Beef Business March 2014

Beef Business ‘

Saskatchewan’s largest circulated magazine Saskatchewan`s Premiere Cattlecattle Industry Publication Saskatchewan’s largest circulated cattleindustry industry magazine ‘

September 2010 May 2010

A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Publication Publication Mail Agreement #40011906

March 2014

Working for Producers

VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION IN SASKATCHEWAN

Cattle producers in Saskatchewan can qualify for funding provided through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative Funding is available for 50% of approved equipment costs up to $750 per producer. Eligible equipment includes: chute neck extenders / livestock weigh scales / record keeping software To Be Eligible, Beef Producers Must Have: $2,500 in Cattle Sales Completed VBP Training Not Claimed Previously

CATTLE CREEK RANCHING

RED ANGUS BULL SALE

March 27th, 2014 at 4:00pm

60 VIRGIN COMING 2 YEAR OLD RED ANGUS BULLS

Video Sale

Come early to view the bulls

THERMOSINK Be sure to ask us about THERMOSINK ENERGY FREE LIVESTOCK WATERING SYSTEMS

For more information contact

DAVID FLUNDRA Cell 403.502.4776 Ranch 306.662.2449 26 km west of Maple Creek cattlecreekranch.ca

Contents

Beef Business

Cover photo courtesy of Wanda Knoss, Rockglen, SK

A Proud Saskatchewan Tradition Since 1913

A Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) Publication General Manager: Chad MacPherson Administrative Assistant: Wilma Switzer Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga@sasktel.net OR ssga.admin@sasktel.net Website: www.skstockgrowers.com

Industry News 6

Econiche® and Bovamine® Tested for E.coli Prevention

8

2014 Crown Grazing Rental Rate

8

2014 Honour Scroll Recipients

11

Price Insurance Available in March

12

SSGA Supports Irradiation

14

SSGA Approved for Mentorship Funding

17

Red Tape is a Major Stressor for Producers: CFIB

Subscriptions - Wilma Switzer Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-757-8523 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: ssga.admin@sasktel.net

Markets and Trade 21

Five Ways to Prepare to Meet Future Sustainable Beef Requirements

25

Retail Meat Price Survey

27

Weekly Charts

Subscription Rate: 1 yr $26.50 (GST included) Published 5 times per year Advertising Sales - Tracy Cornea Tel: 306-693-9329 Fax: 306-692-4961 email: tracy.cornea@gmail.com

Feature 28

Western Livestock Price Insurance Program

32

Bovine Respiratory Disease

37

2013 Corn Grazing

40

Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination in Commercial Herds

43

Does Size Matter? Scrotal Circumference and Fertility

45

Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

47

Where’s the Beef? Active Missing Livestock File

Design and Layout - Jackson Designs Candace Schwartz Tel: 306-772-0376 email: cjacksondesigns@gmail.com

Science and Production

Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP) Manager: Natasha Wilkie Box 4752, Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 Tel: 306-352-0472 Fax: 306-569-8799 email: pcap@sasktel.net

Association News and Reports 49

SK Shorthorn Report

50

SSGA 2014 Semi-Annual Meeting Resolutions

53

A Report From the SSGA President

Stewardship 54

SK PCAP - Saskatchewan People Share Their Thoughts on Native Prairie Conservation

58

Calendar of Events

59

Advertiser Index

?

Publications Mail Agreement #40011906 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only) to: Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Box 4752, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4

Did you know that the SSGA is Saskatchewan's oldest agricultural association?

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This magazine is printed on paper that is comprised of 50% recycled paper and 25% post-consumer waste.

It is acid-free, elemental chlorine-free and is FSC certified

MARCH 2014

SSGA reserves the right to refuse advertising and to edit manuscripts. Contents of Beef Business may be reproduced with written permission obtained from the SSGA Manager and proper credit given to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. Articles submitted may not be the opinion of the Association.

SSGA assumes no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader from this publication based on any and all information provided.

Contributors Harold Martens Colby Elford Dr. Colin Palmer Kevin Elmy Travis Peardon Jeff Gaye Leanne Thompson Fawn Jackson Cam Wilk Dr. Eugene Janzen Betty Wyatt Dr. Murray Jelinski

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 5

Industry News Econiche® and Bovamine® Tested for E. coli Prevention A new fact sheet is available describing the results of pre-harvest trials on two E. coli intervention products. The fact sheet is published by the Canadian Cattelemen’s Association. It details research done by Dr Kim Stanford of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, and Dr Calvin Booker and Dr Sherry Hamilton of Feedlot Health Management Services Ltd.

Unexpectedly, some cattle subjected to these pre-harvest interventions showed significantly higher numbers of fecal and hide samples positive for E. coli O157:H7 than control cattle.

The report concludes “these products will have to be improved before they could be recommended for on-farm control of E. coli O157:H7.”

The trial compared Econiche® vaccine and Bovamine® direct-fed microbial for effectiveness in controlling E. coli O157:H7 in feces and on animal hides. For the trial, feces from 864 cattle were screened for E. coli prevalence, and the cattle were allocated into three groups. One group was administered the vaccine, another was given the direct-fed microbial (DFM), while the third group was given neither (control group). The test cattle were divided into two sets.

Funding for the study was provided by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd.(ALMA), Bioniche Life Science Inc. and Nutrition Physiology Company, LLC. B

All animals were fed standard finishing diets, and all had rectal fecal samples collected every 28 days during their 103 to 145 days in the trial. Some also had hide swabs taken at 28-day intervals, and all had samples and swabs taken at shipment to slaughter.

One set of the cattle that had received the vaccine showed some reduction of E. coli during the feeding period, though the other set did not. At shipment to slaughter, neither set of vaccinated cattle showed significant reduction of E. coli in fecal or hide samples compared to the control group.

The DFM group in one set showed a significant reduction of E. coli on hide swabs during the feeding period. Again, the other set did not. And again, at shipment to slaughter, the outcome was no better than with the control group. Neither the vaccine or the DFM consistently reduced E. coli O157:H7 in all groups of cattle and neither intervention lowered the average number of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle feces, the study states.

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MARCH 2014

MARCH 2014

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Industry News 2014 Crown Grazing Rental Rate October

November

Weighting

$71.30

$66.30

12.00%

$8.26

Feeder steers 800-900 lbs

$142.09

$138.79

17.00%

$23.87

Feeder steers 500-600 lbs

$164.34

$161.24

35.00%

$56.98

Feeder Heifers > 800 lbs

$129.26

$124.28

21.00%

$26.62

Feeder Heifers 500-600 lbs

$141.20

$140.56

15.00%

$21.13

Slaughter D1 & D2 cows

$136.86 Rent

Lbs of beef produced

46.00

Weighted value

$1.37

Constant stocking factor Share Per AUM

0.80 0.1275 $6.42

Glen Bender of Neudorf, SK

Tom & Karen Grieve of Fillmore, SK 8

Congratulations

Congratulations to the 2014 Honour Scrolls Recipients

| ŠBEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Barry & Marj Young of Carievale, SK

Jack McDougald, SSGA Past President of Maple Creek, SK MARCH 2014

Peak Dot Ranch Ltd.

A reputation source for Angus seed stock that have been bred for performance, maternal traits and superior phenotype. Featuring large sire groups and affordable genetics for the cowman. Free delivery in a 500 mile radius of the ranch.

Spring Bull and Female Sale

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

At the Ranch, Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan

205 BULLS - 130 HEIFERS For Sale now at the Ranch ...

Peak Dot Ranch has 64 head of registered Angus heifers for sale by private treaty from our fall program .

This is a seldom offered chance to acquire some of the top females from our program. Many daughters of SAV Eliminator 9105, SAV Bullet 0473, Peak Dot Dominator 42U, Peak Dot Pioneer 9X and Iron Mountain from the most popular cow families at Peak Dot.

Peak Dot Eliminator 1013Z

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +3.7 WW: +59 YW: +107 M: +23 BW: 87 205 WT: 891

Peak Dot Bullet 1011Z

Peak Dot Pioneer 1087Z

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +4.1 WW: +60 YW: +116 M: +26 BW: 88 205 WT: 932 Peak Dot Unanimous 588A

Peak Dot Radiance 163A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X HF Power-Up 72N BW: +1.1 WW: +62 YW: +116 M: +27 BW: 64 205 WT: 943

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +2.3 WW: +58 YW: +106 M: +23 BW: 86 205 WT: 823 Peak Dot Unanimous 551A

Peak Dot Unanimous 776A

Vision Unanimous 1418 X Peak Dot Predominant 92S BW: +2.5 WW: +62 YW: +116 M: +19 BW: 83 205 WT: 833 Peak Dot Unanimous 414A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Stevenson Bruno 6371 BW: +2.5 WW: +51 YW: +102 M: +27 BW: 84 205 WT: 792

SAV Eliminator 9105 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +2.8 WW: +55 YW: +108 M: +21 BW: 82 205 WT: 786 Peak Dot Eliminator 788A

SAV Bullet 0473 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +3.2 WW: +52 YW: +97 M: +24 BW: 58 205 WT: 820

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAR New Trend 4100 2080 BW: +3.8 WW: +57 YW: +112 M: +21 BW: 86 205 WT: 829 Peak Dot Unanimous 603A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +3.1 WW: +54 YW: +100 M: +25 BW: 82 205 WT: 906 Peak Dot Unanimous 367A

SAV Eliminator 9105 X SAV 004 Predominant 4438 BW: +2.9 WW: +54 YW: +103 M: +25 BW: 81 205 WT: 859

Peak Dot Eliminator 718A

SAV Bullet 0473 X Mohnen Dynamite 1356 BW: +4.3 WW: +52 YW: +96 M: +25 BW: 89 205 WT: 818

View Sale Book and Sale Cattle Photo Gallery at www.peakdotranch.com or phone Carson Moneo 306-266-4414 Clay Moneo 306-266-4411 Email:peakdot@gmail.com

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 9

Gray 305A

RSL 281Z

Consignors:

RSL Red Angus

RSL 305A

Castlerock Marketing Shane Castle 306-741-7485 (c) Dean McAvoy 306-612-3326 (c) Complimentary Beef on a Bun

Robert & Sharon Laycock 306-937-2880 306-441-5010 (c)

Spittalburn Farms

Michael & Sandi Gray 306-237-4729 306-227-1017 (c) www.spittalburnfarms.com

Industry News Price Insurance Available in March The federal government and the four western provinces have announced that the Western Livestock Price Insurance Plan (WLPIP) will be available to producers this month.

The announcement was made in January by federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Foods Gerry Ritz, British Columbia MLA Donna Barnett, Alberta Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson and Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart.

Manitoba signed on to the deal in February.

“This is great,” said Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president Harold Martens. “This is great for our members and for all producers. Anything that takes a share of the risk off of the individual rancher is welcome, especially risks that are beyond the producer’s control.”

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association President Martin Unrau said “this program

gives more producers access to a solid tool to manage price and basis risk, one of the more unpredictable aspects of managing an operation.”

Producers will be able to buy insurance this spring against their expected sale price. If the average market price falls below the insured price, the producer may claim the difference.

The plan is based on the price insurance program that has been running in Alberta since 2009. That program was created to protect cattle and hog producers against dramatic price swings.

WLPIP insurance will be fully funded through premiums paid by producers.

It will insure against three components of price risk: low US prices; currency fluctuations; and the basis, or the difference between local cash price and the futures price. Coverage is available for fed cattle, feeders, and calves.

Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation will be the central administrative body for the program, in order to maximize administrative efficiencies. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation will be the lead customer service delivery agent in this province.

WLPIP is a four-year pilot program. The federal and provincial governments will cover administration and delivery costs for the pilot through Growing Forward 2’s AgriRisk Initiatives. The federal government will provide deficit financing for the pilot project. Ritz calls the program “a great example of collaboration among federal and provincial governments and industry.” Stewart said “this has been a top priority for our government and I am pleased to partner with the federal government and the western provinces to offer livestock price insurance.”B .

Mantei Farms Presents

"The Biggest Little Bull Sale Around" March 22, 2014 - 1:00 PM Alameda, SK

-Sons and Grandsons of High Prime 4037 (Bovagene.com), Final Answer, MFA Timeline 69M & Kodiak

-Selling 30 High Quality Yearling Bulls MFA Timeline 16A

MFA High Prime 73A

WATcH For PicTureS And video AT WWW.BlAcKHArveST.cA Cecil & Brenda Mantei & Family Estevan, SK Ph: (306)634-4454 Cell: (306)461-5501 manteifarms@hotmail.com MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 11

Industry News SSGA Supports Irradiation The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has adopted a resolution supporting irradiation of beef. Irradiation as a food safety measure has long been a contentious issue.

Food irradiation uses low-level gamma rays, X-rays, or electron beam radiation to kill E.coli, salmonella, campylobacter, and some food-borne parasites. It is approved in Canada for use on onions, potatoes, wheat, flour, and spices, but it is not widely used in this country.

Proponents of the process say that recent food recalls and contamination scares could have been prevented if irradiation was common practice. E.coli O157:H7, the bacterium behind the 2012 XL Foods fiasco, is effectively controlled through irradiation.

One formal recommendation from the independent review of the XL Foods recall is that “the beef industry should submit a proposal to Health Canada to approve irradiation as an effective food safety intervention. Health Canada should give the application prompt consideration.”

At the time that recommendation was made, the beef industry had already been lobbying for irradiation for over a decade.

Mark Klassen, Technical Director of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, says his organization submitted a petition to have irradiation approved for fresh and frozen ground beef in 1998.

Klassen told the SSGA this January that a 2001 comprehensive scientific review conducted by Health Canada into the microbiological, chemical and nutrition aspects found irradiation to be safe and effective. Irradiated beef has been sold in the US since 2000, but Canada has balked at approving the process, citing “consumer concerns,” Klassen said. These concerns stem from a general unease about all things nuclear, as well as from some organic producers and others who feel that smaller-scale processing, rather than technological advances, are the best way to improve food safety.

