The more comfortable a cow's bed, the more likely she'll spend her day laying about making milk instead of standing or walking. A well supported, comfortable, resting cow is less likely to end up lame as well, and the link between lameness and reduced production and decreased fertility is real. Nearly all bedding options —... Read More
Category: Livestock
It was high noon in steamy Windsor, Ont., when the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program was launched at a lunchtime steak BBQ back in the summer of 2001. Given the heat, you could have grilled the corn-fed beef directly on the strip mall parking lot where the sweltering event was staged, and skipped the middleman –... Read More
Milk volume is only one aspect of dairy production — the level of individual components in the milk matter just as much. Managing butterfat is often a challenge, as high producing genetic lines tend to have lower butterfat milk. RealAgriculture.com asked Adam Lock, assistant professor, dairy cattle nutrition with Michigan State University, for his perspective... Read More
If you cannot see the above embedded audio player, click here With growing speculation that feedyards in the US and Canada would be attempting to contain losses by limiting the amount of cattle they fed, the February placement number in the USDA Cattle on Feed Report confirmed it. The March 22, 2013 USDA Cattle on... Read More
The cattle industry is one of those segments of agriculture that just feels a part of you. Whether you ranch, background or fatten cattle you tend to love the work and the business of what it entails. Separating the love of the industry from the financial realities can be a tall order for any producer.... Read More
If you envision GPS-guided cows when you hear "precision dairy," you might be a grain farmer. If, instead, you envision a way to measure and monitor several aspects of dairy production no matter what time it is or where you are, you're much closer to reality.From heat detection, to mastitis management, and even lameness monitoring,... Read More
Acidosis, a severe drop in pH in a cow's rumen due to a change in feed, isn't just an issue in feedlots. Cattle being moved from low quality to very lush pastures are also at risk, for example. Not managing for acidosis can lead to cattle that reduce their feed intake and are slow to... Read More
Ah, we love us a good parody video here at RealAgriculture.com. This latest farm-themed video comes from Derek Klingenberg of Klingenberg Farms, based at Kansas. Based on "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore, a rather, um, expletive riddled song, Ranching Awesome takes it 180 degrees and makes it all about the family ranch. Enjoy! For the Peterson... Read More
Horseracing in North America is facing tough times, a result of years of decreased attendance and betting. In Canada, tightening of government budgets in at least three provinces, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has put heavy pressure on tracks to either evolve, find new business partners or face extinction. Ontario is far and away the largest... Read More
A WTO ruling from late in 2011 sided with Canada, among other countries, that U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulation was "inconsistent with its WTO trade obligations." But instead of amending the labeling requirements in time for the late may deadline, the US has seemingly upped the ante, and will now being to add... Read More