Canadian cattlemen by Farm Business Communications

A SINGLE SQUIRT TO MANAGE PAIN · AMR DILEMMA, THE IMPACT

THE BEEF MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2015 $3.00

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

The Prairie Calls Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

“Canada’s Bulls” M.C. Quantock Bull Sale SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 Important information on Page 2-3 Call for your free Bull Book and DVD

www.canadasbulls.com www.mcquantock.com email: mcquantock@hotmail.com Bull Book online late December

M.C. Quantock Bull Sale “Canada’s Bulls” the Bull Book a 75 page, 4 color Call/email ... for"wishlist" of the best bulls available... www.canadasbulls.com The "go to" place for everything. Hundreds of pictures, updates, videos, testimonials and finally over 75 page, 4 color Bull Book online in late December.

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 12 noon MST Exhibition Grounds, Lloydminster, AB/SK All cattle in heated facility! Free Beef Lunch 11 a.m. 10,900 BULLS... 47 SALES. Call Mac Today 1-800-561-BULL (2855)

Sight Unseen Purchase Plan

Buying your bulls is easy... and it’s as close as your phone...

I have spent 35 years working with cattlemen across Canada and together we have developed the most successful Sight Unseen Purchase Plan in the country, so successful in fact that it can sell nearly half our bulls some years. Mac Creech, D.V.M. I have done it with sincerity and integrity and the utmost respect for the customers needs and budget. We start by discussing your cows, your breeding program, and what you need to get done. When we are comfortable with each other we can work together to get you the right cattle at the right price. While a few people sell a few bulls on the internet, I much prefer to visit with our customers, get to know them, and help them select the right bulls. Our comprehensive catalogue and DVD will give you an accurate impression of the bulls. After the sale I’ll personally deliver your bulls, in most cases. You must be completely satisfied on arrival or you are under no obligation to take them.

435

BULLS

Red Angus Bulls Black Angus Bulls Super Baldie Bulls Black Super Baldie Bulls Dehorned Hereford Bulls H-2 Bulls Super Guppie Bulls Charolais Bulls

Absolutely FREE Delivery

TENTATIVE DELIVERY ROUTES

YOU PAY FOR THEM ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SATISFIED ON DELIVERY

Call me anytime to get started. 1-800-561-2855 Thanks Mac

We will safely deliver each and every bull to your nearest centeral location in Western Canada. You have my word — we'll work with you to get them within 30 - 50 miles of your ranch. Ontario, Quebec or the Maritimes — we'll cost-share delivery. Talk to Mac for details.

Routes may change depending on bull distribution. Routes indicated are usually run twice a year — February and April. Some bulls may be interlined with other carriers where necessary.

Even my Wife... loves cows! This business is so good "even my wife loves cows." Cattlemen have always told me that their wife thought they owned too many cows.... until the last few years. Record setting but very real. The best calf prices ever. Most important, these prices are based on solid fundamentals and are here for a long, long, time. Cattlemen are enjoying the good times and reaping the rewards for their perseverance, tenacity and resolve. We all went through

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016

8 to 9 very, very tough years. The optimism and ability to think long term, which all cattlemen have "etched in their DNA," carried us all through. Now is the time to reinvest in the best genetics you can find, ours are industry leading, practical, affordable and bred by a cowman for real cattlemen. Five years ago our sale theme was "Lay in the Weeds... and Wait" Our thinking then is just as valid today. Survive and prosper by remembering that only a cow can unhook you from the treadmill of high input costs and expensive technology. Only a cow can "set you free",she's a low tech machine that harvests grass stores solar energy and turns it all into high quality protein, her value to the world will only increase... even Justin Trudeau can't argue with that! So get close to nature, graze longer, calve a little later, work less, let your cows work more and have more family time. Remember, cows reproduce their way to your success and financial freedom. We live in a wonderful "free enterprise" country where if you want it, plan for it, and work hard for it, you will achieve it. Unlike a lot of bull producers, we've paid for our ranch and our cows with our cows, we're rooted deep in reality. Solid, methodical and tenacious, we've used "old school" genetics, sound breeding principles and the "eye of a cowman" to develop eight different bull lines. We've moulded a herd of cattle that are all alike. Alike in type, alike in pedigree, alike in performance so both you and your customers can sell uniform high-end cattle, make as much darn money as possible and enjoy a way of life most people wish they could have.

Our only customers are Canada's commercial cowmen large and small. They buy our bulls because they're good quality, all of them, well culled, they sire the calves the order buyers keep talking about. Our bulls are older summer born twos (22-26 months when you need them), old enough to be tough and not give trouble. Our bulls can all be left with us till spring, you don't want new bulls around till you need them, so let us look after them. Our bulls are all delivered absolutely free in Western Canada and cost shared in the East. Our bulls can be purchased sight unseen, in fact about half always are. We help select your bulls and they're guaranteed to be what you want... "true satisfaction on arrival". Our customers trust and confidence in us make it all possible. Our bulls are affordable and most all sell to solid commercial cattlemen. Our bulls are guaranteed like no others... you'll have a bull to breed your cows no matter what... hard to get better than that! As sale time approaches, you can view all our bulls on video on our website or we'll send you your very own DVD and Bull Book and you can show the neighbors. In fact, it's probably easier and simpler to buy our bulls than buying bulls locally. You get great service, the best guarantee, lots of selection and your calves will be sired by notionally known bulls. It all helps you to get them sold! Our customers like the fact that all our cattle are managed and fed just like most all commercial cattle. This year call me for your bulls. *free DVD *Free Bull Book * Free Delivery "Great Bulls" Call Today. Mac & Pat

Bulls from cows this good... Big gutted, Big Girthed do-it-yourself females

12 noon MST

M.C. Quantock Livestock Corp Call Mac...

1-800-561-BULL (2855)

email: mcquantock@hotmail.com www.canadasbulls.com Box 10888, Lloydminster, AB. T9V 3B1 www.mcquantock.com

CALL/EMAIL FOR YOUR FREE Bull Book AND DVD

Contents

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

canadian cattlemen · december 2015 · Volume 78, No. 12

 SUSTAINA B I L I TY

Field Editor: Debbie Furber Box 1168, Tisdale, SK S0E 1T0 (306) 873-4360 Fax (306) 873-4360 Email: debbie.furber@fbcpublishing.com Advertising Sales Sales Director: Cory Bourdeaud’hui (204) 954-1414 Email: cory@fbcpublishing.com National Sales: Mike Millar (306) 251-0011 Email: mike.millar@fbcpublishing.com Rick Dibben (403) 393-7493 Email: rick.dibben@fbcpublishing.com Head Office 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 (204) 944-5765 Fax (204) 944-5562 Advertising Services Co-ordinator: Arlene Bomback (204) 944-5765 Fax (204) 944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com

Bayot and Franziska Britschgi are building a new life near Manyberries, Alta.

Publisher: Lynda Tityk Email: lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com Associate Publisher: John Morriss Email: john.morriss@fbcpublishing.com

the prairie calls  ENVIRON M E N T

FEATURES Wheat versus barley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Water conservation efforts in Bruce Peninsula taking shape. . . . . . . . . 16

Congratulations! To our December survey winner, Adrian Legault of Matheson, Ont. This month’s survey is on page 48. Cover Photo: supplied by the Britschgi family

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President: Bob Willcox Glacier FarmMedia Email: bwillcox@farmmedia.com Contents of Cattlemen are copyrighted and may be reproduced only when written permission is obtained from the editor and proper credit is given to Cattlemen.

A single squirt to manage pain. . . . . . . . . . 22

Cattlemen is published monthly by Farm Business Communications. Head office: Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed by Transcontinental LGMC. Cattlemen is printed with linseed oil-based inks.

The Prairie calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Do we still need to treat for warbles?. . . 38 Verified Beef Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

DEPARTMENTS

Do we still need to treat for warbles?

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Cattlemen and Canadian Cattlemen are Trade Marks of Farm Business Communications.

2015 index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

 HEALTH

Production Director: Shawna Gibson Email: shawna@fbcpublishing.com

Beefed-up plant breeders’ rights. . . . . . . . 18 The AMR dilemma: Part 2 The impact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Water conservation 16 efforts in Bruce Peninsula taking shape

Editorial Director: Laura Rance Email: laura@fbcpublishing.com

Comment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Newsmakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Letters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Our History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Vet Advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Research on the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Holistic Ranching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Straight from the Hip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Prime Cuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CCA Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 News Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Purely Purebred. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Markets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Market Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Sales and Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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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. Our commitment to your privacy: At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1. Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-1362.

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Get more horses for your cattle business. Power gets the job done. It helps build the business and pay the bills. So you need a tractor that brings more muscle to work … every day. And the 6M does. With tractors from 110- to 195-hp, there’s a model ready for your livestock operation. You’ll have the hydraulic capacity to cycle heavy loads and lift rear implements, the engine power needed to pull through harsh conditions, and the versatility you want for just about every chore you face.

Flex some big hydraulic muscle Get up to 30 gpm (113 lpm) for big lift and fast cycle times. And with a 3-point hitch capacity of up to 10,582 pounds (4,535 kg), you can take on just about anything that comes your way.

second, sensing and adjusting power requirements as needed. Productivity goes up, the need for shifting gears, fuel consumption, and operator stress goes down. Work in any weather Take a seat in the cab of a 6M and you’ll instantly get a feel for how protected you’ll be. There’s mechanical cab suspension, great visibility in all directions, colorcoded controls at your fngertips, and critical information available at a glance … so you can stay relaxed when the days get long.

Engines that respond to changing demands.

Engines that stay productive Before you even realize your power requirements have changed, your 6M will respond. The engine control unit checks engine speed and load changes 100 times each

And if you live in a moderate climate, the open station 6M delivers … without cutting corners on comfort. Shift productivity up a notch The right gear makes all the difference. And the 6M will help you fnd the speed you need for the job at hand. Choose between three different transmissions

and many variations – from the PowrQuad™ that delivers four, clutch-free shifts in Transmissions each range to an that give Auto-Quad™Plus you the that lets you right gear program the for the job. transmission to shift automatically within a range depending on the load. Pick a transmission with 25 mph (40 km/h) for fast transport or a creeper option with speeds as low as .15 mph (.25 km/h). And if you do loader work, all PowrQuad transmissions feature a left-hand reverser for no-clutch, no-skid direction changes. Into heavy lifting Take on the toughest livestock chores out there with the more than capable, high-performing, heavyy lifter. See yyour dealer to learn why the 6M gives you the horses you need to get the job done.

Hydraulics that help you hit the toughest loader chores head on.

Controls help put all that hat muscle to work. rk.

More power. More getting work done.

JohnDeere.ca

 COMMENT

By Gren Winslow

Enjoy the honeymoon

ou never really know what people will do until the chips are down, which is probably why I can’t get too excited about all the sunny talk coming from the new Liberal government. Certainly, like every new government, the Liberals deserve a honeymoon period — a time to get their feet under them and put their stamp on the new Parliament. For the beef industry, however, the honeymoon is going to be a short-lived one since the World Trade Organization arbitration panel was expected to rule in early December on the level of retaliatory tariffs Canada and Mexico will be allowed to level against the U.S. for its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) legislation. Let’s assume for the moment that the panel members agree that Canada is entitled to set tariffs of $3.1 billion per year on U.S. goods. What will the Liberals do? The Conservatives right up to Stephen Harper appeared ready to pull the switch on a basket of tariffs to pressure the U.S. Congress into repealing the COOL laws. If they were playing a bluff, it was a masterful one. But we will never know now because like any good poker player they don’t have to show their hand. They’ve already passed it over to the Liberal administration. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay has managed to sidestep the issue when questioned about COOL up to now because there has been no WTO announcement to respond to. Like Gerry Ritz before him MacAulay raised the issue with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and said only that he hopes the U.S. will comply with the ruling of the WTO so retaliation can be avoided. If there is to be any give in the U.S. position on this issue history tells us it won’t come from Vilsack but from the Congress that passed the COOL laws in the first place. Vilsack simply screwed the restrictions down a little tighter in reaction to an earlier defeat at the WTO. In all honesty, why would the Americans fold their tent? They might as well see if the new Canadian government is willing to play out the hand dealt to them by the Conservatives. And that will be the time when we gain our first real insight into where agriculture, and the beef and hog industries specifically, fit within the priorities of the new Liberal administration. We know that COOL was not mentioned in Prime Minister Trudeau’s mandate letter to Mr. MacAulay. Generally he was instructed to help the agriculture sector in getting product to market , water management, research and innovation, food safety and export support. He was also instructed to promote Canadian agricultural interests during future trade negotiations. Nor did COOL come up in the PM’s mandate letter to Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland.

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At this point we don’t know who would carry the fight for retaliation to the cabinet table. Neither of these ministers is vested in the issue the same way that Ritz and Ed Fast were with the Harper government. If you are anything like me the thought of this issue being brought to a cabinet meeting is cause for some worry. In the final analysis this is a government dominated by eastern, urban MPs. Our international trade minister is obviously a very capable woman but she represents a very upscale part of Toronto, and our agriculture minister is from eastern Prince Edward Island. Yet they will presumably be making our case to the cabinet. It has to be hard for them to relate to an issue that means so much to a group that is dominated by rural ranchers and farmers, mainly from the West.

I n the final analysis this is a government dominated by eastern, urban MPs Nor can we forget that we will be asking them to essentially raise the price on a basket of U.S. products that are already being driven up in price by our weak dollar. That’s got to be a hard sell to a roomful of people who were mostly elected by city people. If this duo can pull it off they will have earned an enormous amount of credit from beef and hog producers right across this country. On other trade files Minister Freeland has a mandate to promote agriculture during future trade negotiations, develop strategies to implement the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and consult on Canada’s potential participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). She also has the green light to implement and expand Canada’s list of bilateral free trade agreements, including Israel, Chile and Ukraine. Freeland and the prime minister have made it pretty clear the TPP will be subjected to a full debate in Parliament and across the country before it is approved. Dairy producers, the auto industry and a few other powerful factions are going to take some hard swings at this agreement, but in the end I expect the government will blame any weaknesses on the Tories and pass it. Canada can no longer remain out in the cold in that part of the world, not when so many of our competitors are tying Asia up with bilateral trade agreements. At that point the honeymoon will be over. c

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Innovation: The light that guides us At A.T. Ferrell, innovation is the lifeblood of our brands and it fuels everything we do, from machinery concept and design to marketing and sales. The A.T. Ferrell Innovation Awards were created to recognize the innovative approaches that our industry partners have brought to the marketplace. The 2015 recipients are Ferrell-Ross Roll Manufacturing, Inc. in the North America market and Alvan Blanch Group in the European, Middle East and African markets. We recognize them for their leadership and efforts in delivering custom-built steam flaked grain solutions.

For generations we have provided innovative solutions for the agriculture and food industries: • Clipper seed and grain cleaners • Ferrell-Ross roller mills, flaking mills and cracking mills • Mix-Mill feed processing and mixing systems But we don’t rest on our past accomplishments. By combining a history of innovation with a commitment to customer service, we can proudly say our products are “Engineered Without Compromise.” All rights reserved. © 2015 A.T. Ferrell Company Inc.

atferrell.com/ferrell-ross Engineered Without Compromise in Indiana

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2015-10-14 5:03 PM

 THE INDUST RY

NewsMakers Our new federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, 69, is no stranger to Parliament having first been elected as MP for Cardigan in eastern P.E.I. in 1998, and re-elected Lawrence MacAulay nine times since then. The one-time potato and dairy farmer served as solicitor general of Canada and minister of labour in previous Liberal governments and secretary of state for veterans and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. In all his years in the House of Commons he doesn’t appear to have had any connection to agriculture until his appointment by PM Justin Trudeau to cabinet on November 3. Chrystia Freeland, the new minister of international trade in the federal government was the critic for this portfolio in the last Parliament. A former journalist she was Chrystia Freeland first elected for Toronto Centre in a November 2013 byelection and as the MP for University-Rosedale in October. She was born in Peace River, Alta., received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and continued her studies on a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University. Her journalism career included stints as managing editor and former Moscow bureau chief, Eastern Europe correspondent for the Financial Times, deputy editor of The Globe and Mail, managing director and editor of consumer news for Thomson Reuters. Her books include Sale of a Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution (2000) and Plutocrats: The Rise

Letters Food Farms a Hit

How many of us can say we understood the concepts surrounding crop growth at the young age of nine or 10? The reality is the majority of today’s society, including our youth, is with no doubt unaware of the connection between the food on their plate and the farm that it originated from. After reading, “Food Farms are a Hit,” by Deb-

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of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else (2012). Chris Warkentin, the Conservatives’ MP for Peace River since 2006 is the new Conservative agriculture and agri-food critic in the new Parliament. Jacques Gourde, the MP for Levis-Lotbiniere, is deputy critic. Raised on a farm near Debolt, Alta., Warkentin owned and operated a custom home-building company before entering politics. Former agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is now the Conservative critic for international trade. Stina Nagel is the new communications co-ordinator for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The daughter of a rural largeanimal veterinarian, Nagel was raised on a small, mixed Stina Nagel operation near Crossfield, Alta. She holds a bachelor of arts in communications studies from the University of Calgary and brings experience in corporate communications, writing, editing and event management in the energy sector to the job.

and embryologist Kate Kolstad set up AEI. He was a past president of the Alberta Canada All Breeds Association and a director of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. The 2015 Canadian Forage & Grassland Association’s Leadership Award sponsored by Case New Holland was presented to Dr. Bruce Coulman, a professor at the department of plant Bruce Coulman sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, during the association’s sixth annual conference at Saskatoon in November. Geneve Jasper is the new industry specialist, beef and livestock team lead for the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture replacing Don Low who retired in April. Jasper has been the Geneve Jasper regional agrologist in the Cariboo since 2006 and worked as a range agrologist before that. She will remain in Williams Lake. Jasper obtained her bachelor of science in natural resource conservation from UBC in 1997 and is a professional agrologist and registered forester.