The Consumers’ Association of Canada, however, says that most Canadians want the choice available to them. In a 2012 Angus Reid survey, 57 per cent of respondents reported they were not aware of the process. Two thirds approved of it once they learned more about it.

Klassen likens the debate to the concerns raised about pasteurization of milk. In his presentation to the SSGA, Klassen recalled the arguments against pasteurization: that it would be used to mask low-quality milk; that it fails to destroy bacterial toxins in milk; that pasteurization lowers milk’s nutritional value; that it gives consumers a false sense of security; and that it will affect prices and put small milk dealers out of business. He said the same arguments

are now being made about irradiation of meat, in spite of pasteurization’s proven success in virtually eliminating milk-borne mycobacterium bovis-related infections, illnesses and deaths. Klassen pointed out that in the past 25 years, the US has approved irradiation for products from poultry, beef, pork, and lamb to eggs, sprouting seeds, juices, imported fruits and vegetables, spinach, lettuce, and shellfish.“Irradiation of beef is safe and effective,” he said. “When combined with existing interventions, it could essentially eliminate E.coli O157:H7-related illness associated with ground beef. But just like pasteurization, vaccination, and chlorination of water,” he said, “broad acceptance of food irradiation will take time.” B

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

It just makes sense to treat cattle for BRD with the new generation macrolide, that is fast acting,1 long lasting2 and has a price that won’t break the bank. (And it’s plastic, so you won’t break the bottle either.)

Treat them with ZACTRAN ®.

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

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

2. Based on label claims.

ZACTRAN ® is a registered trademark of Merial Limited. © 2014 Merial Canada Inc. All rights reserved. ZACT-13-7558-JAD-E

3515 Zactran Therapeutics Ad-BB.indd 1

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Client: Merial Project: Zactran Feedlot Ad www.skstockgrowers.com Date: January 2014

2013-12-11 2:38 PM

Publication: Beef Business Size: 5’ x 4.875” Bleed: none

Agency: ON Communicatio Agency Contact: Raellen Se MARCH 2014 519-434-1365 E Telephone:

Industry News SSGA Approved for Mentorship Funding The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is among the first organizations to be approved for funding under the Youth Leadership and Mentorship program, one of the initiatives of Growing Forward 2. According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the program aims “to help young producers gain valuable experience, take advantage of networking opportunities and develop the skills necessary to become a future industry leader.”

Industry associations also stand to benefit by developing and connecting with future leaders. Chad MacPherson, General Manager of the SSGA, sees a big winwin for mentorship participants and for the organization.“There’s a lot of young people out there with energy and ideas,” MacPherson said. “With this opportunity to involve them in the Association and with the industry on a larger scale, there’s a greater probability that they’ll go on to contribute as industry leaders.”

The program lays out specific expectations for sponsor associations like the SSGA, for participating young producers, and for the mentors themselves. Industry associations are expected to promote the initiative; find appropriate mentors; receive and approve applications from interested young producers; provide payments for eligible expenses; and provide invoicing and reporting to the Ministry. Associations are eligible for up to $4,000 per mentorship.

Payment will be made to the association, based on actual receipts, for travel expenses to attend industry events (hotel, accommodation, airfare or mileage) and registration fees.

program, we expect to see a noticeable improvement in succession planning and organizational capacity,” he said.

Mentors must be approved by the administering association and be “viewed with high regard within the industry; have board and leadership experience; and be able to commit time to the young producer,” according to the Ministry.

Young producers who wish to apply to the program must be between 18 and 39 years of age, must have clear leadership goals and directives, and must be an active producer who shows leadership potential.

“Many young producers are hesitant to become involved in industry leadership activities because participation often creates a financial burden on their agricultural operations,” MacPherson said.

Mentorship funding will help eliminate this barrier and will “allow our association and the industry to attract and develop the skills of new leaders. Because of this

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MacPherson encourages eligible producers and potential mentors to get in touch with him at the SSGA office.

“Let’s use the skill and experience of our members to develop the next generation of industry leaders,” he said.

An association is eligible for up to five mentorships per year, with each mentorship typically running four to twelve months. The SSGA has been approved to support five mentorships of two years’ duration. B For more information contact the SSGA office or visit www.skstockgrowers.com

Bulls like This

From Cows like This

- Calving Ease - Longevity - Grass-based - Moderate Frame - Strong Maternal

Be sure to check out our website for information on our current heifer promotion!

2 year old bulls sold private treaty off the ranch!

www.nerbasbrosangus.com shellmouth, mB CANADA 204-564-2540

MARCH 2014

VACCINATE FOR SCOURS WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT! Blood levels are highest two weeks post vaccination.

When the time is right.

Initial vaccination 6-9 weeks before calving

Peak Colostral Antibody Development occurs 2-5 weeks before calving1 First year booster 3-6 weeks before calving †

† First year doses should be at least 3 weeks apart

Annual booster 3-6 weeks before calving

Reference: 1. Morrow DA, editor. Current Therapy in Theriogenology: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of reproductive diseases in animals. Philadelphia (PA): WB Saunders; 1980:1143 pp.

Zoetis™ and ScourGuard™4KC are trademarks of Zoetis or its licensors, used under license

by Zoetis Canada Inc. ©2013 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. SCG-075 SCG4 JADP05 1113E

Calving

ScourGuard™ 4KC helps you to maximize colostrum quality when administered 3 to 6 weeks before birth.

Go to timing-is-everything.ca for more details on how to maximize colostrum production.

Burnett Angus Bull & Female Sale Saturday April 5, 2014 at 1:00 pm Heartland Livestock Swift Current, SK Ask about our Bull Finance program!

50 | Yearling & 2 Year Old Black Angus Bulls ~ Specializing in low birth weights, thickness & depth, performance tested, rated and indexed ~ Sired by: Chinook, Final Answer, Special Focus, OCC Missing Link, Glanworth Waigroup Son, Fahren, Windy Select group of 1st calf heifers & calves and open heifers Guest Consignors: Ty Schwan & Greg Gillis

For catalogues and further information contact: Bryce Burnett (306)773-7065 or Wyatt (306) 750-7822 Toll Free: 1-800-929-COWS (2079) email: wburnett@xplornet.ca website: www.bryceburnett.com

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MARCH 2014

Industry News Red Tape is a Major Stressor for Producers: CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has published a report card on how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) interacts with business in the agriculture sector, including producers. While the report shows some improvement since their last assessment in 2006, it is far from a glowing endorsement.

The CFIB released the report as part of its Red Tape Awareness Week in January. The week is part of an overall campaign, which CFIB calls the Red Tape Revolution, aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burden faced by businesses.

According to the CFIB, compliance with CFIA regulations costs farmers and the agri-food industry $657 million dollars per year. Each business spends an average of more than $20,000 and 28 days per year to comply with regulations and procedures.

Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s VicePresident for agri-business, co-authored the report. She says the CFIB and the agriculture industry support CFIA’s important work ensuring a safe food supply. “This is not about deregulation,” she said. She cited confusing forms, bad service and contradictory information as the problem areas that CFIA needs to address.“Farmers spend countless hours navigating through these confusing forms, which does nothing to promote food safety,” she said.

“Last year we released a report that shows farmers are hit harder by red tape than business in general,” Braun-Pollon said. That report says that while most businesses cite red tape as their secondhighest concern behind total tax burden, farmers put bureaucratic headaches at the top of the list.

Producers have long felt that government

agencies don’t understand agriculture, Braun-Pollon said. This is reinforced by the CFIA requiring farmers to process complicated forms during seeding time, and by what she calls “dumb rules from Fisheries and Oceans telling someone they can’t clean out a man-made ditch.”

The report card says that the CFIA has worked with the CFIB to make things better. “We have seen some progress,” Braun-Pollon said. The CFIA created a Statement of Rights and Service which outlines producers’ rights to transparency, fair treatment and quality service without jeopardizing food safety. The CFIA also opened a Complaints and Appeals Office on April 1, 2012 so that farmers and small business owners can register complaints and appeals on regulatory decisions and service quality, the report says. continued on page 18

Acquire the Angus Advantage

Triple‘A’ Performance Tested Bull Sale

at the 17th Annual

Monday, April 7, 2014

1:00 pm CST

Johnstone Auction Mart, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan www.johnstoneauction.ca

88 Black & Red Angus Bulls Bell Angus - Ken Bell ......................................................306-345-2052 Black Pearl Angus - Matt Bedard ..................................306-737-1571 Cottonwood Angus - Brett Gaube ..................................306-537-4710 CSI Angus - Roger Reynolds ..........................................306-536-6112 Glen Gabel Angus - Glen Gabel .....................................306-536-1927 Hi Low Angus - Dan Howell ............................................306-731-2940 Irving Angus - John M. & Keri Irving..............................306-587-2523

MARCH 2014

Nu-Horizon Angus - Kieran & Deb Doetzel....................306-336-2245 Triple H Angus - Perry & Dawn Hart & family................306-723-4832 Valley Lodge Cattle Co. - Gordon C. Roger...................306-771-2305 Willowview Angus - Ken & Sandy Harle ........................306-359-6100 Wilmo Angus Ranch - John & Marg Willmott................306-345-2046 XLB Farms - Dan Exelby .................................................306-734-2741 For catalogues contact 306-757-6133

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 17

Industry News Red Tape cont. from pg. 17 As well, the CFIA plans to open 16 targeted Centres of Expertise to provide more consistent information and advice to agricultural businesses; new food safety legislation is intended to consolidate four existing statutes and reduce inconsistencies; and it seeks to modernize verification of compliance through inspection while clearly defining responsibilities of business owners and the CFIA. But according to the report card, the agency still has a long way to go. Sixty percent of farmers surveyed said that CFIA regulations add significant stress to their lives, and almost half said that the CFIA affects their productivity and their ability to compete.The CFIA scored very poorly on communications issues. They scored better on service issues including the availability, attitude and knowledge of staff, but the positive scores were still only in the 25-to-38 percent range.

Most respondents said that the CFIA does not know the effect their regulations have on business.

The CFIB report offers eleven recommendations to make things better.

Of these, they identified three priority areas: developing an online one- stop communication portal for businesses, which would allow business owners to give and receive information in writing; measuring the total burden of red tape so that issues can be monitored and addressed; and improving communications.

“This could be accomplished by the CFIA working to ensure its website, guides and bulletins are in plain language, running plain language audits, completing website usability testing, providing examples of what constitutes compliance, setting standard times for responses, and committing to written advice,” the report says.

11th Annual

Braun-Pollon said “farmers do support rules ensuring safe food. They’re just tired of getting the runaround from CFIA. We hope to make concrete and practical suggestions to address farmers’ concerns,” she said. B

Bull Sale

Who’s Your Daddy Thursday, April 3, 2014 ~ Saskatoon Livestock Sales, Red Six Mile Sakic 832S

Saskatoon, Check out our 2014 lineup, we call ‘em

SK

The Superheroes WE KNOW OUR BULLS HAVE at www.kccattleco.com TO BE BETTER JUST TO GET for more information YOUR ATTENTION! That’s why we hard and onlySires sell 50 bulls Sons ofcull these Herd a year. areby thePrivate top cut from over 400 ForThese Sale Treaty

Red SPN Huckleberrie 110Y

purebred Shorthorn cows. Thick, rugged, BEEF BULLS that are bred to handle the harsh conditions of Western Canada.

Also on offer - a select group of flush and embryo lots.

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KCCattle_Winter2014.indd 1

Some of our Feature Lots...

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Red Lazy MC CC Detour 2W

HXC Brute Force 6600S

Muridale Lander 83Z

Dr. Colin Palmer DVM, & Kim Palmer & Family RR 5 Site 502 Box 39, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3J8 (20 minutes from Saskatoon) Phone: 306.492.2134 Cell: 306.290.8431

He Sells!

2/12/2014 9:31:00 AM

MARCH 2014

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 19

11th Annual

Bull Sale

Who’s Your Daddy Thursday, April 3, 2014 ~ Saskatoon Livestock Sales, Saskatoon, SK

WE KNOW OUR BULLS HAVE TO BE BETTER JUST TO GET YOUR ATTENTION!

That’s why we cull hard and only sell 50 bulls a year. These are the top cut from over 400 purebred Shorthorn cows. Thick, rugged, BEEF BULLS that are bred to handle the harsh conditions of Western Canada.

Also on offer - a select group of flush and embryo lots.

His full brother Sells!

Some of our Feature Lots...

Saskvalley Yellowstone 12Y Sales Consultant: Luke Bowman Ph: 614.301.2672 8925 Bond Rd Greens Fork, IN 47345

Muridale Lander 83Z

He Sells!

Bell M Outfielder 120Z

He Sells!

Special Representatives: Dr. Bert Moore 701.541.5035 Larry Toner 306.834.7652 Rolly Bateman 306.320.7466

Catalogs will be online at any of our websites ~ Sale Bull videos at www.youtube.com/whosyourdaddybull ~

For more information or a catalog, contact:

Saskvalley Stock Farm Carl Lehmann 306.232.3511 cmlehmann@sasktel.net saskvalleyshorthorns.com 20

Bell M Farms

Richard Moellenbeck 306.287.7904 rmoellenbeck@bogend.ca bellmfarms.com

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Sale will be broadcast by Cattle In Motion at www.cattleinmotion.com

Muridale Shorthorns

Scot Muri 306.741.6833 sjmuri@sasktel.net www.muridale.com MARCH 2014

Markets and Trade Five Ways to Prepare to Meet Future Sustainable Beef Requirements

by Fawn Jackson, Manager of Environmental Affairs, Canadian Cattlemen's Association The market appears to be sending a strong signal that consumers want sustainable products, and furthermore, they want proof. Last week McDonalds announced a commitment to source verified sustainable beef by 2016. A&W currently claims their beef has been raised by producers at the leading edge of sustainable production practices and Walmart continually promises to deliver more sustainable agricultural products.

