding silage in winter is quicker than putting out hay bales and ensures all animals get a nice mix of each silage type.

They grow a mix of oat, barley, triticale and pea, which in good growing years yields around six tons of dry matter (DM) per acre in one cut. It’s layered in the pit with grassalfalfa silage, which adds seven tons of DM per acre over three cuts, and top it off with corn grown for two years now, giving them another nine tons DM per acre. Each day during the winter feeding period, they scrape about a foot from the face of the pit, mix it in the feed wagon and dump it in small piles around the winter feeding areas; one for mature cows and another for the bred heifers and second calvers. Rolled barley is added to the ration for cows that have calved.

Most of the calves, except the potential replacement heifers and lighter calves, are sold off the cows either through an auction market or Internet sale when they come off government range. The cows continue grazing stockpiled grass on private land until winter feeding starts about mid-December.

Right off the bat they feed in the middle of the afternoon because it has always worked well to set the cows’ biological time clocks for calving during daytime hours.

Continued on page 30

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r a nc h i ng

Continued from page 28

The Strandes generally keep 55 replacement heifers each year. At preg-check time, she holds back at least three open heifers for her natural beef packages, steaks and roasts along with the open cows for ground beef.

Her natural beef program, High Mountain Meats, is now in its third year. It’s going well aided by wholesaling to a group of local girls who had already established a distribution network for organic food and growing through word of mouth.

Both Erikas blogged loud and clear about what the new Western Livestock Price Insurance Program means to their operations.

They call it a game changer because B.C. ranchers, alongside those in the Prairie provinces, now have the opportunity to secure a floor price for their product to help cover expenses and hopefully lock in a profit.

The Fossens weren’t in a claim position when they sold calves this fall, but that’s a good thing because market prices were 60 cents a pound higher than the insured price, more than covering the premium cost. “It gave us such peace of mind, knowing that if market prices dropped for whatever reason, all of our work wouldn’t be for nothing,” she says, adding that they’ll be watching the premium tables to insure a price on their backgrounders.

Fossen feels extremely fortunate to have the career she always dreamed of — being a farmer’s wife. For her, that means living on the land and raising a family, Adele, 13, Jade, 11, Reine, nine. Her roots in agriculture are deep running back to 1912 on the mixed farm where she was raised northwest of Grand Prairie.

Doug, whose family has been on the ranch since 1976, writes, “it takes a lifetime of ranching to truly appreciate all that we have been gifted with.” This summer past, the family was honoured with the Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C. award for consistent excellence in grassland stewardship.

Strande seconds that feeling since committing to a ranching career, saying she has new-found appreciation for the many years her dad and grandpa devoted to cattle and the land since moving from Maple Creek, Sask., to establish Pine Ranch in 1962.

She has already garnered a strong support network as she sets out to continue the story.

Her involvement with the CYL program has opened many doors, including being elected by her peers as chair of the CCA’s inaugural Young Cattlemen’s Council.

For the rest of the 2erikas’ stories go to http://lifeonabccattleranch.wordpress.com. c

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 b lo g t i ps

Blogs need tags, too Setting up a blog site is as easy as setting up a Facebook account so don’t be intimidated by technology, Strande says. There are several free hosting platforms and she settled on WordPress.com after talking with others to find one that would best meet her criteria of being simple and user friendly.

Don’t feel that you have to be the expert on everything, she adds. The 2erikas blog about everyday jobs and activities on the ranch caring for their cattle, horses and the land, explaining why they do things as they do, frustrating days and fruitful days, industry events and workshops, and agriculture-related community activities such as 4-H, the fall fair and Ag in the Classroom.

You can include hyperlinks to dictionaries and Google maps and insert links to other sources of reliable information and YouTube videos where people can learn about all aspects of beef production in Canada.

Tagging is a function that lets you list key words associated with each blog so that when people do web searches that include any of the tag words, your blog will pop up on the results list. For this reason, they almost always include the names of animal activist groups in the list. This is one strategy for telling your story without being defensive. Strande explains, the idea being that when a consumer searches an activist group’s name or campaign, the 2erikas’ blog might intercept.

It does take commitment to keep up with posting new blogs and replying to comments, especially during calving, silaging and roundup, when there are precious few spare hours in a day. It helps that the blog program sends comments from the blog directly to them via email and the WordPress phone app.

Fossen has come to think of the blog as her ranch diary, which will be nice to look back on years from now and something she probably wouldn’t have taken time to do had they not started their blog.

FEBRUARY 14

Prairie Hills Gelbvieh ‘Power on the Prairie Sale,’ at the Ranch, Gladstone, ND

FEBRUARY 25

6th Annual Beck McCoy Bull Sale, Beck Farms Sale Barn, Regina, SK

MARCH 7

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 26th Annual Bull Sale, at their bull yards, Ponteix, SK

MARCH 9

Severtson Land & Cattle Bull Sale, at the ranch, Red Deer County, AB

MARCH 10

Gelbvieh Stock Exchange Sale, Medicine Hat Feeding Company, Medicine Hat, AB

MARCH 14

Foursquare 8th Annual Bull Sale, Olds Cow Palace, Olds, AB

MARCH 16

Twin Bridge Farms & Guests Bull Sale, Silver Sage Community Corral, Brooks, AB

MARCH 21

Gelbvieh Advantage Bull Sale, Innisfail, AB

MARCH 21

Saskatoon Gelbvieh Bull & Female Sale, Saskatoon, SK

MARCH 25

Nelson Gelbvieh Bull Sale, at the Ranch, Glenwood, AB

MARCH 28

Milne’s Gelbvieh, Opening day Better Beef Bull Sale, at the Ranch, Fairview, AB

MARCH 29

Best of the Breeds Bull Sale, Leross, SK

APRIL 4

Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance Bull Sale, Johnstone Auction Mart, Moose Jaw, SK

CANADIAN GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION 403.250.8640 gelbvieh@gelbvieh.ca www.gelbvieh.ca

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch

Vernon & Eileen Davidson 306-625-3755 davidsongelbvieh@sasktel.net www.davidsongelbvieh.com Ross & Tara Davidson & Family 306-625-3513 lonesomedoveranch@sasktel.net www.davidsonlonesomedoveranch.com

O'Faelan Farms Inc. Ron Whalen 902-651-2006 Vernon River, PEI drrwhalen@yahoo.ca www.ofaelanfarms.ca

Foursquare Gelbvieh

Roger & Kim Sayer 403-875-8418 Carstairs, AB rogerandkimsayer@yahoo.ca

Twin Bridge Farms Ltd.

Ron, Carol, Ross, Gail, Owen Stone Gate Farm & & Aaron Birch Ron & Carol 403-792-2123 V&V Farms Ltd. Aaron 403-485-5518 Darrell & Leila Hickman Lomond, AB 780-581-0077 Gelbvieh Stock Exchange Sale Group aaron@tbfarms.ca Vermilion, AB Don Okell - 403-793-4549 www.tbfarms.ca darrell.hickman@lakelandcollege.ca jenty@eidnet.org Vern & Vivienne Pancoast www.jentygelbviehs.com 403-548-6678 Gary or Nolan Pahl - 403-977-2057 Maple Grove Gelbvieh Redcliff, AB garypahl@shockware.com Lee & Neal Wirgau vvfarms@xplornet.com www.towerviewranch.com 204-278-3255 Narcisse, MB maplegrove@xplornet.com Keriness Cattle Company Ltd. Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance Sale Group Kert Ness - 403-860-4634 Kirk Hurlburt - 306-222-8210 kertness@shaw.ca hurlburtlivestock@sasktel.net Gelbvieh Association of Joe Ness - 403-852-7332 Chad Nicholas Airdrie, AB Alberta/BC 306-436-7300 jonus@telus.blackberry.net c/o Merv Tuplin - 780-450-1280 cnicholas@mccoycattle.com Edmonton, AB Ian Thackeray mervtuplin@gmail.com 306-861-7687 Carroll Creek Cattle Company tgfis@sasktel.net Jason Hurst Fir River Livestock 519-881-7929 Dave Hrebeniuk - 306-865-6603 Durham, ON Eastern Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc.

Darcy, Renee, Colt & jasonhurst0@gmail.com c/o Laurie Hurst Kenzie Hrebeniuk - 306-865-7859 Durham, ON Hudson Bay, SK 519-369-1763 firriver@xplornet.com carrollcreekcattleco@gmail.com Man-Sask Gelbvieh Assoc. www.gelbviehworld.com www.go-gelbvieh.com c/o Lee Wirgau - 204-278-3255 Narcisse, MB maplegrove@xplornet.com Skyline Way NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6V1 CANADIAN GELBVIEH 5160Ph: 403.250.8640 • Fax: 403.291.5624 Email: gelbvieh@gelbvieh.ca • www.gelbvieh.ca ASSOCIATION

 researc h o n t h e r eco r d

By Reynold Bergen

Using Research Funds More Efficiently

C

anada has many cattle, forage and beef research funders. Some, like the Beef Cattle Research Council and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, fund projects all across the country.

Others, like most provincial beef organizations and provincial governments have a more regional focus.

Each funder generally operates completely independently from every other. Each funder sets their own priorities, makes their own decisions, and administers their own projects. They each do their best to fund research that will benefit their corner of the industry, but often don’t know whether another funder may already be supporting a similar project elsewhere in the country.

The Beef Cluster is an effort to get Canada’s beef research funders to communicate, co-ordinate and co-operate more closely. The first Beef Cluster (200913) began with checkoff funding from the BCRC and Alberta Beef Producers, federal government funds from AAFC and additional industry contributions from the Grey-Wooded Forage Association and Pioneer Hi-Bred.

In the spring of 2012, the BCRC began planning for the second Beef Science Cluster (2013-18).

To help us intelligently focus Canada’s beef research funding for the next five years, we needed to know where Canada’s beef research funding had gone in the past five years. So we contacted 25 different research funders across Canada and asked them to tell us what their research priorities were, as well as details about each project they funded (project title, researchers, institutions, and research objectives) over the five years between January 2007 and December of 2011. In the end, 23 funders provided information on nearly 600 projects.

The survey found some imbalances between funding priorities and funding allocations. For example, prionrelated research was only mentioned as a priority three per cent of the time. But prion-related research actually received close to 25 per cent of all of Canada’s forage, cattle and beef research funding. On the other hand, food safety research was mentioned as a priority 18 per cent of the time, but only received seven per cent of the funding. Forage research was mentioned as a priority 24 per cent of the time, but received only 13 per cent of the funding.

This reflects Canada’s shortage of food safety and forage researchers. If there aren’t many researchers, there is a limit to how much research they can do. Some sectoral differences were very apparent as well. Over 90 per cent of feedlot-related health research was focused on respiratory disease. In contrast, nearly half of cow-calf health funding was directed towards Johne’s disease. In terms of beef quality, omega-3 and CLA research was funded as heavily as efforts to understand and improve tenderness.

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The survey results stimulated a lot of discussion among the participants of the 2012 National Beef Research Workshop about “have we really focused in the right areas over the past five years, and if not, how should we focus in the next five in order to help the industry the most?” These conversations ultimately led to the National Beef Research Strategy, which guided the research programs at the core of the second Beef Cluster. More funders have become involved in the second Beef Cluster, and a number of government and beef and forage industry groups are using the National Beef Research Strategy.

The survey took a lot of time and effort on behalf of the BCRC as well as each of the industry and government funders who pored through their files to provide us with information. The funders discussed these problems at the national workshop and agreed that everyone would benefit if funders communicated more closely all the time, not just once every five years.

Because of our experience doing the funder survey, the BCRC was asked to develop a beef research inventory to track research funding on an ongoing basis. In simple terms, we are tracking two things. Firstly, participating funders are letting us know about all of the proposals that are being submitted to them (whether they are funded or not). This helps us to track what researchers are interested in, so if a particular issue suddenly needs research, we can quickly identify researchers who are interested in doing that sort of work. We can also determine whether similar work is already ongoing somewhere else, and suggest potential collaborators. Over 800 proposals have been submitted for funding since January 2012.

