According to Gerard Roney, founder and managing director of Advantage Feeders in Australia, controlled creep feeding is a good way to develop a calf’s rumen, allowing for better uptake of energy and protein at an earlier age.

“We have a lot of control on how (the rumen) operates, and this is the most important thing we’ve got on our livestock farms,” Roney said at the Ag in Motion 2025 farm show near Langham, Sask., as part of a learning session presented by Huber Ag Equipment.

Follow all of our Ag in Motion coverage at the Western Producer.

Roney discussed how producers can help control the length of the papillae on the rumen wall, which pulls volatile fatty acids out of the rumen to be used as energy. Feeding starch lengthens the papillae, and the longer the papillae, the more energy the rumen can extract.

“It’s helpful to start at the beginning of the calf’s life,” said Roney, sharing an image of the undeveloped rumen wall of a six-week-old calf, which was smooth and without long papillae.

“All our calves are born with the sterile environment, so they don’t have any microbes in their gut to start with.”

He compared this to an image of the developed rumen wall of a calf of the same age, which had a greater surface area to allow for more energy uptake.

“The difference is this rumen had grain from the (start), so it’s really showing us we can get that rumen developed where they can eat pasture and digest it really quickly.”

While unrestricted creep feeding can lead to unnecessary feed expenses, he said, the idea behind controlled creep feeding is to allow for rumen development as early as possible before moderating for better feed conversion.

“What controlled creep feeding is, is providing that feed ad lib until that rumen starts to get going roughly that 100 days of age, so we feed them as much as we can early on,” said Roney.

“Once that intake starts going more than two pounds a day, for instance, we start using the feeding system to restrict intake.”

At this point in the calf’s life, pastures are usually providing more of the energy and protein they require.

“We’re just giving them a small supplementation, keeping that papillae long and getting really good growth rates.”

As an example, Roney compared an unrestricted creep feeding situation — where calves consumed 370 kilograms of creep feed per head prior to weaning — to a controlled creep feeding situation that reduced intake to about 120 kg per head.

“If feed is $0.40 per kg, it’s a $100 per calf saving,” he said.

“The younger we feed animals, the higher the feed conversion, so that’s really the best time to supplement an animal.”

Watch for more livestock-related coverage from Ag in Motion 2025 in Glacier FarmMedia publications in the coming weeks.

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Steve Eicker is used to skepticism and even hostility when he encourages dairy farmers to replace their females sooner.

This was certainly the case when he gave the keynote address at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, Alta., earlier this spring.

“When I started, I think everyone in the audience had their arms folded and was scowling,” said Eicker, the co-founder of Valley Ag Software.

“But by the end…probably 65 or 70 per cent of the people went ‘oh, I need to rethink this.’”

It’s understandable that producers may get their hackles up when Eicker challenges the conventional thinking that older cows produce more milk, an idea he states is not true.

“There is this dogma in the dairy industry, and people never question it,” he said.

Eventually, many do come around to Eicker’s message that replacing lower-quality dairy females sooner is beneficial for animal welfare and sustainability while also decreasing the dry matter intake per unit of milk.

Doing the math

With Valley Ag Software, Eicker blended his veterinary background with his interest in computers and developed Dairy Comp 305 for dairy farm management. In the 1980s, he became interested in how many cows leave dairy operations and why they’re replaced, leading him to study how dairy herd longevity impacts farm profitability, animal welfare and sustainability.

“Being a veterinarian, I’m pretty concerned about animal welfare,” said Eicker, who added that many producers believe keeping a cow longer means they’re being better taken care of.

“I don’t care how long a cow lives; I care how well she lives. So how well is she treated?”

For most dairies, herd size is generally constant, and the cull rate is determined solely by the replacement rate. If fewer replacement heifers come into the herd, only the sick, lame and open cows can be replaced, and poorer cows end up staying in the herd longer than they should, he explained.

“The reality is how long the average cow lives in the herd has nothing to do with how well we take care of her, has nothing to do with whether she’s sick or healthy. It’s math,” he said.

“The math is not hard, but very few people think about it that way.”