Beef producers in Canada and abroad are left wondering: What do these claims about sustainability mean to me and my operation? Does this mean that I will be rewarded for existing sustainable production practices or does this mean that I will have to make burdensome changes to my farming operation?

Although the precise definition of sustainable beef and how sustainable beef production is proven continues to be a mystery, the role of research, technology, innovation and communication hold steadfast as the foundation for making ‘sustainable’ decisions by all members of the value chain.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has been making great strides to ensure that Canadian cattle producers are appropriately prepared to address this growing consumer and market demand.

For instance, the CCA joined the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) in 2013 and are now forming a Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), which is set to launch later this year.

The CCA helped lead the development of the 2013 Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle, leads the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS), an economically viable traceability and information transfer system, and developed a verifiable on farm food safety

program, Verified Beef ProductionTM (VBP). The CCA is currently expanding the VBP program with the addition of animal care, environment and biosecurity modules. The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) also recognizes cattle producers that are exemplary leaders in conservation, and the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), a division of the CCA, invests in and promotes the adoption of research and innovation that contributes to sustainability.

The utilization of these programs and initiatives will ultimately play integral roles in helping Canadian beef producers address the increased demand for verified sustainable products.

5 key things beef producers can do to ensure they are prepared to meet future sustainable supply demands 1. Continue doing what you are doing.

First and foremost, cattle producers in Canada are by and large sustainable already. For example, the use of growth promotant technologies in conventional beef production produces more highquality, safe beef products while using less land, water, feed, fuel and fertilizer, and producing less manure and greenhouses gases. A study to be completed as part of the 2nd Beef Science Cluster will help to better define the environmental footprint of the Canadian beef industry with recognition of the role of cattle production in the provision of healthy ecosystems, the ability of beef cattle to convert low quality forages into high quality protein for human consumption, that pasture lands are major stores of carbon, and that grasslands preserve wetlands and provide habitat to many species at risk.

2. Make continuous improvements.

We can all get behind on keeping up to date on potential improvements and it’s easy to do things the way we’ve always done. However, striving to continuously improve production practices contributes to the economic, environmental and social viability of your operation and the industry as a whole. Consider spending some time learning from the resources on beefresearch.ca like the Beef Research School video series, attend field days or conferences in your area, update your Environmental Farm Plan or get involved with an organization such as Cows and Fish. There is always new information being released and sources of knowledge and resources to tap into.

3. Capture what you do. There is a large and growing gap between primary production and consumers and therefore it is important to capture what you do on your farm so industry groups can leverage that information. Utilizing programs like VBP and BIXS will put you in an ideal position to capture your sustainable production practices. The information may be valuable when marketing your products, and helps the industry record the broader story that can be shared with regulatory bodies and interested consumers.

4. Become part of the conversation about sustainability. The conversation around the definition and the systems needed to validate sustainable beef production is happening right now and you can be a part of it. Individual operations can become members of the GRSB, and the GRSB Principles and Criteria will be open for public comment in March of this year. You can always get involved or communicate with your national and provincial cattle associations. continued on page 22

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 21

Markets and Trade Beef Requirements cont. from pg. 21 5. Talk to the public about beef production. Consumers want to know where their food comes from. It’s our job to make sure they get the right information. Consider taking the Masters of Beef Advocacy program (a Canadian version, Beef Advocacy Canada, is soon to be released) to advance your communication skills and find accurate information. You can also participate in conversations on social media, write or comment on newspaper articles, or talk to consumers directly.

The future of sustainable production sourcing and verification might be a bit blurry yet, but Canadian producers have established themselves as world leaders in animal care, production efficiencies and land management, and are in an excellent position to respond to future market demands. B

LANE REALTY For the most VALUE & EXPOSURE that you deserve when selling your farm or ranch property, contact one of our Farm & Ranch Specialists today!

BOB LANE - Broker JASON BEUTLER - Yorkton/Estevan ED BEUTLER - Yorkton/Whitewood GARTH HENDRY - Moose Jaw/South Central SK JEFF HEGLAND - Saskatoon/Prince Albert DALE MURDOCH - Swift Current/Kindersley JASON SELINGER - Regina/South Central DOUG JENSEN - Melville/Raymore DARREN SANDER - North Battleford/NW Saskatchewan STAN HALL - Davidson/Strasbourg/Humboldt MURRAY MURDOCH - Outlook/Rosetown DARRELL HERAUF - Dairy/Poultry MORWENNA SUTTER - Melfort/Wadena

This article was originally published by the Beef Cattle Research Council.

25 - 2 Year Olds

22

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

(306) 569-3380 569-3380 (306) (306) 735-7811 735-7811 (306) (306) 620-7260 620-7260 (306) (306) 631-0802 631-0802 (306) (306) 270-9050 270-9050 (306) (306) 774-6100 430-7747 (306) (306) 539-7975 (306) 621-9955 795-2644 (306) (306) 441-6777 (306) 725-7826 725-7826 (306) (306) 858-8000 858-8000 (306) (306) 761-1863 527-9636 (306) (306) 327-7129 327-7129 (306)

"Now representing purchasers from across Canada, and around the world!"

185 registered sales in 2013!

PH: 306-569-3380 WITH OVER 30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS Visit our website at www.lanerealty.com to view current listings and virtual tours

35 - Yearlings

MARCH 2014

14th AnnuAl

South View Ranch Red & Black angus Bull sale

Thursday april 10Th, 2014 1:30pm aT The ranch - ceylon, sK “ y our H e r d B ull f a c t ory ” o ffe r ing 90 + r e d & B l a c k a ngu S * * * *

Semen teSted c a r ca SS e va luat e d p e r for m a nc e r e c or dS c u S t om e r S at iS fac t ion g uar ant e e d

pr oge ny of : • SVR Tiger 400Y • SVR Pioneeer 321X • SVR Heritage 301Y • SVR Networth 335U • Southland Lithium 35W • Red Clay Bandit 18X • Red SVR Rough Rider 51Y • Red Blair’s Perfection 43X • Red Cockburn Ribeye 553X • Red Crowfoot 187X

a S e le c t

gr oup of r e d

&

B ull S

Bl a c k a ngu S ope n H e ife rS

a pe n of S im m / a ngu S c r oSS ope n H e ife rS

S e lling

Two year old Bulls AvAilAble by PrivAte treAty

Keith, Linda & Stacey Kaufmann Box 130, Ceylon, SK S0C 0T0 Ph: (306) 454-2730 Fax: (306) 454-2643 svr@sasktel.net

Shane, Alexis, Keaton, Kamrie, Kohen & Korbyn Kaufmann Box 40, Ceylon, SK S0C 0T0 Ph: (306) 454-2688 sakaufmann.svr@sasktel.net

Please call for a catalogue or check for updates at www.southviewranch.com

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 23

WRAZ 32A BW -1.1 WW 44 YW 82 M 16 10 half brothers by Red Brylor JKC Ghost Rider 108Y

GBR 87A CE 98 BW -3.6 WW 37 YW 68 M 23.6 TM 42 One of the sons of Bar J Trojan 68X who is in the top 2% for Calving Ease and Birth Weight

WRAZ 56A BW 2.1 WW 61 YW 83 M 15 One of the sons of Red Brylor Wraz Mak’n Waves 39X

GBR 152A CE 94 BW -.8 WW 44 YW 96 M 21.8 TM 44 Above average for all traits, this son of McTavish Rock Solid 38Y

WRAZ 4A BW -2.1 WW 54 YW 92 M 18 11 sons many out of heifers from calving ease Red YY Hitch 23X sell

OPEN HOUSE at WRAZ, Saturday, April 5, starting at 1:30 PM Presale viewing of the bulls, their sires, dams & siblings with calves at foot.

Phil Birnie, Lana Kormos & Family Box 461, Wawota, SK S0G 5A0 T 306-739-2988 • C 306-577-7440 “The program you Info@wraz.ca • Gordon Murray can count on” T 306-739-2177 • C 306-646-7980

GBR 72A CE 80 BW 1.3 WW 40 YW 83 M 22.4 TM 42 Hair and easy doing are the sons of Rock Solid 38Y

Sale Manager

306-584-7937 Helge By 306-536-4261 Candace By 306-536-3374 charolaisbanner@gmail.com

Kelly, Tracy, William & Wyatt Brimner Box 93, Manor, SK S0C 1R0 T 306-448-2028 • C 306-577-7698

View the catalogue online at www.bylivestock.com 24

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

Markets and Trade RETAIL MEAT PRICE SURVEY as of February 20, 2014 ($/lb)

CUTS Ground beef/lean Ground beef/regular Roast/cross rib Roast/rib Roast/outside round Steak/rib eye Steak/round Steak/sirloin Steak/T-bone Steak/tenderloin

EXTRA FOODS 3.85 3.12 3.99 * 5.99 12.19 6.39 * 11.55 20.39

SAFEWAY 4.79 4.09 * * 6.39 19.69 7.69 4.89 13.39 20.98

SOBEYS 4.62 3.22 4.99 * 7.19 13.21 7.22 7.81 12.43 20.29

* these items were not in the display case at these stores on this date

SSGA 100th Anniversary Belt Buckles Please contact the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association office for orders:

$250 plus shipping and GST

MARCH 2014

Box 4752, Main Floor, Canada Centre Building Evraz Place, Regina, SK S4P 3Y4 TEL: (306) 757-8523 FAX: (306) 569-8799 Email: ssga@sasktel.net www.skstockgrowers.com

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 25

26

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

Markets and Trade SK Weekly Average Price Heifers 500-600 lbs

2011

170

2012

150

2013

130

2014

110

180.00 170.00 160.00

2011

150.00 140.00

2012

130.00

2013

120.00

2014

110.00

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

190

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Source: CanFax

140.00

1.0000 2011

120.00

2012

110.00

2013

100.00

2014

CDN $ - US terms

0.9800 0.9600

2013

0.9400

2014

0.9000 Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

90.00

85.00

280.00

80.00

260.00

75.00

2011

70.00

2012 2013 2014

55.00

Price per tonne

300.00

60.00

49

45

41

37

33

29

25

21

17

Source: Bank of Canada

Lethbridge Barley Price

90.00

65.00

9

1

0.8800

Alberta Weekly D1 & D2 Cows

240.00

2011

220.00

2012

200.00

2013

180.00

2014

160.00

Source: CanFax

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

140.00

50.00

Wk 1 Wk 4 Wk 7 Wk 10 Wk 13 Wk 16 Wk 19 Wk 22 Wk 25 Wk 28 Wk 31 Wk 34 Wk 37 Wk 40 Wk 43 Wk 46 Wk 49 Wk 52

Price per hundred weight

5 yr avg

0.9200

5

Price per hundred weight

1.0200

130.00

Source: CanFax

Weekly Canadian Dollar

AB Fed Steer Prices 150.00

13

Price per hundred weight

210

Price per hundred weight

SK Weekly Average Price 500-600 lbs Steers

Source: CanFax

For more information visit www.canfax.ca

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 27

Feature

Saskatchewan producers have access to a new risk management tool to help withstand volatility in the market. Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) will enable livestock producers to protect themselves against unexpected price declines, by allowing them to purchase insurance coverage while still being able to take advantage of favourable market conditions, if livestock prices should rise.

WHAT IS LIVESTOCK PRICE INSURANCE? Livestock price insurance is a simple risk management tool that allows producers to purchase price protection on cattle and hogs, in the form of an insurance policy.

It provides producers with protection against an unexpected drop in prices over a defined period of time. The programs are market-driven and take into account price risk, currency risk and basis risk.

Coverage is based on a number of market driven factors and reflect a forecasted price (including currency and basis) over the length of the policy.

Settlement of the insurance is based directly on Western Canadian cattle/hog markets, not on an individual producer’s actual sales. Settlement indices are calculated weekly for the cattle products and monthly for the hog product. The settlement prices are designed to reflect current Western Canadian prices.

PROGRAM INFORMATION There are four insurance products available for producers to select from: calf, feeder, fed and hogs.

FEEDER The feeder product covers the price risk a cattle feeder faces when marketing. The settlement index is based on the average price of an 850 pound steer.

FED The fed product is offered year-round for cattle being finished in Western Canada.

The settlement index is based on the weekly Alberta fed cattle price, using Canfax data.

HOGS The hog product offers hog producers protection against a decline in prices over a defined period of time. Hog producers choose from a range of policy lengths and price coverage.

PRICE INSURANCE BASICS Producers will purchase insurance based on the expected sale weight. They will match the policy length to the time period they expect to sell in and choose their coverage and pay the premium.

Producers will now have a protected floor price. If the cash market is below the selected coverage during the last four weeks of a policy, the producer can make a claim. There is no requirement to sell livestock at the time of expiration.

HOW IT WORKS WLPIP provides protection against a decline in Western Canadian livestock prices over a defined period of time.

EXAMPLE* A producer plans to sell 75 calves in November weighing 600 pounds.

Insured weight = (# of head x expected sale weight) / 100 = (75 calves x 600 pounds) / 100 = 450 cwt The premium table offers insurance coverage for November at $158/cwt, or $1.58 per pound. This coverage will cost $2.11/cwt.

Premium Cost = 450 cwt x $2.11 = $949.50 The producer now has a ‘floor’ price of $1.58 per pound and knows that if the market average price goes below this a claim can be submitted and the price insurance will provide a benefit.

The producer elects to use the price insurance coverage in the last week of the policies length because the cash market is $147/cwt, as indicated by the settlement index. This is below the insured price selected in the spring. This results in an indemnity for the producer.

Indemnity Owed = 450 cwt x ($158- $147) = $4,950.00 *Please note these are just examples.

PROGRAM DELIVERY WLPIP is a collaborative effort between producer/industry groups, the federal government and the provincial governments in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. continued on page 31

CALF The calf product is offered in the spring and covers the price risk a cow-calf producer faces selling calves in the fall market. The settlement index is based on the average price of a 600 pound steer.