We are also tracking over 400 projects that have been funded since January 2012. By comparing the research objectives of each proposal with the target research outcomes in the National Beef Research Strategy, we can identify which outcomes are being addressed, which are potentially being overfunded, and which outcomes are not being addressed at all.

In fact, the beef industry’s approach to strategically co-ordinating research funding is now being held up as a positive example for other commodity groups to follow.

The Beef Research Cluster is funded by the National Checkoff and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada with additional contributions from provincial beef industry groups and governments to advance research and technology transfer supporting the Canadian beef industry’s vision to be recognized as a preferred supplier of healthy, high quality beef, cattle and genetics. c Dr. Reynold Bergen is the science director of the Beef Cattle Research Council.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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 grazing

By Steve Kenyon

Recycled Paradigms

H

ow do plants grow? This might seem like a pretty simple and harmless question, but Jean Baptista Van Helmont was curious about this so he did a pretty basic experiment to find out. The downside to his experiment was that he was arrested for it!

Here is what he did in his own words: “I took an earthen pot and in it placed 200 pounds of earth which had been dried out in an oven. This I moistened with rainwater, and in it planted a shoot of willow which weighed five pounds.

When five years had passed, the tree which grew from it weighed 169 pounds and about three ounces. The earthen pot was wetted whenever it was necessary with rain or distilled water only. It was very large, and was sunk in the ground, and had a tin-plated iron lid with many holes punched in it, which covered the edge of the pot to keep airborne dust from mixing with the earth. I did not keep track of the weight of the leaves which fell in each of the four autumns.

Finally, I dried out the earth in the pot once more, and found the same 200 pounds, less about two ounces. Thus, 164 pounds of wood, bark, and roots had arisen from water alone.”

For this experiment, he was arrested for the crime of studying plants and other phenomena. This happened in 1634. At the time, it was believed that plants grew by eating the soil and his research was not received very well. His research was published in Ortus Medicinae (in 1648). This is human nature. Sometimes we get stuck in our paradigms and cannot accept new ideas. I have also seen that sometimes we get stuck in new paradigms and cannot accept old ideas. Let me explain.

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His science is a little outdated and we now know that his conclusion was not entirely correct but he did prove an important point that we seem to ignore in today’s agriculture. His point; plants do not grow from the soil. His experiment showed that the makeup of the plant did not come entirely from the soil. It does partially come from the water added to the soil as he stated, but we also now know about the miracle of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process where the plant takes carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) and combines them by capturing sunlight energy to form a simple sugar called glucose (C6H12O6).

A major issue with our agricultural soils is that we have been mining them for many years He was almost right; very little of the growth comes from the soil. Over 95 per cent of the elemental makeup of a plant comes from the air. On a wet basis, over 80 per cent of a plant is water, but if we look at the typical dry matter composition breakdown of a plant, it looks something like this: carbon: 45 per cent, oxygen: 45 per cent, hydrogen: six per cent and nitrogen: 1.5 per cent. That’s 97.5 per cent. Any other single element in a plant will make up less than one per cent. Most are measured in parts per million. Most of a plant is carbon which comes from the air, with hydrogen

and oxygen from the water (which comes from the air as well) to make sugar through photosynthesis.

Nitrogen is also taken from the air by soil microbes and given to the plant in exchange for sugar. The air we breathe is 78 per cent N. The most common method is by the symbiotic relationship between the legume and the microbes to exchange N for sugar, but there are other bugs that can convert the N in the air as well. The main point is that less than five per cent of the elements we need to grow plants come from the soil.

Yes, I agree, a soil test will show the elemental breakdown of all of the elements in the soil. And adding nutrients to the soil will make plants grow, but at what cost? I’m just saying we can get it for free by recycling. We have degraded our land.

We no longer have healthy soils that can function on their own.

Here is a paradigm for you. I hear all the time about nutrients that get “bound up” in the soil and people say this as though it is a bad thing. I am trying to build my soil.

I am trying to have nutrients and minerals held in the soil. Are we not constantly trying to promote taking carbon from the air and putting it back into the soil to save the earth?

Why is carbon any different than all of the other elements? It is a good thing if we can build up our soil and have all the nutrients become “bound up” in the soil. We just need the right bug to get it for us when we need it.

There are millions and millions of interactions that take place in the soil. Many of them are symbiotic relationships between the plants and the soil organisms that benefit both sides. A major issue with our agricultural soils is that we have been “mining” them for many years. We are taking nutrients from them without replacing them.

Most of the nutrients needed to grow a plant come from the air, and we need the soil organisms to get it. I agree, some of the nutrients for the plant might come directly from the soil. Indirectly though, that nutrient needs to recycle through the soil and be replenished. The net change in the soil needs to be neutral.

So my question for you is, if more than 95 per cent of the plant’s elemental makeup comes from the air, why do we spend so much time and money trying to add nutrients to the soil? The soil is only a medium to provide stability and a protected environment for the plants and the soil life. The real magic is in the plants with the process of photosynthesis, and in our amazing soil organisms. Matter cannot be created or destroyed. Every ele-

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

grazing

ment has a cycle. We need to learn how to effectively recycle nutrients so we do not have to constantly buy them.

Most often in today’s agriculture, these cycles are disturbed by our management practices. One of the biggest reasons why is because we do not take care of the bugs in our soil — 85-90 per cent of plant nutrition is microbiotically mediated. Most soils have a biological issue, not a fertility issue. WE NEED BUGS IN THE SOIL! (I think I have said that a few times before.)

What about the other five per cent of the elements we need? The bugs can get that from the soil for you as well, but only if they are well taken care of. Let’s look at one example of how the soil life can help the

plants. The mycorrhiza fungi in a healthy soil acts like the Internet to connect, transfer and exchange nutrients and information within the soil. This massive network connects all of the processes in the soil together.

The fungi can extend the reach of the plant’s root systems a thousandfold in searching for nutrients. They can also extract the minerals we need straight from the rocks. They can pass information between the plants for disease and pests to build up resistances. It is amazing what our soil life can do for us.

If we let it! I would recommend you look into how to take care of your fungi. I bet you will find that most of it is really just common sense.

We know very little about what hap-

pens within our soils. But in reality, the soil is not that complicated. It is silt, sand and clay with organic matter mixed in. It is the millions and millions of soil organisms that do all of the heavy lifting. This includes plants, animals and fungi. Take care of your living soil.

Be aware of your own paradigms. I think more people in agriculture today should be arrested for the paradigms they get stuck in!

What some of us do to our soils is a crime. c Steve Kenyon runs Greener Pastures Ranching Ltd. in Busby, Alta., www. greenerpasturesranching.com, 780-307-6500, email skenyon@greenerpasturesranching.com or find them on Facebook.

CANADIAN SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION Box 3771, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3N8 • p: 306-757-2212 • f: 306-525-5852 office@canadianshorthorn.com • www.canadianshorthorn.com

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C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

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Three_top_requests_Feb_15.pdf 1 13/01/2015 4:31:01 PM

IT’S COLD !

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CALVES.

Here’s a QUICK and EASY-TO-USE guide for handling the top three producer-support requests during calving season: 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.

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Y

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1. To activate your account or to have one created, contact a CSR by toll-free telephone at 1-877-909-2333 or email at info@canadaid.ca.

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3. Once the account has been created or verified by a CSR, the CSR will activate it and provide you with your account number, username and a temporary authorization code to set up a password for your account.

4. Go to www.clia.livestockid.ca. After Need to activate your account with Authorization code, select Click here.

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IP: Including an email address in your CLTS account information

T USER

enables you to reset your password as well as receive system notifications and updates.

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5. Click the checkbox to opt-in or out of the offer to receive information about products, services, events and latest solutions.

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At http://tags.canadaid.ca, click Place an Order for producers.

The login page will appear, click Register – Create your Access Codes.

Enter your CLTS account ID and telephone number, then click AutoFill.

If you receive a notice indicating your account cannot be found, please contact us to confirm your account information or have your information entered into the tag order database to set-up your tag order account.

5. If your account can be found, your address will appear and you will have the opportunity to enter your user information. Once entered, click Submit.

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 Holistic R a nc hi ng

By Don Campbell

profit versus production part 2

L

ast month we looked at cow size and profit. This month let’s look at calving dates and profit. I realize that this can be a controversial and emotional topic. My idea is to challenge you to figure out with your own numbers what calving dates will produce the most profit on your unique operation. There is a lot of tradition in the cow-calf business. Often we do things without a clear financial analysis. I think we will all be better off when we can put clear numbers to our various management decisions. I wish you success in figuring out the most profitable time to calve.

With the stronger cattle prices we appear to be in a new era in the cow-calf business. This would be an ideal time to evaluate all our management decisions. We have a wonderful opportunity to build more profitable and more sustainable operations.

My first suggestion to help determine calving dates is to look at the wildlife in your area. When do moose, deer, elk or antelope have their young? Most wildlife calve from mid-May to late June. I believe there is a message here. Wildlife calve in May and June for two basic reasons: first, survival of the young is highest then and, second, rebreeding of the females is higher when they calve at this time of the year.

In agriculture we have a long history of trying to dominate nature. Calving date is a classic example. There is no doubt we can dominate nature in the short term. However, it is important to remember that nature will bat last and has very deep pockets. When we try and dominate nature we increase costs and reduce profit.

If we are in business to produce a profit we will want to calve when costs are low and the survival rate of the young is high. Mimicking nature by calving in May and June is likely to lead to our desired result.

I think that most of us will agree that a cow needs her best nutrition from the day she calves until the day she is bred. Grass is the most nutritious feed we have. It is also the cheapest feed available. Calving in May and June will help us meet the nutritional requirements of our animals at the lowest-possible cost. This will lead to a high rebreeding percentage. This is important as there is a strong correlation between rebreeding and profit.

Calving earlier increases feed costs. It is also likely to increase the cost of feeding the feed. Despite our higher feed costs rebreeding rates may also suffer. Clearly these higher costs have the potential to lower profits.

Now let’s consider labour and investment costs as related to calving dates. Both will be lowest with May/ June calvings. Some of you may be concerned with having your cows calve without constant checking. For a cow to have a calf is the most natural thing in the world. Our job is to provide adequate nutrition, easy-calving bulls and a natural environment for the cow. When these con-

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ditions are met we might be best advised to get out of the way and let nature take over. Perhaps the less management we provide the more profitable we will be.

Calving earlier will increase both labour and investment costs. One of the keys to having a profitable cow herd is to have a low investment per cow. Any infrastructure associated with calving will increase our investment per cow.

Marketing at a particular time or producing a certain weaning weight might be another reason to calve early. Here again we can do a financial analysis of our business. For example, if you want to market 800-pound calves is it more profitable to calve early and sell this weight of calf at weaning? How would later calving and backgrounding to reach 800 pounds compare? Which might be more profitable?

I would like to share a couple of stories. Hopefully they will challenge your thinking. The first one is some work done many years ago at one of the research stations in Western Canada. The idea was to compare calving in February and April. Two similar groups of cows were calved out.

The calves were weaned and sold on the same day in Oct. The conclusion was that the February calves made more money. This conclusion was correct. What was completely overlooked was the extra cost of calving in February. There was also no mention of how the two groups rebred. This is a classic example of the production paradigm as compared to the profit paradigm. The production paradigm has been strongly encouraged by agribusiness, government and extension services. The production paradigm may serve agribusiness. It does very little for the primary producer. At our level profit is king. Production is secondary.

My second story is about a young person who has recently graduated from university. He has landed a job as a feed salesman. While travelling in his area he meets an older farmer who lives well off the beaten track. He is not very progressive by the young man’s standards. But when the young man stops to visit he sees pigs of all ages and sizes everywhere basically running free. The young man suggests to the older man, “I think I can figure out a ration that will get your pigs to market sooner.”

“Really,” replies the older man. “It’s OK by me, please figure it out.”

In two weeks the young man returns. He excitedly explains to the older man how if he will just pen his pigs and buy some feed from him his pigs will get to market two weeks sooner.

The older man thinks for a moment or two and replies: “You might be right sonny. But what is time to a pig?”

I wish you success in building a profitable business.