Many in the industry and particularly the purebred sector were mourning the passing of Gary Smith, president of Alta Exports International Inc., who passed away suddenly on November 11, at 69. Raised north of Wimborne, Alta., he obtained a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from the University of Alberta before returning home to farm and ranch with his father and brothers Ron and Robert. He became involved in exporting and marketing livestock genetics in 1984, first with his brothers, then with Alta Genetics until 2000 when he

The crew at Dri Land Feeders of Warner, Alta., won the 2015 all-day Zoetis feedlot challenge, a team competition that tests the handling and treating skills of feedlots crews from around the country. This year’s competition attracted 10 four-member crews from as far away as Quebec to the Shelter Valley Land and Cattle feedlot in Lethbridge. The four-person crew from Wisemen Feeders of Lethbridge came in second. c

bie Furber in Canadian Cattlemen (Oct. 5, 2015 issue, pg. 28) I can genuinely say that I wish a program like this had been available to me when I was at that age. I think this is an excellent way to educate our youth in a hands-on, attention-grabbing manner, providing them with memories and stories that they can go home and later share with their friends and family. Not only does this program demonstrate the hard work and extensive period of time that a farmer invests in order to provide us with a meal, it

allows the children to see the entire process that takes place. Furthermore, the program manages to integrate examples of crop production and practices performed for crops that fall within the food groups outlined in Canada’s Food Guide. I believe the agricultural community, as well as the adolescence and our society as a whole could greatly benefit from incorporating more programs like this into our schools. Melissa Mammoliti, student Dalhousie University faculty of agriculture

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 our histo ry

The Mystery of Violin Bill By Freda Graham Bundy From the December 1949 Canadian Cattlemen

iolin Bill was one of the big mysteries of the early days in the Pincher Creek district. When I questioned an old-timer about him, this is what he told me. It was about 70 years ago — when we were at the cow camp on Dry Fork. We were sitting around the stove one evening, for although April had commenced, it had come in with a nasty blizzard and the cold wind wasn’t any spring zephyr. The captain of the roundup was just cussing the weather and everything in particular, when we all stopped talking, for above the roar of the wind we could hear the most blood-curdling wails that it was possible to hear. They reminded me somewhat of a dying bobcat or a lynx that had got caught in a trap, but they sounded a dozen times more uncanny. Cap jumped to his feet, grabbed his mackinaw and called, “Come on, let’s go and see what’s disturbing our privacy.” We all went, even though the wind was cold and it was a miserable night, for that wailing noise had given us all the jitters and no one wanted to be left alone. Those weird howls had been bad enough when we had been in the shelter and warmth of the shack, but outside in the eerie light of a snowy night they just about curdled our blood. It seemed as if they were coming from the butte to the left and in that direction we made our way. Suddenly Cap shouted that he could see an object ahead and as we neared the thing, it stopped its horrible howling. We couldn’t believe our eyes, for there, sitting on the snow-covered prairie was an old man with a violin in his hands. He looked half-frozen and made no attempt to speak, but pointed to his leg, which was weirdly twisted below the knee. We could see that it was broken so we picked him up and carried him back to the shack as gently as we could, then made him comfortable in one of the bunks. After cutting off the old gent’s pant leg, Cap made a couple of good splints and fixed the leg up as well as he could but still the old man didn’t say a thing. So then, we gave him some hot tea, with a bit of a stick in it, that we keep for an emergency. When he had finished drinking this, the old man made motions that he wanted to write something. We thought maybe the cold and shock he had suffered had made him dumb or crazy, but we hunted up a pencil and piece of paper. As he wrote, we crowded around and read his strange story. He had come out from the East, to visit an old friend that he thought still lived on the ranch across the river — about nine miles from our cow camp. When he had got to Pincher Creek, by coach, he left his baggage, with the exception of his violin, which was a very valuable possession. Hiring a saddle horse, he started to ride to the ranch, but during the blizzard he lost the trail and his horse stepped into a hole, throwing the old man violently to the ground, breaking his leg. Being frightened the horse ran away, probably back to Pincher. Night was coming on and the old man realized that if he didn’t do something very quickly, he would stand a good chance of freezing to death. He saw the butte in the distance, so, slowly and painfully, he started to crawl towards it. He thought if he could just reach the top he might see if there was a shack anywhere near. It certainly must have been pretty tough for the old fellow, dragging that broken leg along over the frozen, snowy ground and all this time holding his precious fiddle, which, fortunately, didn’t get injured in the fall.

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After what must have been a long time, he got to the top and saw the lights of our shack. Even though this cheered him and give him a little added strength, yet he soon found he could crawl no farther. He had just about made up his mind that he would be forced to die in that whirling blizzard, when suddenly he thought of his violin. Taking it from its case he drew the bow across the strings as harshly and loudly as possible. Luckily the wind was in the right direction and we heard him. “Why didn’t you holler?” asked Cap, and once more the old man wrote. He had been dumb ever since he had met with an accident some 25 years before at a fire, in an eastern theatre. The reason he thought so much of his violin and always carried it, was because it had belonged to his father who lost his life in that fire. The next morning the old man played for us. Since those days I have travelled a lot. I’ve heard lots of music in the largest cities in Canada and the United States, but I’ve never heard anything like the way that old gent played for us, a bunch of rough cowboys in that little shack on Dry Fork. The weather was bad for several days and all the time we heard bits of a beautiful melody, the kind of music that tugs at your heart. The old man would play a bit, then repeat it and add a little more. Never once did he offer to state who he was or where he had come from and we didn’t ask him, then when the weather cleared, Cap drove him in to Pincher Creek and the doctor. After he got his leg in a cast he went back east. While he had been with us, we nicknamed him “Violin Bill,” forgetting that although he had lost the power of speech, he still could hear. I often saw him smiling at some of our conversation. About three or four months after he had left, one of the boys was reading an eastern paper that had been sent to him by his folks. In it was an article telling about a musical masterpiece that had been composed by a famous musician who wished to keep his name a secret. The man did say that he had composed the piece during a forced vacation with some cowboys near the little town of Pincher Creek in the west. We were fairly hilarious after we read that. The old boy really was somebody famous and to think that he had created that beautiful piece of music in our little old log cabin on Dry Fork. We were as proud as a new father over the whole thing but we did wish that there was some way that we could find out who he was. The summer went by, the fall roundup and then Christmas drew near. Cap went in for supplies and the usual Christmas goodies, but we waited anxiously for him to bring out the mail, the parcels and the letters from our folks back east. When he came in the bunkhouse that night, there was a twinkle in his eye and he said, “Here’s a great surprise, boys, or at least, I think it is by the labels that are on it.” As we crowded about the big box, we thought as Cap did, that it was some sort of present from our fiddler friend. It didn’t take us long to get that box open and there in the straw, lay six bottles of brandy and six bottles of good rye. There was a card on top and I made a grab for it. At last we would solve the mystery as to whom our friend really was. “Listen!” I cried, then stopped and simply stared at the card. It was still a mystery and it always remained a mystery, for on the card was written, “With best wishes and kind remembrances from — Violin Bill.” c For more of the past from the pages of our magazine see the History section at www.canadiancattlemen.ca.

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THE REAL STORY OF AG

“We take pride in knowing we would feel safe consuming any of the crops we sell. If we would not use it ourselves, it does not go to market.” – Katelyn Duncan, Saskatchewan

“The natural environment is critical to farmers – we depend on soil and water for the production of food. But we also live on our farms, so it’s essential that we act as responsible stewards.” – Doug Chorney, Manitoba

“The welfare of my animals is one of my highest priorities. If I don’t give my cows a high quality of life they won’t grow up to be great cows.” – Andrew Campbell, Ontario

Safe food; animal welfare; sustainability; people care deeply about these things when they make food choices. And all of us in the agriculture industry care deeply about them too. But sometimes the general public doesn’t see it that way. Why? Because, for the most part, we’re not telling them our story and, too often, someone outside the industry is. The journey from farm to table is a conversation we need to make sure we’re a part of. So let’s talk about it, together. Visit AgMoreThanEver.ca to discover how you can help improve and create realistic perceptions of Canadian ag.

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2015-11-19 1:59 PM

 feeding

By Debbie Furber

Wheat versus

Barley Researchers ask if you can get away with more wheat in a ration, when it pays

esearch scientists at Ag Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre have put wheat to the test every which way and found that it could replace all the barley in feedlot finishing rations with no measurable negative effects on growth or carcass quality. In a nutshell, there’s a tendency toward lower feed intake and improved feed efficiency with wheat versus barley grain. However, wheat’s reputation as a hot, highly fermentable feed, which can cause acidosis opening the door to liver abscesses, and concerns about gluten reducing rumen motility have kept it from becoming widely accepted as a cattle feed. The general recommendation has been to limit it to 50 per cent or less of the grain portion of a ration. “Wheat may become attractive to replace a portion of barley or corn in cattle rations at times when it can be competitively priced against other grains because of high wheat stocks or adverse growing or harvesting conditions that make it unsuitable for human consumption,” says beef nutrition scientist Wenzhu Yang. “As with other cereal grains, wheat is primarily a source of energy in the form of carbohydrates with digestible energy similar to corn and higher than other cereals. It can also be used as a protein source when protein prices are high and wheat is relatively cheap compared to other protein sources.” Yang suggests the first step when thinking about substituting wheat for barley is to test it because there’s as much variation in feed quality of wheat as any other grain depending on variety, agronomic practices and growing conditions. Generally, wheat offers the highest crude protein level of all feed grains. The average is 15.9 per cent, but it can be as high as 19 in durum or as low as 10 in red winter wheat, compared to 12.7 for barley, 10.3 for corn, 15.7 for triticale and 11.6 for oats. Typically, as total protein content in wheat increases, so do the natural gluten proteins.

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The average starch content is 70.9 per cent, which falls about midway between barley at 64.3 per cent and corn at 75.7. Neutral detergent fibre is as low as corn averaging 10 per cent, compared with barley at 21 per cent and oats at 35 per cent. Wheat starch does break down rapidly in the rumen, more so when the kernels are rolled, which Yang says is a must for effective digestion. However, results from the first in a series of recent trials comparing wheat to barley found no measurable negative effect on rumen function or feed digestibility when wheat replaced some or all of the barley in a finishing diet of 90 per cent grain and 10 per cent silage. Rumen pH levels followed a very similar curve whether the grain portion was all barley, 60 per cent barley/30 per cent wheat, 60 per cent wheat/30 per cent barley, or all wheat. Rumen pH was above 6.0 at feeding and dropped to 5.8 within two hours of feeding, and to 5.5 within the next two hours. It dipped lower for the next four hours and then rose to 5.5 by hours 13 through 16 and above 5.8 by hours 16 through 20. In all, rumen pH was below 5.8 for 13.8 to 15.7 hours and below 5.5 for 10.4 to 12.6 hours during the 24-hour period. The longest duration below 5.8 and 5.5 was for the all-wheat grain ration and the shortest was for the all-barley grain ration. The danger zone for ruminal acidosis starts at a pH of 5.8, which indicates acids are starting to build up faster than can be buffered by saliva and fibre. Ruminal acidosis is confirmed when pH drops below 5.5 and the longer it stays low, the greater the chance of damage to the rumen. Given these limits Yang recommends feeding wheat-based rations twice a day rather than once to reduce the swings in rumen pH and lessen the amount of time it spends below 5.8. Yang says they also found measurable but not significant differences in fermentation patterns. The acetate-to-propionate (A:P)

ratio was the lowest at 1.12 for the 30 barley/60 wheat ration; 1.31 for the all-wheat grain ration and 1.32 for all-barley grain ration. A lower A:P ratio is beneficial because it indicates a greater proportion of propionate volatile fatty acid, which is more energy dense than acetate. Intake was highest for the all-barley grain ration at 12.6 kg/day and dropped by 0.2 kg/ day as the percentage of wheat increased. Crude protein digestibility was lowest for the all-wheat grain ration at 59.1 per cent compared to 63.9 per cent for the all-barley grain ration. However, dry-matter (DM) digestibility was highest for the all-wheat grain ration at 73.0 per cent compared to 70.0 per cent for the all-barley diet. Processing index matters

“Optimizing the processing index (PI) is one of the most effective means of ensuring the feed value of wheat in feedlot diets,” Yang says. The PI indicates the degree of processing and is calculated by dividing the bulk density of the processed grain by the bulk density of the whole grain multiplied by 100. For example, if a barley sample had a bushel weight of 50 pounds before processing and 35 pounds after processing, the PI would be 70 per cent (35/50x100). The tighter the rollers, the lower the index. The PI in samples of processed barley from 10 feedlots in the Lethbridge area ranged from 60 to 90 per cent, and averaged 78 per cent, which is in line with the recommended PI of 75 to 80 for barley. A PI of 85 is recommended for wheat. This should break the kernels into two or three pieces without creating fines that contribute to acidosis. However, as the next feedlot study showed, the optimum PI depends on starch content of the wheat as well. Continued on page 14

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Continued from page 12

Wheat with a low starch content of 46 per cent and barley with similar starch content were processed to PIs of either 85 or 75 per cent to evaluate the effect of PI on wheat versus barley. Both the type of grain and the PI made a difference in dry-matter intake and feed-to-gain (F:G) ratio. At PI 85, barley consumption was 10.6 kg/head/day and wheat was 10.3 kg. When the grains were further processed to PI 75, barley consumption dropped only slightly, whereas wheat consumption dropped to 9.9 kg/ head/day. The drop in consumption and steady rate of gain translated into a significant improvement in the F:G ratio from 7.35 at PI 85, down to 7.09 at PI 75. The F:G ratio for barley also improved from 7.81 down to 7.30. Carcass traits were affected by the PI as well. Although there wasn’t a difference in warm carcass weight, the steers on PI 75 grains had slightly less back-fat thickness and larger rib-eye areas and the percentage of salable meat was slightly higher than for

steers fed PI 85 grains. Nearly all of the steers fed PI 75 grains graded AAA (100 per cent on barley and 95 per cent on wheat) compared to 88 and 86 per cent respectively on the PI 85 grain diets. The percentages of total liver abscesses and severe liver abscesses were the same whether the steers received barley or wheat when the PI was 75 per cent. The type of grain was a deciding factor when PI 85 grains were fed. For barley, the percentage of animals with abscesses stayed around 70 per cent regardless of PI, however, the percentage with severe abscesses dropped from 44.7 per cent on PI 75 barley to 17.5 per cent on PI 85 barley. Processing had the opposite effect for the wheat-based rations. The percentage of animals with severe abscesses jumped from 45.8 on PI 75 wheat to 56.4 on PI 85 wheat and the overall percentage of animals with liver abscesses also rose from 71.8 per cent to 91.7. Yang says the increase in liver abscesses in cattle fed the higher PI wheat was apparently related to greater dry-matter intake.

Monensin and wheat type

Some literature recommends feeding higher levels of monensin to reduce ruminal acidosis and potential liver abscesses, so the next set of trials looked at whether increasing monensin from 28 mg/kg DM to 44 mg/ kg DM or the type of wheat (soft versus hard) would affect performance, fermentation, digestibility, growth or carcass traits. The control was barley with monensin at the 28-mg rate. Using cannulated heifers the researchers found daily average rumen pH was highest for the barley diet at 5.91 compared to 5.55 for the wheat diets. The length of time the pH stayed below 5.8 or 5.5. was shortest for barley (9.9 or 4.3 hours) than for wheat (17.3 or 11.5 hours), indicating that the incidence of ruminal acidosis was higher for the wheat diets than the barley diet. The average rumen pH and the duration of pH below 5.8 or 5.5 didn’t differ for the type of wheat. Similarly, increasing the monensin rate didn’t increase the daily average rumen pH, therefore, had limited effect on alleviating ruminal acidosis.

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feeding

The type of wheat didn’t make as much difference to dry-matter intake as the kind of grain (barley versus wheat) and upping the monensin level. Monensin at the higher rate with both types of wheat decreased dry-matter intake by as much as 1.0 kg/ head/day compared to the rations with monensin at the lower rate. Monensin lowered the A:P ratio, most notably at the 44-mg rate for both types of wheat. The A:P ratio for soft wheat at 1.09 and for hard wheat at 1.13 was significantly lower than the A:P ratio of 1.45 for barley. Overall, the organic matter digestibility of both types of wheat was higher than that for barley and was improved by increasing the monensin rate. Fibre digestibility of barley was 60.6 per cent compared to 46 per cent for both types of wheat with monensin at the low rate. Increasing the monensin level did improve the digestibility of fibre in the wheat kernels. The digestibility of starch in both wheats at both monensin rates was higher than that for barley. Type of wheat did come into play when they analyzed carcass traits for the 200 crossbred beef steers in the feedlot part of the trial. The hard wheat/low monensin group finished with the most back fat at 21.7 mm versus the barley group at 19.9 mm. The steers fed the soft wheat/high monensin ration finished with the lowest back fat at 17.5 mm. Consequently, meat yield was highest at 52.8 per cent for the soft wheat/high monensin group and lowest at 48.9 per cent for the hard wheat/low monensin group. It was near 51 per cent for the two other groups. While 79.5 per cent of steers fed barley graded Canada AAA, over 87 per cent of those fed wheat graded Canada AAA. The exception was the soft wheat/high monensin group finishing with 77 per cent grading AAA. Abscessed livers were least prevalent at 33.3 per cent in the barley-fed group, compared to 51.3 per cent in the soft-wheat group and 52.5 per cent in the hard-wheat group. Monensin at the 44-mg rate slightly reduced the occurrence of abscesses to 46.2 per cent of the steers in the soft-white group, but abscesses increased to 67.5 per cent for the hard-wheat group. Severe abscesses ranged from 20 to 23 per cent of steers across all treatments groups. “So we can say if you feed a higher level of monensin you have potential to increase feed efficiency, but in our case we didn’t find the higher level reduced rumen acidosis,” Yang sums up. “Increasing monensin may

be beneficial to improve feed efficiency in the short term, but seems not beneficial to growth performance and carcass quality for the entire finishing period.” Even though the trial results indicate that wheat could replace barley at levels greater than the current recommended maximum of 50 per cent in feedlot rations without negatively affecting performance or carcass quality, he cautions producers that these were small studies with long

adaptation periods of four weeks. While a longer adaptation period when introducing wheat would be a beneficial management practice, he realizes this isn’t the usual practice because of cost in commercial feedlots. Yang’s presentation on this topic including all of the tables and graphs is available on the Feed Coalition website at www.feedcoalition.com, or he can be reached at 403317-3427. c

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REV NEW FORMAT VERTICAL

BOV_15108_Zactran_Thera_En_hfpVert_Ccattl.indd 1 dossier : BOV-15108

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2015-08-11 03:21 PM relecture

D.A.