28

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 29

GBT ANGUS

ONlINE BUll SAlE March 19-21, 2014 Tired of bad feet, bad udders, poor fertility?

Tired of over fed, improperly developed bulls?

Tired of uneven, inconsistent, unpredictable genetics?

Tired of calving issues?

Tired of buying “Angus” and not getting Angus?

If your tired of industry norm - buck the trend and try a more balanced approach

GBT ANGUS - Your source for responsibly bred and fed two year old ABErDEEN ANGUS genetics.

Keep up to the current bull data at

GBT Rolex 1002

BBAR Legacy 624

WWW.GBTAnGuS.COm

BUll lISTING, pICTUrES, pEDIGrEES AND vIDEOS AvAIlABlE ThrOUGh

Badlands Forte 5S

GBTANGUS.COm Or EDJEAUCTIONS.COm Trevor, Cheryl, Brett and Carter Branvold Wawota, Saskatchewan 306.739.2924 gbtangus@sasktel.net - www.gbtangus.com

30

Sinclair Time Out 8P1

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

BB

MARCH 2014

Feature Price Insurance cont. from pg. 28 WLPIP is available through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation. Crop Insurance will provide Saskatchewan producers with information and more details on how the program works, how to sign up, how to purchase insurance policies and any general assistance needed with using the WLPIP. Saskatchewan producers will contact Crop Insurance for program delivery.

Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation is providing partnering western provinces with administrative program assistance. This includes: premium calculations, forward prices for determining coverage, market data for claim settlement and technological support for the operating system. B

For more information: - contact your local Crop Insurance customer service office; - call toll free 1-888-935-0000; - visit www.saskcropinsurance.com/wlpip or www.wlpip.ca

BSE TESTING IS IMPORTANT FICTION: BSE testing is not important because Canadian cattle producers currently enjoy international market access.

FACT: To maintain the current market access and industry prosperity, it is essential that cattle producers support BSE surveillance by having their animals tested.

Protecting your investment is as easy as testing one animal for BSE each year.

For more information visit www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/BSE or phone 1-877-727-5273.

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 31

Feature Bovine Respiratory Disease

by Dr. Murray Jelinski and Dr. Eugene Janzen Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most common and costly disease affecting the North American beef cattle industry. In the broadest sense, BRD refers to any disease of the upper or lower respiratory tracts. BRD is commonly associated with infections of the lungs causing pneumonia in recently weaned and feedlot cattle, nursing beef calves, housed dairy calves, and lactating dairy cows.

Causes BRD is a complex multi-factorial disease that involves an interaction between several factors, including: Host factors (characteristics of an animal that make it more prone to the disease): age, immune status, prior exposure to the pathogens, genetics, etc.

Environmental factors (transport, commingling, temperature fluctuations, crowding, ventilation, auction-sourced, etc.)

Infectious agents (disease causing organisms or pathogens) such as:

• Viruses, including: bovine herpesvirsus (IBR); bovine parainfluenza virus (PI-3); bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV); bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVD), and bovine coronavirus (BCV).

• Bacteria, including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma spp.

• Parasites, including lungworm

Clinical Signs of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) Historically, feedlot cattle exhibiting signs of depression separate themselves from the rest of the pen. Most of the time, this would occur within the first two weeks after arrival in the feedyard. Body temperature has been used to determine whether they should be treated. Body temperature is such an important

32

diagnostic test that many feedlots will treat animals based on an undifferentiated fever (UF).

Classic clinical signs of bacterial BRD include: • fever of over 40°C (>104°F) • difficulty breathing occurred to varying degrees • nasal discharge • varying degrees of depression • diminished or no appetite (‘off-feed’) Currently, BRD may not always be “arrival associated” and frequently occurrs after the stock attendants have diminished their surveillance of the newly arrived animals. In addition, early selection of sick cattle has become much more difficult because the current causative agents don’t produce the same degree of toxemia that creates the “tell-tale” depression, which is so useful to identify sick cattle. Hence, the early signs of depression and slight breathing difficulty are easier to overlook. Oftentimes, when selected, cattle will display a profound exercise intolerance (hard to get out of their “home” pen), obvious breathing difficulty, very little evidence of appetence and show a poor or prolonged response to treatment.

Risk Factors Ultimately, a mixture of disease organisms is usually responsible for the respiratory infection and illness, but a number of other factors influence the animal’s ability to withstand the infection and illness. Any one risk factor alone may be insufficient to trigger cases of BRD, but together they form an additive effect that can predispose the animal to BRD. Environmental factors, particularly transport, have been associated with BRD for decades. Therefore, BRD may also be referred to as ‘Shipping Fever’. A study involving calves arriving at twenty-one US commercial feedlots from 1997 to

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

"BRD accounts for 65-80% of the morbidity (sickness) and 45-75% of the mortality (deaths) in some feedlots" 2009 concluded that distance traveled correlated to BRD, average daily gain (ADG) and hot carcass weight (HCW). This, however, has not been substantiated in western Canada.

Weather has always been implicated in the occurrence of BRD, presumably because the greatest incidence of BRD occurs during the fall. However, this finding is confounded by the fact that it is also when the greatest number of calves is being assembled, mixed (commingled), and transported. A study involving 288,388 head of cattle, arriving at nine US commercial feedlots during September to November in 2005 to 2007, found that maximum wind speed, mean wind chill temperature, and temperature change were associated with an increased incidence of BRD. A number of studies have found a higher incidence of BRD in auction market versus ranch-derived calves. Furthermore, the incidence of BRD increases with the level of commingling; calves assembled from multiple lots are more likely to get BRD than are pens of calves composed of larger groups of calves. In addition, there is considerable anecdotal evidence that the quality of the calves purchased is highly associated with the incidence of BRD; with poorer quality calves having more BRD. A preponderance of studies found that lighter weight calves have a higher risk of developing BRD than do their heavier pen mates.

continued on page 35

MARCH 2014

10 Good Reasons You Should Be in the Seats on March 27th for the Annual

7th

SUN COUNTRY SHORTHORN BULL & FEMALE SALE...

1 PM CST, Thursday, March 27, 2014 - Johnstone Auction Mart, Moose Jaw, SK For More good reasons check out our websites for Sale catalog and weights.

Sale Representatives: Jim Murray Jake Alden, ASA Scott Johnstone Darryl Rahn,

Shorthorn Country

905-955-1779 402-660-9048 306-693-4715 217-473-1124

33 Yearling Bulls 2 Two Year Old Bulls

All bulls are Ultrasound & Breeding Soundness Tested

Also selling will be 25 excellent purebred replacement heifers. They are some of the best produced in our herds in 2013.

• Horseshoe Creek Farms Ltd., Weyburn, SK Grant & Chris Alexander 306-456-2500 306-861-5504 (C) www.horseshoecreekfarms.com

• Rocking L Cattle Co., Wawota, SK The Lamontagnes 306-577-8875 (Dylan) www.rockinglcattleco.com 34

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

• Anwender Cattle Company, Radville, SK

Gary, Kim & Sadie Anwender 306-442-2090 306-869-7038 (C) www.anwendercattlecompany.com MARCH 2014

Feature BRD cont. from pg. 32 A large-scale US study involving 21 million animals found that from the years 19971999 females were at a greater risk of developing BRD than were males, but no difference in gender was found for the years 1994-1996.

Most studies looking into the effects of dehorning and castration examined only performance parameters (ADG, feed:gain); however, it is inferred that these stressful events, and others like calving or an overenthusiastic introduction to high grain rations, may precipitate cases of BRD. The risk factors associated with an outbreak in a particular feedlot may or may not exist in outbreaks involving similar types of animals in similar settings.

After calves arrive at the feedlot Vaccines for respiratory diseases are routinely administered upon arrival at the feedlot, which may also be a difficult time for a stressed calf to mount an effective immune response. A recent review of the scientific literature found no clear benefit from vaccinating calves upon arrival at the feedlot. Another review relating to Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni vaccines concluded that there was a potential benefit for vaccinating feedlot cattle against M. haemolytica and P. multocida but not H. somni.

Nutrition may affect incidence of BRD. One review found that increased energy density (concentrates) will improve ADG without adversely affecting the incidence of BRD. Other studies found that the incidence of BRD tended to increase once concentrates exceeded 50% of the diet.

Similarly, BRD morbidity increased once

"There appears to be agreement that weaning and/or vaccinating at least 3 weeks prior to shipping is beneficial." crude protein exceeded 14%.There is not enough evidence to conclude that injected doses of vitamins A, D, and E will reduce BRD. A wide range of studies have also examined supplementing with potassium, thiamine, B-vitamins, copper, zinc, vitamin E, selenium, and bypass protein, but none have significantly affected the incidence of BRD. Metaphylactic treatment strategies can help control BRD in high risk calves, but feeding oral antimicrobials, either by water or feed, may not be effective. continued on page 57

Prevention Before calves are marketed Preconditioning appears to have some benefit in preventing BRD, with weaning prior to the sale being the most important component of a preconditioning program. The concept of preconditioning calves to decrease stress levels was first introduced in 1967. While there is considerable variation in what constitutes a preconditioning program, the central components entail:

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

• vaccination for respiratory viruses and bacteria • weaning days to weeks in advance of sale • administration of clostridial vaccines • dehorn and castrate far enough in advance of sale for complete wound healing • training calves to bunk feeding

The concept of preconditioning has been largely accepted in Alberta; many feedlots prefer to “place” calves in winter (January, February) recognizing such groups of calves have very likely been weaned and “bunk broke” thus completing the most important management aspect.

MARCH 2014

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

Treat them with ZACTRAN ®.

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

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

2. Based on label claims.

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

3515 Zactran Metaphylazis-BB.indd 1 Client: Merial Project: Zactran Metaphylazis Date: January 2014 Designer: BM

Publication: Beef Business Size: 5" x 4.875" Bleed: none Colour: CMYK

2013-12-11 2:13 PM Agency: ON Communication Inc Agency Contact: Raellen Seaman Telephone: 519-434-1365 Ext.228 Email: raellen@oncommunication.ca

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 35

20 Horned Hereford yearling & long yearling bulls • 25 Red Angus yearling bulls • 20 Red Angus long yearling bulls

T BAR K 602U SOLO COP

February 7, 2013 BW: 82 ADJ 905lbs EPDs BW: 4.4 WW: 54 YW: 78.4 M: 18 TM: 45 Out cross genetics on the sire side out of a proven supreme daughter. Bull Calf Champion Canadian Western Agribition 2013 sells in our April 10th on Ranch Annual Bull Sale. As much muscle as you will find in any Hereford bull.

RED T-K RECOIL 72Y

Champion at Armstrong, BC 2013 Reserve Champion Edmonton Fall Fair, AB 2013 Reserve Champion Agribition, Regina, SK 2013 Recoil sold in our 2012 bull sale and has went on to make a name for himself. An excellent example of the quality of Red Angus in our bull sale. One of the breed leading proven bulls.

The Dorrance family ranch was established 125 years ago, our children are the fifth generation to ranch. We place value on our heritage and are proud of the longevity of our program. In 1921 the first purebred Horned Herefords were purchased, we have been in the breed ever since. We purchased our first Red Angus in 1994, and have out together a powerful set of cows.

Raising and selling purebred and commercial cattle is the mainstay of our operation. We have always prided ourselves in raising sound, functional, easy doing consistent cattle. We are always working with our customers to meet their bull and female needs. The cattle industry has given us the opportunity to surround ourselves with hard working, honest, loyal individuals who continue to support our program over the years. The friendships we have built and the news ones we will cultivate is why we do what we do. Our program speaks for itself, so feel free to stop in and look our herd over, check out the herdsire prospects and have a visit, the coffee is always on.

Kim & Kevin Dorrance

Box 389 Wawota, SK S0G 5A0 Phone: 306-739-2944 Kevin’s Cell: 306-577-9861

Tom & Irene Dorrance

Box 126 Wawota, SK S0G 5A0 Phone: 306-739-2884

CALL FOR DVD AND CATALOG OF BULL SALE

Science and Production 2013 Corn Grazing

by Kevin Elmy

The year 2013 proved to be a challenging one at Friendly Acres Seed Farm. Again.

At the end, hearing about the record crop across the Canadian Prairies, we ended up with ¾ of a crop due to excess moisture. That causes some stress on feed production, but due to unseeded acres, it created more opportunity to take unseeded acres in the spring into green feed acres.

The “spring” started on April 30th, 2013 when we awoke to 19” of wet snow. Most of the snow had disappeared only to be replaced by this wet blanket of moisture.

In the fall of 2012, we went into almost at field capacity moisture wise so the extra moisture was something we were not looking for. The snow definitely set back the alfalfa and sainfoin. Then the extra 5” of rain through May set everything else back.

early, tonnage is normally compromised along with palatability of the lower stalk.

As the corn matures, protein of the plant drops, lignin increases, and energy goes up slightly. There has been a 4% protein spread between dent staged corn and milk staged corn.

Some varieties of the top dry tonnes per acre were TH3382, TH8781, TH2146, HL SR35, HL 3093, BAXXOS, and Canamaize 533. We compare dry tonnes because differences between moisture contents of varieties are significant. This year our moisture averaged 60.7%, ranging from 49.7% to 76.4%. Dry tonnes ranged from 1.37 to 3.85 tonnes. Relative Feed Values ranged from 94 to 180 while Net Energy

for maintenance ranged from 1.42 to 1.78 mcalories per kilogram. Total Digestible Nutrients ranged from 61 to 71%. We calculated estimated grazing days per acre by taking the dry tonnes per acre and estimating consumption at 35 pounds of dry matter per cow per day. This gave us an estimated and average of 176 grazing days per acre, ranging from 86 to 242.