Remember, to improve we have to be willing to challenge the status quo. Happy trails. c Don Campbell ranches with his family at Meadow Lake, Sask., and teaches Holistic Management courses. He can be reached at 306-236-6088 or doncampbell@sasktel.net.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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 managem e n t

By Debbie Furber

Saskatchewan’s 21-Day Calving Challenge … a calving record book with a twist

T

here are three $1,000 vouchers for mineral supplement up for grabs in the Saskatchewan 21-Day Calving Challenge, but everyone is a winner year after year just by paying attention to the reproductive success of their cow herds.

The simplest and most effective way to do that is to track calving distribution by counting the number of cows that calve in the first 21-day period of your calving season, divide by the total number to calve and multiply by 100 to get a percentage. Do the same for the second and third 21-day intervals.

The challenge is to meet or beat the goal of having 60 per cent of your cows calve in the first 21 days.

Producers are encouraged to include their 21-day calving percentage on the entry form, but if your herd doesn’t meet the 60 per cent mark this year, or you’re not done

calving by the contest closing date of June 1, don’t let that stop you from entering the contest, says Travis Peardon, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (SMA) regional livestock specialist.

The special 21-Day Calving Challenge calving record book, where you’ll find the entry form, is jam-packed with practical information on reproduction and nutrition to help improve your calving distribution in the years ahead.

The idea behind the contest, organized by the SMA regional services branch, New Life Mills, Saltec-Ceres Industries and Cargill, is to raise awareness of the importance of tracking calving distribution as a measure of cow herd reproductive success and the importance of reproduction to your bottom line.

Cow herd reproduction is without question the No. 1 factor in profitability for cow-

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management

calf operations. It’s five times more important to the bottom line than growth rate and 10 times more important than carcass traits, Peardon explains.

Calves from cows that calve early have a head start on those born later in the calving season and will be heavier at weaning, which is particularly important if you typically sell all the calves off the cows at weaning. Every time a cow misses a 21-day breeding cycle it will cost around 50 pounds in calf weaning weight. In today’s market, those pounds are more valuable than ever.

Likewise, replacement heifer calves born in the first 21 days are heavier and more likely to be cycling as yearling heifers than those born later on.

Not only does uniformity add value in the marketplace, but management procedures and labour requirements are simplified when calves are of similar age and cows are at similar stages in their reproductive cycle.

Cows that calve in the first 21 days have more time to return to estrus and be ready to rebreed at the start of the next breeding season, provided they are in good body condition at calving and fed to maintain condi-

tion while milking. Early-calving cows stay on track by calving early and weaning the heaviest calves each year. Therefore, they are more likely to stay in the breeding herd longer than cows that calve later on.

Tips to stay on track

A reasonable expectation for calving distribution is 60 per cent of the open cows bred in each of the three 21-day cycles. That’s 60 per cent in the first 21 days, leaving 40 per cent to be bred in the second cycle.

Another 60 per cent of those second-cycle cows equates to 24 per cent for a total of 84 per cent bred at the end of the second cycle.

Sixty per cent of the remaining 16 per cent, or 10 per cent of the cows, would be bred in the last cycle for a total conception rate of 94 per cent.

Peardon says the biggest considerations to keep your herd on track are body condition scoring at calving through to rebreeding and having a good year-round mineral program.

Target the feeding program to achieve body condition scores of 2.5 for mature cows and 3.0 for first-calf heifers (on the five-point scale) at calving. Maintain or improve on it

as the case may be to promote the return to estrus by the start of the new breeding season.

If your calving distribution is tilted to the late side or falls off track, the first things to look at are your feeding and mineral program and your health program. It never hurts to have a second set of eyes look over what’s happened and offer suggestions and regional livestock specialists are quite prepared to do that, Peardon says.

Your situation may require consulting a veterinarian to set up an effective vaccination program or a nutritionist to work out the kinks in your feeding program.

One factor often overlooked that can sneak up on you is bulls that for some reason fail to get the job done. It’s important to include your bulls in your health program and put them through a breeding soundness exam before turning them out. Testing is still no guarantee; things still happen out on breeding pastures that can’t always be anticipated, and are even more disastrous in single-bull pastures. Fever from a foot rot infection, for example, can affect sperm viability.

For more details, if you live in Saskatchewan, call 1-866-457-2377. c

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The result is a big finish: A more efficient herd, which means increased profitability. And using Beefbooster bulls means more sustainable beef. You’re contributing to a better world – one bull at a time. beefbooster.com

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41

 handling

By Tessa Nybo

Mustering and drafting down under

I

n July 2014, my fiancé Colin and I had the opportunity to work on Manali Limousin and Lim-Flex stud near Scone, New South Wales, Australia. Over the course of the month we fed cattle, built fence and welded gates, and spent numerous full days clipping and washing 56 twoyear-old bulls that would be sold in their second annual on-farm sale.

Images of mustering wild Brahman cattle by helicopter over vast drought-stricken red soil seem to be the common image people have when I tell them we worked on a cattle ranch in Australia. This was, however, not quite the case in the area we worked in. The cattle were excellent breeding stock, not dissimilar to our Canadian cattle. We rounded them up with quads, which are known as bikes in Australia, and a few good working dogs of kelpie, heeler, or border collie breeding.

The country is suffering a severe drought in areas, but the centre pivot kept the field the sale bulls were in reasonably lush. Manali would be considered a very intensive cattle operation by Australian standards. Heifers were kept nearby and checked daily during calving, which was just beginning while we were there. Bulls were fed grain each morning and clipped, pictured, videoed and washed for the sale. These practices were familiar to us Canadian cattle producers, and we readily leaned on our expertise in these areas.

The remainder of their production practices were quite dissimilar, primarily due to the differences in climate. While we fret about water systems freezing in the winter in Canada, our Australian counterparts don’t fear freezing but rather their natural water sources such as creeks drying up altogether.

Regardless of the differences in production there is one thing that is the same for cattlemen across the globe; cattle need to be rounded up, sorted, and processed through a chute. In Australia it would be mustering, drafting, and processing through the crush.

Whatever words you use to describe it the process is the same. The handling systems you have in place can, either make the experience quick with minimal stress on both cattle and handler, or a tedious process that causes stress for both stock and people.

If there is one concept we saw in Australia that we most certainly would like to

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implement on our own farm, it is the cattlehandling systems.

Manali consists of hundreds of acres of property spread many kilometres apart; therefore they had numerous cattle-handling facilities on their various pieces of land. The facility that we thought the most unique had a polygon-shaped centre with surrounding holding pens that we found to be relatively simple and seemingly minimal cost to set up yet extremely effective especially when handling livestock on your own with no help.

The numerous pens on the outside of the centre polygon allowed cattle to be drafted

(sorted) into numerous groups from the centre pen. The curved shape of the centre pen worked to the handler’s advantage as it is natural instinct for livestock to follow a curve and you could easily move them into the pen of your choice. Cattle could be moved out of an outer pen and into the centre polygon of which one side connected to the run that led to the crush (chute).

The run was also curved, again to work with the animal’s natural instinct to follow a curve. The crush itself worked entirely off levers not hinges like most North American Continued on page 44

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Continued from page 42

chutes. We found that worked well except you couldn’t leave the head catch partially open and have cattle catch themselves by walking into it. This lever-style head catch also popped open fairly often when the big two-year-old bulls, with their crested necks, started thrashing. It worked much better on smaller-necked cows and heifers.

The best feature of the crush was a small bar called a head bail that you could raise up under the neck of the animal which was very convenient for clipping out heads, necks and briskets without having the animal putting its nose into the ground the entire time. It also worked well at restraining the head when you were giving a needle, treating an eye, or tagging.

The crush we used at Manali was called The Hunter Pacifier with a Headmaster Head Bail, and was manufactured by National Stockyards Systems Pty Ltd. of New South Wales, Australia. Manali had just purchased this new crush for the property where the sale bulls were kept.

When the cattle exited the crush we could

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send them in three directions. Two metal gates were hinged on either side in front of the crush, creating a draft box where you could swing the gates to send the cattle out to pens on the left or right or close both gates to send them straight forward to the loading ramp.

While we were at Manali representatives from National Stockyards came out one day while we were scanning the bulls with ultrasound for the sale. The representatives from National Stockyards wanted to see Manali’s newly purchased crush in action and get feedback on how they could improve their crushes. After processing 56 two-year-old bulls through the yards and crush multiple

BULL & SELECT FEMALE SALE MARCH 16, 2015

times for semen testing, clipping, scanning, and washing, Colin and I certainly agreed that this design was less stressful for both people and livestock.

Overall, we found this cattle-handling system is likely one of the easiest systems to utilize when working with little help.

Since returning to Canada last fall, Colin and I have been working on building new infrastructure on our own farm including a barn, corrals and cattle-handling system.

We will certainly be drawing on our experiences in Australia as we look into designing a similar pie-shaped handling system on our own farm here in Canada. c

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 prime cuts

By Steve Kay

A welcome new cow plant

I

t’s a rare day when plans are unveiled for a new beef-processing plant in North America. But that’s what happened in early January when two wellknown U.S. entities announced plans to build a US$100-million plant near Boise, Idaho. Even more interesting is that it will be a cow plant, the first new one in 10 years. Its location means beef and dairy producers in Western Canada will have another outlet for their cull cows, and that could boost cow cull prices after the plant starts operating late next year.

Caviness Beef Packers, Amarillo, Texas, opened a new, state-of-the-art plant near Hereford in 2005. It has now formed a joint venture with the J.R. Simplot Company to build a new plant just southwest of Boise.

It is being designed to process a maximum of 1,700 head per day, making it the same size as the Hereford plant. The new plant will have a similar design to that plant, with enhancements. Pending approval of permits from all necessary regulatory agencies, construction of the nearly 300,000-squarefoot plant will begin this spring, with an expected fall 2016 opening, say the two companies. The permitting process has just begun.

The new joint venture will operate as CS

Beef Packers, LLC and could create up to 600 new jobs, say the companies. The primary purpose of the plant will be to harvest cull cows and bulls from northwest dairy farms and cattle ranches throughout the Intermountain West. The plant will also include hide and rendering processing and have the ability to process niche-fed beef programs. The new plant will reduce the need for dairy farmers and ranchers to ship cattle out of the area for processing, says Simplot chairman Scott Simplot.

The new plant will alter the dynamics of cow procurement and processing from British Columbia across to Manitoba and down to Arizona and Texas. It will be able to draw on a large number of beef and dairy cows that mostly leave the Intermountain region to be slaughtered. It will fill a void left by the closure in 2011 of XL Four Star Beef ’s plant in Nampa, Idaho. It was capable of processing 1,150 cows per day. This left only three small plants in the region, Walt’s, Mount Vernon, Wash., Schenk Packing, Stanwood, Wash., and Dale T. Smith & Sons, Draper, Utah. The majority of the region’s cows since then has travelled south to Cargill’s Fresno, California, plant (which also has a 1,700-head-per-day capacity) or to JBS’s Tolleson, Arizona, plant. So the new

plant will challenge those two plants’ cow procurement.

USDA data reveals that Washington, Oregon and Idaho had 2.125 million cows (1.170 million beef and 955,000 dairy) on Jan. 1 last year. Idaho had 565,000 dairy cows. The new plant will also be able to draw cows from northern Utah and northern Nevada and from western Montana.

These three states have a total of 2.189 million beef and dairy cows between them.

The new plant will also attract some of the cows and bulls exported out of Western Canada (B.C. to Manitoba). Exports totalled 175,000 head in 2014 while the region slaughtered another 335,000 head, according to Canfax. The majority of Alberta’s cows likely went to Minnesota. B.C. and Alberta alone had 1.782 million beef cows and 153,000 dairy cows on Jan. 1 last year. Culling rates suggest that about 287,000 head went to slaughter last year. It’s too early to forecast how many cows might go south to the new Idaho plant in 2017. But western Canadian producers will certainly await its opening with considerable anticipation. c A North American view of the meat industry.

Steve Kay is publisher and editor of Cattle Buyers Weekly.