épreuve à

 environ m e n t

By Debbie Furber

Project manager Neils Munk(third from left) and farmer Finley Cameron (to Munk’s left) show off the new water system.

Water conservation efforts in Bruce Peninsula taking shape

armers in the Bruce Peninsula region of Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve are welcoming support from the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association (BPBA) for projects to improve water quality in freshwater streams and lakes that ultimately flow into Georgian Bay or Lake Huron. The BPBA’s Six Streams Initiative focuses on three sources of pollution: cattle drinking in creeks, soil erosion and underperforming septic systems. In two very busy years the association has already installed 47 off-stream solar-powered watering systems plus related projects such as fencing to keep cattle out of creeks, restore vegetation along stream banks and improve wetlands, says BPBA director John Rodgers, who farms in the Municipality of Northern Bruce and teaches high school science. Rodgers hasn’t had cattle since 2012, but he was drawn to the Six Streams Initiative by the benefits he’s seen from centralized water systems installed around the district in recent years. “The health improvement, no sore eyes, no sore feet and improvement in water quality are pretty beneficial,” he says.

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Beef production on the peninsula was exclusively cow-calf and backgrounding operations right into the 1990s when the Wiarton Feeder Sale was the first big sale of the fall in Ontario and a bellwether for prices during the rest of the fall run. Cash cropping has increased in the past five to seven years, although the north end of the peninsula is still a relatively large cow-calf area and Bruce County is still one of the foremost beef-feeding areas in the province. Neils Munk, BPBA’s Six Streams project manager, says the project’s land area is fairly small, but home to 15 larger beef farms that run about 5,000 head between them. Projects are located on five of the streams with the sixth serving as a control. Initial inspection and water quality sampling was carried out beforehand using $2,750 seed money from the Lake Huron-Georgian Bay Framework for Community Action. A $25,000 grant from the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund for volunteer-based restoration projects helped get things rolling and provincial and federal environment departments have contributed more than $450,000 to date. “Most of the project areas are remote,

long-term pasture sites so the watering systems were designed to be permanent offgrid fixtures,” says Munk. First, a stream-side well was constructed with a gravel-filled channel to draw water from the stream. A submersible pump in the well forces the water through a buried pipe into a heavy precast concrete trough set on drainage stone and surrounded with a layer of crushed stone for durability. The pump is powered by all-weather batteries charged by a solar panel with a charge-control system. A water-level sensor in the trough activates the pump when cattle drink. Munk says the needs of each operation are taken into consideration and he works with the producers to improve the practical aspects of each layout. The main adjustments so far have been the replacement of the square trough with a round one that has lower sides so it is easier for calves to reach the water, installing magnetic float switches that quickly activate the pump to keep up with the demands of the cattle, and armouring the electrical components to protect them from the cattle. The cost is running around $6,500 for the trough, well tiles, pump, solar panel, batteries, all-weather containment, plus any

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environment

excavation and installation. Extras might include erosion control earthworks, fencing, and seeding disturbed areas depending on the site. BPBA pays for the components and installation and the farmers get involved in the planning, installation and any additional fencing as needed. Winterizing the systems was getting underway as cattle were coming off the pastures in mid-October. A new project this summer involved the installation of drainage level control structures near the main outlets of tile drains in fields. These agri-drains are inline standpipes with flow barriers inside that the producer can raise or lower to control drainage from the field. This gives them the flexibility to open it up for full drainage in spring so they can plant earlier in wet years and restrict drainage in the summer when moisture may be in short supply. “Keeping more water in the field may improve growing conditions and provide water to local streams through dry periods,” Munk says. Farmer co-operation with the water pro

jects has been great and response to the three agri-drains they’ve installed so far has been positive, says BPBA chair Elizabeth Thorn. Part of the rationale supporting this work is the fact it helps retain more nutrients in fields and pastures where they’re needed rather than washing them into the streams where they can cause harm. Nutrient reduction in streams ultimately leads to cleaner rivers and, “whatever happens to our rivers will happen in our Great Lakes,” says Thorn. Linked to the Six Stream project is a science component that trains interested volunteers as certified water testers. “We’ve just completed our third year of testing and are seeing some positive trends, like a drop in the phosphorus level. I’m told one year isn’t a trend because water flow is extremely variable from year to year, but still it is a positive result,” Thorn says. This year they’ve added caffeine to the list of items they test for as a way to distinguish underperforming septic systems in cottage country from farm nutrients in their water samples. For more details visit www.bpba.ca. c

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 feed

By Debbie Furber

BEEFED-UP PLANT BREEDERS’ RIGHTS

lant breeders’ rights may not be at the top of your need-to-know list, but taking a few moments to acquaint yourself with the new regulations could save a lot of grief in the long run. Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, explains what plant breeders’ rights (PBR) are all about and why this is important for the feed grain, forage and beef industries. Plant breeders’ rights are a type of intellectual property rights, similar to a patent or copyright, in that the holder of PBR on a variety has exclusive say over who may use the material, in this case, seed and other propagation material. When a person, company or organization breaches the rights, the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act allows the breeder to take legal action to claim the royalties owed. For varieties protected under the amended act, PBR 91, in effect since February 27, 2015, plant breeders could go after royalties on harvested grain if the crop was grown with illegally obtained PBR 91-protected seed. This differs from the original act, PBR 78, which allows breeders to seek compensation only on the seed used to grow the crop. It all sounds a bit intimidating, but really not a lot has changed at the farm level. “Farmers’ privilege” still stands, in that you can save, clean and treat PBR-protected seed for planting on your own farm with authorization from the breeder. Authorization is as simple as purchasing certified seed from a grower or company that has rights from the breeder to sell the seed. The original blue certifiedseed tags and receipts of purchase naming the variety are proof that you have authorization. “The breeder pays several thousands of dollars to obtain protection for a variety under PBR but that’s protecting the tens-ofthousands if not millions of dollars invested in developing the variety,” Hyra explains. “It’s very important to any breeding program but particularly to public breeding programs because they don’t have other ways such as use-agreements and contracts to protect their investments.” SeCan, for example, might support a breeding program by contributing directly to the research or tendering on new varieties. If the breeder licenses the variety to SeCan, then SeCan members can legally do the seed pro-

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duction, multiply and sell seed for that variety. The member collects the royalty on each sale and funnels it through SeCan back to the breeder to invest in developing new varieties. The idea behind strengthening Canada’s PBR to bring the act in line with other developed nations that adhere to UPOV 91 is to give Canadian and foreign breeders added confidence that they will receive royalties owed. This in turn should encourage breeding of new varieties in Canada and foreign plant breeders to invest in plant breeding here or bring their products developed in other countries to the Canadian marketplace.

protection on a new variety to ensure royalties can be captured, the CDC or any other breeding program may not be interested in making the investment to develop varieties with limited market potential. The Plant Breeders’ Rights Act is administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Office in Ottawa. If a breeder chooses to protect a new variety, a fee is paid upon application with supporting data at which time the variety is considered protected while the application, seed examination, and granting process plays out. The breeder pays annual fees to maintain the protection for up to 20 years and can withdraw a variety from the program at any time. UPOV 78 and UPOV 91

Public breeding programs don’t have other ways to protect their investments Todd Hyra SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada

Hyra gives CDC Haymaker as one example of how PBR supports development of varieties with beef producers in mind. This is a new forage oat variety bred by the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and released to SeCan. It’s one of SeCan’s first products protected by the breeder under provisions of PBR 91. As a forage oat variety it has a greater impact across the value chain than a grain oat variety, but the market potential isn’t as broad, Hyra explains. Without the opportunity to put PBR

It’s been nearly 25 years since Canada joined UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties) on March 4, 1991. UPOV has only one purpose: “to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection.” It develops the framework for its 74 member countries and states, to grant an intellectual property right to plant breeders. UPOV member countries choose to design their own legislation around the provisions of UPOV’s 1978 or 1991 convention acts. Canada’s original Plant Breeders’ Rights Act of 1990 was based on UPOV 78. Starting way back in 2004, the CFIA followed the usual protocol that requires consulting with stakeholders to update the act to UPOV 91 standards. It’s a real mixed ball of wax out there because breeders can only apply for PBR protection on new varieties that have been on the market less than a year. Varieties released before 1990 and varieties that breeders chose not to protect don’t have any restrictions on seed use. Those protected under PBR 78 retain that level of protection and new varieties may or may not be protected under PBR 91. You can find out about a variety’s PBR status from the grower or retailer, or easily find it in the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s new database created for this purpose at www.pbrfacts.ca. One important difference between PBR 78 and PBR 91 is that farmers’ privilege to

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CDC Haymaker is a new forage oat and one of the first SeCan varieties protected by the breeder under the provisions of PBR 91.

save PBR-protected seed from a harvested crop for own use is now enshrined in legislation. Under PBR 78, it was taken for granted because the act didn’t prohibit it. Brown bagging, or selling seed of PBRprotected varieties to someone else as common seed for the purpose of growing a crop, has always been illegal. The same goes for trading PBR-protected seed for other products or services, such as grain cleaning or custom seeding. It’s important to know whomever is selling PBR 91-protected seed to you has legitimate authority from the breeder to be selling

it because under PBR 91, the purchaser as well as the seller are breaking the law. Only the seller can be held liable under PBR 78. UPOV 91 and Canada’s PBR 91 extend liability to seed conditioners and grain buyers, including feed mills and feedlots. The holder of harvested grain needs to be sure that it was grown from legally purchased seed. Don’t be surprised if a seed cleaner or grain buyer asks for proof by way of your original certified seed tag or receipt naming the variety for grain grown from certified seed or saved seed, or asks you to sign a declaration. Only the breeder or the breeder’s rep-

PHOTO by SeCan

resentative can provide authorization to clean, condition, stock, sell, export or import a PBR-protected variety as seed. If a breeder initiates legal action and it’s proven in the courts that a farmer, retailer, seed conditioner or grain buyer has breached PBR 91, then the breeder can collect royalties on the harvested crop and seek compensation for lost or damaged markets. The pbrfacts website covers some real-life scenarios that put all of this into perspective in a nutshell. You’ll also find links to other resources including the PBR office of the CFIA and UPOV. c

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C at t l e m e n · D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

 vet aDvi c e

TAKE ‘PREG CHECKING’ BEYOND FACE VALUE

t’s not just a matter of she is or isn’t pregnant. The ritual of fall pregnancy checking can and should be much more than a simple yes or no. Beef producers, with their veterinarian at the end of the chute, get feedback on potential calving dates, body condition scores, eye lesions, feet and udder problems, health, behaviour and weaning success. The exchange makes individual culling decisions easier and more fertile. Though relatively simple, collecting and keeping basic production information, the kind ultimately aligned with practical economics and marketing, shuttles producers toward the common goal of developing trouble-free cow herds. A key to getting there is sound management of herd reproduction and recognition it’s based on good habits and good habits don’t come remotely via a lab report. Our industry doesn’t run as efficiently as it could. On average, about 25 per cent more cows and yearling replacements are kept every year than the number of calves entering feedlots. An important step in narrowing the gap is culling non-performers and culling the right cows — the open, dry and wild cows; the high-maintenance cow; those that wean poor calves; and cows with common problems like bad eyes, poor udders and lame. According to USDA’s 2007-08 National Animal Health Monitoring System’s (NAHMS) Beef Study, producers were surveyed and the nine top reasons for culling females included: 1. Age or bad teeth; 2. Pregnancy status (open or aborted); 3. Temperament; 4. Other reproductive problems; 5. Economics (drought, herd reduction, market conditions); 6. Producing poor calves; 7. Physical unsoundness; 8. Udder problem; 9. Bad eyes. Over 50 per cent of the time, reproductive issues were listed as the main reason for culling. Factors that make or break a brood cow’s contribution to profit include: ability to rebreed; weaning a live calf; pounds of calf weaned; conception early in the breeding season; and the ability to maintain body condition compared to herdmates. It’s generally agreed that cows that get pregnant and wean a calf every year may not wean the heaviest calves, but from a herd perspective, may wean more pounds of calf per acre. Making chute-side culling decisions, or adjustments to management practices like feeding through cold weather, or changes in vaccination programs are best answered when veterinarian and producer work together. “Do we keep or cull?” is a team decision that often happens once a year at “preg-checking” time. Traditional methods of pregnancy diagnosis are presumptive based on non-return to estrus, abdominal enlargement, and onset of lactation. While non-invasive and requiring only basic knowledge, errors and lack of accuracy make presumption a poor choice and more expensive in the long term. Great advances have been made in diagnosing pregnancy. The standard for many years was rectal palpation of the uterine contents and the ovaries. It remained the standard until ultrasonography of the reproductive tract became widespread. Rectal palpation is still a very impor-

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tant diagnostic method used in cattle. A positive diagnosis of pregnancy and stage of gestation can be made by identifying pregnancy-associated structures like the amniotic vesicle; fetal membranes; placentomes on the uterine wall; and the fetus itself. It can be done safely. Technological advances brought the application of ultrasonography to diagnose pregnancy into the everyday realm of service to cattle producers and introduced portable ultrasound equipment for field use. Decreasing cost and increasing availability of high-quality equipment made possible earlier diagnosis of pregnancy, and the ability to determine fetal gender, viability, and most importantly, fetal age. Trans-rectal ultrasound is very safe. With a 5.0-MHz transducer applied trans-rectally, an amniotic vesicle (AV) can be detected at day 13 to 14 and an embryo by day 26 to 29. Under ideal circumstances, accuracy approaches 100 per cent by day 22. Typically, heifers may be diagnosed pregnant up to three days earlier than cows. In the hands of an experienced practitioner ultrasound is relatively quick and the stage of pregnancy easily determined. Chemical assays include: 1. Progesterone Assay in blood and milk: Progesterone, a hormone required to maintain early pregnancy, can be detected in blood and milk 20 to 23 days after breeding. Progesterone testing accurately predicts non-pregnancy, but is only a fair test for diagnosing pregnancy. 2. BioPRYN measures the presence of pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB), a protein produced by the placenta of a growing fetus and detected by an ELISA-based assay (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Pregnancy can be detected as early as 28 days. Blood samples are collected from the tail vein using red stopper vials, or by using the TEGO™ Blood Collection Kits, a blood spot absorption kit marketed and sold by TEGO. Labs routinely conducting BioPRYN assays are located in Saskatoon (PDS) and Lethbridge (BioChek). 3. DG29 test, another ELISA-based assay is used to detect one of the 20 or so placental proteins linked to pregnancy. The manufacturer recommends that DG29 be used from 29 days after breeding and 100 days, or more, after calving to avoid false positives resulting from the high amount of the placental protein at calving. Advantages of utilizing blood tests for pregnancy diagnosis over palpation or ultrasonography are limited. Blood testing can be more economical than traditional testing in smaller operations with fewer cattle to be tested, especially in remote areas located long distances from a veterinarian. Blood tests for pregnancy can help maximize the efficiency of artificial breeding and estrus synchronization programs when a simple “yes or no” is required. Knowing whether conception occurred following breeding aids making decisions on estrus-induction for another cycle — a choice that should not be made without veterinary oversight. There are challenges with inexperienced people collecting blood samples, partially overcome by the TEGO Blood Collection Kits. Because several days lapse between collecting samples and receiving results, cattle often need to be handled more than once. 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).