The other experiment we conducted is a breakdown of the corn plant components and what did they mean to the nutrition of the plant. We took 2 varieties, BAXXOS and HL SR35 because they were the two varieties 300 CHU apart, where BAXXOS continued on page 38

We make our two Kinze corn planters available to our customers to seed their corn. From some side by side trials, we were seeing a 5 tonne per acre advantage in production, plus trampling losses were reduced dramatically. Customers got rained out, changed fields, acres, varieties, and the date they needed the planter but in the end corn got planted later than planned but it got done.

In our plots, we seeded 3 rows ½ mile long of 17 varieties on June 15th, targeting 26,600 seeds per acre (3 acres per bag).

During the summer we added some isolation cutout switches to the electric fence so the amount of fence being energized was minimized and ran a ground wire, so we can ground the cross fence across the paddocks, just in case the snow gets too deep preventing good grounding.

Even the seeding date was late, the open fall made up some of the lost initial Corn Heat Units (CHU). We aim to have the corn be between milk and early dough stage at freeze up. This keeps the starch levels lower to avoid acidosis risk. From our experience, going with a variety that is too

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 37

Science and Production 2013 Corn Grazing cont. from pg. 37 was the earlier one at 2275 CHU. Total dry matter was close, 3.46 tonnes per acre for BAXXOS versus 3.27 dry tonnes on the HL SR35, about a 5% difference. In both varieties leaves made up from 15 to 19% of the total dry matter. Cobs of the BAXXOS was 57% of the dry matter where the 28% with HL SR35. Maturity wise, BAXXOS was early dough where the HL SR35 was in milk stage. Upper stalk on BAXXOS made up 9%, where the lower stalk made up 20% of the total plant weight. In contrast, HL SR35 had 33% of lower stalk and the upper stalk made up 15% of the total dry matter. Protein of the HL SR35 cob was 3.25% higher than the BAXXOS, and whole plant protein was 1.3% higher. Relative feed value is higher in the cob than the rest of the plant, especially for BAXXOS.

In a field where we were not doing tests, we would have dropped the very late maturing varieties. We did see varieties from 1800 to 2300 CHU seem to do the best this year, along with a 2550 CHU variety. Cobs are important for tonnage, but there is a lot of biomass in the rest of the plant. Varieties testing for in field palatability will continue, so we can select the more palatable varieties on the market to assist with proper utilization of the crop we are growing, maximizing returns. B

The positive we got out of 2013, is that we can salvage a corn crop that is seeded late.

Be First in

your Corn Field

We’re farmers, just like you, and we expect great returns and profit potential from our seed.

For years, we’ve been providing soybean varieties with top genetic traits for maximum yields. Now we’re able to offer the same quality tested and proven lines of corn and corn silage seed.

Let’s work together to find the best-performing options for all your fields.

TO LOCK IN HIGHER RETURNS ON YOUR CORN IN 2014, CALL OUR EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR IN WESTERN CANADA TODAY. QUARRY SEED 888-274-9243

38

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w w w. t h u n d e r s e e d . c a

MARCH 2014

60 BlAck and 10 red AnGus YeArlinGs • select Group of open HeiFers 45 cHArolAis YeArlinGs sAV FinAl AnsWer 0035

sitz upWArd 307r

leo 38A • time out son

leo 72A • Grid son

leo 31A • detonAtor son Videos available online at www.cattleinmotion.com Sale Manager:

Collin & Michelle Sauder ph/fax 306-677-2507 Collin’s cell 306-677-7544 windy.willows@sasktel.net www.windywillows.ca

OPTIMAL BOVINES INC. Rob Holowaychuk #407, 4808 Ross St. Red Deer, AB T4N 1X5 Ph: (403) 341-5098 www.optimalbovines.com

Garner & Lori Deobald & family ph 306-677-2589 Garner’s cell 306-677-7777 g.deobald@sasktel.net www.cedarleafarms.com

Sale Manager

306-584-7937 Helge By 306-536-4261 Candace By 306-536-3374 charolaisbanner@gmail.com

Catalogue online at www.cattlemanagement.ca and www.bylivestock.com

Science and Production Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination in Commercial Herds Travis Peardon BSA., PAg. Regional Livestock Specialist Colby Elford BSc., PAg. Regional Livestock Specialist

Fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) has been in use on seedstock operations in Saskatchewan for several years. Key benefits of this technology are access to superior genetics that would otherwise be unaffordable; the use of proven bulls with high accuracy expected progeny differences (EPDs); and a shortening of calving periods.

The same benefits realized by the seedstock sector are also available to commercial producers, but is FTAI affordable? Will it be too much of a hassle to handle animals at least three times to complete the synchronization protocols? Will it result in enough extra pounds of weaned calf to make it worthwhile? A project, named Agriculture Demonstration Of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) which is funded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, aimed to answer these questions.

In the spring of 2012, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Regional Livestock Specialists and Dr. Colin Palmer, Associate Professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, worked with three commercial cattle operations in Saskatchewan to determine how profitable these technologies would be when compared to current production systems. The participants in this project were Brent and Karen Griffin of Elbow, SK; Jason and Karla Hicks of Parkbeg, SK; and Ivan Carpenter of Hanley, SK. At each location, at least 40 to 60 heifers were identified for inclusion in the project. All heifers were rectally palpated by a vet prior to the project and any animals with reproductive challenges were removed. Half of the heifers were put into a natural service treatment group and the remaining animals were placed in a progesterone implant based FTAI treatment group and received a CIDR (Controlled Internal Drug Release, Zoetis Animal Health) while still in the chute The

40

animals in the AI group were put through the chute a total of three times. Once more to remove the CIDR after seven days, and finally to be inseminated on Day Nine. Each producer selected the bull to be used for AI and the natural service heifers were bred to bulls of the same breed already owned by the respective producer. Artificial insemination was performed by an experienced technician.

Approximately 10 days after insemination the AI group heifers were turned in with a clean-up bull to breed any that did not become pregnant by the AI. The total animal handling time commitment for this synchronization protocol was approximately three hours per herd.

Producers at each location indicated that with every time through the chute the animals were easier to handle.

Conception rates of AI ranged from 61 to 76 percent with an average of 67 percent across all three herds. A definite weaning weight advantage was evident for the AI treatments. This advantage ranged from 16 to 174 lbs with an average 72 pound advantage for the AI treatment. Using an average calf price for steers and heifers of $1.55 per pound (typical of 2013 fall prices), there is an average economic advantage of $112 dollars per calf. The total cost for FTAI during this project, including all drugs, semen, AI technician fee and clean up bull, was approximately $89 per heifer. This is approximately $15 to $20 more per calf than the cost of recent estimates of using a $4000 bull for natural service on heifers assuming four years of use with calves produced over the lifetime of that bull and including his maintenance and salvage value. Even when considering these costs, the FTAI treatment still showed an average economic advantage of approximately $94 a head over the natural service treatment.

project calved in the first ten days of the calving season. These heifers will have more time to recover from calving before they have to re-breed. If they are kept as replacement heifer calves born to genetically superior AI sires they will likely be more productive females in the future.

The producers involved in this project also reported that animals in the FTAI group were more docile at calving season as a result of being handled more.

If producers have set herd improvement goals, using FTAI is a fast and efficient way to make the changes necessary to meet those goals. Although using FTAI on commercial heifers is not a conventional practice in Saskatchewan, this project has shown that it can be a very profitable endeavour, easily rivaling natural service. Fixed time artificial insemination in the commercial setting should not be overlooked because we have demonstrated that it is another useful tool that producers can use to improve the production of their operation without having to expand their land base or cow herd. B For more information on this project or on FTAI call Travis Peardon, Regional Livestock Specialist (306) 867-5504, or Colby Elford, Regional Livestock Specialist 1-866-457-2377.

In addition to an increased value in the calf crop, FTAI has several other potential benefits. The AI bred animals in the

| ŠBEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO

INVEST IN YOUR COW HERD

1AN01278 JINDRA DOUBLE VISION

1AR00948 TROTTERS STRONGHOLD 156 Reg. No. 1496650

Reg. No. 16748826 Connealy Reflection x Hoff Limited Edition S C 594

LJT Citadel 812 x Trotters Advance 140

CED

BW

WW

YW

MILK

CW

MARB

RE

FAT

$W

$B

CED

BW

WW

YW

MILK

TM

ME

CETM

MARB

YG

CW

REA

FAT

14 .54 2%

-0.9 .73 10%

84 .62 1%

150 .52 1%

25 .25

59 .30 1%

0.61 .44 25%

0.45 .36

-0.003 .38

50.56

110.17 1%

-0.7 .39

69 .33

98 .33

16 .22

51

2%

4 .27

3 .15

9 .27

0.35 .24

0.05 .22

27 .28

0.27 .21

0.010 .29

10%

20%

10%

25%

EPDs as of 1/31/14

1HP00840Reg. TH 89T 755T STOCKMAN 475Z No. P43287478

1CH00962 KEYS ALL STATE 149X Reg. No. M792787

TH 223 711 Victor 755T x NPH 20X Spartan 20N

Keys Specialist 18U x Keys Chumley 8R CE 7 .50 25%

BW -1.2 .73 20%

WW 37 .60 15%

YW 65 .44 15%

MILK -2 .17

TM 16.4

SCR 1.20 .13 7%

CW 36 .13 2%

REA 0.59 .11 3%

FAT -0.005 .06

MARB -0.04 .05

CED

BW

-0.2 2.9 P .35

WW

58 .29

YW

97 .32

MILK

21 .19

M & G CETM SCR

50

0.2 P

15% 15%

FAT

0.4 0.034 .17 .27

REA

IMF

0.58 .27

0.33 .23

15%

4%

$BMI

16

$CEZ

12

$BII

12

$CHB

32

10%

Contact your local Genex representative to discuss how these powerful breed-leading sires can work in your A.I. breeding program.

©2014 CRI

A-06801-14

Speak up.

Speak positively.

Our industry needs more agvocates To reach its full potential, agriculture needs everyone in the industry to speak up and speak positively.

Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry-driven cause to improve perceptions and create positive dialogue about Canadian ag. Together we can share the facts and stories about this vibrant and modern industry, and tell the world why we love what we do.

It’s up to all of us to be agvocates and it’s easier than you think – visit AgMoreThanEver.ca and find out how you can get involved.

Science and Production Does Size Matter? Scrotal Circumference and Fertility

by Colin Palmer, DVM, Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Breeding soundness evaluation of bulls has become an accepted, and expected practice in western Canada. More than just a semen check, a breeding soundness evaluation should always involve a scrotal circumference measurement. But what is the reason for measuring the scrotum? Is the scrotal circumference measurement more important than other traits? As long as the semen quality is good what does it matter how big the measurement is? Can the testicles be too big? These are just a few examples of some of the questions raised.

Testicles are responsible for producing two important things: 1) testosterone hormone; and 2) sperm. Testosterone production begins in the fetus and continues throughout the life of the bull playing an important role in the development of male characteristics, sperm production and the display of male behaviour including sex drive (libido).

Sperm production begins at puberty typically in the range of 8 to 12 months of age. The testicles are comprised of numerous tubules all linking to a larger tube in the centre of the testicle. When calves are very young the tubules are much smaller and there is not much activity within them. As the bull calf matures the tubules enlarge, become much more productive and eventually occupy well over 90% of the testicular tissue. If one were to travel the length of a tubule 12 different stages of sperm production would be evident. Tubules do not function like an assembly line favouring a team approach to building sperm. In other words, you could watch a particular segment of a tubule and see all 12 stages occur in succession with sperm at 4 to 5 levels of completion at each stage; very much like a highly efficient custom automobile fabrication shop.

From beginning to end it takes 60 days to produce a sperm cell ready to fertilize an egg - a deadline that is easily met trillions of times over throughout the life of the bull. In a mature bull, each gram of testicular tissue is capable of producing 17 million sperm per day.

MARCH 2014

Testicular shape is remarkably similar amongst the various breeds of cattle.

Several decades have passed since it was first reported that a close relationship existed between testicular development, the weight of the two testicles and scrotal circumference. By measuring the circumference around the widest part of the scrotum it was possible to reliably estimate the weight of the testicles. For example, a scrotal circumference of 35 cm corresponds to a paired testicle weight of 450 grams (g). An increase or decrease of 1 cm in scrotal circumference correlates to a change in paired testicle weight of 50 g. A bull with a 30 cm scrotal circumference would have approximately 200 g of testicular tissue whereas, a bull with a 34 cm measurement would have 400 g. Twice as much testicle = twice as much sperm producing capacity! A 38 cm measurement translates to 600 g. That relationship has not changed, bigger testicles produce more sperm.

The old adage is that it takes only one sperm to fertilize an egg, but the reality is quite different. Literally billions of sperm are lost along the way such that at the best of times only hundreds make it to the egg. Reduce the sperm quality and fewer make it; or worse, none will survive the trip. Truly, it is an odds game on a monumental yet microscopic scale.

Bulls tend to serve cows a few to several times during the approximately one day she is in heat with yearling bulls tending to mount and breed more frequently than mature ones. Multiple services are a good thing translating into 12 to 15% higher pregnancy rates over a single mating with the same bull. In multiple bull pasture situations breeding overlap is commonplace - the vast majority of cows are served by more than one bull. The greater the sperm producing capacity, the higher the conception rates.

Furthermore, bulls with small scrotal circumferences (below the minimum for the age and breed) are more likely to have dysfunctional sperm production and a lower percentage of normal sperm. In one

study, cows exposed to bulls with small scrotal circumferences were less likely to be diagnosed pregnant and those herds also had longer calving to conception intervals.

One of the most important considerations with scrotal circumference is that it is a better predictor of the onset of puberty than age or even body weight. Bulls with larger scrotal circumferences reach puberty earlier and so do their daughters. This relationship is so close that scrotal circumference and age of puberty are essentially the same trait.

Furthermore, age of puberty, hence scrotal circumference is highly predictive of lifetime fertility of the daughters. If your goal is to produce sound, efficient replacements then when you go bull shopping scrotal circumference had better be near the top of your list.

Scrotal measurements are usually made available at bull sales. Average and suggested minimum tables for various ages/breeds are posted on the back of the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners (WCABP) Breeding Soundness Evaluation sheets.

