I’m far from a social media “influencer,” and I really have little desire to ever become such, but I must admit that I do enjoy some aspects of the whole, mostly inane spectacle.

Some calves are the proud accomplishment of strategic breeding, while others can be traced back to your grandparents’ herd. Regardless of how they joined the herd, you are in control of calf performance.

Canada’s federal government ended its Community Pasture Program in 2012, which had provided grazing for 220,000 cattle owned by 2,500 producers in the Prairie provinces. Months after the announcements, the involved governments initiated a plan to transition federal pastures to patron operation.

Crossbreeding beef cattle boosts performance and productivity by mixing genetics, leading to better weaning weights, reproductive efficiency and overall herd health. Often, the practice is reserved for females, but more seedstock and commercial producers are turning their eye toward males to identify potential benefits and profit opportunities.

Genetic advances in the cattle industry have resulted in animals with rapid growth rates and increased production efficiencies, requiring critical minerals and vitamins. As cow-calf producers strive to become more efficient through extended grazing programs such as fall/winter swath and bale grazing, the industry standard of providing free-choice mineral and vitamin supplements to herds often results in sporadic consumption by individual animals.

With markets demanding ever more proof of beef’s environmental sustainability, taking relatively simple steps such as improving your herd’s genetics or mineral supplementation can pay big dividends. 

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