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gelbvieh cattlemen.qxp_Layout 1 11/10/15 6:48 PM Page 1

 managem e n t

By Debbie Furber

A single squirt to manage pain

eople might take an analgesic or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, to help manage pain, fever or inflammation associated with all sorts of conditions. Now a new Canadian company, Solvet, offers producers the same convenient option for treating cattle. Meloxicam Oral Suspension is Canada’s first long-acting oral pain medication for cattle and can be used in cattle of all ages. It is a liquid formulation given as a drench to make sure the animal gets the full dose of three ml/100 lbs. This small volume is simple to give and easy for animals to take by mouth, says Solvet founder Dr. Merle Olson. Olson may be known to many readers as the co-owner of Alberta Veterinary Laboratories. Since it was founded in 2009, the company has developed and manufactured a number of products for livestock and pets at a facility in Calgary. Its business model is based on finding new solutions to old problems, Olson says. “Veterinarians and their clients tell us what their needs are and a priority was a product for pain control. It had to have a label claim for pain and for castration because it’s the most common procedure done on cattle, and it had to have a price

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point low enough that there would be no reason for producers not to use it. Researchers from industry and government co-operated on the projects to bring this new product to the Canadian marketplace. It takes a lot of research to get a label claim for pain control in animals because they can’t rate pain the way humans can. To complicate matters cattle tend to disguise pain and react instead to the stress of handling. “It’s been a long road, but we did it and now we can celebrate,” says Olson, who unveiled the new product during the October CanWest Veterinary Conference at Banff, shortly after receiving the notice of compliance for Meloxicam Oral Suspension for cattle from Health Canada’s Veterinary Drug Directorate (VDD). The company is also pursuing label claims for horses and sheep so producers will have one product on the farm that’s effective for several species. The feature of Meloxicam Oral Suspension that sets it apart from other NSAIDs currently licensed in Canada for use in cattle is its duration of therapeutic activity. One treatment gives up to 56 hours of pain control. This compares to about six hours for the

oral acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) bolus and 24 hours for the injectable NSAIDs, fluxinin meglumine (Banamine, intravenous only) and ketoprofen (Anafen). A second dose of Metacam, an injectable meloxicam product, can be given 48 hours later if needed. With a longer duration of activity comes a longer meat withdrawal time of 35 days for oral meloxican, compared to 20 days for Metacam, six days for Benamine and 24 hours for Anafen. Research to prove Meloxicam Oral Suspension’s efficacy and safety for licensing showed no adverse effects when the product was given at doses up to five times higher than the label dose for three days in a row. Dr. Mike Jelinski and his colleagues at Veterinary Agri-Health Services, Airdrie, Alta., led the initial research project in cooperation with Olson, Agriculture Canada and Morison Farms of Airdie with funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency to fine tune the formulation and test blood plasma levels for efficacy and withdrawal times. “It’s quite an achievement to have this licensed in Canada. It will be used for many painful conditions, but of importance is that it’s the first pain medication in Canada with a label claim for reducing pain associated with castration,” says Jelinski. As of the new year, the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle will call on producers in consultation with a veterinarian to mitigate pain associated with dehorning after horn-bud attachment to the skull (typically two to three months of age) and when castrating bulls older than nine months of age. As of January 1, 2018, pain control will be required when castrating bulls older than six months of age to abide by the code. Jelinski says the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has long been pointing to the need for more pain medication products for food animals. Its position statement posted on www.canadianveterinarians.net states, “Currently, some anesthetic and analgesic drugs are licensed for use in companion animals, but fewer are licensed for use in livestock or wild animals. The CVMA recognizes that there is an urgent need to approve anesthetic and analgesic drugs for food animal species, and to provide veterinarians and producers with appropriate withdrawal times for these drugs.” Perhaps Jelinski had that in mind when he heard Dr. Hans Coetzee, now a professor of clinical pharmacology at Iowa State Uni-

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management

versity, speak on his research using human meloxicam tablets for cattle and thought this was something that could be of interest to Olson. Meloxicam is a drug that has been used around the globe for people and pets for many years, but not in Canada for cattle until 2009 when Metacam injectable became available with label claims for relief of pain following disbudding calves less than three months of age and improving appetite and weight gain during recovery from diarrhea. “The oral route of delivery is unique because the drug stays in the rumen longer than injectable products stay in tissues at therapeutic levels,” Jelinski explains. “The value in what Merle has done is that oral formulations overall are less expensive than injectables. The thinking was that a cost-effective product for pain control would encourage broader use by producers.” In the past, pain medication was something veterinarians used in their practices but not often discussed with producers because there haven’t been many products available for use in cattle in Canada and those that were available were expensive. “We’ve heard a lot more about pain control with the focus on animal welfare especially in the last five years as veterinary practitioners and students become attuned to using pain medication for food animals and the cost has come down quite a bit because of generic brands now available,” Jelinski explains. Olson says the No. 1 priority in Solvet’s business plan for the new product was to make sure it was affordable for all to use even though there’s really no competing product in the marketplace. It will be sold as a prescription drug through veterinary clinics, so ultimately it’s up to veterinarians to set the retail price. “The producer gets pain control and performance benefits because the calves get back to eating right away,” Olson adds. “Producers who used it during our research trials saw the benefit and accepted it so well that they don’t want to be without it.” Times are changing as evidenced by a spot polling of participants during the Beef Cattle Research Council’s October webinar on practical and effective pain control by Dr. John Campbell of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Thirty-six per cent of those listening in who answered the question, most of whom were beef producers, said that they regularly use some kind of www.canadiancattlemen.ca

pain control and another 11 per cent use pain control occasionally. Campbell covered the beef code of practice, limitations of research techniques to evaluate pain in beef cattle, recent research on pain control, and pulled it all together to discuss pain management options for dehorning, castrating and branding. Do simple things first, he advises. Use polled bulls, dehorn before the horn bud attaches, use local anesthetic for dehorn-

ing older calves (it’s easy to learn and very effective), castrate calves as young as practically possible, and consider use of NSAIDs for pain control after castration, dehorning and branding. The webinar was recorded and is now available for viewing any time at www. beefresearch.ca. Contact your local veterinarian for more information about Meloxicam Oral Suspension. c

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THE BEEF MAGAZINE

April 2015 $3.00

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 drugs

By Dr. Ron Clarke

The AMR Dilemma: Part 2

the impact

lthough accurate statistics are difficult to tabulate, over two million people in North America become infected with bacteria resistant to antibiotics annually. At least 23,000 people die as a direct result of these infections. Virtually, all significant bacterial infections in the world are becoming resistant to the antibiotic treatment of choice. Health authorities in North America estimate nearly one million acute-care patients acquire an infection while in hospitals. More than 70 per cent of bacteria acquired in a hospital setting are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics commonly used to treat them. Approximately 90,000 people die every year from nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. Bacteria are everywhere — in drinking water, food, soil, plants, animals, and humans. Although most bacteria do not harm us, and some are even useful, many are capable of causing severe infections. The ability of antibacterials to stop infection depends on killing or halting the growth of harmful bacteria, but some resist the effects of drugs, multiply and spread. Although resistant bacteria have been around a long time, the scenario today is different from even just 10 years ago. The number of bacteria resistant to many different antibiotics has increased, in many cases, tenfold or more. Many new drugs that have been approved are confronting resistance soon after introduction. In North America, approximately 250,000 people require hospital care for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections every year. Antibiotic use is a major contributing factor leading to C. difficile infection. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people die each year from acquired C. difficile infections, many of which are preventable. Common, resistant infections contracted while in hospital threaten the ability to implement advanced medical procedures. It’s estimated antibiotic resistance costs the U.S. economy $20 billion to $35 billion a year, including as many as eight million extra patient days spent in the hospital and another $35 billion in indirect costs including lost productivity. Bacterial diseases, now resistant to all antimicrobials and considered untreatable, cause two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths annually. Unfortunately, the investment to combat AMR isn’t commensurate with the threat. In the U.S., for instance, 2014 federal spending on antibiotic resistance was approximately $450 million in direct funding ($1.40 per American per year). Very little has been published about current overall medical costs of antibiotic resistance to the Canadian health-care system. Rough estimates put it at around $200 million per year. New investment, private and public, are necessary to create change.

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Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in human medicine. The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. It’s estimated, up to 50 per cent of all the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed, or are not optimally effective as prescribed. Antibiotics are also commonly used in food animals to prevent, control, and treat disease, and promote growth. Regulatory and industry groups have wrestled with the fact that the use of antibiotics for promoting growth is not necessary, and the practice should be phased out, especially for classes of antibiotics deemed important in humans. Direct comparison of drug volumes used in people and animals is difficult. Evidence suggests approximately 70 per cent of the total volume (in tonnes) of antimicrobials produced are used in food-producing animals (including poultry). Many of the antibacterial drugs used in animals have no application in humans, an example being the ionophores used extensively in poultry and cattle for prevention of disease. Another concern to some health experts is the escalating use of antibacterial soaps, detergents, lotions, and other household items. Some health authorities feel antibacterial products should be reserved for the hospital setting, for sick people coming home from the hospital, and for those with compromised immune systems. Missing pieces of the puzzle

The ability to measure success is often missing. The scientific community must address difficulties faced tracing the origins and spread of resistant microbes — more fundamentally, the transmission and spread of specific resistance genes in microbial communities. Millions of dollars continue to pour into research on antimicrobial resistance without a clear way of integrating research priorities between teams of scientists. Meaningful surveillance systems are frequently missing and there seems to be no clear way of evaluating research findings and applying the knowledge in a way we collectively understand what’s happening. Perhaps it reflects a gap in our understanding of AMR’s complexity, but more often than not it’s the reluctance of research institutions to egress from academic and bureaucratic silos and work together in becoming problem solvers. In searching for missing pieces, the importance antibiotics continue to play in livestock production and the supply of safe and wholesome food cannot be omitted. Diversity of the livestock industry is vast. Today, prudent antimicrobial use is a significant part of Continued on page 26

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April 2015 $3.00

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producing food more efficiently and safely. The maxim being: safe and wholesome food comes from healthy animals. Antimicrobials become important tools in assisting the veterinary profession and agriculture industry deliver appropriate standards of care for livestock and poultry. The industry is slowly coming to grips with antimicrobial applications that take precedence over improvement in production practices that would lessen the need for antimicrobials. A prime example being less stressful ways of introducing weaned calves to the marketplace, including better vaccination and preconditioning programs. Finding better ways of weaning calves and use of quality vaccines in preconditioning programs as an alternate to broad-spectrum antimicrobials to treat and prevent bovine respiratory disease will become part of the industry’s commitment to responsible stewardship. If the effort is not genuine, or not visible and understood by consumers, and if not properly communicated the default is agriculture’s misrepresentation of prudent antibiotic use. The full extent to which antibiotic resistance in animal agriculture contributes to human infection is not known. While risks to human health posed by agricultural use of antibiotics are a matter of serious concern, supposition and fortune-telling are unproductive — from all perspectives. Clear, concise, scientifically accurate debate must prevail. Progress, I believe, will require careful consideration regarding an appropriate home to manage and provide direction on the entire subject of antimicrobial resistance. It may not be a government agency. Governments at all levels appear unable to fund AMR research without the continuous and unpredictable burps of fiscal restraint. The nature of government makes it difficult to set priorities across tiers of jurisdictions — then, the inability to effectively communicate within the sphere of political fatuity. Is it time to establish a virtual, for profit, community run by a board of directors with administrative, financial, scientific and communication skills armed with the ability to establish laboratories, set research priorities, hire and manage people and manage surveillance programs? Government, livestock industries, veterinary and human medical institutions, the pharmaceutical industries and public organizations become paying clients. Accurate yet clearly understood scientific information and sound communication capabilities would be products offered for sale. The virtual community could be located within an academic setting or spread across existing facilities and managed centrally. A number of organizations in the haphazard pursuit of answers related to AMR has identified a number of valid key outcomes. They encompass: international co-operation, long-term investment and leadership, surveillance and response capacity, stewardship in human health care and animal agriculture, commercial development, new antibiotics and fundamental research. A number of groups has identified the limitations of estimating the burden of disease associated with AMR a critical gap. Other missing pieces in the pursuit of understanding AMR include: • Limited national, state, and federal capacity to detect and respond to urgent and emerging antibiotic-resistance threats. • Lack of systematic international surveillance related to antibiotic resistance. • Systematic collection of data on antibiotic use in human health care and in agriculture. • Universally applied programs to improve antibiotic prescribing practices. • Lack of access to advanced molecular detection technologies to identify genetic causes of AMR. c

Number 40069240

C at t l e m e n · D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

SPECIAL FORAGE

ISSUE

Radish to the rescue 10 Winter graze cows on ryegrass 26

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 researc h o n t h e r eco r d

By Reynold Bergen

Performance-Improving Product Approvals

ast month’s column summarized a North Dakota State University research project where young female pigs were fed burgers made from tofu or beef from naturally raised or implanted cattle to see whether they reached puberty sooner. They didn’t. That is no surprise, because researchers, pharmaceutical companies and government regulators invest a lot of time, effort and expense in assessing the risks that any new animal health product may pose to human health before it is approved for use. Dr. Sang-Hee Jeong described the risk assessment process in a 2010 article “Risk Assessment of Growth Hormones and Antimicrobial Residues in Meat” (Toxicol. Res. 26:301-313). The first step is to determine efficacy (effectiveness). In other words, a new growth promotant must be able to improve growth rate, efficiency or carcass composition before it will be approved for that purpose. But these products don’t just have to promote growth. They also can’t pose a threat to animal or human safety. Target animal safety means that the product doesn’t negatively affect the health and welfare of the animal it is intended to be used in. For example, growth implants are not intended for use in breeding heifers due to concerns around possible negative effects on reproduction. Risk assessments are conducted to ensure that veterinary drugs used in food animals do not pose a risk to humans. These risk assessments have four steps. Hazard identification looks for potential adverse health effects that may occur if people are exposed to the veterinary drug or its breakdown products in food. These adverse effects may include reproductive disorders, cancer, DNA damage, organ damage, compromised immunity, etc. Lab animals are used to study synthetic hormones that mimic estradiol (zeranol in Ralgro), testosterone (trenbolone acetate in TBAcontaining implants), or progesterone (melengestrol acetate in MGA). But much of the knowledge about how these synthetic hormones affect the human body exists because their natural versions have well-defined physiological roles in the human body. In fact, progesterone, estradiol and testosterone are used therapeutically for birth control, menopausal treatments and andropause. So the effects of both extremely high and low levels of natural hormones are well defined in humans. Hazard characterization consists of dose-response studies aimed at finding levels of drug exposure that are so low that no negative health effects occur. This is called the “No Observed Adverse Effect” level (NOAEL). This is the level at which the humans (or animals) who were exposed to the drug were no more likely to experience

C at t l e m e n · D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

an adverse effect than the control group were (humans or animals that weren’t exposed at all). Because humans aren’t the same as monkeys, and because human studies are usually done using a defined therapeutic group (e.g. people of a certain age, weight, sex and ethnic background), the NOAEL is divided by a large safety factor of 10 or 100. This new number is called the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI is the level of the drug that can be eaten by humans on a daily basis over a lifetime without a measurable health risk. An analogy may help here. If all-wheel-drive Ford minivans can be driven safely at 100 km/h on dry Canadian highways in summer, that’s similar to the NOAEL. But to account for the fact that not all cars are Fords, minivans, or all-wheel-drive, and because driving conditions are sometimes wet, snowy or icy, the NOAEL of 100 km/h would be reduced by a factor of 10 or 100 to arrive at an ADI (speed limit) of 10 km/h or one km/h. Exposure assessment, in the case of growth promotants, accounts for how much beef people consume. In Canada, this assumes that people eat 500 g of beef per day. That’s another safety factor, since average per capita beef consumption is below 75 g per day. Risk characterization arrives at the maximum residue limit, or MRL. The MRL is the maximum level of drug residue that is allowable in the carcass or organs. Withdrawal times are established, based on studies of how the veterinary drug is metabolized by the animal, to ensure that the drug can be administered safely without exceeding the MRL. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency does random drug testing at federally inspected packing plants to ensure that MRLs are being observed. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives concluded that the amount of extra estradiol, progesterone and testosterone consumed in beef from implanted cattle would be incapable of exerting any hormonal effects in human beings. The same is true for their synthetic versions (zeranol, MGA and trenbolone). You don’t have to use hormonal growth promotants. But there’s no need to feel embarrassed or worried if you do. When label directions are followed, they won’t harm your market cattle or pose a risk to consumers. 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.

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 Holistic R a nc hi ng

By Don Campbell

planning ahead

inter tends to be a slower season. This might be an ideal time to invest some of our time and energy into planning ahead. Have you ever considered the benefits of making a good written five-year plan? I know some people are averse to planning. A common comment is: “why bother to make a plan?” Things are always changing. Plans never work out. Actually it is because things are always changing and uncertain that it is important to have a plan. If everything is stable and predictable planning ahead would be unnecessary. Allan Savory the man who developed H M has a military background. One of the examples Allan uses to stress the importance of planning is: imagine you are in charge of an army. You meet with your top general and ask: “what is your plan?” The general replies, “oh things are uncertain so we just go day to day with no plan.” I suspect you would replace the general immediately. Agriculture is a very uncertain, risky business. How many of us foresaw the drought of 2015? How many of us foresaw prices for calves and yearlings declining by $200 to $300 a head in the August to October time period? Having a plan to deal with the variables is essential. Another common excuse for not developing a written plan is: oh, I have a plan in my head. It is a proven fact that planning in your head is not as effective as a written plan. A plan in your head is not nearly as easily shared with your spouse or working partners. A third excuse is I don’t have the time. If you feel like this I ask you to challenge yourself. Planning is not urgent but it is important. Spending your time doing the urgent is not nearly as effective as spending your time doing the important. Remember thinking and planning pay more than working. A good five-year plan will assess where we are, where we want to go and how we might get there. This kind of information about our businesses is extremely valuable. My suggestion is to make a plan for your people, your land and your money. When you do this nothing will be left out. You will have a blueprint of how you want to proceed to create the future you desire. A five-year plan will be very personal. The plan will vary greatly as each family and farm is unique. Obviously I can’t foresee what your plan should be. However, I want to give you some ideas to help stimulate your thinking. Let’s begin with the people.

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Possible questions about people:

1. How old will I be in five years? 2. How many years have we been married? 3. How old will my children be? 4. How content am I with my quality of life? 5. What will I do to improve myself? 6. What will I do to improve and strengthen our team? 7. Do I have a son or daughter who might like to take over my business? 8. Do I want someone to take over from me? 9. Would I consider giving a non-family member an opportunity to take over? 10. Do I have an up-to-date will? 11. Do I have an estate plan? 12. Other questions that come to mind. Possible questions about the land:

1. Could I manage my land better? 2. Do I have the skills and knowledge to manage better? 3. Should I increase or decrease my land holdings? 4. Should I consider relocating? 5. Other questions that come to mind. Possible questions about finances:

1. Am I comfortable with my current debt load? 2. Would I benefit from more or less debt? 3. Is my business as profitable as I wish? 4. Do I know my costs? 5. Are my overheads too high? 6. Is my gross profit strong? 7. Do I have the right mix of enterprises? 8. Is my business sustainable? 9. Is my business profitable enough to involve the next generation? 10. Other questions that come to mind. Answering these and similar questions will give you a good idea of where you want to be in five years. The next step might be to develop an action plan. This will be a series of concrete steps that you will take in the next six months, the next year and the next three years so that in five years you can look back with satisfaction and say: a job well done. There is a great deal of satisfaction in achieving your plans. I wish you success in creating the future you desire. Planning is a great tool to get there. 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.