Can the testicles be too big? The short answer is yes. Trauma, infection, congenital defects resulting in tubule blockage may all lead to acute testicular swelling. A thorough examination of the scrotum and testicles can often reveal the cause. However, there may be some extreme outliers that have no apparent abnormalities. A commonly held opinion is that these bulls may experience a premature decline in fertility. Watch out for the too good to be true measurements and certainly ask about a breeder’s guarantee if you are concerned. Selecting for larger scrotal circumferences has resulted in increased averages for most breeds so it pays to know what is normal for the breeds you are selecting from and to choose a range of scrotal circumference measurements that will suit your program. B

www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 43

Science and Production Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

by Cam Wilk P. Ag. - Livestock Branch, Saskatchewan Agriculture Livestock brand inspection services, which ensure animals offered for sale are rightfully owned and verified through a brand registry, have traditionally been provided in Saskatchewan through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Services Revolving Fund. The fund captured the inspection fees you paid along with the fees for brand registry and livestock dealer licensing.

As of January 1, 2014 the entire program delivered through the Livestock Services Revolving Fund was transferred to Livestock Services of Saskatchewan (LSS) Corp. LSS is a non-profit entity that will facilitate the delivery of livestock brand inspection services, manage the brand registry, and the licensing of livestock dealers in Saskatchewan.

A number of questions have come into our office following several media releases concerning the transfer to LSS. At this time the fee structure for inspections at $2.00/ head, brand registrations and licensing fees remain the same. The only change you will notice is GST which will now be added to the inspection fee, brand registrations and licensing fees as the new organization is not GST exempt. The horn fee will be excluded from the application of GST. The invoices many of you are used to seeing from the Ministry of Agriculture and payable to the Minister of Finance will now come from LSS and be payable to: Livestock Services of Saskatchewan Rm. 202 3085 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0B1

Questions on your invoices may be directed to Ms. Kim Pearson 306-787-5086 LSS is looking for qualified persons to work as livestock inspectors in many areas of the province. If you feel you have the skills to work as an inspector please do not hesitate to contact one of our District Managers.

LSS is owned and operated by the five main livestock producer groups requiring inspection services. The groups governing LSS Corp. are the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, Saskatchewan Horse Federation and Livestock Marketers of Saskatchewan. B

Johne’s Disease surveillance Program Any purebred cattle producer located in Saskatchewan who is interested in participating is eligible to apply.

Program A blood test is conducted on every mature cow and bull in the herd. If Johne’s is found in a herd, veterinary consultation will be provided to complete a Johne’s disease risk assessment and develop a customized management plan. The identity of program participants and individual test results will be kept confidential.

Costs Covered Veterinary fees for blood collection, laboratory testing, sample shipping and veterinary fees for Johne’s Risk Assessment and Management Planning are covered.

How can I access this program?

All purebred Saskatchewan cattle producers are eligible for this program.

Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 50 herds per year. Space is available on a first-come, first serve basis.

For more information, contact: Chad MacPherson, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association 306-757-8523, ssga@sasktel.net

MARCH 2014

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MARCH 2014

Science and Production Active Missing Livestock Files March 2014

Area Missing from

Number of head

Animal description

Brand Description

Biggar

6

Tan or Black Cows with mixed calves

Turtleford

7

Red & Black heifers

LH

Lizard Lake pasture

3

2 cows 1 calf

RH

Battleford

2

Cows

Alberta Brand

Brand Location

RH

Blue & Yellow ear tags

RCMP subdivision

Livestock Branch contact

Date Reported

Biggar

North Battleford 306.446.7404

Feb 3

Turtleford

North Battleford 306.446.7404

Jan 22

North Battleford

North Battleford 306.446.7404

Nov 19

North Battleford

North Battleford 306.446.7404

Jan 14

Information provided by Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

Protect you r i nvestm e nt YOUR BRAND IS YOUR ANIMALS’ RETURN ADDRESS For more information about branding and livestock inspection, contact: Brand Registrar: Carol Lenton, Regina, 306-787-4682 District Livestock Managers: Dave Augustine, Swift Current, 306-778-8312 Bill McConwell, Moose Jaw, 306-694-3709 Ron Sabin, North Battleford, 306-446-7404 Les Tipton, Saskatoon, 306-933-7660 Robert Solomon, Yorkton, 306-786-5712 Garth Woods, Moosomin, 306-435-4582 Barry DeJaeger, Winnipeg, 204-694-0830

MARCH 2014

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On Offer: 50 Yearling Bulls

On Offer: 65 Yearling Bulls • 25 Two Year Old Bulls

JWX 747A • Dbl Pld • LAE Juice Box x M6 Grid Maker CE 72 BW 2 WW 46 YW 91 M 28.1 TM 51 BW 108, 205 WW 821, 365 DW 1482

JWX 717A • 3rd Gen Pld • Silverado x Montana Silver CE 85 BW 1 WW 36 YW 82 M 21.7 TM 40 BW 101, 205 WW 771, 365 DW 1289 • 4 Full Brothers Sell

JWX 26A • Dbl Pld • CSS Sir Navigator x HTA Fathom CE 68 BW 2.7 WW 40 YW 71 M 17.9 TM 38 BW 101, 205 WW 778, 365 DW 1340

JW 816A • Dbl Pld • SRK Solid x Nobleman CE 89 BW 1 WW 49 YW 97 M 23.1 TM 47 BW 107, 205 WW 804, 365 DW 1346

JWX 91A • Dbl Pld • SRK Solid x SDC Ferrugo CE 95 BW -1.6 WW 38 YW 79 M 30.4 TM 49 BW 90, 205 WW 734, 365 DW 1304

JWX 883A • Polled • Mr Fire Water x Impressive CE 67 BW 1.9 WW 40 YW 76 M 19.4 TM 39 BW 102, 205 WW 867, 365 DW 1470 • 6 Full Brothers Sell

Call for more information or a sale catalogue, or view the catalogue and videos online at www.wilgenbuschcharolais.com Box 4, Halbrite, SK S0C 1H0 John & Brenda 306-458-2688 cell 306-458-7873 Craig & Tricia 306-458-7482 wilgenbusch@sasktel.net • www.wilgenbuschcharolais.com

48

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Sale Manager:

306-584-7937 Helge By 306-536-4261 Candace By 306-536-3374 charolaisbanner@gmail.com www.bylivestock.com

MARCH 2014

Association News and Reports SK Shorthorn Report

by Betty Wyatt

The early Agribition date this year was a little hard on all cattle entries, it certainly made our show of 93 entries and sale of 16 one of the smallest we have seen.

However small, the quality was still great, with a good show and strong sale. The Stall Master event, our annual fundraiser held during Agribition was once again a success. The chosen Stall Master this year was the Jim Martin family from Gore Bay, Ontario and they selected an entry from Hatfield Shorthorns of Gladstone, Manitoba. The SK Shorthorn Association will be hosting the National Show at the 2014 Canadian Western Agribition. The SSA is endeavouring to ramp this event with exciting prizes and events! Be sure to bring your cattle to town November 24-29 to be a part of this prestigious event!

In December, the Shorthorn Alliance sale took place in Saskatoon where the weather co-operated for a change. All who attended appreciated the quality and quantity of cattle on offer. We are pleased to introduce our new SK Shorthorn Lassie, Morgan Lehmann of Rosthern, SK. Morgan is an enthusiastic and very helpful young lady, we are happy to have her on board and look forward to many years of her reign!

At the Canadian Shorthorn Annual General Meeting banquet held in Camrose in June, Jim and Connie Graham of Rockdell Shorthorns, Lone Rock, SK were awarded the CSA Legend of the Breed Award for their outstanding contributions to the Shorthorn breed.

During the January SK Beef Industry Conference banquet in Saskatoon, Shorthorn Breeders Mr. Glenn and the late Beverly Bender of Bender

MARCH 2014

Shorthorns, Neudorf, SK received the SK Livestock Association Honour Scroll award.

Nault, Pierceland, Meadow Lake Regional Show. Congratulations to all of these young Shorthorn enthusiasts!

Every year 4-H members who exhibit Shorthorn or Shorthorn influenced animals bearing strong Shorthorn characteristics receive championship status within their club or at their regional show. As well they have to submit a letter to the Board of Directors outlining their project and 4-H year including a photo of their project(s). This year we had five people who qualified: Liam Easton Kennedy 4-H Beef Club; Rachael Sutherland, Borden, Crown Hill 4-H Beef Club; Royce Moellenbeck, Englefeld, Bar West 4-H Beef Club; Laura Sawatzky, Central Butte, Frontier Days Regional Show and Hayleigh

We have taken a new approach to the SK Shorthorn Annual General Meeting.

Instead of it being held in January we are holding it in June. If this proves to be a success we will continue to have warm weather meetings. This year the event will be held at Rockdell Shorthorns at Lone Rock on the weekend of June 28th. The Grahams are putting together penning for anyone interested in displaying their cattle and maybe incorporate a pen show.

Consider this your invitation to attend.

Watch the website for more details or contact me, any director or Jim & Connie Graham at (306) 387-6679 for more information. B

1

Zone

Upon surviving one of the longest coldest winter snaps and wildest winds I have ever endured in my lifetime, the cattle industry has also once again endured tough times by rebounding to excellent selling prices at the time of this writing.

Annual General Meeting Wawota Town Hall March 21, 2014

All Welcome Cocktails Beef Supper Western Livestock Price Insurance Program - Jodie Griffin

5:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Supper Tickets $25 For advance tickets call: Lloyd 306.486.2186 www.skstockgrowers.com | ŠBEEF BUSINESS | 49

Association News and Reports Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association 2014 Semi-Annual Meeting

Resolution #1 WHEREAS conservation easements are a permanent encumbrance being placed on ecologically sensitive Crown lease land as a condition of sale; and WHEREAS conservation easements permanently decrease the sale value of land; BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA lobby the Government of Saskatchewan to recognize the decreased value in the sale price of applicable land.

Carried Resolution #2 WHEREAS there appears to be many inequities and imbalances with the current surface lease compensation process for Crown lease land.

BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA supports the establishment of a surface lease compensation review process for Crown lease land.

Carried Resolution #3 WHEREAS recent food safety recalls have hurt the public perception of beef; and WHEREAS consumers need to be confident of a safe food supply; and WHEREAS irradiation is a safe and effective way to help ensure food safety and could be as important to meat as pasteurization is to milk; and

50

WHEREAS irradiation is already used on a number of food products sold in Canada.

BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA supports efforts to gain Health Canada approval of irradiation as a food safety intervention for trim and ground beef.

Carried Resolution #4

WHEREAS producers have difficulty getting a timely response from a limited number of control officers.

BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA lobby the provincial government to increase funding to the SCIC predation program to improve the timeliness and availability of predator control officers in the province.

Carried

WHEREAS as some non-reversionary lands are critical to the continued viability of transitioning federal community pastures.

BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA lobby the Government of Canada for an exemption from treasury board policy regarding the disposal of surplus assets directly pertaining to non-reversionary land.

Carried Resolution #6 WHEREAS the SK beef industry recognizes the value of forage research.

BE IT RESOLVED that the SSGA support the ongoing continuation of the SK Forage Network to coordinate research priorities.

So as to enhance a collaborative approach to research for all forage and livestock industry stakeholders.

Carried Resolution #7 WHEREAS predation continues to have an economic impact on Saskatchewan cattle producers; and

| ŠBEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

MARCH 2014

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Vk 6a

Vk 83a

sired by really Windy

Sankey’S Laramie 114

sired by Ka blacK cedar

sired by cOle creeK blacK cedar

SooLine kodiak 1131

Vdar reaLLy Windy 4097

HF Kodiak 5r X Gdar rogue 6322 7 son sell, Full brother to sooline legacy 7116 at lewis Farms. Proven calving ease, curvebender +0.5 +41 +74 +18

aar really Windy X Vdar enterprise 2 son sell, breed leading calving ease -1.5 +61 +99 +18

ka BLack cedar 290

minBurn main eVent 40W

coLe creek BLack cedar 46P

black cedar 46P X Traveler 004 5 sons sell, Female Maker +4.7 +43 +76 +26

5 son sell, sons were Top selling sire Group in 2013 sale, cowboy bull with curvebender ePd’s +1.3 +48 +93 +24

6 sons sell, Outcross Genetics, Maternal sire with added performance +2.5 + 49 + 89 +23

sankey’s lazer X lemmon newsline 7 sons sell, Outcross Genetics, excellent birth to yearling ePd’s +1.6 +60 +101 +18

52

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MARCH 2014

Association News and Reports A Report From Harold Martens President, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association D2 cows in the middle of February in Alberta are running at $88.00-$100.00 and bulls are $93.00-$103.00. When I talk with cattlemen about prices I hear repeatedly that we are starting to get the price where it needs to be.

The days have started to get longer and the mornings are starting to get brighter which only means that spring is around the corner. With spring comes calving and by this time many purebred herds are already a long way into calving. The weather can play havoc with calving so we need to work at keeping as many calves alive as possible. Hopefully this spring will be better than last year. The most important part of getting more money in my pocket, aside from price, is how many live calves I can get to market from my cow herd. This is where management is very important and if you can raise your percentage of calves on the ground you can make a big difference to your bottom line. Every 1% increase in the provincial calving rate is equal to over 10,000 calves going to market.

There are signs in the US that the rebuilding of the cow herd is starting.

During the first week of February at the Burwell Nebraska Livestock Market there was a set of Hereford heifers at 667 lbs that went for $224.00 a hundred and some F-1 Black baldies weighing 686 lbs went for $235.00. The feeder market here is heating up as well and people have been asking if the price will hold into the summer when these cattle will go into the feedlot. The futures in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on live cattle are quoting over $140 for April delivery. D1,

MARCH 2014

The federal and provincial governments have come forward with a Western Livestock Price Insurance Program that is going to run the same way as the price insurance program in Alberta. The SK Crop Insurance offices are going to handle the information on the program and deliver the program. I’d suggest that producers get as much information on the program as they can and then make a decision on whether they want to purchase the insurance. There will be no tax payer’s dollars going into this insurance. This needs to be a management decision on your part to become involved with this or not. If you need to protect yourself on the bottom side of the market you should look at this if you don’t think you need to do this then the choice is yours. I look at it as a way of protecting your capital investment.