- Jen C., Ontario, 2014 AWC Delegate

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 CCA repo rts

By Dave Solverson

Starting a new year with a National Beef Strategy

T

he new year is always a good time for a fresh start and trying new beginnings. In the beef industry, this fresh approach came in the form of the National Beef Strategy. Officially unveiled on January 7, the National Beef Strategy is a collaborative effort by Canada’s national and provincial beef sector organizations. The strategy calls for a transformative change in how industry meets the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead with the goal to benefit all sectors of the industry. In other words, the National Beef Strategy is all about a new way of doing business.

The strategy is about how organizations can work together to best position the beef industry for greater profitability, growth and continued production of a high-quality beef product of choice in the world. This approach is especially important now as the record prices sustained in 2014 have given way to a new price environment going forward. Further, many of the factors which have brought prices to these levels continue to look supportive for the markets for the next one to three years. Improving economic conditions in the U.S., and a potentially weaker Canadian dollar are certainly positive moving forward. Projected lower beef production in North America, flat global production, and growing demand are all very positive for Canadian cattle producers.

As mentioned in my previous column, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) hit the road in January to attend the State Agriculture and Rural Legislators (SARL) and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) meetings. The CCA made sure these organizations understand that Canada is serious about imposing tariffs on a wide variety of U.S. agriculture and processed products if the discrimination against our livestock caused by U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) is not eliminated. In terms of resolving COOL, the CCA feels that the simplest solution (and one that the most people seem to agree on) is to repeal COOL for beef and pork.

Ultimately, the provisions of the legislation that necessitate imported livestock to be segregated need to be eliminated. We reiterated that it is our sincere hope that the U.S. will act soon to prevent Canada from moving to the next phase of retaliation.

The threat of retaliation is clearly a concern for many U.S. legislators. At the SARL meeting, which was held from January 3-5 in Clearwater, Florida, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Gary Doer, indicated that Canada’s preference has always been to resolve the COOL issue through negotiation but since that has not been possible, Canada has no alternative left but to retaliate. Ambassador Doer assured the audience that the decision to retaliate if necessary has been con-

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C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

sidered widely in the Government of Canada and has the backing of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and will be followed through upon if Congress does not eliminate the need for imported cattle to be segregated in the U.S. Following the ambassador’s remarks, many of the state legislators asked CCA vice-president Dan Darling what it was about COOL that has Canada so upset and how it could be fixed. Darling observed that many legislators have had only a vague idea about COOL and have neither supported nor opposed it, but now in the face of potential retaliatory tariffs want to know more about it. This was the intention of publishing the retaliation list early.

The CCA took the opportunity to explain that since COOL was implemented, our live cattle exports have been significantly reduced, with the most severe impact on finished fed cattle. The cattle exported are significantly discounted to compensate for the handling costs for the U.S. feedlots and packers that must segregate them to ensure they label beef in accordance with the COOL legislation. Moreover, since USDA changed the COOL rules in 2013, the cost impact has increased to about $100 per head. With cattle producers experiencing these discounts, many have exited the industry and expansion has not occurred.

Despite this negative impact to Canada, there has been little interest in the U.S. in correcting the situation, which is why Canada has sought a resolution through the World Trade Organization (WTO). WTO dispute settlement panels have ruled three times that COOL violates the WTO Agreements.

Instead of addressing these rulings, Congress and the USDA have appealed them to delay resolution and the only action they have taken is to make the situation worse. The CCA expects that by this coming summer either the U.S. will have to comply or Canada will implement retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports to our market.

At the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual convention in San Diego, the CCA ensured that America’s farmers and ranchers are aware of what is at stake and actively sought their assistance in bringing the COOL legislation into conformity with the WTO. AFBF’s position is that it supports COOL but feels it needs to be WTO compliant. I participated in a press conference to discuss Canada-U.S. cattle issues. COOL was a hot topic and we had excellent interest and questions from media.

My take-away from these meetings is that there is momentum to get a legislative fix for COOL. CCA will continue its lobbying efforts until a resolution that genuinely eliminates the discrimination is achieved. c

Dave Solverson is president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Antimicrobial resistance: Take a deep breath

Beef producers should think positively and responsibly rather than overreact As the battle over antimicrobial resistance continues and livestock production is in the crosshairs, how should beef producers respond?

Calvin Booker thinks that despite negative talk, there are a lot of reasons for beef producers to think confidently, positively and most importantly, responsibly about this issue.

Booker has a unique perspective. He’s manager of and a shareholder in Feedlot Health Management Services in Okotoks, Alta. The company provides health programs for 2.5 million cattle in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. About half of those are in Canada.

As a veterinarian he sees the issue from a technical and professional perspective.

“People ask how we use antimicrobials in our feedlot production work and I’m actually pretty proud to tell the story,” he says.

“In our case, we use group medication in high-risk populations, but that involves a veterinary risk assessment, and corresponding action based on that assessment. And we use large-scale field studies to tell us what we should be doing and when.

“Is everybody doing that in the beef industry? Likely not, but more and more cattle fall under those kinds of oversight.”

Issue in focus

So where to start on the antimicrobial issue?

The first message to society has to be that antimicrobial resistance is important, he says. In humans or animals, diseases need to be managed in a way that we don’t unnec-

Programs, management skills

Programs can drive management skills. VBP has done a good job of putting together a broad framework of base management principles, says Booker. Whether you have a few cows or a 50,000-head feedlot, those apply.

“Companies like ours help people add layers to continually improve the production system,” he says. “They want to be on the leading edge of progressive practices, evaluating new technologies and management practices. And identifying which ones really bring advantages to the system.”

Dr. Calvin Booker says research should identify the top opportunities in food, companion and human medicine that will really make a difference.

Research and future solutions

In resistance research, the beef industry continues to be a leader.

As far back as 1998 work started on understanding how antimicrobial use in feedlot production affected animals and workers. “Several studies to date show there’s just not a whole lot of impact of our current use on antimicrobial resistance of concern to human or animal health,” says Booker. “That’s good news but we have to continue to plan accordingly so that we don’t have a big negative impact sometime in the future.”

Fast-forward and today a multi-disciplinary team is looking at run-off water to determine if there is something bigger going on, he says. “We’re trying to get baseline knowledge to not only shape future research but also to influence policy and regulations.”

essarily cause resistance. This is a shared responsibility for those working in human, food and companion animal health.

Second part is that this is a very complex issue and there are no “smoking gun” overuses that should be banned or simple fixes that the medical and veterinary professions can do to make the problem go away.

In spite of what is often written, quoted, or alluded to elsewhere.

There is progress. Doctors in human medicine are not as quick to overprescribe antimicrobials. On the animal side, producers, accused by some as using antimicrobials as a crutch, think more carefully today about how and when antimicrobials are needed to control, prevent or treat disease.

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1

 managem e n t

By Sean McGrath

Five steps to a Successful Calving Season

C

alving season is an exciting time of year in most operations. It is exciting to see new calves hitting the ground, but it can also be exciting in more of a pending emergency sort of way.

Most herds that have successful, lowdrama calving seasons have several things in common, regardless of their calving season, most of them start preparing well in advance of calving.

1. Genetics

There are significant differences in calving ease within breeds. With modern tools such as EPD for calving ease (how easily calves are born) and maternal calving ease (how easily a sire’s daughters will calve) it is possible to select sires and produce females that will minimize calving difficulty. This preparation has to occur at least nine months in advance for calves, and three years ahead for female production. Selection pressure on calving ease can be decreased as cows mature and depending upon the calving system in place. It is important to note that each breed expresses differences in calving ease on their own scale, and EPD cannot be compared between breeds.

2. Heifer development

There is a fine line between saving a buck and properly developing replacements so that they have the structure and capacity to calve unassisted. Typically this will start post-weaning and progress through to three years of age. Remember, a first-calf heifer is still growing herself, raising a calf and work-

R

ing on getting rebred. Getting a good head start on heifer development can alleviate many of these challenges.

3. Diet

Live calves are the result of healthy cows and a good in utero environment. If your management system involves winter feeding then accurate feed testing should be done prior to the feeding period and rations checked for shortfalls or excesses. There are several good, low-cost software tools available to help in this process. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself get a nutritionist to work with you. Many of the feed companies will have nutritionists on staff or be able to direct you to local resources. Again, younger cows, older cows or thin cows may require additional management and groceries to reduce potential problems in advance.

4. Health

Again, this is a process that starts well in advance of calving. If not already doing so, it is worth considering pre-breeding vaccination of the cow herd with a good program to protect against BVD, IBR, lepto and other disease complexes. It is also worth considering updating boosters of 8-way on the cow herd at the same time. Semen testing bulls prior to turnout, and testing for issues such as trichomoniasis may also be good investments. These are all items that must occur at least nine to 10 months in advance of your calving season.

If scours are an issue in the herd, then it may pay to consider some of the scour vaccination programs. These must be done prior

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to calving, and it is important to remember if you are implementing the program for the first time, or if you are doing replacement heifers, an initial shot and a booster a few weeks later is required.

It is a great idea to develop your relationship with your veterinarian and discuss these programs. Exercising precautions in advance of problems is usually a good investment.

5. Facilities

Facilities can vary widely between operations and calving seasons. Last-minute preparations whether that be assembling a calving chute or making sure a lariat is tied to your saddle will also vary, but take the time before calving to make sure that essential supplies are replenished and available, and that whatever facilities are to be used are clean, repaired and organized. We keep all of our supplies in an easy-to-access tool box. Items you may want to have on hand include: needles, lubricant, calving chains, gloves, vitamin ADE/selenium, a good antibiotic, disinfectant, colostrum, stomach tube, rope or halter, scale, tags/ tagger, and notebook.

No matter how uneventful a calving season is, it always takes time. Preparations in advance can definitely set up a cow herd and a rancher for success and avoid a lot of sleepless nights. Here’s wishing you an exciting calving season, in a boring, uneventful sort of way. c Sean McGrath is a genetics consultant and co-owner of Round Rock Ranching in Vermilion, Alta.

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 health

Necrotic Laryngitis or Calf Diphtheria (Barker Calves)

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By Roy Lewis DVM

I

am sure most producers over the years have had calves develop a throat infection on a sporadic basis. These are the calves which have an extremely loud, inspiratory and expiratory sound which can be heard across the pen.

They generally extended their neck to breathe and are in various forms of respiratory distress.

The cause of these signs is generally an infection of the throat or larynx area caused by the same bacteria that often causes foot rot. The initiating cause is usually an abrasion to the throat caused by rough feed or an oral ulcer. This is why we seldom see an outbreak of these cases. Sporadic cases are the norm and can occur from young calves right up to cattle in the feedlot. Younger cattle have a soft oral lining and are therefore most susceptible to these abrasions.

An oral ulcerative lesion can be started by a calf inadvertently biting the inside of its cheek, something I’m sure we’ve all done from time to time so we know how these injuries can occur.

The organism gains entry this way and over time an abscess forms around the laryngeal

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

health

cartilages and when combined with the surrounding swelling significantly reduces the respiratory passage. What you hear, in a sense is like a whistle as the calf struggles to breathe.

Veterinarians have used various treatments for this condition over the years depending on what they have found to be most effective. The larynx is mostly cartilage and as a result the blood supply and hence the ability to get antibiotics to the site of the infection is not good. Drugs from potentiated sulphonamides to penicillin and more recently macrolides like Zuprevo and Draxxin or florphenicol (Resflor) have been tried. Make sure if you have a case to get the advice of your veterinarian as to what drugs have worked best in his or her experience and for how long.

Veterinarians will often recommend an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Banamine, Anafen or Metacam to name a few. These and the antibiotics are all prescription drugs, which is another reason why you need your herd veterinarian involved.

If caught early and treated aggressively the response is often favourable. I have found in

numerous cases the producer notices it quick enough but stops treatment too early and a relapse occurs. Even if clinical signs have subsided substantially I continue the treatment for several more days. The NSAID may be stopped after a few days but the antibiotics are kept on board for the duration.

In chronic cases or those unresolvable with drugs, some can be saved with an emergency tracheotomy and laryngeal surgery, where the abscess is peeled out and the proper diameter to the wind passage is re-established. These cases of course carry a guarded prognosis but leaving these calves and doing nothing is grave indeed. It will have such a restriction that the eyes seem bugged out from straining to breathe.