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2015-10-01 3:17 PM

ď ľ Nutritio n

By John McKinnon

Dietary Energy Levels for Backgrounding Calves

n my last two columns, I have written about issues regarding starting cattle on feed and with the use of grain screening pellets in backgrounding and wintering diets. With this column, I want to focus on developing backgrounding rations for weaned calves, particularly issues with setting up diets from an energy density perspective. Backgrounding is simply another term for growing out weaned calves. This practice allows the calf to develop frame and muscle without putting on fat. The goal is to develop calves such that they are a sufficient size to go onto finishing diets or in some cases to a target weight for grass in the spring. A well-designed backgrounding program has targeted end points, typically specific body weights and/or marketing dates. Based on these end points and the sex and weaning weight of the calf you are starting with, there are a variety of programs from which to choose. Traditionally, weaned calves weighing between 500 and 600 pounds are backgrounded over the winter to be marketed as short yearlings in late winter or early spring. Target rates of gain vary with the type of calf fed. Medium-frame calves destined for sale as short yearlings are grown out at rates of gain ranging from two to 2.25 pounds per day, while larger-framed calves are grown out at slightly faster rates (2.25 to 2.75 pounds per day). Typical target weights range from 850 to 900 pounds with days on feed ranging from 120 to 150 days or longer, depending on the program. Cattle backgrounded over the winter for turnout to grass in the spring are typically lighter at weaning (i.e. 400 to 500 pounds). The goal is to grow these calves at slower rates of gain (i.e. 1.5 to 1.75 pounds per day) such that they weigh 650 to 700 pounds when turned out to grass. Such programs are gaining in popularity with cow-calf producers who are calving later and want to add weight to their calves prior to marketing. The challenge to achieving specific rates of gain when backgrounding calves regardless whether you are targeting 1.5 or 2.5 pounds per day is developing a ration that has the appropriate energy content. Assuming that all other nutrients such as protein are not limiting growth, dietary energy intake will determine the calf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate of gain. Calves require energy for both maintenance (i.e. net energy for maintenance; NEm) and productive (i.e. net energy for gain; NEg) purposes. Maintenance energy is used to keep the animal alive. The maintenance requirement varies with body weight, environment (i.e. wind, temperature), activity, hair

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coat and pen condition (i.e. wet and/or muddy). The heavier the calf, the colder the temperature, the more effort required to get to the feed bunk, the higher the maintenance energy requirement. Productive energy is the available energy in the feed that remains after the maintenance requirement has been met. It can be used for functions such as pregnancy and lactation and in the case of backgrounding calves for body weight gain. The greater the expected rate of gain, the higher the net energy for gain requirement. Typical backgrounding diets range from 0.8 to 1.1 mega calories (Mcal) of NEg per kilogram of dry matter (DM). This range is roughly equivalent to 63 to 70 per cent total digestible nutrients, for those of you more familiar with expressing energy levels in this fashion. The first step in formulating diets to a specific energy density is knowledge of the energy content of your forages as well as any feed grains or byproducts that you intend to feed. This is best accomplished through a feed test. The next step is to determine the forageto-concentrate ratio that supplies the desired energy level in the ration. To illustrate, consider the following example where you want to background 550-pound medium-frame calves over the winter at approximately 2.0 pounds of weight gain per day. Your target ration energy density is 1.79 and 0.99 Mcal of NEm and NEg per kilogram of DM, respectively. Your alfalfa/grass hay has NEm and NEg values of 1.17 and 0.61 Mcal per kilogram of DM, while barley grain has respective values of 2.03 and 1.37 Mcal. In order to achieve the target level of NEm and NEg in the diet for calves eating at 2.5 per cent of body weight (DM basis), a blend of 51 per cent hay and 49 per cent barley grain would be required. Again for those of you more accustomed to TDN, this mixture would provide a TDN value of 69 per cent. If you were intent on backgrounding calves for grass at approximately 1.5 pounds per day then a ration with a lower energy density would be required and the ratio of hay to barley would widen (i.e. more hay relative to grain). Choosing the correct energy density for backgrounding calves can be difficult. Too high a level of energy and calves can gain too rapidly while too low a density will result in gains lower than expected. One tool that can greatly assist you with this task is the Alberta Agriculture COWBYTES program. I highly recommend this tool for producers who are interested in developing their own rations for overwintering cows and calves. c

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

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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2015-10-01 3:10 PM

 COVER STO RY · susta i na b i l i ty

By Debbie Furber

The Prairie Calls And this Swiss couple found a new home

here’s nothing else Bayot and Franziska Britschgi would rather do than raise cattle and there’s nowhere they’d rather ranch than on the open prairie of southeastern Alberta. They saw more than a few ranches in their younger days travelling from their native Switzerland to work on big ranches from Nevada through the western U.S. and Alberta to as far north as Douglas Lake Ranch in British Columbia. Choosing Canada, the couple rented a ranch near Claresholm, Alta., for a few years before moving in 1998 to manage a ranch in the Manyberries area, about an hour south of Medicine Hat. “At Claresholm there was getting to be more and more people. Here, is Big Country. People were moving away so there is more opportunity for ranching,” he says. The investor bought the land, some cows and some machinery and within that framework they’ve been able to build their own ranch, J Bar J, through calf-share and pasture-lease arrangements with the owner. “The dream was to own a ranch, but it is too risky because of big debt. It would have to be a small operation. This is 40,000 acres.

It’s a toss-up. We don’t own the land, but this is more interesting and it is comfortable for us and the owner,” he says. It has turned out to be a good relationship built on trust. The challenge and the appeal of the countryside with the wide-open landscape matching the expanse of the skies hasn’t disappointed either. The Britschgis had a quick introduction to what would be the greatest challenge — the ever-present risk of drought — in 2001 when it was drier than dry across the province. Lessons learned back then held them in good stead this year when a mere inch of rainfall carried them through April well into July. The prolonged dry spell this year, coming as it did during the peak time for grass growth, cut pasture, hay and greenfeed yields in half, but didn’t come close to comparing with the 2001 drought when they hauled water to cattle on pasture all season long. At least 2015 started with reserve soil moisture and full dugouts and held promise of ending on the greener side as showers rolled through in August and September. The big take-away lesson from 2001 was to manage for carry-over grass. Since then, pastures are grazed only once a year and

they plan for 12 to 15 sections to be grazed every other year. Time has proven the stewardship principle that it takes old grass to make new grass, he adds. They routinely purchase pasture insurance through Alberta’s Agricultural Financial Services Corporation, which offers a choice between moisture deficiency (rainfall station accumulations) and satellite yield (satellite imagery to measure green-cover density). Within both, there are options for long- or short-season coverage with season split options to divide the growing season and dollar coverage into two parts. “Flexibility is big, too, because you never know what to expect between weather risk and market risk,” Britschgi says. Their yearling heifer program hits the mark on both, giving them flexibility to sell down when market opportunities arise, but most importantly, to quickly destock during dry spells. Normally, they sell the steer calves at weaning in October and keep most of the heifer calves through the winter. Come spring, they select approximately 140 heifers as replacements for breeding and grass the remainder through the summer. This year, those grasser heifers were gone Continued on page 36

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2015-10-01 3:12 PM

sustainability

Continued from page 34

by June. The open replacement heifers and some bulls were shipped in mid-September, one-third of the heifer calves sold with the steers the next week, and the open cows were scheduled to go soon after. Heifer calves are brought into the home yard for three or four weeks after weaning and then turned out on nearby pasture to winter on native grass, free-choice alfalfagrass hay and oat greenfeed bales along with two to three pounds per head of screening pellets fed each day. They’ve noticed a definite improvement in health, and hay consumption is down by half since implementing the pasture wintering system compared to when the heifers were wintered in the feed yard. Calving on carry-over pasture starting April 1 is also a bale saver. The energy-dense native grasses, also known as hard grass and prairie wool, provide excellent grazing as long as they don’t get iced down and there isn’t much snow, Britschgi explains. Turnout on spring pasture with stockpiled grass is at the end of March for the

yearling heifers as well, but the bred heifers stay near the yard where there is a barn to assist as needed during calving. The main herd of 800 Red Angus cows is split into smaller groups of approximately 150 pairs for breeding and summer grazing. The Britschgis find that smaller groups are easier to move and easier on the grass and dugouts because they have more control over where and when the cattle move. Most years the cows are able to graze into January on pasture saved for late grazing and second-growth hay and oat fields. Wintering on pasture near the home yard from then through to the end of March completes the cycle. This year, they purchased 10 loads of baled corn stover to stretch the cow-feed supply. It will be fed through the bale processor with alfalfa-grass hay and greenfeed bales. The bulk of their hay supply comes off the 600 to 800 acres of alfalfa-grass hayland flood irrigated each spring. They reseeded 350 acres this spring as a start on their plan to reseed all of the old hayground over the next few years. They also maintain 850 acres of cultivated land with half seeded to oats for

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sustainability

greenfeed and half chemfallowed for their greenfeed supply the following year. Some of the land on the three original ranches that make up today’s operation had been cultivated by previous owners and is tame forage, but most is native prairie grass. They’ve been able to add 340 acres to that through their participation in the MULTISAR project since 2008. MULTISAR sourced and supplied a mix of native grass seed to best match the native grasses on the ranch, helped with wildlife-friendly fencing to protect the field during establishment, and with developing a dugout there this year. The native grass established well under excellent growing conditions and was ready to graze lightly the third year. It’s looking great for fall grazing this year, he adds. MULTISAR is an initiative of the Alberta Conservation Association, Government of Alberta, and the Prairie Conservation Forum based at Lethbridge that assists landowners with maintaining or developing habitat for the area’s at-risk, rare and unique mix of plants, animals and birds. Preserving the land and environment that drew them to southeastern Alberta in the first place is important to the Britschgis and to the owner. In this regard, MULTISAR has proven to be a very helpful resource, they say. The people are knowledgeable, very respectful and co-operative with landowners and supportive of ranching.

through a dealer and regularly sell yearlings and cows through the rings at Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. Although marketing isn’t an issue with all of today’s options, the Britschgis do have worries about the Canadian beef value chain on the whole. Tied to that is the limitation and risk associated with heavy reliance on the two big packing plants in the west. Support for more smaller provincial plants, particularly

by way of reducing government red tape, may be part of a solution. They also feel it’s important to develop more alternatives to the mainstream feeding industry so that cow-calf producers have greater opportunity to stream their calves into specialty programs that align with their ranch programs and consumer demands. “Beef is a luxury item and what consumers want is what we should give them,” Britschgi explains. c

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 health

By Roy Lewis, DVM

Do we still need to treat for warbles?

attle grubs have pretty much been forgotten by Canadian cattlemen over the past 20-plus years. Most of our young producers may not even know what I am talking about but those in their 50s will remember the vast amount of hide and internal damage caused by warble larvae migrating close to the spine or the esophagus, depending on the species, and then cutting breathing holes in the hide when they pupate. The cattle then try to wall them off with what is called the “warble.” I personally have not seen one of these breathing holes for over 20 years and basically had thought the warble fly had been all but exterminated from Canada. Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed and her team did a couple of slaughter audits in the 1990s and came up with a very low incidence of damage from cattle grubs after treatment, something in the order of 0.1 per cent. And it decreased too less than hundredths of one per cent about five years later. So from a very low level we experienced a tenfold decrease in just five years. This would support the fact we just don’t see these pests because the products were very effective at killing them and almost all producers treated their cattle. Pour-on cattle grub treatments started in the 1950s with products similar to organochlorines but these were not 100 per cent efficacious. Then the organophosphates came along with products such as fenthion (Spotton) that were quite efficacious that also controlled lice and then progressed up to the macrocyclic lactone family which includes all the ivermectin products. The warble is very sensitive to these macrocyclic lactones and as a result clinical cases have all but been eliminated in Canada. The real issue becomes, would they return any time soon if we were to stop treating? Dr. Doug Colwell, a parasite specialist at the Lethbridge research station did a lot of blood sampling of cattle from 2008 to 2010 looking for cattle exposed to warble flies during the summer. The antibody evidence would suggest warbles are still out there and between 25 and 50 per cent of the cattle population show seroprevalence (exposure) to the warble fly. There must be some resident cattle that are

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not treated which harbour the larval forms of this parasite and allow the life cycle to be completed. The larvae will survive in both horses and bison but the evidence suggests they don’t survive to become a viable fly. Very recently a few bison hides were seen with “warble” holes so we know the larvae reach the back for sure. Horses were once highly affected but the decreased incidence in cattle has allowed their problems to disappear, as well.

“ The evidence suggests warbles will come back if they are not treated.”

A few ranches were also sampled and one showed an increased incidence of exposure during two wet years. Another had not used any macrocyclic lactone treatments the previous year and its exposure rate was definitely higher the following year. Dr. Colwell and others have found that a certain amount of grubs in the larval stages are killed during their migration through the body and don’t make it through the skin along the back. If even one larva survives we will see it inside the “warble.” Several countries including Great Britain launched aggressive campaigns to eradicate this pest and were successful, although it took many years. Other European countries have tried and failed because neighbouring countries did not implement a similar program. In the past I found the majority of warble problems was on farms that did not treat. Essentially prevention involved treating the warble larvae in the early fall before it migrated too close to the spine. If one recalls

there was a time restriction on the earlier treatments to not treat between November 1 and January 31 to avoid the possibility of swelling around the spine and paralysis from killing the larvae as they migrated by the spine on their way to lie along the back. In my entire career I only witnessed this once and it was with a product called Lysoff (fenthion) that was indicated for lice only but the warning against this possible outcome was always on the label. With the advent of the macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin-type products) they were supposed to kill the larvae slower so there would not be as much reaction and I personally never saw a problem with them regardless of when the cattle were treated. The ivermectin products effectively kill cattle grubs at a very low dosage. Europeans killed the cattle grub larvae effectively using a microdose of 1:100 of the label strength. Going forward questions will be asked in light of developing internal parasite resistance with the macrocyclic lactones. I do not have the answers to these questions but in light of the warble being extremely sensitive to macrocyclic lactones perhaps a greatly reduced concentration product could be developed for warbles. Pyrethroids used for flies and lice do not work on internal worms or warbles. Do we need lice- and warble-specific products redeveloped? The evidence suggests warbles will come back if they are not treated but how long will that take? Should we treat for warbles using the macrocyclic lactones every two or three years? Eradication is a possibility but of course the U.S. would need to be on the same program. There should be a system for reporting warble damage at packing plants, feedlots or veterinary clinics so cases could be traced. Another complication is the organic, natural or branded beef programs that steer clear of macrocyclic lactones and thus become a possible source of future contamination. c Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

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By Brenda Schoepp

Farmers are the Front Line

t this time in history, when the world is cast in the shadow of doubt and the restless hands of fate twinge with fear, it is the security of Canada that comforts us. Not that we are not immune to adversity for surely the world is one stage, nor can we justify the acts of a few who hate or act from a deep place of confusion. Rather we continue to carry our flag that has upon it a leaf — an image for life, new growth and abundant harvest. It is our Canada that is one of the breadbaskets of the world and it is in her heart that she carries her soil, her secrets and her sanctity of life. Our constitution protects this for her people and despite the power of government; our leaders act with an ear to their constituents and conduct themselves on our behalf. We may not always agree, but that too is our right in this land in which we sing “strong and free.” When times of uncertainty assail the public they reach deep inside of themselves for courage and they seek truths and answers that will assure them of their tomorrows. And we are here — the nation’s farmers and food processors — to offer the pathway to a bright and robust future. Despite all the unrest unfolding outside our borders we remain a constant spring of food for the world. If the concern is unemployment then agriculture is the answer. Agriculture employs one in eight Canadians and that makes for over 2.1 million jobs in agriculture and agri-food. So strong is our industry that we trump oil and gas as contributors to GDP. And while other industries are asking dedicated workers to leave — the agricultural industry is inviting them to stay. Canadian agriculture is expected to need another 74,000 persons by the year 2022. When concern arises over trade we can assure folks that many countries depend on us — including those who are living in conflict or escaping war. As we pray for France, we also respect that they, along with Belgium, Germany and Italy are our major export destinations for commodities such as high-quality durum wheat of which Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter. We can assure fellow Canadians that those receiving meals of lentils, may be eating Canadian lentils, for we are also the world’s leading exporter of this crop and largest producer of canola, peas, wild blueberries, maple syrup, mustard seed and flaxseed. Our beautiful landscapes are recognized around the world and Canadians like to see those resources protected. When they fear for their environment, farmers not only have the technology but are employing the answer. Farming contributes to 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to other industry and transportation. The dairy industry alone reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 21 per cent over a 10-year period.