Challenging misconceptions

In Eicker’s presentation, he explained that although dairy cows produce less milk as they age, the misconception that they produce more milk as they age persists.

One reason for this misconception is selection bias.

“Poor producing cows are more likely to be marketed, and higher producing cows are more likely to be retained for an additional lactation,” he wrote in a summary of his presentation.

Another reason is sub-optimal heifer growth, as undergrown heifers with a lower dry matter intake will allocate that energy towards growth rather than milk production in their first lactation.

“In a small sample of herds that weigh heifers as they freshen, smaller heifers relative to their predicted mature body weight potential had a much greater gain in milk between their first and second parity,” Eicker says.

Benefits of replacing cows earlier

Replacing dairy females sooner is better from an animal welfare standpoint, said Eicker.

“In every farm, older cows are at greater risk for diseases, especially lameness and mastitis. Replacing cows sooner will decrease disease incidence, improve animal welfare and yield more marketable beef for human consumption,” he says.

Not only that, proving to the public that the dairy industry is committed to improving welfare is better for business.

“If the public doesn’t think we’re taking good care of cows, they’re less likely to buy milk, cheese, yogurt — you name it,” he said.

Secondly, this is beneficial for the sustainability of dairy farms, and processors and retailers are becoming more interested in marketing products that use fewer resources per litres of milk.

Finally, decreasing herd longevity has positive implications for the dairy farm’s profitability.

“We want to decrease the cost of producing beef and milk. We can do that pretty easily by having more heifers enter the herd and our cows stay less time and then when they go to slaughter, they’re worth a lot more money,” said Eicker.

He noted that it’s important to remember that dairy cattle eventually enter the food chain, but cows that are marketed too late are at higher risk of being condemned.

“The dairy cows (in slaughter facilities) do not look like food. They look like a used animal that’s been thrown away, and that’s not how we should be treating (them),” he said.

“Is there any other agriculture that you want to buy the oldest animal? You want to buy the one that’s been taken care of the best, so let’s stop this myth that older cows are better. For profit, for the environment, for welfare, it’s not true.”

Updated to change the subheadline.

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With cases of avian influenza in dairy herds across the United States, Frank van der Meer is urging dairy farmers here to start preparing their farms in the event of an outbreak of this highly unpredictable virus.

Why it matters: Highly pathogenic avian influenza usually does not cross over the bovines, so the current U.S. outbreak is a concern.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been infecting dairy cattle in 17 U.S. states since 2024.

“I think it is good for everybody to realize this is not going away,” said Van der Meer, professor of global health and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, speaking at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar earlier this spring.

“There are influenza strains that seem to persist in the wild bird and poultry industries, and I think it is good for dairy farmers to assume that this will be an ongoing risk.”

At the time of writing, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirms that highly pathogenic avian influenza has not been detected in dairy or beef cattle in Canada.

As of April 30, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported outbreaks on 1,047 dairy farms in 17 U.S. states.

The virus can circulate within a herd for several weeks before the first clinical signs of the infection appear, and only 20 to 40 per cent of infected animals will show clinical signs.

“What was also pretty clear recently is that larger farms with multiple sources of animals can be infected for quite a long time,” said Van der Meer. “In these cases, we see long-term infections, which are difficult to control.”

Cows that do become sick experience a significant decrease in milk production, and they may stop producing milk altogether. Any milk they produce may have a thick, yellow, curdled appearance.

Other signs include a decrease in feed consumption, diarrhea or tacky feces, dehydration, nasal discharge, fever and depression.

While avian influenza leads to a high chance of death in many species, this is usually not the case for cattle and humans. However, cows that survive can still suffer serious consequences, such as damage to the udder and decreased milk production, leading to them being replaced.

Humans infected by the virus through contact with infected cattle commonly develop conjunctivitis, though severe flu-like symptoms have also been reported.

Currently, the virus is not easily spread among humans, but if farm workers choose not to wear personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of the virus, there could be greater risks on the horizon. Van der Meer warned that “this will give the virus the opportunity to further adapt to humans and may in the next couple of years result in a more efficient human transmissible virus.”