There is only one other condition I know of that mimics necrotic laryngitis. Large calves that are born backwards and have had a hard pull may break some ribs.

As the first few ribs heal it can cause a restriction on the windpipe and the same clinical signs. These generally cannot be helped and although a tracheotomy may provide temporary relief, the actual problem cannot be corrected as the restriction is

lower down the wind passage. This is why one question I would always ask with these affected calves if they experienced a hard pull backwards at birth. If the answer was yes then the prognosis was much, much worse.

With the price of cattle ever rising keep in mind something can be done, or at least tried, on these calf diphtheria cases. Try to not wait too long before initiating treatment and remember to finish the course of antibiotics your veterinarian recommends.

As a salvage operation laryngeal surgery can be done but most of these cases will clear up with good sound medical treatment. A few will recover but still have a distinctive whistle, especially when run a bit.

This will remain for the rest of their life but they still will do well enough in the feedlot.

Extra attention to a few of these calves can save them so do your due diligence and treat where appropriate on advice from your vet on what has been successful for them. c Roy Lewis is a Westlock, Alta.-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

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53

 straigh t f ro m t h e h i p

By Brenda Schoepp

Canadians Celebrate with Steak

A

rival to the traditional steak house, highend burger joints, are making their mark in the food-service industry. This is part of the transition of the beef industry as it grinds its way onto the consumer plate. We know that folks buy ground beef to cook at home and they now choose the burger as a good alternative to other fancy entrees. From Paris to London, there is a hamburger on the menu — much to the distress of time-honoured chefs who once snubbed the poor man’s food.

It would stand to reason that the surge in biting into burgers would displace high-end steak houses but in an anomaly that cannot be explained, high-end steak houses continue to thrive. The difference, the cut is smaller and designer burgers join steak at the heart of menu offerings.

When it comes to middle meats, the place where the tenderloin and its cousins reside, there is a weak market overall. In grocery stores, the middle meats were traditionally the profit centre and retailers struggled with selling end meats. Today, there is little challenge to sell lower-cost end cuts and the high-end middle meats have declined in domestic market share. From the perspective of shelf economics the middle meats are pulling down profitability.

In a recent study released by American Meat Institute (AMI), researchers found that folks always buying the middle cut were members of the $100K club, those who make enough money to support their delicious habit.

When it comes to dining out, the demographic is not so clear-cut. In fact, customers of all walks of life still flock to steak to celebrate special events. Young people, including students will share a large steak or tend to order smaller portions. At the end of the day, steak, prime rib, tenderloin and the other cuts represent a passage of sorts, the all-North American dream of affording the best in taste for those special times in our lives.

Chefs indicated they need steak on the menu to create traffic — as it is the drawing card for all clientele.

They also said that people who eat steak are diverse in income and age and they need to be provided with more than a memorable eating experience. They also need to know where that animal came from and how it was raised. Although you and I know the mammoth task of correctly pinpointing which steak came from where and how it was handled, it still behooves all eating establishments to try and find out. In other words, taste alone will not keep the middle meats alive in the future, but selling the story may.

We have all at some time been to a steak house offering the “free” meal if you can eat all 64 ounces with trimmings. This type of grunt and gulp mentality has been replaced by a request for smaller offerings of five to six ounces and a more intimate experience. In addition, a

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little familiarity or perception through branding goes a long way as 77 per cent of respondents in the AMI study said they liked the flavour of Angus beef (CAB).

At our house we don’t touch the tenderloin from our beef program, it is reserved for the international guests who visit. Much like we see in mainstream society, the best of beef is for special occasions. This has not, however, solved the problem of the diminishing position of middle meats on the beef shelf. The price may be up per unit but it is not enough to restore profitability at retail.

As was found in the 2012 ALMA Canadian Consumer Retail Meat Study, consumers are driven by a varied and fresh selection. A lack of newness in the middle meats keeps coming back to haunt the beef industry. Everyone understands that they like a steak but the absence of new offerings and new value-added presentations is driving the middle cuts to service only a complimentary economy, the elite who can afford it.

As most Canadian beef is exported, we have lost control of the value in middle meats at a level which will be exceedingly difficult to restore. Fostering continued interest with export partners other than the U.S. remains critical in renewing the value in middle meats. Although easy to sell offshore, we face a question of supplying appropriate volume and adhering to production protocols that are acceptable to buyers. As an added threat, the pending opening of the American market to all EU meats will have a strong effect on Canada’s ability to capture premium pricing on both end and middle meats exported to the U.S. Canadians of all walks of life enjoy celebrating with steak — a smaller steak perhaps but still with steak. And although they want to know more about their meat they also want to spend less — and that is the tipping point for beef. How do we as an industry ensure that the celebratory meal of choice remains affordable for everyone and more importantly, how will we realign or redesign the middle meats so they regain their share of the overall beef category at the retail shelf?

New trade agreements that are country specific in nature and company-to-country specific will also influence the success of middle meats. While we stew about market access in regards to production protocols, nimbler trading partners are cutting deals with our future markets.

It is not simply a declining value problem, but an internationally complex one, and the Canadian beef industry has more at stake than just a slippage in domestic volume.

Brenda Schoepp is an inspiring speaker, consultant and mentor who works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and around the world. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved.

Brenda Schoepp 2015

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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NewsRoundup Research

Research shakeup proposed for Saskatchewan

If Saskatchewan is going to meet its target of raising livestock receipts by 25 per cent it needs everyone pulling in the same direction. As a first step the steering committee set up by the province last April is recommending the creation of a centre of excellence to co-ordinate livestock and forage research and extension efforts within the province.

“If the industry is to remain viable, and indeed grow in the face of international competition and increased public concern for environmental impact, food safety, animal welfare and public health, then innovative and transformative research and development is required to ensure that

our producers remain economically competitive on a global scale,” says the steering committee draft report unveiled for public discussion last month.

The committee says the U of S is well suited to meet future research needs of the beef industry in terms of the number of faculty members who already have national and international reputations in their fields.

The goal then is to create an integrated beef and forage network that has access to state-of-the-art facilities and provides an environment that fosters a collaborative multidisciplinary approach to research.

To that end they recommend integrating existing researchers at the U of S College of Agriculture and Bioresources, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the provincial Ministry of Agriculture and the West-

ern Beef Development Centre (WBDC) under a single organization.

The research sites would also be centralized at the university’s Goodale research farm and the new U of S research feedlot being developed south of Clavet to replace the older facility on the campus which is too small to simulate modern feedlot conditions. The Termuende research farm near Lanigan would be closed and the WBDC 300-head research herd transported to the 2,000-acre Goodale research farm primarily managed by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine which is closer to the Saskatoon campus.

This assumes the province will find the money to upgrade the Goodale facilities and complete the new research feedlot at Clavet. The total cost of this feedlot alone was estimated at $16.7 million on a grant application submitted in June.

The steering committee believes the synergies from such a plan will foster expanded beef and forage sectors by training highly qualified personnel for the industry to tap into, offer an environment conducive to innovative research into forage breeding and management, herd health, disease prevention and animal welfare and improved technology transfer of this information to producers.

STAMPEDE

By Jerry Palen

“Maybe you’re ready for some running boards.”

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C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

GREENER

NEWS ROUN DUP

To keep the ball rolling the steering committee would manage the centre and hire a general manager and site managers to look after the various facilities. The current eight-member committee is composed of researchers and administrators representing the university, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the WBDC, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Saskatchewan Forage Network (SFN), the Saskatchedwan Stock Growers Association, and is chaired by producer Aaron Ivey, the co-chair of the SFN. The comment period for input to the draft plan closed on January 30.

policy

New national strategy sets targets for industry

A new strategy from national and provincial cattle producer and beef marketing agencies has set five-year percentage benchmarks for the industry’s productivity, added value and cost effectiveness.

Canada’s beef sector groups formally released their National Beef Strategy, a guiding document for “how the organiza-

PASTURES

RANCHING LTD.

tions can work together to best position the Canadian beef industry for greater profitability, growth and continued production of a high quality beef product of choice in the world.”

Specifically, the strategy calls for a 15 per cent increase in carcass cut-out value, a 15 per cent increase in cattle production efficiency and a seven per cent decrease in “cost disadvantages” against Canada’s main beef export competitors — all to be reached by 2020.

Martin Unrau, a MacGregor, Man. producer, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association past president and co-chair of the National Beef Strategic Planning Group, said the plan “will build on and strengthen the foundational pieces of existing work that have enabled the beef industry to grow to date.”

However, he said, the new plan will do so “in a manner which will be more responsive to current and future needs,” allowing “chronic issues” such as industry infrastructure and capacity to be dealt with “more holistically,” for programming to help boost

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Continued on page 58

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Family Day Sale 10th Annual

February 16, 2015

With over 2000 mother cows exposed in 2014, we at Ole Farms know what it takes to raise trouble free cattle. In order to be pro�itable we believe that a cow must be able to: *Feed herself on forages for as many days as possible with minimal mechanical intervention *Re-breed each summer and wean a calf every year.

All of our cattle must be deep-bodied, easy �leshing and have solid feet.

This enables them to hold condition and breed without being pampered. Our sale bulls are 21 months of age. They are moderate, forage developed and ready to make your operation more pro�itable.

1:00 p.m. at the farm at Athabasca, AB – Lunch at 11:30 a.m.

150 Red & Black Angus Two Year Old Bulls Strong set of 150 Commericial Black Angus Bred Heifers Due to start calving May 1st

CANADA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF 2 YEAR OLD ANGUS BULLS

“Sharing in the Excitement of Agriculture”

Sale Managed by:

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C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

57

Over 900 Charolais & Angus Bulls from nearly 4000 cows.

Let us help you find the right bull for your program.

February 27 • MAPLE LEAF FRENCH CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, Ponoka Ag Event Centre, Ponoka, AB March 2 • PALMER CHAROLAIS & NIELSON LAND & CATTLE CO. BULL SALE, at Palmer Charolais, Bladworth, SK March 10 • MCTAVISH & GUESTS CHAROLAIS & RED ANGUS BULL SALE, at the farm, Moosomin, SK March 17 • GILLILAND BROS. CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, at the farm, Carievale, SK March 19 • DIAMOND W CHAROLAIS & ANGUS BULL SALE, Valley Livestock Sales, Minitonas, MB March 21 • PLEASANT DAWN CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, Heartland Livestock, Virden, MB March 24 • STEPPLER FARMS CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, at the farm, Miami, MB March 25 • HTA CHAROLAIS & GUESTS BULL SALE, at the Beautiful Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB

News Roundup

With a $3 provincial checkoff and $2.50 NCO, at 2014 calf prices, producers would be putting 0.43 per cent of revenues into policy, research and marketing, of which 0.19 per cent would be earmarked for research and marketing. At 2014 fed cattle prices, the investment would be 0.27 per cent for policy, research and marketing, including 0.12 per cent for the latter two programs.

Compared to other ag commodities, the strategy group said, beef checkoff investments are “relatively low,” noting the turkey, dairy and chicken industries put up 2.1, 1.46 and 1.2 per cent of what they bring in for revenues respectively.

On the other hand, weaner and finisher hog operations put up 0.07 and 0.09 per cent respectively.

Continued from page 57

beef demand and “bridge to where industry wants to be in the future.”

Rising worldwide demand for protein has granted the sector “an unprecedented opportunity to increase demand for its beef products,” the planning group said, but noted “significant challenges” including tight cattle supplies, reduced marketings and competition for arable land.

“The need for industry to push itself is now,” Unrau said in the group’s release.

With cattle marketings today at their smallest level since the early 1990s, paying to reach the goals of the strategy may take additional checkoff dollars, the strategy documents note.

Achieving such goals, the strategy says, would take a projected National Checkoff (NCO) investment of about $19 million, or $2.50 per head.

‘Loyalty-based’

To boost carcass cut-out value, the strategy calls for development of the Canadian Beef Advantage (CBA) as the “most recognized and loyalty-based beef program in the world,” in part through development of a new National Total Quality Management System and Supply Chain Strategy.