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While many activities destroy land — it is the nation’s farmers who are securing it. Minimum tillage alone saves 170 million litres of fuel over conventional tilling methods every year. The use of biodiesel which is derived from plants on Canadian farms equates to taking 300,000 cars off the road and our forage industry valued at nearly $6 billion is an active carbon sink along with native grass and trees. Farmers are building Canada’s future from the ground up. In times of economic uncertainty, our fellow Canadians may worry about access to food because 70 per cent of what they put in their cart comes from Canadian farms. The contribution of Canadian farms to food security for her people is profound and it is matched by food processing. Processors in Canada employ more persons than the auto industry and technology ensures healthy eating for all. Vegetables are picked and frozen or presented with all nutrients intact or shipped within 24 hours to their destination. Meats are a huge part of processing as is poultry and along with eggs provide a variety of proteins for all. And we do it at a cost that is allowing Canadians to spend only eight per cent of disposable income on food. When Canadians eat out they enjoy fruits, berries, vegetables, meats, grains, oilseeds, beer, wine, juice, milk and milk products and imported value-added products such as coffee and chocolate all compliments of the agri-food industry. Canadian farmers not only feed, clothe and employ Canadians, they care about their fellow man and contribute generously to charities such as the Canadian Food Grains Bank and in partnership with the Government of Canada have been able to feed and educate people in 40 countries. As you read this it is the grain through this initiative that is helping to feed refugees and others in need. The men and women who own farms in Canada not only provide food for the world but they contribute time in building everything from hospitals to homes, they send clothing and books, money and machinery, education and expertise. Canadian farmers are on the front line for their nation. They are creators and caretakers of rural arteries — the lifeline to food, fuel and technology for our people and the people of the world. Agriculture is the strongest political platform on which you can stand for it is the foundation of civilization. The maple leaf on our flag is there to remind us of both the beauty and the bounty of our nation. It symbolizes renewal, growth and strength. How blessed we are. c 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

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

How data will drive the beef industry It’s the biggest opportunity on the horizon for beef improvement If you watch professional sports, you will hear the word analytics used often. That’s the science of using data to track athletic performance. Player statistics, once casual terms used mainly by announcers interpreting the game, have moved into the business side. Teams use data to strategize business development, select athletes and determine how they are rewarded. In many ways that is the future of data in agriculture. The ability to collect and move information has grown exponentially. But the biggest change on the horizon is the ability to interpret that data for decisionmaking and make that knowledge seamlessly available to more people. In Canada’s beef industry one of the most innovative front-line players is the Beef InfoXChange System (BIXS). BIXS is a database and web application to assist in the capture and exchange of economically beneficial individual animal and carcass data across the Canadian beef supply chain. With the new emphasis on data, BIXS now hovers on the edge of a revolution for industry management. Sharing drives progress

Many producers keep effective records and BIXS can transfer info to help tell the beef story.

The anchor part of the BIXS industry model is information sharing. The industry has long understood the potential to capture and exchange economically beneficial individual animal data, says Deborah Wilson, senior vice-president for BIXS. “We deliver that data to benefit the entire supply chain by improving communications and sharing across the entire beef chain.” Here are the key things she believes producers should watch on the BIXS and data front. Understanding the economic value of data. “Imagine if we could eliminate the bottom 10 or 20 per cent of worst-producing animals in a lot of different categories,” says Wilson. “Think genomics, if we could track animals with superior carcass quality. What would that mean to packers to have better cutability, better marbling or more predictability? What if we age verified and could show some animals finish months earlier than others? That’s less feed, less carbon footprint and many associated economic benefits. “Once you start really looking at data objectively, you understand the power it brings,” she says. “And it applies to small herds as well as large.”

Building marketing advantages. There are real potential benefits to the individual producer to communicate, build business opportunities and hone marketing programs. Feedlots may be willing to bid more actively for animals that come with a birth report. And packers can improve market intelligence and capitalize on deeper postslaughter analytics. Positioning sustainability. Food industry players are looking for ways to prove sustainability and producers are feeling pressure to meet obligations. Data management can help. Adding new partners. As interest in data management grows, companies and others in industry are getting on board. BIXS is building a strong partnership base which will add value to all players, says Wilson. Learn from the best. “While part of the beef industry has made real progress with data, the fact is beef is behind other industries,” says Wilson, “and we have to learn from others. Dairy is a good example of using data to improve animal and industry performance.”

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 prime cuts

By Steve Kay

Volatility plagues the market

ost markets crave stability and predictability. But this year’s live cattle and beef markets in the U.S. have been anything but that. In fact, both have seen more volatility than for years. Much of the volatility has come in the past few months, with cattle futures prices offering a wilder ride than the most extreme roller-coaster. Live cattle futures spent the first half of the year playing second fiddle to a solid cash market, which put in its weekly high the first full week of the year (US$169.67 per cwt). The futures after that played catch-up as each nearby contract moved towards expiration. Cash prices appeared to put in their annual low the third week of July, as they rallied modestly after that. But they then fell every week for eight weeks to put in a new low of US$117.71 the week ended October 4. This was a startling 30 per cent decline from the high, and as I noted in my second October column, was largely because cattle were fed to record heavy weights. Carcass weights peaked for the year in midto late October, two or three weeks earlier than normal. But the peak produced some mind-boggling numbers. Steers hit a record 930 pounds while heifers hit a record 849 pounds. Such weights would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. Meanwhile, boxed beef prices rallied before each of the three main holidays (Memorial Day on May 25, Independence Day on July 4 and Labour Day on September 7) but had a mini-collapse after each holiday. This made it extremely difficult for retailers to plan their beef features for the summer-fall period. More recently, boxed beef prices followed cash live cattle prices and plunged in September and early October before stabilizing. Nothing though prepared market participants for

the futures’ volatility in the first two weeks of November. The December live cattle contract lost US$11 per cwt in nine days, despite gaining 482 points in two days the second week. This dragged cash cattle and boxed beef prices down as well. Such volatility has many in the industry worried about the futures’ role as a dependable risk management tool. Cow-calf producers, cattle feeders and packers use the feeder and live cattle contracts to know where to price cattle, to lay off risk and to get financing for livestock purchases. But the extreme action by the futures has undermined this ability, especially as no one foresaw the meltdown in live cattle futures that began November 3. The futures’ volatility has occurred for both technical and fundamental reasons, say analysts. Outside funds dominate the computer-based trading that occurs each day. They have had a huge influence over the market for the past 18 months. Some traders point to the loss of open outcry pit trading as a factor as to why the futures often appear divorced from the fundamentals. Technical trading automatically triggers more selling when futures prices fall below key support levels, which happened in early November. But at the same time, supplies of heavy, market-ready cattle were not cleaned up as quickly as some thought they would be. Feedlots in turn did not sell enough cattle in October, so they came into November still less than current in their marketings. Meanwhile, beef sales at both the retail and restaurant levels remained soft in early November in the face of much cheaper pork and chicken. It’s unclear though how much attention outside funds were paying to the fundamentals. To this observer, computer algorithms appeared to be trumping supply-and-demand data. That’s what many market participants are so worried about. c

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 CCA repo rts

By Dave Solverson

Greeting new Ministers

’d like to start off by congratulating Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on their appointments with Canada’s new federal government. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is encouraged by the public remarks they’ve made to date on trade issues, and particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL). This month (December), the World Trade Organization (WTO) will announce a retaliation dollar amount that Canada is authorized to impose against U.S. exports in response to COOL. The CCA will be working with the federal government to ensure it protects Canadian producers through a retaliatory tariff, if the U.S. Senate does not join the House in repealing COOL to eliminate the incentive to segregate imported livestock. Ensuring the momentum of opening international markets for Canadian beef exports is a top priority for CCA. The association held an executive meeting in Ottawa in early December and partnered with the Canadian Meat Council, Beer Canada and Spirits Canada to host a reception to welcome the new government and inform it about issues of importance to Canadian beef producers. In our initial meetings with Minister MacAulay, CCA has stressed the need to focus on the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture, ensuring we have the operating environment and tools to take advantage of new market access. I personally intend to follow up on Liberal campaign platform topics regarding the need for access to labour, research and the commitment to make Business Risk Management more equitable and responsive. It is clear that the new government intends to address climate change and we will be more than happy to demonstrate to it all the positive contributions that Canadian beef producers make towards environmental conservation. Recently in Edmonton, at the Farmfair International reception, I met with Alberta NDP Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier and asked him to advocate on behalf of the industry and support the TPP. Alberta is home to 41 per cent of Canada’s beef cattle herd and 76 per cent of the nation’s slaughter capacity. The minister understands the impact of agriculture on Alberta’s economy and the importance of expanding trade in agriculture through deals like the TPP. Support for TPP is something I will continue to seek from all provincial governments. December will be busy with more producer meetings and a continuation of meetings in the U.S. A CCA representative was in Washington state in mid-November to meet with cattle association allies and continue advocacy efforts to repeal U.S. COOL legislation. CCA officials will

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also be in Washington, D.C. after the WTO Arbitrator’s report is released. Along with other CCA officers and staff, I attended many fall producer meetings both here at home and across the country. In Alberta, the good weather in late fall is saving on feed with extended grazing on pasture and the damaged crop aftermath. Producers are taking this into account and making decisions on culling, replacements, and herd size going forward. I’m pleased to report that overall, there’s a general approval of CCA policy and our interactions with government and trading partners. There’s widespread support for the National Beef Strategy and an understanding that implementing the strategic plan successfully will require more producer investment with an increase in checkoff. I’ve been using the TPP to help demonstrate this point. Once the TPP is enacted, Canada’s beef producers will receive the same preferential access to Japan and other key markets in Asia as its competitors. While the TPP will level the playing field for Canadian producers, there will be strong competition as beef-supplying countries become more commercially viable with lower tariffs. Maintaining and increasing Canada’s market share in these key markets will require a major step up in Canadian branding, marketing and differentiation efforts in order to compete effectively with the U.S. and Australia. Finally, I would like to extend a hearty season’s greetings to producers and their families. As I reflect on my time as CCA president this year I recall fondly the relationships I have forged with producers, government officials and the great CCA staff supporting us all. This fall there were numerous demonstrations of their capabilities, particularly in the important area of industry’s social licence. The CCA led the response to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Review of Red Meat and Processed Meats and did an excellent job of containing the issue by putting the findings into proper context for the consumers. The CCA, along with Alberta Beef Producer representatives and the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders, CCA’s youth mentorship program, were successful in their outreach to City of Edmonton elected officials and representatives to rethink a proposal for vegan menus for council’s catered meals. These efforts were successful because they were transparent; they focused on information sharing to promote understanding and used peer-reviewed science-based facts to educate consumers about sustainable beef production, establishing a benchmark for how industry will address issues going forward. I am extremely proud to be part of the many achievements the CCA has achieved in 2015 and look forward to continuing to lead the charge into the first quarter of 2016. c

Dave Solverson is president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 THE IN DUST RY

NewsRoundup animal health

Be skeptical about linking BLV with cancer in humans By Karin Schmid, Alberta Beef Producers and Dr. Reynold Bergen, Beef Cattle Research Council

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV or leukosis) is a bovine retrovirus that targets lympho cytes (white blood cells). It is present in many parts of the world, including Can ada, the United States, and Eastern Europe. Infection with the virus usually doesn’t present with clinical signs, but around 30 per cent of the infected animals experi ence an abnormal increase in the number of lymphocytes in the blood. Anywhere from one to five per cent of infected cattle develop malignant (cancerous) tumours. Once an animal is infected, they are lifetime carriers and the disease can be

spread through contact with blood, milk, and in utero. Most positive cows show no symptoms, and are generally considered to be as pro ductive as uninfected cows. In later stages of disease, especially if tumours begin to form, cattle experience weight loss, decreased milk production, and sudden death. Leu kosis tumours are often a leading cause of carcass condemnations. Leukosis is traditionally associated with dairy animals, but beef cattle can be affected. In 1980, a national study deter mined that 40 per cent of dairy and 11 per cent of beef herds were infected across Canada. More recently, a 2010 M.Sc. pro ject from the University of Saskatchewan reported an infection rate of 12 per cent in beef cattle herds across the country. BLV is closely related to a virus that causes

adult T-cell leukemia in humans, which has resulted in a great deal of research into a possible human health risk from animals infected with BLV. Most recently, a report in PLOS ONE titled, “Exposure to Bovine Leukemia Virus is Associated with Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study,” indicated that the frequency of BLV DNA in breast tissue cells from women with breast can cer was 30 per cent higher than the normal controls. The authors of this study do not claim that BLV causes breast cancer, or even that it is definitively a significant risk fac tor for breast cancer, but they do raise the possibility of using BLV as a biomarker to identify higher-risk individuals. Many media reports have spun this as a “link” between BLV and breast cancer, Continued on page 46

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News Roundup Continued from page 45

which is overstating the findings. This report in PLOS ONE was a case control study and case control studies are unable to establish causation. The authors themselves state: “Validation by other investigators is essential, and a prospective study showing that viral infection preceded detectable cancer development would be desirable to support the idea of a causal association of BLV with breast cancer.” There is no way of knowing whether the subjects were infected with the virus before or after the onset of their breast cancer. The route of exposure to BLV is not clear — both pasteurization and proper cooking inactivate the virus, which renders it harmless. A large body of previous evidence has indicated little to no risk of transmission of BLV to humans, and in fact, this research group is the only one to have suggested otherwise. Further, the methodology used in the PLOS ONE study to detect the BLV proviral DNA, in situ polymerase chain reaction (IS-PCR), is known to generate a high rate of false positives and background amplification. A report in the British Medical Bulletin in 2011 titled, “XMRV, prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome,” reviews a similar situation where an endogenous ret-

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NEWS ROU NDUP

rovirus was implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome, but these results were unable to be replicated by other research groups. Just as correlation does not equal causation, an association does not equal a link. We can’t say that a link between BLV and breast cancer is impossible, because it is impossible to prove a negative. But until another research group using different methodology replicates these results, we can feel safe being quite skeptical of any “link.”

identification

Identification agency refines its database

The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) added a few new reporting fields to its Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) database, a key component in the national livestock traceability system. As of November 20, the database now accepts 15-digit 840-series USDA tag identification (ID) numbers to keep track of imported animals as they move through the Canadian value chain. Once the tag number is imported into the database the Move In, Move Out, Temporary Export, Exported and Retired events can be applied to it. It also becomes incorporated into the Tag/Animal History Search, Export Manifest and Account Animal Inventory functions in the database. In another refinement the agency’s IT team created a field for recording licence plate numbers of transport vehicles to fit within the Import, Export, Temporary Export, Move In and Move Out reporting functions within the database on the assumption it may be required under new national traceability regulations that were expected to be published sometime this year. Until the details of the regulations are finalized, IT manager Waseem Rehman says this new transport field remains optional for users. Other efforts are going into improving the integrity of age-verification data within the database. Since current regulations permit only the farm of origin to age verify an animal, the final owner — often a feedlot — can receive less than market value for an incorrectly age-verified animal when it is sold, unless he can contact the original herd owner to correct the error in the database. “To promote accuracy during data entry, our IT group has created a new warning message display and date selection feature for the birth date reporting process,” says CCIA board chair Dr.

Pat Burrage. “The hope is it will encourage the original owners to enter accurate information in order to optimize the final owner’s return and protect the integrity of the CLTS data.”

meat

Pasteurizing the trim

ter and fabrication to reduce the number of potentially harmful bacteria on the surface of meat as it goes through the plant. However, these treatments have not traditionally been applied to beef trimmings that go into ground beef products. Not until now. Several industry partners are researching the use of hot water pasteurization on

Currently packers use sprays and hot water pasteurization techniques during slaugh-

Continued on page 48

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Continued from page 47

trim before it is reaches the grinder. The hope is adding pasteurization at the end of the fabrication line will help prevent recontamination of the grind before it leaves the plant. The other concern was the effect this late wash has on the quality and taste of the hamburger. Canadian Cattlemen’s Association director of technical services Mark Klassen has been leading the team testing this idea at the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc. Phase one measured the impact of hot water processing on trim, the product’s shelf life, and consumer acceptability of the finished product. “Our overall focus was to establish the ideal conditions for treatment of trim with hot water,” says Klassen. “Too much heat can affect the product’s appearance, whereas too little will not reduce any bacteria potentially present on the trim.” During phase two they measured consumer perceptions of this technology, as well as the eating experience and

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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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response to visual and physical characteristics of the pasteurized product. Consumer focus groups and online consumer research was used to provide data for marketing such a product and flushing out any potential concerns. Based on these findings consumers would support the concept of hot water pasteurization, provided the food safety benefits are explained. “Consumers want high-quality beef products with an assured safety profile,” says Klassen. “Overall, results from our consumer evaluation of the cooked product suggest that the treatment did not significantly impact overall acceptability, appearance, colour, flavour, juici-

ness, or texture. Consumers also rated the appearance of the fresh uncooked patties and the results suggest that hot water treatment of trim also does not significantly impact the acceptability of the raw product.” As a bonus the late-stage pasteurization may extend product shelf life and provide some cost savings if it reduces the amount of meat that is discarded when E. coli O157 is detected by food safety inspections. The equipment required is relatively simple and affordable, making this method more accessible to smaller meat processors. “Finding a more sustainable approach

to food safety may also open up new market opportunities for Canada,” says Clinton Dobson, senior manager, research and policy for the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA). “There are a lot of markets with restrictions on certain decontamination processes, so this process could allow industry to meet those requirements and meet that demand.” The partners involved in the project include Cargill Meat Solutions, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Station, Leduc Food Processing Development Centre, Stanfos Inc. and ALMA. Continued on page 50

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News Roundup Continued from page 49

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A new research project funded by Genome British Columbia (Genome BC), Genome Canada and other partners is using ‘reverse vaccinology’ to develop vaccines for Johne’s disease and bovine tuberculosis in cattle. These diseases result in annual losses of more than $86 million and $10 million, respectively, in Canada and billions annually worldwide. Led by the University of British Columbia’s Dr. Bob Hancock and the University of Saskatchewan’s Dr. Andrew Potter with $7.3 million in funding, the pair anticipates they will be ready to start field testing vaccines within the project’s four-year time frame. “The process of reverse vaccinology provides a much more efficient and effective method of developing vaccines, through

the parallel identification and expression of every possible antigen, while simultaneously screening for vaccine potential,” says Hancock, a professor with the department of microbiology and immunology at UBC. Given the nature of this work the team will also investigate the public’s perception of this technique, the current regulatory framework and industry’s readiness to turn these vaccines into commercial products. The aim is to end up with two new vaccines for important livestock diseases, plus companion diagnostics to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals, and a white paper for public discussion on the options and strategies for dealing with these important cattle diseases. Genome BC’s earlier investment enabled the team to produce antigens, demonstrating that reverse vaccinology works, says Dr. Alan Winter, president and CEO of Genome British Columbia. The vaccines developed through this pro ject will benefit dairy and beef cattle farmers, the public who utilize their products and the commercial sector, both in terms of marketable vaccines, increased food and dairy product output, and international trade. c

