Using marginal gains theory to make improvements in beef production systems…Marginal gains theory has been used across many different sectors and facets of life to make impactful improvements, hit targets, and ultimately to achieve success. In this interesting take, OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialist James Byrne describes how the principles of marginal gains theory can be applied to beef production systems to drive improvement of production and economic performance.
Category: business and marketing
Beef up your forage intake rates on pasture
Considering bunchgrass management as a pasture management strategy…As we draw closer to spring turn-out, it’s a good time to think about strategies to improve grazing and pasture management for optimized cattle performance. Using recent research investigating factors that influence dry matter intake, OMAFRA Forage and Grazing Specialist Christine O’Reilly explains why the amount the of forage and types of plant structures (notably bunchgrasses) are important factors to consider when managing pastures. Read on to learn more about how bunchgrasses can be managed to optimize intakes on pasture.
Canadian Cow-Calf Survey
Have your say! … There are a number of current and upcoming opportunities for Ontario beef producers to provide input as part of provincial and national surveys. Have your say in these important initiatives. It’s an opportunity for you to benchmark your practices against those of other producers. It’s also important to have Ontario representation in these datasets to inform outreach activities, policy initiatives and further research. Learn more about how you can contribute to the Benchmark Study of the Canadian Feedlot Industry, the OAHN Survey on Digital Dermatitis, and the BCRC National Cow-Calf Survey.
Coming Soon: The Canadian Feedlot Benchmark Study
Have your say! … There are a number of current and upcoming opportunities for Ontario beef producers to provide input as part of provincial and national surveys. Have your say in these important initiatives. It’s an opportunity for you to benchmark your practices against those of other producers. It’s also important to have Ontario representation in these datasets to inform outreach activities, policy initiatives and further research. Learn more about how you can contribute to the Benchmark Study of the Canadian Feedlot Industry, the OAHN Survey on Digital Dermatitis, and the BCRC National Cow-Calf Survey.
Decisions around Creep Feeding
To creep feed, or not to creep feed… In his article “Decisions around Creep Feeding”, OMAFRA Beef Cattle Specialist James Byrne outlines some key decision-making criteria for creep feeding practices.
Understanding Cattle Prices – Virtual Beef Newsletter Winter 2023
Understanding the factors that affect price determination is critical to maximizing sales price. In his updated article “Understanding Cattle Prices”, Steve Duff, Chief Economist with OMAFRA, covers the difference between price determination and price discovery and discusses the drivers of supply and demand, basis calculation and the price discovery formula, and key information that can be tracked to manage price expectations.
We’ve got the beef!
Have you listened to our new podcast? Monthly episodes are released to help producers navigate best practices for their production system through information updates and timely tips for the upcoming season. Each episode will feature a conversation with an OMAFRA specialist, a beef researcher, an industry expert, or a local producer. Listen two the last [...]
Improving feed efficiency in your feedlot
Tight profit margins are not uncommon in the beef industry so improving production efficiencies in a feedlot is vital to alleviate stress and improve the operations bottom line. There are several routes that can be taken to prioritize efficiencies. Considering feed is one of the highest input costs, nutritional management is a great place to [...]
Some Thoughts on Production Efficiency
James Byrne, Beef Cattle Specialist Cows with calves at foot grazing in an Algoma pasture. Picture: James Byrne, OMAFRA. Improving production efficiency is often described as doing more with less. In reality, it means getting more out of what we currently have. One simple example of this is making sure beef cows waste less hay. [...]
An overview of beef on dairy crossbred cattle in the beef industry
Beef on dairy crossbred cattle are becoming more abundant in Ontario feedlots. Havie Carter, OMAFRA Beef cattle specialist, provides an overview of the emerging trend including beef on dairy crossbred cattle performance and their lifetime production cycle.
Dairy and Beef Cattle Production 