Also, it calls for work to reduce both

March 26 • ELDER CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, at the farm, Coronach, SK March 31 • PRAIRIE DISTINCTION CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, at the Beautiful Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB April 2 • HUNTER CHAROLAIS BULL SALE, at the farm, Roblin, MB April 6 • WILGENBUSCH CHAROLAIS NORTH OF THE 49TH BULL SALE, at the farm, Halbrite, SK April 7 • CEDARLEA CHAROLAIS & WINDY WILLOW ANGUS BULL SALE, at the Windy Willows farm, Hodgeville, SK

R PLUS SIMMENTALS Ross LeBlanc & Sons Box 1476 Estevan, SK S4A 2L7

April 8 • MUTRIE FARMS/BAR H CHAROLAIS/HAWKIN SHORTHORNS BULL SALE, Candiac Auction Market, Candiac, SK April 18 • CORNERSTONE CHAROLAIS & RED ANGUS BULL SALE, Whitewood Auction Market, Whitewood, SK

For more information contact: 306-584-7937 Helge By 306-536-4261 Candace By 306-536-3374 124 Shannon Road, Regina, SK S4S 5B1 charolaisbanner@gmail.com Catalogues available online a month prior to sale at

www.bylivestock.com 58

C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

Sales Management:

OBI Rob Holowaychuk 780.916.2628

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NEWS ROUNDUP

tariff and non-tariff barriers in export markets, gain “equal or preferential access” in key export markets and eliminate any remaining BSE-related export market access barriers.

Exporting beef products that are in greater demand outside Canada, the group noted, could add over $400 in value per animal.

The strategy further calls for work to “enhance the public image” of Canada’s beef industry with emphasis on “positive industry benefits, and improvements in environmental sustainability, animal health and welfare, and food safety practices.”

To reduce the Canadian beef sector’s “cost disadvantages,” the strategy calls for a “supportive regulatory environment” including regulatory co-operation with trading

partners; enhanced research capacity; and improved access to “competitively priced” inputs such as feed, forages and animal health products and to “affordable skilled labour.”

The strategy also calls for the sector to maintain the industry’s “social licence to operate” through “validating production practices and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in areas of public concern.”

To boost production efficiency, the strategy seeks research and development work on improved forage, grass and feed productivity, improved animal health and welfare and improved cattle performance through selection for “desired traits.”

A two per cent increase in reproductive efficiency, the group notes, translates to a

$16.50 decrease in the cost of producing a calf — and a 30 per cent increase in forage production would result in a 15 per cent decrease in cow-calf level production costs.

Reputation management

Among its non-quantifiable targets, the strategy also calls for the sector to “enhance industry synergies (and) connect positively with consumers, the public, government, and partner industries.”

That includes “delivery of timely, concise and effective crisis communications” plus development of a “reputation management strategy” and improvements in the industry’s “ability to speak with a common voice.”

Continued on page 60

GRASS COUNTRY BULL & FEMALE SALE

Friday March 13th, 2015

at the Ranch, Rumsey, AB

SELLING: 75 Bulls, 25 yearlings and 50 grass born twos; Limousin, LimFlex & Angus 50 limousin and Angus Influenced Females; Open heifers and Bred Heifers

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C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

59

RED & BLACK

ANGUS YEARLING BULL SALE

90 BULLS SELL APRIL 15, 2015 • Home of the top 18 Black Angus Animals on the Canadian Registry ranked for Marbling.

• Home of 9 of the top 30 Black Angus Animals on the Canadian Registry ranked for Calving Ease.

• Home of 22 of the top 30 Red Angus Animals on the Canadian Registry ranked for Marbling.

• Home of Red Benchmark Better Beef Grand Champion Red Angus Bull 2013 National Western.

• Home of $41,000 Benchmark Foundation 213A, owned with Basin Angus.

• Home of $40,000 Benchmark Micah 247’13, the #1 Marbling bull in all of Canada.

• Semen For Sale on Benchmark Micah 247’13

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News Roundup Continued from page 59

On the regulatory side, the strategy added, that includes engaging government and regulatory agencies to “build and maintain long-term relationships.”

The National Beef Strategy is a collaborative effort by Canadian national beef sector organizations, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (and its provincial member associations), the National Cattle Feeders’ Association, the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Beef Breeds Council and Canada Beef Inc.

drugs

Scientists track superbug genes to understand antibiotic resistance

Researchers at Colorado State University are investigating the weighty topic of antibiotic resistance — an issue with ramifications for global food safety and public health — by tracking the genetic footprints of drug-resistant bacteria.

They want to determine where infectious organisms originate and how they move through the food system and environment to people. The study, funded with $2.25 million from the U.S. Depart-

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N EWS ROUNDUP

ment of Agriculture, is one of the largest of its kind and is enabled by recent advances in DNA sequencing technology.

The project is expected to provide insights about the factious topic of antibiotic use in food animals, chiefly beef and dairy cattle, and the degree to which the long-standing agricultural practices contribute to development of “superbugs” that infect people whose illnesses are difficult and expensive to treat.

Each year in the United States, at least two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics; at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella and campylobacter, two of the many bacteria commonly transmitted through food, cause an estimated 410,000 antibiotic-resistant infections in the country each year, the CDC reports.

Just a few months ago, the White House directed key federal agencies to co-ordinate on a “National Strategy to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.” In November, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges announced a new Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture to provide advice and education.

Food-animal production has been blamed for contributing to antimicrobial-resistant illness, but these suspicions are not well founded in science, said Keith Belk, professor in CSU’s Center for Meat Safety and Quality, and Dr. Paul Morley, a CSU veterinarian and infectiousdisease expert.

Continued on page 63

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Lee, Laura & Jackie Brown Phone: 403-742-4226 Trish & Tim henderson Fax: 403-742-2962 llbangus@xplornet.com Box 217 erskine, aB T0c 1G0 catalogue online www.llbangus.com

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“Get back to basics with Lincoln Reds” February 17-19, 2015 New Conference Format with High Level Speakers!

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Visit canadiancattlemen.ca to sign up for enews.

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 the business. But we need your help. If you could just fill in this survey and return it to me, you would be helping us set the future editorial direction for Canadian Cattlemen. All you have to do is tell me what you like about the magazine, and what you

We’d appreciate it if you could tell us a little about yourself. It makes it easier for us to keep your main interests in focus  I’m ranching or farming Enterprise Total beef cattle Yearlings on feed/pasture Registered cows Fed cattle (sold yearly) Commercial cows Horses Calves on feed/pasture Other livestock

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don’t like. There’s also some space for you to tell us what you would like to see in future issues.

ClIp And enClose your mAIlIng lABel. each month, we will draw one name from all the surveys sent in and send that person a Cattlemen cap. It could be you!

What do you think of: On a scale of 1 to 5, how do you and your family like these features?

5 – I always watch for it; let’s see more of it 4 – I regularly read it and like it 3 – I usually read it 2 – There are things I’d rather read 1 – I don’t want it; get rid of it Regular Columns 5 4 3

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2 1 Nutrition Comment Research Special features 5 4 3 2 1 Newsmakers Letters Calving Issue (Jan.) CCA Reports Custom Feedlot Guide (Sep.) Prime Cuts Stock Buyers’ Guide (Aug.) Straight From The Hip Animal Health Special (Sep.) Holistic Ranching Beef Watch (May & Nov.) What would you like to see? __________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ How much time do you and your family spend reading 1666 Dublin Avenue Canadian Cattlemen?  Under 2 hours  Over 2 hours Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1

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With multiple collaborators, the two are leading the research project, “Paradigm Shift: Revolutionizing Our Understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance Ecology through Whole Genome Analysis of Microbial Communities.”

The scientists hope to gain a much better understanding of the role of production agriculture in antimicrobial resistance. It often is assumed that providing antibiotics in feed rations for livestock contributes to drug-resistant germs, but the practice also has a protective effect, Belk said.

“Most people believe they are consuming antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in their food because of intensive food production systems.

In fact, those modern food-production systems are effectively controlling bacteria in food,” Belk said.

In order to successfully solve the problem of antibiotic resistance, scientists must better understand where resistance originates and how drug-resistant germs move through the food system and environment to people, the CSU researchers said. “ Using DNA sequencing technology, the researchers will trace genes that cause resistance in bacteria to determine sources and paths, including whether and how antimicrobial-resistant bugs move from livestock to humans.

Belk and Morley will compare antimicrobial resistance in traditional and organic processes, and in different environments, to identify what resistant genes are present and how they are transferred. They also want to learn whether different production methods affect abundance of antimicrobial resistance. c

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 NEWS ABOUT YOU

By Deb Wilson

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n Charolais female fall sales averaged $6,786 per head, double what they fetched last year, according to a report in the latest issue of the Charolais Banner. The Banner has been compiling female sale data submitted to the magazine for the past 21 years. 2014 saw the second-smallest number of females sold at 555 lots, but the highest average price by over $2,700 per head, resulting in the thirdhighest-grossing year for Charolais females.

Publisher Helge By says the increased interest in the Charolais breed is due in part to the demand for Charolais bulls because of the premium price paid for the Char-cross calves in the commercial industry.

the August long weekend in Neepawa, Man. Every fall funds are raised for scholarships to help young livestock producers continue their education. The 2014 winners were: — Samantha Rimke: Samantha is from Oak Lake where her family operates AM Ranching, a Hereford and Angus operation. She has been involved with Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up Samantha Rimke since its inception and in 2012 became a member of the organizing committee. Not only is Samantha involved with Round-Up, but she also plays a big role in the Manitoba Junior Hereford Association and is involved with the Manitoba Beef Producers, the Outstanding Young Farmers organization, Oak Lake 4-H Beef Club and Oak Lake Curling Rink. At school, Samantha was involved with the social justice committee, student council, grad committee, and envirothon group. She is currently attending the University of Saskatchewan studying pharmacy and hopes to practise her profession in a rural community after graduation and farm.

— Dillon Hunter: Dillon is from Kenton where his family operates Diamond T Limousin. He has been involved in Round-Up since it started back in 2008.

Along with participating Dillon Hunter with Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up, Dillon has also been involved on the organizing committee. Apart from participating with Round-Up he was an active member in the Manitoba Jr. Limousin Association and the Oak Lake 4-H Beef Club. Dillon has held multiple positions in both organizations. In his community, Dillon has worked with committees to help organize the annual Canada Day pit barbecue in Kenton, volunteered at the local arena by helping put lines in at the rink, worked in the kitchen, and helped to clean up after hockey games. He also volunteers at the Harding fair, and other local events. Dillon is currently attending the University of Regina for a bachelor of kinesiology, majoring in human kinetics and certification in athletic therapy. The goal is to aid in the prevention and rehabilitation

n It is with great sadness that I write that Wendy Belcher passed away on January 10, 2015. Wendy’s positive outlook and friendship will be greatly missed at the Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) board table.

She was a terrific ambassador for the Gelbvieh breed and the Canadian purebred cattle industry. Wendy served as the general manager for the Canadian Gelbvieh Association for nearly 30 years and has been a board member of the CBBC since its inception in 1994. Our thoughts and prayers are

Sales results For more details see www.canadiancattlemen.com

SanDan Charolais Spring Calving Dispersal December 15 Erskine, Alta.

32 cow/bull calf pairs, gross $495,600, av. $15,487 47 cows/heifer calves, gross $511,300, av. $10,878 39 bred heifers, gross $260,250, av. $6,673 7 fall bred heifers, gross $42,500, av. $6,071 30 bred cows, gross $156,500, av. $5,216 3 heifer calves, gross $11,500, av. $3,850 1 bull calf, gross $5,500, av. $5,500 1 herd bull, gross $6,000, av. $6,000 1 pick of fall calvers, gross, $8,000, av. $8,000 161 Total, gross $1,497,200, av. $9,299

64

C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

with her family. A celebration of life was held at Fosters Garden Chapel, in Calgary on January 16, as well as in Brandon, Man., at the Trinity United on January 20. n Our condolences also go out to the family of Alexa Church who passed away Dec. 29 at the age of 106 years. Alexa was born in 1908 on her parent’s farm east of Airdrie. She is survived by her five children who all live in Alberta, Robert (Gina) of Calgary, Gordon (Rosemary) of Balzac, Beverly (Dale Wilson) of Drumheller, Stanley (Susan) of Bearspaw and Mabel (Gavin Hamilton) of Innisfail. She had 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Alexa lived on the farm at Balzac, from the time of her marriage to Bert in 1934 until her death 80 years later. She was an enduring presence in the local community and church, and her home was a stopping-off place for so many over the years. Her funeral was held at St. David’s United Church on Jan. 2. n The family of Mernie James, of Okotoks, Alta., is sad to report that she passed away at the Foothills Country Hospice eight days prior to her 88th birthday in early January.