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 NEWS ABOUT YOU

By Mike Millar

PurelyPurebred n Taylor Isley is the Commercial Angus Identification and Performance Program (CAIPP) co-ordinator of the Canadian Angus Association. This is a one-year internship supported by Taylor Isley Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Career Focus Program. Taylor will be working with breed development director, Kajal Devani, to get the CAIPP program up and running in 2016. Through CAIPP producers can record Angus-tagged animals with the association with the option of adding pedigree and performance data such as feedlot growth and carcass quality to the records. Taylor is a purebred cattle producer from east of Calgary who holds a bachelor of science in animal science with a minor in communications from Kansas State University. n Congratulations go out to Chuck Groeneveld of High River on receiving the Western Legacy Award for sustained individual contribution from the Calgary Stampede. He volChuck Groeneveld unteered for 40 years at the Stampede, many of them as the barn boss, 26 years as a 4-H leader and many years representing the Simmental breed as a board member of the Alberta and Canadian Simmental Association. He and his wife Lorraine toured Alberta extensively over the years promoting the Alberta Beef Producers and the beef industry in parades, shows and fairs across the province. n The Canadian Limousin Association (CLA) has sold 8,000 pink Limousin CCIA tags this year, exceeding earlier expectations. The unique pink tags approved earlier this year by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) are marked with an L and Canadian maple leaf on the back to clearly identify Canadian Limousininfluence animals. The CLA ensures that the tags are sold to producers with Limousininfluence calves. This year tags were made available to producers from B.C. to Ontario and the Maritimes but the CLA is negotiat-

C at t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

Suggestions are always welcome. My phone number is 306-251-0011 Email: mike.millar@ fbcpublishing.com

n A new Australian/Canadian Limousin Youth Exchange kicked off in November with the arrival of two junior Limousin members from Australia, Lauren Amor and Kate Loudon of Dubbo, NSW to take in the Lloydminster Stockade Roundup, Farmfair International and Canadian Western Agribition. Each year, Australia will send young Limousin enthusiasts to Canada for the month of November to stay with host families and take in the major shows that month. In turn, Canada will send one CJLA member age 16-21 to Australia for the month of April (during the Sydney Royal Show) or mid-July to mid-August (during the Ekka Royal Queensland Show in Brisbane). Last month Lauren and Kate stayed with Lingley Limousin, Hillview Farms and Anchor B Limousin and assisted with their show strings. Members of the Canadian Junior Limousin Association interested in the return leg next summer need to apply at http://limousin.com/juniors/scholarships/ before February 1, 2016. The successful applicant will receive $2,000 from the CJLA toward travel expenses. ing with Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ) to make Limousin-branded RFID tags available to Quebec producers in 2016. n Limousin breeders are being reminded that The International Limousin Congress (ILC) 2016 will be held in Ireland August 20-28, 2016. The congress includes a oneday technical conference, and six-day travel program culminating in the National Show Parade of Champions and Elite ILC Sale. Details are found at www.ilc2016.com. n Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) president David Bolduc spoke for many within the purebred community in offering condolences to the family of Gary Smith on his death November 10. Smith was the president and co-founder of Alta Exports

International Ltd. and also a member and past director of the CBBC. “His efforts to promote the export of Canadian purebred cattle and genetics paved the way for record sales in many international markets including Russia and Kazakhstan,” said Bolduc. n The Regina Hotel Association (RHA) and Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) have put up the final $4 million needed to construct the new International Trade Centre at Evraz Place in Regina. The RHA committed $3 million and the CWA $1 million to go with the $33 million committed by the city, the province and Ottawa in July to begin the 150,000-square foot multi-use facility. “New facilities will provide stability for our livestock exhibitors and for our show,” says CWA president Stewart Stone, while admit-

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

PURELY PUREBRED

ting the $1-million contribution is quite an accomplishment for a not-for-profit organization like the CWA. Construction begins following this year’s Agribition show and should be completed in 2017. n Red K Adams Zaria 091Z with Calf at Side — Red Ter-Ron Shocker 10C from TerRon Farms of Forestburg, Alta. was named this year’s Supreme Champion Female at Farmfair International November 14. Red Redrich Aftershock 238A from Redrich Farms of Forestburg, Alta. was the Supreme Champion Bull. The sponsors of the show are Rafter DM Trailers and RAM. Since 2011 the Alberta Supreme Show has brought the champions from Farmfair International, Olds Fall Classic and Lloydminster Stockade Round-up into one ring to select a Supreme pair to represent the province. This year’s show featured 40 exhibitors competing for a piece of more than $130,000 in cash and prizes, with a RAM truck for each of the champions. n Sylvia Megens of Goodwood, Ont., won the Queen’s Guineas competition at the

n Angus dominated the Masterfeeds Supreme Champion competition at this year’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) in Toronto. OSU Empress 3100 (right) shown by Premier Livestock, Hasson Livestock, and Six Mile Angus Ranch was named Supreme Champion female for the second year in a row. PM Thunderstruck 22’13 shown by Blacklane Meadows Angus and Vos Vegas Angus was named the Supreme Champion bull. Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last month with a 1,330-pound steer named Last Chance. A University of Guelph agriculture graduate, Megens has been showing cattle at the RAWF for 12 years. Last Chance was purchased by Highland Packers Limited of North York for $10/lb. Reserve Grand Champion, Murray, shown by Jarrett Hargrave of Proton Station weighed 1,430 pounds, and sold to Sanagan’s Meat Locker of Toronto for $7/lb. n The 42nd edition of Farmfair International drew a record 94,387 guests to the Edmonton EXPO Centre to take in cattle

shows and sales, equine events, the Heritage Ranch Rodeo, RAM Country Marketplace and more. This year’s event featured a 33 per cent increase in beef exhibitor entries over 2014. Farmfair brought internatiownal buyers from 20 countries together to see and purchase top-quality genetics from Alberta producers. With more than 1,000 head of livestock on exhibit, including more than 950 head of purebred cattle, the 2015 edition of Farmfair International was one of the biggest yet. Continued on page 54

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C at t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

PU R E LY PU R E B R E D

Continued from page 53

Next year’s Farmfair International will run from November 9-13 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre and Rexall Place. n Producers purchasing Simmental bulls from the United States or semen from American bulls should be aware of differences that exist between Canada and the United States in the percentage of Simmental required to qualify for purebred status. The Canadian Simmental Association requires a male to be 15/16 Simmental to reach purebred status while the American Simmental Association accepts males that are 7/8 Simmental or less by Canadian standards as purebred. As regulated by the Federal Animal Pedigree Act, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure that these bulls meet the requirement of being 15/16 Simmental if they wish to register the animal in the Canadian Simmental herd book as a purebred. n The Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2015 scholarships. The winners are: • Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation — $3,000 — Sophie Wotten, Ont. • Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation — $2,000 — Cole McMahon, Alta. • Dr. Allan A. Dixon Memorial Scholarship — $1,500 — Ryley Noble, Sask. and Taylor Campbell, Ont. • Trevor Vance Memorial Scholarship — $1,000 — Mariah Wotten, Ont.

Pictured are (l to r): Patrick Holland, Robert C. McHaffie Ambassador; John Lettieri, Hero Certified Burger; Tammi Ribey, president, Canadian Angus Association; Cheryl Hazenberg, Eastern Canada manager, Canadian Angus Association.

n The Canadian Angus Association (CAA) has presented its inaugural Partner of the Year Award to Hero Certified Burger, a quick-service restaurant franchise chain concentrated in southern Ontario and Buffalo, New York founded by John Lattieri in 2003. The award was established last year to acknowledge important partnerships in the supply chain that promote Angus beef to the public. “We chose Hero Certified Burger to receive this inaugural award because of its commitment to using Angus beef that is both verifiable and Canadian,” says Rob Smith, CAA CEO. Its sole supplier of Angus beef is Beretta Farms of Etobicoke, Ont. Hero Certified Burger has been a member of the Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed program since it was launched in 2009.

n The King of the Ring banner at the 2015 Stockade Roundup in Lloydminster was presented to the Simmental bull Erixon Lad 20 C bred by Erixon Simmentals of Clavet, Sask. The Stockade Lady Heifer Calf Jackpot went to the Black Angus heifer DMM Miss Essence 5C, bred by Lee and Dawn Wilson of Bashaw, Alta. and exhibited by Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw. n The Fleckvieh Simmental Congress of the Americas will take place April 28-May 8, 2016 in Villahermosa Tabasco, Mexico. Follow its page on Facebook for information as it is updated — https://www.facebook.com/SimmentalFleckvieh-1746085115614327/. n Allen Moczygemba, a native of San Antonio, Texas, is the new CEO of the American Angus Association.

n Last month during Farmfair Canadian Simmental Association general manager Bruce Holmquist (l) presented Roger Peters of Peterosa Exports with the World Simmental Fleckvieh Federation Golden Book Award. This award recognizes Peters’ efforts in promoting and advancing Canadian Simmental internationally. c

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 Market Su mma ry

By Debbie McMillin

TheMarkets Fed Cattle Fed cattle prices took a sharp downturn in recent weeks facing ample supplies and the loss of leverage for sellers due to volatile live cattle futures. Larger carcasses and longer lift times also played a roll. Fed cattle dropped $11/ cwt over the past two weeks to average $161.49/cwt, dropping them $12.51/cwt below the same week last year but still almost $38 above the five-year average for the same period. At the retail level consumers are faced with recordhigh beef prices and the decision to purchase beef or lower-priced competitive proteins. The fed cash-to-cash basis at mid-October was -9.06/cwt compared to -17.38/ cwt the same week in 2014. Cattle on feed November 1 came in at 872,118 head, up one per cent from a year ago. Placements through October were down five per cent at 303,085 head. Despite the weak Canadian dollar fed cattle exports are down 47 per cent at 178,459 head. In part this is due to the U.S. fed market falling more rapidly than the Canadian cash market and the strong U.S. dollar dragging down U.S. exports. Locally fed slaughter remains smaller than year ago-levels with steer slaughter down 14 per cent on 1,228,317 head and heifer slaughter off by two per cent at 643,379 head.

Feeder Cattle Lower fed cattle prices, uneasy technical markets, weaker beef demand and a slumping economy have all contributed to significant pressure across all classes of the feeder market. The 550-lb. feeder steers lost $15/cwt in the first weeks of November to $267.69, a new low for 2015 and $16 under last year. Larger volumes moving into auction markets met resistance due not only to price pressure in the fed cattle

market but also from market-ready cattle backing up in feedlot pens as lift times slowed down, leaving limited pen space for replacement stock. Light numbers of heavier feeders also received lower prices. By mid-November 850-lb. steers averaged $221/ cwt, a drop of $23/cwt over the past two weeks and $16/ cwt from last year. The 850-lb. feeder basis at press time was -11.94/cwt, much narrower than the -35.58/cwt posted on the same week in 2014.

Debbie McMillin is a market analyst who ranches at Hanna, Alta.

Non-Fed Cattle Prices were pressured lower as cull cattle competed with fed cattle for limited kill space. Ample seasonal supplies coupled with lower trim prices and a depressed fed cattle market dropped D1,2 cows in Western Canada by $5.75/ cwt over the opening couple of weeks of November to average $108.42/cwt by mid-month, down 28 per cent from the high for the year. Comparing the current price to historical data, prices have dipped to the lowest levels seen since June 2014. The current average is $18/cwt below the same week in 2014 but $32.50/cwt better than the five-year average. Cow exports to date are down 20 per cent from last year at 177,750 head and domestic cow slaughter is off by 14 per cent year to date at 291,455 head. Bull prices were also caving with a weakening trim price as the average in Alberta slipped back to $124.95/ cwt. Exports of fed bulls are down only two per cent and the U.S. remains the prime market for spent bulls with 68,386 crossing the border to date. Canadian bull slaughter, by comparison is up 76 per cent over last year but the numbers at 9,016 head are still relatively small. c More markets 

 DEB ’S OUTLOOK Fed cattle In the near term fed cattle prices will struggle with large swings in the technical markets and some consumer resistance from high retail prices. Looking towards the end of 2015 and the start of the new year fed supplies should tighten up, however, drought-marketed grass cattle will make an early appearance in the market reducing the typical gap between long fed calves and the yearling run. Expect prices to be supported through the first quarter but have limited upside as consumer demand is buffeted by economic concerns. Feeder cattle Volumes should tighten moving towards the end of the year which generally supports the market, however, the lack of forward hedging opportunities

C at t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

and the uneasy tone in the market may leave limited upside potential for feeder cattle. Buyers are watching the feeder-to-fed ratio as they make their decisions. Look for the feeder trade to move in a steady to sideways pattern towards the end of the year. Non-Fed cattle Following the largest annual high-to-low drop in the past five years expect prices to level off with some seasonal strength going into the first quarter of 2016. The dollar will help as exports provide a floor on this market, however, U.S. cow prices are also under pressure. Ultimately cull cattle prices will follow the tone set by the fed cattle market and retail beef demand.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

MARKETS

Break-even Prices on A-Grade Steers 210

ALBERTA

190

340 310 280

170

250

150

220

130 110

Market Prices

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

210

ONTARIO

190

160

150

100

130

Canfax weighted average price on A-Grade steers

Break-even price for steers on date sold

2015 2014

2016 2015

November 2015 prices* Alberta Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $243.05/cwt Barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.77/bu. Barley silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59.63/ton Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.09/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108.73/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168.95/cwt Break-even (April 2016) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190.28/cwt Ontario Yearling steers (850 lb.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $231.74/cwt Corn silage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.92/ton Grain corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.74/bu. Cost of gain (feed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.63/cwt Cost of gain (all costs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103.02/cwt Fed steers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162.12/cwt Break-even (May 2016) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178.08/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

140 120

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

(500-600 lb.)

160

170

110

Steer Calves

190

D1,2 Cows Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ontario

Alberta

2015 2014

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

Market Summary (to November 7, 2015) 2015

2014

Total Canadian federally inspected slaughter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,119,756. . . . . . . . . 2,285,843 Average steer carcass weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888 lb.. . . . . . . . . . . . 857 lb. Total U.S. slaughter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,738,000. . . . . . . 26,215,000

Trade Summary Exports 2015 2014 Fed cattle to U.S. (to October 31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174,282.. . . . . . . . . . 329,870 Feeder cattle and calves to U.S. (to October 31). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278,791.. . . . . . . . . . .357,549 Dressed beef to U.S. (to September). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383.82 mil.lbs.. . . . . 361.31 mil.lbs Total dressed beef (to September). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522.01 mil.lbs.. . . . . 515.01 mil.lbs IMPORTS 2015 2014 Slaughter cattle from U.S. (to September) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 *Dressed beef from U.S. (to September) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197.11 mil.lbs. . . . . . 218.75 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Australia (to September) . . . . . . . . . . 75.95 mil.lbs. . . . . . . 54.10 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from New Zealand (to September) . . . . . . 38.85 mil.lbs. . . . . . . 29.76 mil.lbs *Dressed beef from Uruguay (to September) . . . . . . . . . . 26.10 mil.lbs. . . . . . . 26.76 mil.lbs Canadian Grades (to November 14, 2015) % of A grades +59% 54-58% AAA 18.7 23.8 AA 21.2 9.4 A 0.2 1.5 Prime 0.2 0.6 Total 34.0 41.6 EAST WEST

Total graded 471,559 1,681,043

Total ungraded 15,379 4,186

Yield – 53% Total 18.1 60.6 3.3 33.9 0.0 1.7 1.2 2.0 22.6 Total A grade 98.2% % carcass basis 79.8% 88.9% Only federally inspected plants

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C a t t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 57

 market ta l k

By Jerry Klassen

Feeder Cattle Market Reality

’ve received many calls from feedlot and backgrounding operators in regards to the outlook for feeder cattle. Earlier in fall, there remained a fair amount of excitement that was left over from last spring. Feeder cattle prices held up remarkably well even though feedlot margins were struggling in red ink. We now find Alberta packers buying fed cattle in the range of $165 to $168 and break-even pen closeout values are closer to $195. Feedlot inventories were at seasonal lows during September but replacements coming into the feed yard have a breakeven near $200 for next April. Earlier in fall, I heard excuses such as, “the weather is optimal,” or, “buyers say I have to start buying,” and the old adage, “I need to buy a certain amount anyway.” Despite the inability for producers to hedge or lock in a profitable margin, there was a frenzy in the market carried over from last spring. However, at the time of writing this article, the fall run is at the peak with auction markets selling seasonally high numbers of feeder cattle. Reality is setting in on what type of values are reasonable for replacement cattle. There are a number of risks moving forward in which cattle producers need to be aware of. First, producers need to be aware of beef and pork production estimates for 2016. U.S. pork production has exceeded year-ago levels each quarter throughout 2015 and we’ll likely see marginal increases through 2016. Pork prices have been functioning to encourage demand which has spilled over into the beef complex. Cold storage supplies of beef are rather high and packers have delayed delivery of purchases by as much as a month in some cases. I’ve mentioned in previous articles that the contraction in the beef complex is over. From the fourth quarter of 2015 and throughout 2016, beef production will experience a year-over-year increase with the largest jump coming in the second quarter of 2016. I feel this is the largest factor weighing on the fed and feeder cattle markets at this time. Production is reaching levels similar to 2012 and 2013 so prices should be very similar to that time frame. Canadian year-to-date feeder cattle and calf exports to the U.S. were 279,038 head, which is down 22 per cent from last year’s pace of 357,549 head. There is approximately 80,000 head of feeder cattle that have to be absorbed, mostly in Western Canada. Throughout the fall we’ve seen prices in eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba trade at a premium to most Alberta markets. At times, feeder cattle from central Alberta have even sold to Ontario buyers given the price spreads between Manitoba and Alberta. This spread is not unexpected due to the fact that Alberta has the largest supply of feeder cattle compared to other provinces. Given the current feedlot margins in the U.S., we’ll likely see this slower export pace continue during the first half of 2016, or at least until the margin structure in finishing feedlots moves into positive territory. There is a risk that the export pace declines even further once the current round of losses comes to fruition. For the week ending October 31, year-to-date Canadian exports of slaughter steers and heifers were 176,295 head, down 47 per cent from 332,449 head last year. Western Canada clearly has some cat-

C at t l e m e n · D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

u.s. quarterly beef production (million pounds) Quarter

2012

2013

2014

Estimated 2015

Estimated 2016

6,283

6,172

5,868

5,664

5,915

6,475

6,517

6,183

5,855

6,460

6,584

6,608

6,179

6,066

6,330

6,571

6,420

6,021

6,130

6,145

TOTAL

25,913

25,717

24,251

23,715

24,850

u.s. quarterly pork production (million pounds) Quarter

2013

2014

Estimated 2015

Estimated 2016

5,777

5,785

6,161

6,150

5,519

5,504

5,925

5,945

5,624

5,424

5,957

6,175

6,278

6,131

6,465

6,655

TOTAL

23,198

22,844

24,508

24,925

tle to work through with packers well supplied in the short term. Despite the weaker Canadian dollar, bids from U.S. packers are about a $5 discount to Alberta prices. The feeder market will have a difficult time sustaining strength until Alberta feedlots work through their market-ready supplies. Feed grain prices are another factor that will influence feeder cattle values. We haven’t seen significant imports of U.S. corn or DDGS so far this crop year. However, given the changes in Chinese import policy, we’ll likely see DDGS price into Western Canada later in winter. Feed barley and feed wheat prices will likely hold value over the winter with seasonal fluctuations with weather and logistics. Earlier, I was quite bullish on feed grain prices but the recent Statistics Canada report shows the crop is larger than anticipated. The adverse weather during harvest has resulted in about 40 per cent of the hard red spring wheat crop grading No. 3 or lower. For these reasons, I’m not expecting significant upside in the feed grains complex. In conclusion, feeder cattle prices are expected to trend lower. Growing beef supplies will keep feedlot margins under pressure and it looks like this could continue until next April or May. Due to the decline in exports, the feeder market needs to absorb larger supplies. The year-over-year decrease in live cattle exports has resulted in a backlog of market-ready supplies resulting in weaker demand for feeder cattle in the short term. I feel there is further downside of approximately $20 to $30 in feeder cattle prices longer term. c Jerry Klassen manages the Canadian office of Swiss-based grain trader GAP SA Grains and Produits Ltd., and is president and founder of Resilient Capital specializing in proprietary commodity futures trading and market analysis. He owns farmland in Manitoba and Saskatchewan but grew up on a mixed farm feedlot operation in southern Alberta. He can be reached at 204-504-8339.

