January 22 – 23, the Association had its display booth at the Bull Congress. Even though cattle breeders are discouraged by the cattle markets in the past few years, the crowds at the Congress show indicated that there is still hope for the struggling Agriculture industry. If we continue to push forward in marketing our cattle, we can hope for a better future in the industry.

A new updated Membership Directory is being compiled and will be published in booklet form, similar to the directories utilized prior to the current map format. All members names, addresses and contact numbers will be included in the directory unless specific members object to printing of their individual information. If there are any objections or revisions to member information (such as address or phone number changes) please contact the Association office prior to February 19th on this matter.

Each member included in the directory has the option to have brief information about their farm/ranch operation or herd, included within their listing at no cost. This information would typically be one or two sentences stating facts such as “Longhorn bulls for sale” or “Home of our herd sire Fuzzy Beaver”, etc.

In addition, each member has the option to purchase one third of a page in the directory at a cost of twenty dollars ($20.00) for personal advertising of their farm/ranch longhorn operation. Obviously if desired, a full page cost is sixty dollars ($60.00). This newly designed directory will be jointly published with the sale catalogue for the upcoming longhorn sale at VJV in March 2010. It is anticipated, but not guaranteed that costs to publish the directory/sale catalogue may be covered by a Provincial Government Grant and if so the revenue generated from the breeder advertising described herein will be allocated to the Association account for operating, advertising and general expenses.

Please note that all information relative to the above must be provided to the Association office no later than February 19th, 2010 in order to allow time for information lay-out, formatting and printing. Photographs are also welcomed.

Published in the CATTLEMENS MAGAZINE

Four Tips in One

My calving tips are:

Straw is the cheapest medicine you can buy in calving season – keep them high and dry.

Extra Strength Tylenol seems to work wonders on sick calves. We push two or three down the throat with rubber-gloved fingers.

Nothing seems to treat early scours like Pepto-Bismol. I use a syringe with a long plastic snout available at most feed stores for drenching small animals. The bottle usually has a small plastic measuring cup on top – one of those morning and night clears things up in a couple of days.

When a good cow loses her calf the easiest way to get her to adopt a new one is to skin her dead one and tie a piece about 18x18 inches to the new calf’s body. A few sniffs from mom has her believing it’s her own calf.

Good health to all.

Alberta Kealey
Venosta, Quebec

Perfume for Mother and Calf

When a cow loses her calf at birth or even some days later, we always try to give her another calf – either from a set of twins or from a neighbour’s herd. We take regular perfume and rub some on the cow’s nose and put some over the calf. Make sure to put it on his back and tail.

Sometimes it works right away. Sometimes it takes longer. But it really works.

Walter Ammann
Goodfare, Alberta

Ink the Noses

My calving tips are:

Using a green tattoo ink on the calves’ noses can settle the question of whether they have sucked the cow. It has worked for us in the past. If you are not there to watch, at least you know that the calves have been in the right general area due to the green ink on the cow’s udder and teats.

When you notice calves licking dirt use what they call “white mud” (diatomaceous earth) in low tubs. This is another tip that has worked for us in the past.

Cheryl Schleger
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

A reporter was at a cattle auction getting background material for a feature on the cattle industry.  She noticed a buyer furiously bidding on the cattle in the ring and was struck by his appearance... Although he was now slightly bent and frail, she could tell he had once been a vibrant and powerful man.  The lines on his face showed decades of being in a tough business. She sat down beside him, introduced herself, and explained what she was doing.

"How long have you been buying cattle?"  she asked.

"For years, in fact, most of my life," responded the cattle buyer.

"What's been the secret of your longevity?" she inquired.

"Living my life my way...  I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day,"  he said. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and the only exercise I get is from chasing wild women."

"That's amazing," the reporter said. "How old are you?"

The cattle buyer answered... "I'll be 27 next month." 

Determining if a cow is lame can be as simple as watching it walk.

Chris Clark, an associate professor of large animal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, said lameness in cattle is caused by pain.

“The animals are lame because something in their leg hurts, and probably 90 percent of the time, that pain is in their feet.”

Clark said a cow will often walk with an arched back if the lameness is in the hind legs. If the lameness is in the front legs, it will often walk with a pronounced head nod.