Mernie was the wife of Rodney James, who was a prominent figure in the seedstock industry in the 1970s, ’80s and up to the mid-’90s. Rodney, along with family members operated Transcon Livestock, a sales management company that managed sales across Canada for many years. In 1985, Mernie with her husband Rodney, bought a small tea room and gift shop on Main Street in Okotoks, Alta. It became such a success that in 1989 they built the Victorian-style Ginger Tea Room and Gift Shop on Riverside Drive in the same town. It became a destination for visitors to Okotoks, where in one year tourists from 28 countries signed the guest book.

She is survived by Rodney, brother Herb (Maureen), sister-in-law Shirley, sister-inlaw Marjorie Nattress, daughter Heather (Keith), son Robbie (Barbara), stepson Bob (Heather), stepdaughter Lorna (Cathy), stepdaughter Ann (Ron), 13 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. n Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up annually holds its All Breeds youth weekend on

Email: deb.wilson@ fbcpublishing.com

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

PURELY PUREBRED

of injuries through specific training regimes, and muscle release techniques. He hopes to be able to work with farm-related injuries, as well as farm injury prevention while remaining involved in the family farm. n Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has developed the first “myth information” brochure in a new “worried about… ” series aimed at dispelling common myths surrounding beef and beef production. The first brochure, “Worried about hormones in cattle?” can be downloaded from the ABP website at www.albertabeef.org/page/worried-about and the web page has a detailed reference list sourcing in-depth articles and videos on the topic. Do you know the average amount of estrogen occurring in your body and how it compares to a serving of beef raised with or without a hormone implant? Did you know the use of hormone implants reduces the environmental impact of beef production and the use of resources like water and fuel? n Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Profiles

— Shari Beamish grew up in Hamiota, Man. on a mixed farm with commercial Angus cattle and a small purebred Angus herd founded through her 4-H involvement. This would lead her to Manitoba Junior Angus and Manitoba Angus Association board participation.

From 2003 to 2005, Shari studied agribusiness at Lakeland College in Vermilion, obtaining a diploma Shari Beamish with a livestock production concentration. She was an ag ambassador and member of both the school’s Stockman’s Club and Judging Team. While at Lakeland, she took an introductory carcass ultrasound course and later completed advanced training at the University of Georgia to become a CUP lab-certified ultrasound technician.

Immediately after training, Shari purchased her own equipment and founded Ultrabeef Ultrasound Services in which she provides carcass merit assessment to seedstock producers across Western Canada.

In fall 2013, Shari began as a Canadian

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representative for LiveAuctions.tv — an online bidding service for live or Internetbased cattle sales in Canada and the U.S. This opportunity has allowed her to travel throughout Western Canada and visit leading purebred operations from a variety of breeds. Shari also has a passion for Mary Kay Cosmetics and currently holds the position of Independent Sales Director.

Shari and her fiancé, Lance Leachman, were married in July 2014 and currently reside at Big Gully Farm north of Maidstone, Sask. where they operate a purebred Hereford farm with a small group of Angus females.

Shari’ mentor is Denise Lafrentz.

— Scott Boese grew up in eastern Ontario where his family has a mixed farm of purebred Hereford cattle, cash crops, and hay sales. His passion for cattle started at an early age, buying his first purebred cow at the age of 13. Scott graduated from Kemptville College in 2005 with a diploma in agriculture, and continued his studies at the University of Guelph, obtaining a bachelor of science Continued on page 66

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C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

65

PU R E LY PU R E B R E D

Continued from page 65

in agriculture, majoring in animal science in 2008. He started working for ShurGain in 2009 as a ruminant nutrition adviser and currently works with beef and dairy customers in east-central Ontario. Scott has a real Scott Boese passion for helping customers achieve their goals and enjoys working to promote success in their operations. After moving back home to his family farm in September 2013, he and his girlfriend Julia purchased their own farm where they plan to expand the cash crop business and continue to grow their herd of purebred Herefords. Community involvement is important to both of them, and they are involved with Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario and Ontario Federation of Agriculture at the local level.

Through the CYL program, Scott hopes to gain insight and knowledge from the various industry and producer leaders who are involved in the program. Scott’s main ambition is to grow as an entrepreneur, and he is

very keen to strengthen the many facets that promote a successful farm business. Learning about cattle nutrition and how to market quality cattle are also primary objectives of the mentorship opportunity for Scott. He is extremely excited to continue networking with the current CYL participants and to experience the numerous opportunities that this incredible program will provide.

His mentor is Harvey Hagman, who has been involved in agricultural organizations for the past 11 years.

— Rob Voice resides on the family’s century farm at Bradwell, Sask. He developed an interest in cattle as an 11-year-old at a time when his family farm was Rob Voice strictly a grain operation.

Rob’s parents had dispersed their herd and facilities six years prior, but had the foresight to provide an opportunity for Rob to pursue his interest through 4-H and junior breed association activities.

Rob attended Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, on a livestockjudging scholarship. From there he took a dif-

ferent route and transferred closer to home, to the University of Saskatchewan into the College of Commerce as an accounting major. Rob obtained his chartered accountant designation and currently works in Saskatoon as the controller for a produce wholesale company.

Rob has developed his own cow-calf operation consisting of 35 Angus-based breeding females with a long-term goal towards club calf production. He spends the bulk of his time outside the office managing this herd, researching genetics, and keeping up to date with the industry. Rob is also an active judge and has evaluated a number of local and regional 4-H shows as well as at Canadian Western Agribition. He is an organizer for a local event that raises funds to purchase a progressive 4-H member’s project steer each year, and he is one of the senior project leaders for the Saskatoon 4-H Beef Club. Rob has a variety of industry interests around cattle breeding, genetics, herd improvement, and marketing. The opportunity to learn from an established mentor and fellow CYL participants has Rob extremely excited about this program.

His mentor is Christy Collins. c

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C a t t l e m e n · f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 Market Su mma ry

By Debbie McMillin

TheMarkets Fed Cattle A combination of light volume trading on the cash market and a weakening Canadian dollar caused a bounce in the fed market when trading resumed in the new year. In mid-January, the average fed market price was $191.05/ cwt, up $180.34/cwt during the last trading week of December and $57.41/ cwt above the opening price of 2014.

The recent week in our review period saw the U.S. market coming under pressure from a market correction and an influx of fed cattle to work through before seasonal demand started to kick in. The lower dollar softened this dip in the Canadian market which posted a positive cash-to-futures fed basis.

The cash-to-cash basis was -3.23/cwt to the U.S. at press time, versus -16.90/ cwt last year.

The Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle-on-feed report for January 1, 2015 totalled 903,894 head, nine per cent less than the number on feed at the start of 2014. Placements were down three per cent in December when compared to last year and down 26 per cent compared to the five-year average. To the end of December Canadian steer slaughter was up seven per cent on the year at 1,432,589 head, heifer slaughter was up 10 per cent to 855,309 head.

Exports of fed cattle posted preliminary totals of 385,739, up 11 per cent from the previous year.

Feeder Cattle A sharp sell-off in the futures market near the end of December caused feeder prices to pull back as the year came to a close. At the start of 2015 small volumes traded at fully steady to stronger prices with buyers paying close attention to quality and type. By mid-January prices had responded to the weaker Canadian dollar and

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

the surge in fed cattle prices. In midJanuary 550-lb. feeder steers averaged $298.75/cwt, a $9/cwt increase from the end of December and $111.62/ cwt more than the same week in 2014.

Eight hundred and fifty-lb. steers averaged $242/cwt, a jump of $11.58/cwt from the end of 2014 and $84.30/cwt more that the same week last year. The 850-lb. feeder basis was -16.26/cwt at mid-January, considerably narrower than a year ago when the basis was -35.10/cwt. The current basis is in line with the five-year average for this time of year which is -17.50/cwt.

Non-Fed Cattle Once again cull cattle prices have reached new historical highs. Following the Christmas holidays packers were looking for inventory as few cattle were moving during the colder weather. By mid-January D1,2 cows averaged $134.90/cwt, an increase of $55.10/cwt from the end of December. Demand for grinding and trim meats locally and for export continues to push bull prices higher, as well. The bulk of bull culling had already taken place in the fall leaving limited numbers facing a good demand. As a result, butcher bulls in the middle of January averaged $144.15/cwt, up $88.10/cwt over last year.

At the end of 2014 Canadian cow slaughter was down nine per cent at 415,715 head while bull slaughter was up 30 per cent to 6,381 head. Total nonfed meat production in Canada was down seven per cent from 2013. During 2014 we exported 269,986 cows, 12 per cent fewer than in 2013, and eight per cent more bulls at 81,732 head. c Debbie McMillin is a market analyst who ranches at Hanna, Alta.

 DE B ’S OUTLOOK Fed Cattle Resistance at the retail level coupled with poor packer margins and volatile technical markets need to be closely monitored.

Competitive meat production is also pegged to increase which will be a negative factor moving forward. The fundamentals through the first quarter in Canada appear strong with light volumes of market-ready cattle to move through the cash market which should keep packers reaching. Fed cattle prices tend to rally throughout the first quarter as buyers start to look towards the spring BBQ season, another positive factor. The weakening Canadian dollar continues to be supportive as U.S. buyers look to Canadian cattle to fill requirements south of the border.

Feeder Cattle The feeder cattle market right now is well supported however, there is plenty of volatility in this sector at present.

Unpredictable futures markets continue to create uncertainty in the feeder market as well, along with negative pressure from a rising grain market. However, supplies are tight, buyers are willing, U.S. support is present and the dollar is favourable which lean to a continuation of this strong feeder market. Buyers who are currently focused on finding feedlot replacements are now looking ahead to the spring grass cattle market, which will add additional support to the feeder trade. Nonetheless, it will be vital that risk management and hedging opportunities continue to be available and that the fed market remain strong enough so the fedto-feeder ratio remains in range. Seasonally feeder cattle markets trade steady to stronger throughout the first quarter.

Non-Fed Cattle The demand for lean trim continues to fuel the non-fed cattle market. Demand for cows and bulls will remain strong throughout North America. In addition to the strong demand for grinding beef the sliding Canadian dollar is lending support to this market with U.S. buyers putting a solid floor under any downside risk heading into spring.

More markets 

C a t t l e m e n · f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 67

M A R K ETS

Break-even Prices on A-Grade Steers 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110

Market Prices 305

ALBERTA

Steer Calves (500-600 lb.)

270 235 200

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

165

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

140

200

D1,2 Cows

ONTARIO 180

120

160

100

140

80

120

60

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Canfax weighted average price on A-Grade steers

Break-even price for steers on date sold

2015 2014

2015 2014

January 2015 prices* Alberta Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $236.56/cwt Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.40/bu.

Barley silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.00/ton Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.46/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103.05/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.45/cwt Break-even (June 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184.11/cwt Ontario Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $234.11/cwt Corn silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.04/ton Grain corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.88/bu.

Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76.32/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105.48/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180.94/cwt Break-even (July 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180.89/cwt *Mid-month to mid-month prices Breakevens East: end wt 1,450, 183 days West end wt 1,325 lb., 125 days

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ontario

Alberta

2015 2014

2015 2014

Ontario prices based on a 50/50 east/west mix

Market Summary (to January 3, 2015) 2014

2013

Total Canadian federally inspected slaughter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,709,994. . . . . . . . . 2,585,690 Average steer carcass weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862 lb.. . . . . . . . . . . . 875 lb.