The emergency measures that are being taken in regard to the protection of the endangered Sage-Grouse are somewhat exaggerated. I think they are not taking some very important facts into consideration such as the movement of the sage grouse habitat area. The Sage-Grouse has been hunted in the areas south of the Canada/US border and its habitat has been southwest Saskatchewan and southeast of Alberta and when hunting was being encouraged in the US the movement was north and so when the volume south of the border decreased and the population went down the movement south is natural.

Add to that the increase in number of coyotes, swift foxes, raccoons, hawks and eagles and what are you going to get? The biggest reason for the decline in the Sage-Grouse population and other

birds that nest on the ground are due to the increase in the number of its natural predators and it is not due to the practices of the ranchers in the area. The problem with people doing bird assessments is that they do not completely cover the area and tend to draw conclusions on incomplete data. I have looked for cows in pastures that I knew were in there and have gone back many times to look for them and I miss them. They are much easier to see than a Sage-Grouse or a meadow lark or a sharp tailed grouse but a hungry raccoon doesn’t have a problem finding those eggs or the chicks.

Making ranchers, who have been there for 150 years raising livestock building waterholes and fences, the guilty party is in no way helping to restore those birds. Look at Grasslands Park and learn a lesson that cows and nature work as partners in developing and sustaining the natural environment for all of the plants and animals that live there. Another thing that traveling environmentalists do not have is the attachment to the land like the cattlemen have. They are here today and gone tomorrow looking for another person in agriculture to attack and not even considering how their urban lifestyle contributes to the destruction of the natural environment.

I am beginning to think that the Species at Risk in today’s society are those people who are providing food for a hungry world and are in the very front lines of food production. People in North America are very fortunate to have agricultural producers with the capacity to respond to international food demands and to offer all of us safe food. B

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 53

Stewardship Saskatchewan People Share their Thoughts on Native Prairie Conservation submitted by Leanne Thompson for SK PCAP

Are you interested in what the general public has to say about native prairie and its relationship to Ecological Goods and Services (EG&S)? SK PCAP was as well so a survey was commissioned December 2013 to find out more about Saskatchewan people’s knowledge and opinions of native prairie and the role of EG&S. A total of 801 randomly-selected SaskWatch Research™ panel members from Saskatchewan participated in the online research study conducted

by Insightrix Research Inc. between December 10th and December 13th, 2013.

Quotas were set by age, gender and region to match the general population of the province.

Results have been summarized and SK PCAP is beginning to analyze the numbers to better understand public perceptions.

First - over half of Saskatchewan residents (65.7%) are at least somewhat familiar with native prairie and almost all consider it to be at least somewhat important (95.9%). One of the main goals for SK PCAP is to raise awareness of native prairie and the important resources it provides, so these results were very encouraging.

While the connection between wildlife reserve areas and native prairie is an important one, more work needs to be done to inform the public about the larger association between grazing and the important role that it plays for native prairie conservation. According to Environment Canada, only approximately 190,000 acres of the total 5.2 M acres of native prairie in Saskatchewan are designated as national wildlife areas or migratory bird sanctuaries. Conversely, a major portion of native prairie in Saskatchewan is managed as a forage source for livestock. With this in mind, it is clear that agricultural land managers can and do have the largest influence on both the current and future existence of native rangelands in SK. The observation that only 56.2% of provincial residents feel livestock producers are doing a good job of managing native prairie, means that improved communication with the public is required to tell the story of land stewardship that livestock producers work so hard to provide.

Another series of questions in the survey focused on knowledge of EG&S provided by native prairie and the public’s willingness to support maintenance of these EG&S. Residents indicated that the top three important benefits of native prairie grasslands were water quality maintenance (88.8%), habitat for species at risk (87.6%) and wildlife and/or pollinator habitat (87.2%). Flood control, conservation of biological diversity and soil erosion prevention also ranked at over 80%.

When asked what they were willing to do to support native prairie EG&S, most commonly residents chose the option “by being responsible toward the environment” (76.4%). While environmental responsibility by the general public is noble, both policy and economics affecting those who manage native prairie will play a much continued on page 57

One benefit of this survey is that Saskatchewan residents see an important connection between native prairie and wildlife reserve areas. Awareness of locations which feature native prairie was highest for designated wildlife areas (72.4%) and overall the roles of designated wildlife areas (94.8%) are viewed as most important to the future conservation of native prairie. In addition, residents indicated they felt that land managers of conservation agencies (82.0%), parks (78.5%), and designated wildlife areas (77.1%) are doing the best job with respect to the conservation of native prairie resources.

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MARCH 2014

14.april.2014

20th yearling BUll Sale

49a

Rally son • bw100 / ww738

36a

Malcolm son • bw86 / ww703

.

k i S B e y, S k

21a

Rally son • bw76 / ww710

view the complete sale offering on our website

designeR A dozen designer sons sell - many suitable for heifers.

MARCH 2014

sRiRAchA several sons sell!

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 55

ts h g i l h g i H 2013 Sale

Registered (est. 1963) & Commercial (est. 1948) Black Angus Cattle, APHA & AQHA Horses

e c r i u o Yo Ch B ULL S ALE

DLD UPWARD 24Z

F riday, A pr il

From Boundary to repeat customer Earl Grosfield

1:00 pm (CST)

18,

2014

• Cowtown Livestock, Maple Creek, SK

From the Delorme’s: South Shadow Angus 65 Yearling Boundary Angus Bulls All Semen Tested Kay Dee Angus plus Guest Bear Creek 2 Yr. Olds

SSA THUNDER 80Z

From South Shadow to repeat customer Triple L Ranch

Visit Our Web Site For: Photos, Videos, EPDs, Performance Data, Sale Catalog plus ‘Watch & Bid Online’ details.

Stop in anytime to view the cattle

SSA GRIDIRON 98Z

From South Shadow to repeat customers T & C Leismeister

all today c a s u e v Gi ation or m r o f n i t s list. g n i l to reque i a m r ed to ou to be add

Home-Raised Ranch Stock Available: In April • Commercial Replacement Heifers In the Fall • Top-Cut Breds by private treaty Always • APHA/AQHA Horses Standing APHA 2x NRCHA Champion and AQHA Son of NCHA Hall of Famer

www.D elormeR anch.ca 56

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Don and Connie Delorme Box 28, Robsart, SK S0N 2G0

dcdelorme@sasktel.net HOME: 306.299.4494 CELL: 306.299.7778

Darby and Sarah Delorme boundaryranch@sasktel.net HOME: 306.299.2006 MARCH 2014

Stewardship SKPCAP cont. from pg. 54

larger role than general environmental responsibility in the future of this valuable Saskatchewan resource. Nearly 60% of residents indicated they would be supportive of programs that value farmers and livestock producers’ roles in maintaining EG&S. While an encouraging statistic, it will be interesting to see if residents put this support into action going forward. The survey showed only 45% of residents would support public investment in policies which promote EG&S. Does this indicate that SK residents support EG&S in theory, but when it comes time to pay for these services, there is less willingness to commit? SK PCAP may consider a subsequent survey to gain a better understanding of SK residents support for EG&S. The debate about who should pay for EG&S is likely to continue as we all become more aware of scarce resources. In the meantime, SK PCAP commends all of the responsible land managers out there who continue to supply these valuable resources for free! B

BRD cont. from pg. 35

An analysis conducted in the early 1990s concluded that there was a lack of studies to justify the use of mass medicating with oral antimicrobials. Two subsequent studies found that inclusion of chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine in the ration reduced BRD treatments and morbidity. The cost and perceived overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture may limit the future use of oral antimicrobials.

• Inadequate dosage (e.g. MIC for the organism is higher than “label dose”)

• Overuse or inappropriate use of ancillary pharmaceuticals B

For more information on the Beef Cattle Research Council and their research projects visit www.beefresearch.ca

Treatment The literature contains a large body of knowledge regarding the beneficial effects of antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of BRD. The question is not, whether to treat with an antimicrobial, but rather, “which antimicrobial works best?”

There is no simple answer to the latter question.

Ancillary drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) and immunomodulators, have been used to treat BRD for decades. However, many of the studies have been used on experimental models and there is a lack of data from well-designed, large-scale, clinical trials. That being said, a more recent study found that meloxicam (NSAID) administered prior to castration significantly reduced the number of animals that develop BRD. Recommendations regarding the use of specific antimicrobials must come from a veterinarian. However, the veterinarian’s role is often altered to an examination of “Why treatments fail?” rather than, “How should animals be treated and with what?” Common causes of treatment failure include:

• Pathology of the lesion too far advanced • Wrong diagnosis • Simultaneous disease process (e.g.: overt IBR, post-calving metritis)

MARCH 2014

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 57

Calendar of Events MARCH 2014 March 1 March 2 March 3 March 3 March 4-7 March 6 March 6 March 7 March 9 March 11 March 18 March 19-21 March 20 March 21 March 21 March 22 March 22 March 22 March 26 March 27 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 31

20th Annual McMillen Ranching Ltd. Bull Sale R Plus Simmental Bull Sale 3rd Annual Palmer Charolais with Nielson Land & Cattle Charolais, Black & Red Angus Bull Sale 11th Annual Ashworth Farm & Ranch Bull Sale Canadian Cattlemen’s Association AGM In Pursuit of Perfection Bull Sale/Spring Creek Simmentals LMS Producer Seminar Spring Creek Bull Sale Standard Hill Connection Polled Hereford & Black Angus Sale McTavish Charolais & Red Angus and Guest Bull Sale Cityview Simmentals/Ivanhoe Angus Bull Sale GBT Angus Online Bull Sale Johnson Livestock Family Bull & female Sale SSGA Zone 1 Meeting Bowerman Bros. & Nessett Lake Bull Sale North of the 53rd Bull Sale Stockman’s Select Bull Sale Mantei Farms Bull Sale Right Cross Ranch Bull Sale Cattle Creek Ranch Bull Sale Sun Country Shorthorn Bull Sale Top Cut Black Angus Bull Sale Borderland Cattle Company Bull Sale Merit Cattle Company Bull Sale

April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 7 April 7 April 7 April 10 April 10 April 10 April 10 April 12 April 14 April 18 April 19 April 19 April 22

Git ‘R Done Bull Sale Peak Dot Bull Sale Who’s Your Daddy? Bull Sale Northern Progress Bull Sale Burnett Angus & Tarentaise Bull Sale North of the 49th Bull Sale Eastondale Angus Bull Sale Triple ‘A’ Angus Bull Sale Advertising deadline for May magazine T Bar K Bull Sale Size Matters Bull Sale South View Ranch Bull Sale Six Mile Bull Sale Moose Creek Bull Sale Your Choice Bull Sale Cornerstone Bull Sale Short Grass Bull & Female Sale Rancher’s Choice Bull Sale

May 22-24 May 22-24

BC Cattlemen’s AGM Livestock Markets Association of Canada AGM

June 8-10 June 24

SSGA Annual General Meeting Western Beef Development Center Field Day

Carieville, SK Estevan, SK Bladworth, SK Oungre, SK Ottawa, ON Moosomin, SK Prince Albert, SK Moosomin, SK Maidstone, SK Moosomin, SK Moose Jaw, SK Wawota, SK Peebles, SK Wawota, SK Meadow Lake, SK Paynton, SK Moose Jaw, SK Alameda, SK Kisbey, SK Maple Creek, SK Moose Jaw, SK Mankota, SK Rockglen, SK Moose Jaw, SK

APRIL 2014 Hodgeville, SK Wood Mountain, SK Saskatoon, SK Saskatoon, SK Swift Current, SK Halbrite, SK Wawota, SK Moose Jaw, SK Wawota, SK Canora, SK Ceylon, SK Fir Mountain, SK Kisbey, SK Maple Creek, SK Whitewood, SK Aneroid, SK Medicine Hat, AB

MAY 2014 Creston, BC Regina/Moose Jaw, SK

JUNE 2014

58

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

TBD Lanigan, SK

MARCH 2014

Advertiser Index Abe’s Signs

60

John Brown Farms

62

Rosetown Flighting Supply

60

Allen Leigh Security & Communications

61

Johnstone Auction

62

ROZOL Agrium Advanced

INSERT

Anderson Cattle Co.

7

KC Cattle

18

Saskatchewan Angus Assoc.

13, 61

Arm River Red Angus

62

Kramer Auctions

61

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

47

Bill Laidlaw Chartered Accountant Professional Corp.

60

Kyle Welding & Machine Shop

61

Saskatchewan Verified Beef

3

LLB Angus

60

Saskatoon Processing Company

61

Borderland Cattle Co.

26

Lane Realty Corp.

22,61

Short Grass Bull Sale

51

Bowerman Bros Angus

2

Linthicum Herefords

60

Sittler Composting

62

Burnett Angus

16

Livestock Services of SK

45

Six Mile Angus

33

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency

63

Man-SK Gelbvieh

62

Size Matters Charolais Bull Sale

6

Manitou Maine-Anjou

60

Solar West

61

Cattle Creek Ranching

4

Mantei Farms

11

South Shadow Angus

56

61

Masterfeeds

61

South View Ranch

23

McClay Design

62

Sun Country Shorthorn

34

60

Merial

12, 35

Superior Livestock Auction

61

Eastondale Angus

52

Merit Cattle Co.

46

T Bar K Ranch

36

Edward Jones

60

Moose Creek Red Angus

55

Target Cattle Concepts

61

Farm Credit Canada Agriculture More Than Ever

42

Nerbas Bros. Inc.