Begin preparing now

Preparing for an outbreak of avian influenza in a Canadian dairy herd is easier said than done, said Van der Meer.

“This is a very challenging situation, of course, that you may get confronted with, but it doesn’t mean it has to get out of hand,” he said.

“Dairy farmers as a whole community should think about having good diagnostics in place so that we actually can be effective in collaboration with CFIA and diagnostic centres and veterinarians who can do a lot of the monitoring.”

He encourages farmers to consider all the logistics beforehand to be ready in the event of an outbreak. This will include creating a plan to keep the outbreak contained and avoid more animals in your herd becoming infected.

Other logistics to consider include what to do with milk refused by your processor, plans for disposal of animals that die or need to be put down, and extra biosecurity efforts around veterinary visits and feed deliveries to ensure the virus is not spread beyond your farm.

Van der Meer also recommends producers do a risk assessment of their farm to identify biosecurity weaknesses that can be mitigated to help prevent the virus’s spread.

“For example, if you’re bringing a lot of animals from outside — specifically now from the U.S., but also from other parts of Canada — that’s obviously a big risk to bring in all kinds of pathogens, but that includes influenza,” he said.

“Not that you have to change your farm strategy right away, but at the moment you know there are outbreaks in the neighborhood … can we actually change in the short term those activities that cause risk to your farm?”

Collaboration will be required across the Canadian dairy industry if the virus travels north, and there is plenty that will need to be taken into account to minimize the damage, Van der Meer continued.

“We have to discuss with the farmers how we can ensure that this doesn’t get out of hand, that this will remain a good, controllable situation and that we know enough of this particular disease that we can ensure that farmers don’t suffer a lot of financial consequences in the near future.”

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More peer-reviewed research is needed to optimize the early life nutrition and management of these calves, said Michael Steele, professor of animal biosciences at the University of Guelph.

Why it matters: The increase in dairy cows being bred to beef has evolved quickly and researchers are working to fill the gaps in knowledge about how to manage dairy-beef cross calves.

Steele highlighted how little is known about the growth and developmental needs specific to dairy-beef animals at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, Alta., earlier this spring.

“The biggest question is how do we actually raise these animals, and what kind of stressors and challenges are unique for the crossbred calves coming from dairy origin?” Steele said later in an interview with Farmtario.

In addition to these unknowns, dairy-beef calves often face management concerns specific to this production system.

Nutrition at the farm of origin can be an issue in calves given lower-quality colostrum and inadequate milk compared to replacement heifers. As well, their immune systems are challenged by being transported to rearing facilities at such a young age, which increases the likelihood of disease.

The limited data that does exist on dairy-beef calves, said Steele, is based on research at the feedlot stage and doesn’t encompass the calves’ first months.

“We have no idea what happened to them before. We don’t even know their age,” he said.

To get the full picture, Steele and his colleagues are conducting a series of studies that capture the entire lifespan of dairy-beef calves. One study has been completed, two are in progress and a fourth will begin in 2026.

“It does take a long time to conduct these studies from birth all the way to slaughter, and I think that’s the main reason why you don’t see it in the literature is because it’s not possible in most research facilities,” he said.

“But we’re set up at the University of Guelph. We have the facilities where we can do that, which is very unique, and we have dedicated students that are really taking this on.”

The goal of this work is to evaluate the long-term response of different early life nutrition and management strategies on growth, performance, carcass quality, animal welfare and sustainability.

What they’ve learned so far about early life nutrition can already be applied by producers, starting with enhanced nutrition similar to that for replacement females.

“Feeding more colostrum, even up to 15 per cent of their birth body weight in the first 12 to 24 hours, is really critical,” Steele advised.

Another area to be explored is how best to feed dairy-beef calves in the stage between weaning at around two months of age and feedlot entry at about eight months. Based on what the researchers have learned so far about this phase, feeding higher-energy diets is key to optimal nutrition.

“We’re making up for the milk that they’re not receiving since they’re weaned early,” said Steele.

These recommendations are just the beginning, and Steele anticipates more practical and scientifically informed knowledge specific to the management of dairy-beef calves coming in the next few years.