Agriculture Canada research scientist Anne Marie de Passille agreed, but added there are other ways to identify the problem.

One method is to watch which cows come up to feed first. Cows should be checked if they are usually quick to feed but now come more slowly or don’t come at all.

De Passille said studies show producers identify one out of every four or five lame cows, which could mean a significant loss of productivity.

Clark said recognizing the presence of lameness is only the first step in avoiding this loss.

“One of the important things to remember is that lameness is….not a diagnosis. And so, if you have a cow that is lame, it is important to determine why she is lame so that she can be treated appropriately.”

Clark said infections in the joints or tendons are almost impossible to treat.

“The worst-case scenario, with lameness, it it’s not treated, it can end up in animals being slaughtered or culled,” he said. “And often, because these animals have been treated with antibiotics, they can’t even be slaughtered for human consumption.”

Less drastic results include infertility and weight loss.

De Passille said the average cost of lameness is $300 to $500 per cow.

Alberta Agriculture and researchers at Agriculture Canada and the University of British Columbia have developed a two-disk CD-ROM to help producers better identify lameness. Entitled Firm Steps: Identifying Lameness in Dairy Cattle, it is available by calling 800-292-5697 or online at http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca

Buyers use colour to estimate a breed’s growth and carcass characteristics.

Producers strive for a certain colour in their cattle.

This may be to meet breed standards, but certain colours can also imply an economic benefit.

Feeder cattle that are uniform in colour sell for a higher price than those less uniform. Producers can change the colour of their cattle by breeding certain ways.

Every cattle breed has basic body colours and sometimes they also have colour patterns. For example, Herefords have a red body and a white face. Some breeds have more than one body colour. Angus can be red or black.

Cattle come in three basic colours: red, black and brownish-red to reddish-black. The latter colour is seen in the Jersey and Brown Swiss.

When we look at the genes that control coat colour, black is dominant to all other colours.

If an animal has a least one gene for black, it will be black.

Red is recessive so it can be expressed only if the animal possesses both genes for red. The brownish-red and reddish-black colour is between the two: recessive to black and dominant to red.

Mating a homozygous (possesses two genes) for black with a red animal (which must be homozygous for red) produces a calf with one black and one red gene. This calf will be black because that colour dominates.

If a calf with these two dissimilar genes is mated to a calf with the same genes, the offspring can be any combination of genes, but the offspring will be three –quarters black and one-quarter red.

There are also modifying genes. For example, a pair of dilution genes will dilute any colour to almost white or cream. Most solid white cattle are genetically black or red but have two dilution genes to dilute their pigmentation. Just one dilution gene, as well as one gene for non-dilution, can turn a black animal to grey.

A red animal with one dilution gene has a light yellow coat. Simmental, Charolais, Longhorn, Gelbvieh, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Murray Grey and Scottish Highland carry the dilution gene.

This dilution gene can be seen in action. Charolais cattle usually have two dilution genes.

When mated to a Black Angus, the crossbreed will always be grey.

Similarly, white Simmental will dilute the colour of animals they are mated with, producing a paler calf.

Medium red-coloured Simmentals likely have just one dilution gene so when mated to other colours, they have a 50 percent chance of diluting the colours.

Producers who buy cattle at market are paying for animals based on expected performance, and to do this they look for breed characteristics.

Hereford, Polled Hereford and Simmentals have white faces or blaze-faces.

Brindling can be seen in Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Brahman, Chianina, Tarentaise and Longhorn.

Skunk-backs indicate Charolais or Pinzgauer.

Stocking legs come from Holstein, Beef Friesian, Maine Anjou, Simmental, Hay Converter, Hereford and Polled Hereford.

Droopy ears and larger navels are indications of Brahman, Brangus, Santa Gertrudis and Braford heritage.

Colour is not usually an economic trait by itself, but it can indicate important traits such as growth and carcass characteristics because experienced buyers can make good estimate of the breed based on colour.

For example, buyers who consider a Hereford cross Angus to be a growthy mix look for black cattle with white faces. A grey calf could be a Charolais cross.

Some breeds were not mentioned in this article, but that doesn’t mean they are minor breeds. It means no colour inheritance is available for them.

Jeff Grognet is a veterinarian practicing in Qualicum Baeach, B.C. (Published in the Western Producer)