Total U.S. slaughter( to Jan. 10, 2015/2014). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670,000. . . . . . . . . . 862,000

Trade Summary Exports 2014 2013 Fed cattle to U.S. (to December 31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387,819.. . . . . . . . . . .349,199 Feeder cattle and calves to U.S. (to December 31). . . . . . . . . . . 441,942.. . . . . . . . . . .315,628 Dressed beef to U.S. (to November). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445.80 mil.lbs.. . . . .403.74 mil.lbs Total dressed beef (to November) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645.50 mil.lbs.. . . . . 567.83 mil.lbs 2014 IMPORTS 2013 Slaughter cattle from U.S. (to November) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 *Dressed beef from U.S. (to November) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263.38 mil.lbs. . . . . .335.85 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Australia (to November) . . . . . . . . . . . 54.49 mil.lbs. . . . . . . 35.13 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from New Zealand (to November) . . . . . . 23.20 mil.lbs. . . . . . . 31.88 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Uruguay (to November) . . . . . . . . . . . 17.55 mil.lbs. . . . . . . .27.31 mil.lbs Canadian Grades (to January 10, 2015) % of A grades +59% 54-58% AAA 19.7 24.1 AA 20.4 9.9 A 0.9 0. 1 0.8 Prime 0.3 Total 41.3 34.9

EAST WEST

Total graded 10,601 36,562

Yield – 53% Total 17.9 61.7 2.7 33.0 0.0 1.0 1.9 3.0 22.5 Total A grade 98.7%

Total ungraded 471 40

% carcass basis 79.5% 84.9% Only federally inspected plants

68

C at t l e m e n ¡ f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 market ta l k

By Gerald Klassen

Feeder Cattle Market Stabilizes Quarter

2011

2012

2013

Estimated 2014

Estimated 2015

5,650

1

6,411

6,283

6,172

5,868

2

6,559

6,475

6,517

6,183

6,185

3

6,737

6,584

6,608

6,178

5,915

4

6,492

6,571

6,420

6,025

5,920

TOTAL

26,199

25,913

25,717

24,254

23,670

 U. S. w h o l esa l e B e e f p r i c es

Jan. 2012 to Jan. 2015 Monthly Average Choice

Select

Nov

Jan 15

Sept

July

May

Mar

Jan 14

Nov

Sept

July

May

Mar

Jan 13

Nov

Sept

July

May

Jan 12

265 260 255 250 245 240 235 230 225 220 215 210 205 200 195 190 185 180 175 170 165 160

March

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

u.s. quarterly beef production (million pounds)

US$ / cwt

I

’ve received many inquiries over the past month in regards to the feeder cattle outlook for the spring period. Most of these inquiries come from the feedlot sector because many operations are running sophisticated risk management programs that require balancing positions of fed cattle, feeder cattle and feed grain inputs. Backgrounding operations are also in the process of liquidating fall-placed calves or deciding to finish animals themselves.

For cow-calf producers, minor market fluctuations are less relevant but larger macro variables come into play when making their long-term marketing plans. Therefore, I thought this would be an excellent period to provide an overview of the market risks in the feeder cattle complex. Feeder cattle values are determined by the projected fed cattle price at the time of slaughter and feed grain costs. The last time I covered the feeder market was earlier in the fall and many variables have changed since that issue. Alberta fed cattle prices reached up to $187/cwt in early January 2015, which is up from an average price of $163/cwt in September of 2014. Secondly, analysts have a better idea of the longer-term estimates for beef production.

Alberta and Saskatchewan feedlot inventories are running five to seven per cent below year-ago levels over the winter period however, I’m expecting beef production for the first and second quarters to come in at 451,000 mt, down approximately eight per cent compared to 2014. The weaker Canadian dollar is supporting domestic fed cattle prices so that the U.S. market is reflecting a sharp premium over Canadian values. I’m expecting larger exports of live cattle over the next year as producers take advantage of the stronger market.

U.S. beef production is expected to experience a year-over-year decline of nearly 200 million pounds during the first quarter of 2015.

Notice during the second quarter, beef production is expected to be very similar to 2014. U.S. cattle on feed inventories as of December 1, 2014 were up one per cent compared to December 1 of 2013 which suggests that beef production will not be down as much as expected during the second and third quarters of 2015.

The U.S. economy experienced stellar growth of five per cent during the third quarter of 2014 which is the highest level in more than a decade. Unofficial data suggests this robust consumer spending and business investment continued into the fourth quarter. Wholesale beef prices shot up as consumer spending increased but it now looks like wholesale beef prices have levelled off. Unless we see even greater economic growth in the first and second quarters of 2015, it will be difficult for wholesale beef prices to move significantly higher. Consumer confidence remains near sixyear highs and unemployment is poised to improve. Disposable income for the average consumer will marginally increase. Keep in mind that seasonally, consumer food spending slows in January and February.

Barley prices have been slowly percolating higher since the fall but this has done little to stem the rise in feeder cattle due to the stronger fed prices and weaker Canadian dollar. At the time of writing this

article, cash barley in the Lethbridge area was trading in the range of $202/mt to $205/mt. Given the tighter fundamental structure, feed barley prices have potential to strengthen by $30 to $40 over the next couple of months and stay firm into summer.

While Alberta fed cattle prices have traded as high as $187/ cwt, prices in the U.S. southern plains are near US$175/cwt. The US$0.85/Cdn. exchange rate suggests U.S. values are near $205/ cwt. Feedlot break-even prices for the spring period are near $176/ cwt in late winter and then move up to the range of $183/cwt to $185/cwt by early spring. There is a fair amount of room for feeder cattle to move higher. Based on past history feedlots generally bid up the price of feeder cattle until there is no margin in the finishing cattle. This may not hold given the unprecedented price levels but at least we can say that the feeder market is not expected to decline.

At worst, values should stay rather flat. In my discussions in the industry, it appears we would need some major economic change (besides the drop in crude oil) to cause beef consumption to drop which would trickle down to the fed cattle market and then into local auction barns. c Gerald Klassen analyzes markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in southern Alberta. He can be reached at gklassen7@hotmail.com.

C at t l e m e n · F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

69

 GOINGS ON

Sales&Events Events

13

February

13

18-19 Beef Farmers of Ontario 2015 Annual General Meeting, International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ont. 18-20 Alberta Beef Industry Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Red Deer, Alta.

21 Crossroads Beef Expo-Big Country Ag Society Cash for Steers provided by Ashley Good Memorial, Crossroads Centre, Oyen, Alta.

March 3-5

anadian Cattlemen’s Association AGM, C Ottawa, Ont. 4-5 International Livestock Congress, Houston Livestock Show, Houston, Texas, www.theisef.com/ilc-usa 4-5 Calgary Bull Show and Sale, Stampede Park, Calgary, Alta.

11-12 Beef Value Chain Round Table Meetings, Ottawa, Ont. 26 Canadian Beef Breeds Council AGM, Best Western Port-O-Call, Calgary, Alta.

26-28 Northlands Farm & Ranch Show, Expo Centre, Edmonton, Alta.

April 6-7

dvancing Women in Agriculture — A Life Skills for Leadership, Hyatt Regency, Calgary, Alta.

May

28-30 Livestock Markets Association Convention and AGM Host Mart — Winnipeg, Livestock Sales, Airport Hilton, Winnipeg, Man.

June

14 14 16 17 20 24 26

28

March 3

4-5 7

7 9

9-11 C anadian Animal Health Institute Meetings, Esterel Resort, Esterel, Que. 11-13 Canadian Cattlemen’s Association AGM, Ottawa, Ont.

10

July

16

16

21-23 Ag in Motion — Western Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Langham, Sask.

17

October

20

5-6

dvancing Women in Agriculture — A Life Skills for Leadership, Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ont.

Sales February 12

12

70

hapman Cattle Co. Bull Sale — Red C & Black Angus, Stettler Auction Mart, Stettler, Alta.

Stauffer Ranches — two-year-old Black Angus Bull Sale, Fort Macleod Auction, Fort Macleod, Alta.

C at t l e m e n · f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 5

nchor D Ranch Genetic Edge Simmental A Bull Sale, at the ranch, Rimbey, Alta.

26th Annual Mader Ranches Bull Power Sale, at the farm, Carstairs, Alta.

Soderglen Select 2015 Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Airdrie, Alta., www.soderglen.com LLB Angus 29th Annual Bull & Female, at the farm, Erskine, Alta.

Ole Farms 10th Annual Family Day Sale, at the farm, Athabasca, Alta.

Rawes Ranches 32nd annual Performance Tested Charolais Bull Sale, at the ranch, Strome, Alta., www.rawesranches.com Mader Ranches Bull Sale, at the farm, Carstairs, Alta.

Rainalta Simmental & Charolais Bull Sales, Bow Slope Shipping, Brooks, Alta.

7th Annual Stewart Cattle Co. and Guests Bull Sale — 50 Black Angus Bulls & Sim-Angus Bulls, Beautiful Plains Ag Society, Neepawa, Man. Lewis Farms 30th Annual Bull Sale, at the farm, Spruce Grove, Alta. elvin Angus Bull Sale, at the farm, B Innisfail, Alta.

2015 Calgary Bull Sale, Stampede Park, Calgary, Alta.

26th Annual Davidson Gelbvieh Bull Sale & Lonesome Dove Ranch Bull Sale, at the bull yards, Ponteix, Sask., www.davidsongelbvieh.com McMillen Ranching Bull Sale, at the ranch, Carieville, Sask.

Braun Ranch & Bar CR Angus — Ranch Ready Bull Sale, Heartland Livestock, Swift Current, Sask.

Harvie Ranching Bull Sale — Polled Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, at the ranch, Olds, Alta.

Remitall Cattle Company Bull Sale, at the ranch, Olds, Alta.

Blades Angus Ranch, Foothills Auction, Stavely, Alta.

17th Annual Grass Country Limousin & Angus Bull Sales, at the ranch, Rumsey, Alta.

Reese Cattle Company Charolais Bull Sale, Innisfail Auction Mart, Innisfail, Alta.

April 1

3

11 18

eak Dot Ranch Bull and Female Sale, P at the ranch, Wood Mountain, Sask.

Northern Progress Bull Sale — 70 Red Angus Bulls — 25 aged bulls, 45 yearling bulls, Saskatoon Livestock Sales, Saskatoon, Sask.

40th Annual Six Mile Angus Bull Sale, at the ranch, Fir Mountain, Sask.

37th Shortgrass Angus Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Aneroid, Sask. c

 ADV E RTI SE R IN DEX Page A. Sparrow Farms 52 Advancing Women 46 Airdrie Trailer Sales 63 Alberta Cattle Breeders Assoc.

51 Beefbooster 41 Belvin Angus 47 Benchmark Farms 60 Boehringer Ingelheim 49 Bohrson Marketing Services 27 Brett Young Seeds 7

By Livestock 58 Canadian Angus Assoc.

62 Canadian Cattle Identification 36, 37 Canadian Charolais Assoc.

OBC Canadian Forage & Grassland Assoc.

19 30, 31 Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc.

Canadian Hereford Assoc.

IFC Canadian Limousin Assoc.

16, 17 Canadian Red Angus Promotion Society 62 Canadian Shorthorn Assoc.

35 21 Canadian Simmental Assoc.

Cattlemen Financial Corp.

62 Cattlesoft-Cattlemax 11 13 Davidson Gelbvieh Elanco Animal Health IBC Frostfree Nose Pumps Ltd. 63 62 Gilbrea Consulting Ltd. Greener Pastures 57 5 Harvie Ranching Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment 63 61 LLB Angus 56, 62 Lloydminster Exhibition Assoc.

Merial 15, 23 Mosaic Company 40, 66 North American Lincoln Red 62 57 Ole Farms Poplar Meadows Angus 33 Pro-char Charolais 43 58 R Plus Simmentals Rainalta Simmentals & Charolais 6 Rancier Farms 65 Rawes Ranches Ltd. 11 Real Industries 50 Remitall Farms 44 Richmond Ranch 59 Royal Bank of Canada 9 Salers Assoc. of Canada 24, 25, 62 Severtson Land & Cattle 39 61 Summit 3 Sale The Cattle Range 8 Tru-Test Inc. 60

 Event listings are a free service to industry.  Sale listings are for our advertisers.

Your contact is Deborah Wilson at 403-325-1695 or deb.wilson@fbcpublishing.com

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

T S E T A L THE N O I T N E V O PRE C N FROM

ELA

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