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Far away from the Strait of Hormuz, the new oil crunch prices are hitting closer to home.

Fair compensation in family businesses requires clear roles, annual reviews, market research and balancing benefits.

Feeding hay is often just part of the cattle business. It is almost an afterthought to some. Habit and routine can sometimes overshadow a piece of your cattle business that deserves further evaluation.

Feeding cattle used to be a pen-and-paper business. Now, more producers are relying on cloud-based software to streamline operations, but hesitation remains, especially if internet access is limited.

Pregnancy loss is one of the most frustrating and costly reproductive challenges in beef cattle production. Even with good nutrition, thoughtful bull selection and sound management, we still deal with open cows, early embryonic loss and the occasional unexplained abortion.

A successful breeding season begins months before the first A.I. straw or bull turnout. In the 90 days before breeding, cows and heifers move through metabolic, immune and reproductive shifts that shape follicle quality, uterine readiness and embryo survival.

'Tis the season of one of the many seasons on the ranch. Many times, it seems like all the seasons run together. You have calving season, branding season, breeding season, hay season, weaning and shipping, and then before you know it, you’re into calving season again.

A productive cow can only have one calf per year. For generations, that biological limit has defined how fast beef producers can make genetic progress in their herds. No matter how elite a female is, her influence on a herd is constrained by time.

Forage is the foundation of most beef cattle diets. Whether cattle are grazing pasture, eating hay or being fed silage, these feeds provide the bulk of nutrients for cow-calf, stocker and backgrounding operations.

Fly control is a constant battle for cattle producers. As temperatures rise and cattle move into summer grazing systems, flies become more than just a nuisance and can negatively impact cattle comfort, grazing behavior and overall productivity.

Several serious livestock diseases are caused by a group of bacteria called clostridia that can produce deadly toxins. Many cattlemen are familiar with blackleg, tetanus and enterotoxemia, but some may not be familiar with redwater.

The 21-day cortisol surge in stressed cattle is a common problem that costs the combined beef and dairy sectors millions of dollars annually in mortality, morbidity, drug and labor costs, and impaired efficiencies in animals. And, yet, this inescapable reality is poorly understood and seldom planned for in producer protocols.

Graeme Finn could have been happy raising cattle anywhere in the world, so long as there was grass to graze and land to improve. Where he and his family ended up raising cattle, grazing grass and improving land is in the foothill country of western Alberta near the town of Madden.

Whether up north in last summer’s ash or down south in the dust, winter feeding is nearing its end, and the need for a grazing plan is mounting. Year over year, producer efforts to balance grazing and growth will hopefully result in profitable calf crops as well as healthy grasslands.

Physical hazards – from swallowed wires to toxic plants – can be devastating, not only to the cow but in certain instances can cause late-term abortions or permanent birth defects in the calf crop.

Depending on the year, beef producers in western Canada notice their cattle rubbing and developing bare patches of hair during late winter or early spring. Although lice are often suspected, follow‑up checks by producers and veterinarians show that lice are rarely the cause.

BVD remains one of the most economically significant infectious diseases affecting cattle worldwide. While many producers vaccinate routinely, the virus can still circulate quietly within herds, reducing performance long before obvious clinical signs appear.

Success starts at birth. A recent BCRC webinar highlighted just how critical those early decisions are, from precalving management to colostrum intake and postnatal care. It’s about stacking small advantages, such as nutrition, environment, timing and intervention, right from the start.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), also called shipping fever, remains a leading health concern in Canadian feedlots. Currently, pen riders quietly surveying thousands of cattle daily are a feedlot’s main defence against this challenging disease.

Breeding season has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re finishing up calving, and the next you’re turning bulls out or timing when to inseminate and hoping everything lines up the way it should. It’s a busy time, but it may also be the most important few weeks of the entire year.