A dry and cool Red Deer, Alberta, welcomed the dairy industry March 5-7 for the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar. Students, producers and industry professionals gathered for the three-day conference and settled in to learn about topics relating to this year’s theme, “Excellence in efficiency.”

It’s essential to recognize that biosecurity is not just about preventing major outbreaks; it’s also a practical, everyday approach to managing common animal health issues.

Managing herd health and reproduction on a dairy farm is a constant challenge that requires keen observation, experience and timely interventions. For Calori-D Dairy, implementing the CowManager monitoring system in December 2022 marked a turning point in how they managed their cows – both for health and reproduction.

Supplementing the cow herd with organic trace minerals improves ovarian activity, increases conception rates and helps cattle breed back sooner. Calves from supplemented cows are also in better health and immune status.

Lisa and Cameron Hodgins own and operate Hodgins Farm near Lenore, Manitoba, and direct market some of their beef, pork, chickens and honey. The cattle operation consists of a commercial cow-calf herd of approximately 125 largely Angus-influenced cows, as well as maintaining approximately 250 grazing yearlings as stockers.

Even though millions of cows and hundreds of research trials have demonstrated the positive benefits of feeding a negative DCAD diet, there are always those who look for new and better ways to accomplish the goal of reducing incidence of clinical and subclinical milk fever. While those interventions do exist, it is hard to beat the proven efficacy of feeding a negative DCAD diet. 

Chaque année, les Producteurs laitiers du Canada (PLC) investissent dans la recherche scientifique pour façonner l’avenir de l’industrie laitière. 

The tariffs on beef proposed by President Donald Trump have added volatility and uncertainty to the beef industry. While the national beef herd is at its smallest size in over 50 years, demand for beef is good and prices are regularly breaking record highs. Enter the tariffs.