14

Terra Grain Fuels

60

Nesset Lake Angus

2

Thunder Seeds Inc

38

Friendly Acres

60

New Life Mills

60

Top Cut Bull Sale

22

Frostfree Nose Pumps

62

New Vision Agro

62

Triple A Bull Sale

17

GBT Angus

30

Norheim Ranching

60

Western Litho

62

Genex Cooperative Inc.

41

Northern Progress Bull Sale

10

Weyburn Inland Terminal

62

Gem Silage

61

Paysen Livestock Equipment

19

Who's Your Daddy Bull Sale

20

Gibson Livestock

61

Peak Dot Ranch

9

Wilgenbusch Charolais

48

Git 'R Done Bull Sale

39

Plain Jan’s

60

Young’s Equipment

62

Grayson & Co.

62

Rancher's Choice Bull Sale

29

Zoetis

15,64

Jackson Designs

61

Right Cross Ranch

44

Chartop Charolais

Cornerstone More Bang for Your Buck 24 Cowtown Livestock Exchange, Inc.

SSGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS DIRECTORS AT LARGE

THE EXECUTIVE

Harold Martens President/Director at Large Swift Current, SK

Phone: 773-6782

Doug Gillespie 1st Vice President/Director at Large Neville, SK Phone: 627-3619 Shane Jahnke 2nd Vice President/Director at Large Gouldtown, SK

Calvin Knoss Past President/Director at Large Rockglen, SK Brooks Whitney Finance Chair Maple Creek, SK

MARCH 2014

Phone: 784-2899

Phone: 476-2512

Phone: 662-4420

Grant Alexander, Weyburn Ryan Beierbach, Whitewood Helen Finucane, Regina Gerald Schultz, Success Roy Rutledge, Assiniboia Robin Wiggins, Fox Valley Kelcy Elford, Caronport Henry McCarthy, Wawota Fred Lansdall, Leross

ZONE CHAIR DIRECTORS Zone 1 - Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 - Zone 5 - Zone 6 - Zone 7 - Zone 12 -

Lloyd Thompson, Carnduff Ken MacDonald, Indian Head Terry Ostrander, Hallonquist Brooks Whitney, Maple Creek Bill Huber, Lipton Brent Griffin, Elbow Keith Day, Lacadena Larry Flaig, Assiniboia

456-2500 532-4809 584-2773 773-6860 642-5358 666-2103 355-2335 739-2205 675-4499

AFFILIATE DIRECTORS

Garner Deobald - Charolais Affiliate, Hodgeville 677-2589 Jack Ford - SaskMilk Affiliate, Wishart 328-4700 Tara Fritz - SImmental Affiliate, Shaunavon 297-3147 Laird Senft - Angus Affiliate, Fort Qu’Appelle 332-4823 Arron Huber - Shorthorn Affiliate, Lipton 336-2706

APPOINTED DIRECTORS

Dr. Andy Acton- Veterinary Advisor, Ogema

459-2422

SASKATCHEWAN CCA DIRECTORS 486-2146 695-2157 553-2213 662-4420 336-2684 854-2050 375-2934 266-2070

Lynn Grant, Val Marie Brent Griffin, Elbow Pat Hayes, Val Marie Reg Schellenberg, Beechy Perry Rasmuson, Moosomin

298-2268 854-2050 298-2284 859-4905 435-3110

Listings of email and fax numbers can be found on the SSGA website at www.skstockgrowers.com

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 59

NEW LI STI N G

LLB Angus Annual March Bull & Female Sale Private Treaty Sales LEE & LAURA BROWN Box 217, Erskine, Alberta T0C 1G0 Phone: 403-742-4226 email: llbangus@xplornet.com

www.llbangus.com

those s” “famou

Roper

gloves

custom printed roper gloves

More on the web

www.plainjans.com

620-872-5777

p l a i nj a n s

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum om: Font Size: 30 pt

fr

Maine-Anjou Bulls

Friendly Acres Seed Farm

(since 1970)

Fullblood Bulls and Females for Sale

www.friendlyacres.sk.ca

306-744-2332

Gary & Sandy Graham - Marsden, SK Ph: (306) 823-3432 email: grahamgs@sasktel.net

kevin.elmy@friendlyacres.sk.ca Grazing & Silage Corn Thunder, Hyland, Canamaize Cover Crops Tillage Radish® Forage Blends Gallagher Fencing Thunder Soybeans Call for local retailers

www.manitoumaineanjou.ca

Linthicum Ranch Open replacement and Bred Heifers for sale, Hereford Black & Baldy Heifers for sale.

Also, commercial Hereford Bulls Murray & Jan Frank (306) 266-4377 (306) 266-4417

Glentworth, SK

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt

Super Edge™ flighting for You work hard for your money. grain augers, combines & Make it work hard for you.seed cleaning plants

You work hard for your money.

Make it work hard for you.

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt

Tyler Knibbs

Financial Advisor

Tyler Knibbs 461 King Street Unit 3 hard for your money.

You work Financial Advisor Estevan, SK S4A 1K6 Make it306-634-4870 work for you.

461 hard King Street .

BL BILL LAIDLAW CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT PROF. CORP.

ROSETOWN FLIGHTING SUPPLY Rosetown, SK

BILL LAIDLAW CA.CFP.

Chartered Accountant

.

Unit 3

nks .

Tyler Knibbs Estevan, SK S4A 1K6

Financial Advisor www.edwardjones.com .

Member – Canadian Investor 461 KingProtection Street Fund Unit 3 Estevan, SK S4A 1K6 306-634-4870

306-634-4870

Left and right hand available in all sizes. Helicoid & Sectional

Complete Auger Repairs

www.edwardjones.com www.edwardjones.com

Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund Protection Fund Member – Canadian Investor

Phone 1-866-882-2243 • Fax 1-306-882-2217 www.flightingsupply.com

rfsdealerinfo@sasktel.net

We have over 16,000 square feet of inventory and over 400 different sizes of Flighting on hand and ready to ship OVERNIGHT DELIVERY TO MAJOR CENTRES

CT

604 Government Road S. Weyburn, SK S4H 2B4 Ph: 306.842.5344 Fax: 306.842.5345 Bill@BillLaidlaw.ca

Cowtown Livestock Exchange Inc. Maple Creek, SK

Regular Sales every Tuesday @ 11:00 a.m.

Locally Owned & Operated Call for info on Presort & Other Sales Phone 306-662-2648 Toll Free: 1-800-239-5933

www.cowtownlivestock.com

more on the web

plainjans.com

Your AD could be here!

Contact Tracy Cornea at 306-693-9329 Call (306) 345-2280 or visit www.terragrainfuels.com for more information.

60

| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

MARCH 2014

Wireless & IP Cow Cam Systems (Livestock Monitoring Systems) Makes your calving easier, safer & More Profitable!

Pricing from $450.00 - $2685.00

Saves 3 - 5 calves a year!

Less stress to the cow while calving Save 100's of trips to the barn!

WiFi ready systems now available

“Saskatchewan’s Farm & Ranch Specialists”

For all of your buying or selling needs...

Contact one of our Farm & Ranch Specialists today!

To view our properties visit our website at: www.lanerealtycorp.com

Ph: 306-569-3380

Fax: 306-569-3414

Jackson Designs 306.772.0376 Commercial Graphics Catalogue Design

(watch from your iPhone/Andriod/PC Tablet)

Photography

since 1996

We specialize in solutions. www.allenleigh.ca

www.jacksondesigns.ca

Brandon, MB PH: 1-866-289-8164 ®

a Tradition of Quality in Animal Nutrition

For Beef Nutrition Solutions Call

www.kylewelding.com

Over 60 years of service!

Box 310, Kyle, SK S0L1T0

306-375-2271

Galvanized Water Tanks From 100 to 4100 gal.

Livestock Water Troughs - From 400 to 1250 gal.

Jerry Glab Jack Wagman Kurtis Reid Roger Kostron

1-306-891-8914 1-306-536-1004 1-306-220-2226 1-306-491-9096

Regina Mill Saskatoon Mill Humboldt Mill

1-877-440-2727 1-888-681-4111 1-800-747-9186

15’, 20’, 25’s in stock

7 me ra Year Frranty Wa

Reputation of Quality 16, 20 + 24’s in stock

Custom Orders are Welcome North Battleford, SK P: 306.445.5000 TF: 1.800.529.9958 Online Showroom at:

ONE CULTURE - ONE TEAM, TOGETHER WE’RE BETTER!

Your AD could be here!

Contact Tracy Cornea at Pick up your copy of your product catalogue at your local dealer.

Duralite & NOrbert StOCk trailer Dealer

306-693-9329

Canadian Livestock Auction. Ltd.

Chartop Charolais Glen and Lyn Sauder Box 569, Gull Lake, SK S0N 1A0 Ph: (306) 672-3979 Fax: (306) 672-4347 Purebred CHAROLAIS & RED ANGUS Bulls for Sale Commercial Herd * Visitors always welcome

We’ve got you covered RYAN GIBSON BUS: 306-692-9668 CELL: 306-631-0070 FAX: 306-692-3252 TOLL-FREE: 1-800-667-7176 Up North Silage Covers • Up North Silage Bags • Up North Silage Shield • Up North Grain Bags • Gem Bale Wrap • Gem Silage Baggers • Gem Bacteria Blend • Gandy Inoculant Applicators • Net Wrap • Twine • Bale End Caps • Silage Tape • Zipper Tools • Poly Fastener • Secure Covers™ 403-342-7522 888-552-5505 gemsilage@telus.net Bay #9, 108-105 Burnt Lake Trail • (Burnt Lake Business Centre) • Red Deer, Alberta T4S 0K6

MARCH 2014

We are a Canadian distributor for Pneu-Dart Pneu-darT

Graham McKenzie

306.861.7074

Deadstock Removal

INC.

Dale Watson

306.861.4618

3018 Miners Ave. Saskatoon, SK S7K 4Z8 Phone (306) 934-4887 Toll-free 1-800-803-9714

www.skstockgrowers.com | ©BEEF BUSINESS | 61

Integrity Commitment Results

All types of commercial and purebred livestock auctions and farm sales.

Wash rack facilities for livestock

www.johnstoneauction.ca

Wayne or Scott Johnstone Box 818, Moose Jaw, SK 306-693-4715 (Bus) Fax 306-691-6650

Your AD could be here!

Contact Tracy Cornea at 306-693-9329

Proudly providing legal services since 1883

(306) 693-6176

e-mail us at: admin@graysonandcompany.com 350 Langdon Crescent Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0X4

Helen Finucane office: 306-775-1443 cell: 306-537-2648 phone: 306-584-2773 Carlyle, SK Celebrating 40 years in Canada!

For Upcoming Gelbvieh Sales and Breeders in your area contact: Cynthia Wirgau Secretary (204) 278-3255 maplegrove@xplornet.com www.gelbvieh.ca

FROSTFREE NOSEPUMPS LTD. SIMPLE & RELIABLE YEAR-ROUND LIVESTOCK WATERING

866-843-6744 (306) 567- 4702

Box 688, Davidson, SK S0G

Your AD could be here!

Contact Tracy Cornea at 306-693-9329

•Saves money

NEW VISION AGRO Box 479 Hague, SK S0K 1X0 PH: (306) 225-2226 FX: (306) 225-2063

email: newvisionagro@sasktel.net www.newvisionagro.com

Dealer & Distributor For:

•Saves time

- Jay-Lor Vertical Feed Mixers - Feed-Rite - Cargill Rite Now Minerals - Baler twine, netwrap, silage bunker, covers, plastic wrap, Grain Bags

•Saves the environment

www.FrostfreeNosepumps.com

Check with us before you buy! ®

AARON BOHN Pro-Pellet Division

Compost Turners, Spreaders, Screeners, Baggers

Weyburn Inland Terminal Ltd. Box 698, Weyburn Saskatchewan, Canada S4H 2K8 Sask. Toll Free 1-800-552-8808 Tel: (306) 842-7436 Fax: (306) 842-0303 Cell: (306) 861-1757 email: a.bohn@wit.ca www.wit.ca

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| ©BEEF BUSINESS | www.skstockgrowers.com

Brent Hansen Environmental 204-726-3335, www.globalrepair.ca

MARCH 2014

TAG RETENTION: HEADS UP!

Though common tag hazards include twine, wire fence, heavy brush and some bale feeders, there are EIGHT best practices you can use to maximize tag retention.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Properly restrain the animal, which will help stabilize its head while you apply the tag.

Use the recommended tag applicator and pin for the specific tag and brand.

Apply tags as recommended by the manufacturer’s directions.

Use tags and tag applicators that are clean and free of debris.

Apply antiseptic to tags and tag applicator between animals while tagging to help control infection.

6. Disinfect both sides of the animal’s ear before applying the tag.

7. Tag clean ears. Do not tag ears covered in debris.

8. Do not apply a new tag in a hole from a previous tag.

COMPLIMENTARY TRACEABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES: TOLL-FREE: 1-877-909-2333 EMAIL: info@canadaid.ca

Learn more at

www.canadaid.ca

WHAT DO SCOURS VACCINATION AND YOUR BULL INVESTMENT HAVE IN COMMON?

They both have a lifelong effect on your calves.

The right bulls improve the performance of your entire herd. One episode of scours can set them back for the rest of their lives.

Protect your investment. Maximize colostrum quality in terms of preventing scours by using ScourGuard™ 4KC when the time is right.

Visit timing-is-everything.ca to calculate the best timing based on YOUR expected calving dates and find out how to receive a free vaccinator with your next purchase of ScourGuard 4KC.*

When the time is right.

* Offer valid with a minimum purchase of 100 doses of ScourGuard 4KC from a Canadian veterinary clinic. While supplies last.

Zoetis™ and ScourGuard™ are trademarks of Zoetis or its licensors, used under license

by Zoetis Canada Inc. ©2014 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. SCG-076 SCG4 JADP06 0114E