Recent studies show 66% of dairy cows have udder edema at least once in their lifetime. Understanding the signs, causes, risk factors and available strategies for the prevention and treatment of udder edema is essential for effective herd management.

Bull buying strategies are a critical component of success for cow-calf producers across Canada. With operations ranging from small family farms to large-scale commercial enterprises, an important question must be asked: Do purchasing tactics differ depending on the size of the farm or ranch?

Wowk Ranch near Beauvallon, Alberta, specializes in breeding, training and selling high-quality horses of various breeds and runs 200 commercial cattle that they feed with a team in the winter.

When I talk with producers who installed automated milking systems, most say the first three days are the worst, the first three weeks are hard, and things are better within three months. By the sixth to ninth month, they say the automated milking system is better than the previous milking system, as both cows and people have adjusted to the major lifestyle change.  

How often has the calving book been lost or accidentally destroyed by the calf being warmed in the feeding pickup? Or when has information failed to be recorded toward the end of the calving season because our attention turns to other matters that time of year?

Known as the “six essentials,” selection for these traits can improve profitability of any herd, of any breed, in any location: disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, hardiness and milk production.

If you were in need of replacements, would you be excited to buy your heifers?

While choosing replacement females may seem like a singular task, you know that months and years of strategic planning lead up to the moment. Every replacement heifer is evidence of the work that’s been done and is the foundation of future herd performance and profitability.

Over the past few years, genetic testing has become more readily available and used by commercial cattlemen. Information that was once used mainly by registered cattle producers is being utilized to make improvements on commercial operations and produce higher-performing cattle by making decisions with more information.