Higher wages being paid across the country create a disadvantage for an industry that already fights to keep margins at a profitable point. Those who do a good job recruiting and taking care of qualified employees will have the upper hand.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus, or BVDV, is one of the most frequent diseases dealt with in cattle, in all sectors of the industry.

It’s time to work cattle. You’ve gotten the vaccines and all you have to do is load syringes and you’re good to go, right? 

And just like that, it’s time for fall processing. Let’s look closely at what we’ll need to give our weaning-aged calves a leg up on their next stage of life, starting with vaccination strategy, implants and deworming.

In my 25 years as a cattle veterinarian, I’ve seen the impact of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) – the most prevalent and costly challenge facing North American cattle producers – in many operations.

After a hard birth, some calves are dull or even unconscious from oxygen shortage and fail to start breathing. But there are things producers can do to help calves start breathing. 

The transition from summer to fall can bring tremendous uncertainty for beef cattle producers. The shorter day length not only signals the coming cooler weather, but also the end of the growing season for most forages, especially warm-season grasses. 

In Olds, Alberta, not far outside Calgary, Harvie Ranching stands as a testament to the lasting tradition of family farming. For over four decades, members of the Harvie family have dedicated themselves to the production of top-quality cattle.

Mental health is a critical, wide-ranging topic. Like-minded individuals rooted in the agricultural world, while often skilled at building walls around themselves and their thoughts and actions, are never immune from its wide-ranging influences.

When Oxford's Myles Allen talks, I always suggest it’s worth a listen – particularly when he shares information that can help improve sustainability in the cattle sector.

It was a phone call that I didn’t want to receive. On a pleasant evening in June, a neighbor rancher – someone I’ve known for many years – phoned to ask my advice about some baleage.

As the summer months progress, the forage quality for grazing cattle begins to change rapidly for much of the western U.S. Cattle performance is dependent on the consumption of digestible nutrients; thus, forage quality and availability are essential for grazing-based systems.

What's the worst part of stringing new fenceline?

Do you need a more efficient and stress-free cattle-working system for your operation? Explore the key differences between manual and hydraulic chutes before you make your decision.

Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.