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 2015 index

Title

Issue

Page

ANIMAL HEALTH

Necrotic laryngitis or calf diphtheria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 52 Scientists track superbug genes to understand antibiotic resistance . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 60 Zilmax cleared for component feeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 56 Intranasal vaccine released . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 59 Good riddance to old livestock meds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 40 The potential of probiotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 35 Preg testing cows is easier than it used to be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 10 A new decision tree for veterinarians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 14 Check the quality of the water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 16 Adverse reactions to vaccines and drugs in cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 36 Tracking resistance to drugs in cattle bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 40 Monensin trials and troubles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 38 The AMR dilemma: Searching for ways to move forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 34 A single squirt to manage pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 22 The AMR dilemma, Part 2: The impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 24 Do we need to treat for warbles? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 41 Be skeptical about linking BLV with cancer in humans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 45

ASSOCIATIONS

SCA supports mandatory premises ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 52 Flooding and predators dominate Manitoba meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 54 Cattle feeders looking forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 40 Ontario looks north for more cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 40 4-H Beef club earns national award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 38 SSGA splits with SCA on traceability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 46 Drought and water costs focus of BCCA annual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 49 DNA testing for disease on the way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 28

BREEDING

Why is she open? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 14

CALVING

A calving checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 10 Scoring newborn calf vitality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 28 Have a restful calving season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 30 What to do about cold stress in newborns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 34 Some advice on when and how to resuscitate calves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 40 What you need to know about colostrum for beef calves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 44 Five steps to a successful calving season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 50

economics/Sustainability

The basics of sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 10 Getting started: Lance and Shari Leachman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 14 Wise investments in good times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 26 Getting started: Travis and Becky Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 16 North Dakota products costs jump 200 per cent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 39 Let the verifying begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 56 Consider all the costs of backgrounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 64

ENVIRONMENT/Wildlife/WELFARE

Guardian dogs earn their keep at Candll ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 12 Holos — a farm tool to assess GHG emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 40 Feedlot manure helps fuel $7.1-million bioenergy plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Animal care lives here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 24 In praise of water and beavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 32 Wolves of the West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 10 Tim Smith goes in search of ecological goods and services . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 10 Water conservation efforts in Bruce Peninsula taking shape . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 16

EQUIPMENT

Mustering and drafting Down Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 42 Drones give new perspective on herd management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 22 Facilities for Ontario beef cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 37

Feed/FEEDING

All barley is not created equal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 14 What’s all the fuss about corn on the Prairies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 36 Don’t waste your expensive feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 16 Do you have enough feed this winter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 26 Take precautions when feeding salvage crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 16

Forage

Native forage species go under the microscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 56 2015 trends in the Canadian forage industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . FG4 Dryland grass breeding in the Canadian Prairies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . FG5 Quebec haymakers use homemade dryer to improve quality . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . FG6 Getting back to the basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . FG8 The forage challenge — higher yield and higher quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG10 Nuffield scholar focuses on energy-dense forages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG14 Get in line and move on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG15 Sainfoin, a new legume for Ontario livestock producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG18 www.canadiancattlemen.ca

Title

Issue

Page

Silverbend Ranch shines again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG20 A living library for forage and beef producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG21 Is your pasture ready to graze? Start counting leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . FG22 To rejuvenate a pasture focus on legumes and weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 18 Winterfat, a protein-rich forage for cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 24 When to fertilize forage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 38 Looking for a payoff from engergy-dense forages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 16 Multi-species silage like free insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 26

gRAZING

Rotational grazing for beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 20 Recycled paradigms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 34 Year-round grazing systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 10 Radish to the rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 10 Portable pastures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 20 Ryegrass works for winter grazing cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 26 Good riddance to roundworms on pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 8 Cell designs are hard to find . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 24 Mentorship tips and tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 18 An annual checkup for native pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 20 Intensive cell grazing: it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 24 Recycle residues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 14 The ins and outs of grazing stubble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 37 What’s with winter water? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 22 What are you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 42

History

Jack Dillon remembered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 8 Early traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 8 National Council of Canadian Beef Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Bar U ranch has a special place in Canadian history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 28 Predators cause heavy losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 8 Frank White’s diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . . 7 CCA had a hand in creating the capital gains exemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 38 Cow chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Barbecuing beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 8 Wolves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 8 Guest editorial by George G. Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 8 Dougie John rides again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 8 Canada’s 1949 Royal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 8 The mystery of Violin Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 10

HOLISTIC RANCHING

Profit versus production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 28 Profit versus production, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 38 Profit versus production, Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 19 Our annual conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 22 Planned grazing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 20 Thinking about price insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 22 Drought management Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 26 Improving our land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 35 Benefiting from good times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 22 Understanding Holistic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 32 Drought mitigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 40 Planning ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 30

IDENTIFICATION

BIXS fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 54 Identification agency refines its database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 47

Management

Start heifer selection when calves hit the ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 10 Saskatchewan’s 21-day calving challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 40 Heifers by the hundreds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 14 Looking for ways to manage pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 38 Help where help is needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 24 Should you buy expensive feed or custom feed the cows? . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 38 Tips for diversifying your ranch with nature tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . 40 Grassers hit the spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 10

Marketing

Feed grains looking forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 68 How rapidly can we increase marketable beef supplies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 34 Feed grain markets sensitive to yield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 44 VJV consolidates under new management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ready to hire a marketing specialist for your calves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 16 AgriClear… cattle marketing on your terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 20 The Saretsky family blazes new trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 28 Tight numbers a concern for livestock marketers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 32 Four steps to direct marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 42 Managing risk in a declining market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 73 Feeder cattle marketing reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 58

C at t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

 2015 index

Title

Issue

Page

Meat/packers

Harmony by design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 10 The Middle Meats man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 52 Carcass quality is in the eye of the buyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 46 Hot reaction to WHO report on cancer, red meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 58 Harmony Beef back on track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 60 Pasteurizing the trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 47

Miscellaneous

It’s all about the money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . . 4 Dissenting over yield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 4 Reach out with a blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 26 The system works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vanishing cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 4 AMR, get ready for it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 4 Beef Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 29 August anxieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ag in Motion off to a hot start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 40 Prepping for the politicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 4 Dropping in on the animal rights movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 4 Food farms are a hit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 28 Is it time to raise the national checkoff? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 4 WHO got the black eye? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 4 Beef Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . 43

Nutrition

The role of technology in the efficient production of wholesome beef . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 24 A frosty start to 2015 raises energy requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 18 Marketing versus production risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . . 18 Don’t procrastinate planning next winter’s feed supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 13 Focus on your yearlings this breeding season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 26 A Colorado low you say — only in Manitoba! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 16 Is creep feeding an answer to your pasture woes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 18 Nutritional considerations for the cow-calf herd during drought . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 47 Feeding non-conventional feeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 30 Avoiding the pitfalls of non-conventional feeding programs . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . . 18 Satisfy the protein needs of pregnant cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 42 The challenge of starting newly weaned calves on feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 20 Look at brood cow nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 20 The facts on grain screening pellets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 24 Dietary energy levels for backgrounding calves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 32

POLICY

The right fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 50 Starting a new year with National Beef Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 48 New national strategy sets targets for industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 56 Washington trip encouraging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 44 COOL decision in May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 32 A COOL victory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 28 Drought concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 38 North American producers stand firm on COOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 48 Good prices soften uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 36 Another push for TPP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 52 Our business goes on as usual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 56 Northern Ontario website up and running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 62 Saskatchewan sets tighter restrictions on land purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 62 Beefed-up plant breeders’ rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 18 Greeting new ministers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 44

PRIME CUTS

All about the numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . A welcome cow plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . What’s with the numbers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . Packers stuggle for numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . Cool and warmer weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . COOL isn’t over yet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . Tough times in the meat case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . Millennials eye the meat case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . The BSE decade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . Massive market meltdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . TPP ratification is crucial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . Volatility plagues the markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . .

RESEARCH

48 46 50 30 37 33 36 44 27 55 54 42

Making headway on prion disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 12 Tracing prions in plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using research funds more efficiently . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 32 Research shakeup proposed for Saskatchewan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 56

C at t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

Title

Issue

Page

Hot water treatment of beef trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 35 Canada’s first look at residual feed intake EPDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 46 Will late-summer swath grazing maintain alfalfa? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 29 Do antimicrobial growth promoters really improve performance? . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 18 Are ionophores a risk for antimicrobial resistance? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 23 Stretching feed supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 30 Proving probiotics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 20 Cocktails for cattle under stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 50 A living lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 58 Conjugal visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 32 In search of healthy livers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 34 Rumen microbes and bloat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oct 26 . . . . . . . 50 Blame it on the rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oct 26 . . . . . . . 54 These little piggies at a quarter-pounder a day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 50 Wheat versus barley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec. . . . . . . . . . 12 Performance improving product approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 28

Safety/biosecurity

Keep visitors safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . . 8 Alberta’s alfalfa bug survey yields mixed results in first year . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 34

SEEDSTOCK

Building consistency into a seedstock operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . Locking in the traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . Breeders will benefit from carcass data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . Mexico bound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . .

22 20 45 30

STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP

Eco politics and the French connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 42 Canadians celebrate with steak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 54 Next please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 36 Food floats our boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 34 A return to healthy soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 36 Lessons from a pet food star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 30 Intentional design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . . 31 Revelation in the boardroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 46 Beef — naturally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 34 How clean is our engine? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 52 Farmers are the front line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 40

TRADE

If the EU interests you, start early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . A trade update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . Scotland’s beef 2020 program is geared to boost output and exports . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . Wait times for import permit system grow shorter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . Australia raises beef export forecast by 20 per cent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . Beef producers applaud TPP agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . .

57 28 24 54 37 62

TRANSPORT

Improving calf transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 19

Verified Beef production Shake up your meeting mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 46 Antimicrobial resistance: take a deep breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 49 The hidden profit in beef biosecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 43 Finding new benefits in small beef production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . 33 The most powerful people in cattle transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . 27 Mobile tech revolutionizing vet-producer relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 28 Industry heads up: buckshot, broken needles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 35 McDonald’s talks sustainability and beef in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . 47 Update on new VBP + modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 30 Respect required for feed ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . 45 Think inside the truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . . 51 How data will drive the beef industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . . 41

Vet Advice

Vectors and emerging disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan . . . . . . . . . 22 Antimicrobial resistance tug of war stands in the way of progress . . . . . . Feb . . . . . . . . . 20 Taking stock of your vaccines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mar . . . . . . . . . 24 Creating no-fly zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apr . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ability to transmit disease is not uniform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . 11 We used to hang horse thieves and rustlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jun . . . . . . . . . 32 Marketing is walking the talk: can industry do it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug . . . . . . . . . 34 Managing drought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sep . . . . . . . . . . 18 Understanding the value of vaccines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 5 . . . . . . . . 30 Trouble ahead? Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct 26 . . . . . . . . 21 Enzootic bovine leukosis, Part 2 — Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov . . . . . . . . . 48 Take preg checking beyond face value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dec . . . . . . . . . 20

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

 GOINGS ON

Sales&Events Events

January 2016 6

rey Bruce Farmers Beef Day, Elmwood G Community Centre, Elmwood, Ont. 14-16 Ontario Beef Industry Convention, Best Western Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont. 14-16 Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference, Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Calgary, Alta. 20 Alberta Cattle Feeders Association Annual Meeting, Lethbridge, Alta. 20-22 Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference, Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, Sask.  A DVERTIS ER I NDEX Page Airdrie Trailer Sales 51 Alberta Cattle Feeders 27 AT Ferrell 7 Boehringer Ingelheim 41 Buhler Industries Inc. 25 Canadian Angus Assoc. 50 Canadian Charolais Assoc. OBC Canadian Gelbvieh Assoc. 21 Canadian Hereford Assoc. 50 Canadian Limousin Assoc. 50 Canadian Red Angus Promotion Society 50 Canadian Shorthorn Assoc. 49 Canadian Simmental Assoc. 50 Cattlemen’s Financial Corp. 51 Cattlesoft-Cattlemax 36 Farm Credit Canada 11 Gilbrea Consulting Ltd. 50 GMS Mechanical & Equipment Ltd. 17 Greener Pastures 48 Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment 51 Hill 70 Quantock Ranch 9 John Deere 5 Lazy S Ranch 43 Lemken Canada Inc. 39 Mary MacGregor Law 17 Masterfeeds 19 Matchmaker Select 50 M.C. Quantock Livestock IFC, 3 Merck Animal Health 31, 33, 35 Merial 15 Murphy Ranch 46 Perlich Bros. Auction Market Ltd. 45 Rawes Ranches Ltd. 37 Riverside Welding 50 Salers Assoc. of Canada 50 Saskatchewan Beef Industry 53 Soderglen Ranch 62, IBC Unverferth Manufacturing Co. 29 Vantage Trailer Sales 55

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

S askatchewan Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting, Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, Sask. 22-23 Canadian Bull Congress, Camrose Regional Exhibition, Camrose, Alta. 27-29 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Annual Convention, San Diego, California

February 2-4

estern Canada Feedlot Management W School, Travelodge Hotel, Saskatoon, Sask. 4-5 Manitoba Beef Producers Annual Meeting, Victoria Inn, Brandon, Man. 16-18 Ontario Beef Farmers Cattlemen’s College and Annual Meeting, International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ont. 17 National Cattle Feeders Association Annual Meeting, Sheraton Hotel, Red Deer, Alta. 17-19 Alberta Beef Industry Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Red Deer, Alta.

March 23

anadian Beef Breeds Council Annual C Meeting, Best Western Port O’ Call Inn, Calgary, Alta.

April

28-May 8 Fleckvieh Simmental Congress of the Americas, Villahermosa Tabasco, Mexico

June 14

12 13 16 25

Long Yearling Bull Sale, at the ranch, Beechy, Sask. Hill 70 Quantock Ranch, Barn Burnin’ Bull Sale, at the ranch, Lloydminster, Sask. Anchor D Bull Sale, at the ranch, Rimbey, Alta. Soderglen Ranches Select Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Airdrie, Alta. Rawes Ranches 33rd Bull Sale, at the ranch, Strome, Alta. Stewart Cattle Company Annual Black Angus Bull Sale, Neepawa Ag-Plex, Neepawa, Man. Lewis Farms 31st Bull Sale, at the farm, Spring Grove, Alta.

March 2-3 5

algary Bull Sale, Century Downs, C Calgary, Alta. Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonsome Dove Ranch 27th Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch bull yards, Ponteix, Sask.

 Event listings are a free service to industry.  Sale listings are for our advertisers. Your contact is Mike Millar at 306-251-0011 or mike.millar@fbcpublishing.com

STAMPEDE

By Jerry Palen

2 016 FutureFare, Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort, Edmonton, Alta.

July

17-22 International Rangeland Congress, Saskatoon, Sask.

August

9-13 B onanza 2016, Burning the Hereford Brand, Olds, Alta. 21-28 International Limousin Congress, Ireland

Sales January 2016 30

.C. Quantock “Canada’s Bulls” Bull M Sale, Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds, Lloydminster, Alta. Lazy S Ranch Bull Power Sale, at the ranch, Mayerthorpe, Alta.

February 1

Lazy RC Ranch Red and Black Angus

“It’s slow going in this light, fluffy stuff.” C a t t l e m e n · d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 61