“I think in the end we’ll have recommendations more suited to that dairy-beef animal and have the long-term consequence of that recommendation,” he said.

He also predicts producers will receive greater value for these calves if specific strategies are proven to enhance quality in terms of beef production.

“But in order to do that and calculate that, you do need these studies to at least approximate what the value proposition is.”

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While the right treatment for scours will vary based on its cause, giving electrolytes as part of any treatment plan is crucial to the calf’s recovery, according to a study from Lakeland College.

“I think the best thing that we can do for treating scours in calves is to make sure that they’re well hydrated because in the cases of things like viruses and cryptosporidium, if you can keep them alive long enough for their own immune system to deal with it, they have a much better chance of recovery,” said Brenda Ralston, RDAR research scientist in livestock health at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta.

From 2019-21, Ralston and other researchers at Lakeland College, Chinook Contract Research and Alberta Veterinary Laboratories conducted a study comparing antibiotic and non-antimicrobial treatment of scours in calves. The study was funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and Alberta Milk.

The calves used in the study were from a calf feedlot, sourced across the Prairie provinces, and many were dairy calves or beef-on-dairy. The calves were all younger than two weeks, selected to ensure they did not have fevers or pneumonia and had mild to moderate levels of diarrhea.

As part of the study, the researchers tried to determine the cause of scours in each calf.

“A lot of these calves had either cryptosporidium, which is a parasite, so antibiotics have no effect on that, and they also had corona and rotaviruses, so not bacterial infections where you would prescribe antibiotics,” said Ralston.

“But there are producers out there that do treat scours with antibiotics, so we wanted to see whether or not there was some value to that.”

The calves were split into three treatment groups, with 100 head in each group. The first treatment group was given oral charcoal paste; the second was given the charcoal paste and an antibiotic treatment; and the third was given an antibiotic treatment.

Every calf in the study was given oral meloxicam to provide comfort by mitigating pain, as well as electrolytes.

Interestingly, the study found no statistical differences between the three treatment groups.

“The time for the calves to resolve their diarrhea was not statistically different, the morbidity and mortality wasn’t different and the fecal score … didn’t differ between the three groups,” said Ralston.

What the study did show, however, was the importance of using adequate electrolytes as part of a calf’s treatment plan.

“Anything you can do to encourage them to stay well hydrated so that their organs are functioning to their maximum capacity, (and) if you can give them some pain mitigation … and the quicker you can get them back on to feed, is the gold standard,” she said.

“Whatever you can do to bring those together, I think, is the treatment of choice.”

Ralston does caution that above all, producers need to work with their veterinarians to discover the cause of scours and find the appropriate treatment for their situation. When scours are caused by bacterial infections, antibiotics could be the best treatment option.

“There can be secondary infections, so a lot of times if (scours is) caused by, let’s say, cryptosporidium, and it runs them down enough, then all of a sudden they’re open to pneumonia, and then of course it could need to be treated with antibiotics,” she said.

“So it’s really important that they keep that conversation going with their vet to figure out what’s going on.”

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In fact, consumers already have high levels of trust in Canadian farmers and the food system overall, said Mike von Massow, professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph.

Why it matters: Greater consumer engagement gives them more understanding of dairy farming practices, which can reduce the chance they’re be surprised by what happens on dairy farms.

However, as von Massow explained in a presentation at the 2025 Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, Alta., most consumers have very little knowledge of food production, highlighting a need for building greater consumer engagement.

“When we ask basic questions about food production, we find that consumers have difficulty answering them,” said von Massow.

“If they are unable to answer these basic questions, they will not have a good understanding of some of the details and nuances of production.”

For example, in his research, when asked whether a dairy cow gives milk only after calving, more than 40 per cent of consumer respondents said they didn’t know. Almost 30 per cent answered incorrectly, and many of those who answered correctly were likely guessing.

“The lack of knowledge does not mean that consumers don’t care. We know consumers have opinions about things like animal welfare and sustainability. They simply don’t have a solid foundation for those opinions.”

This gap between high trust levels and low knowledge levels presents a major risk, he said, underpinning the necessity of refocusing efforts to engage consumers and help them understand dairy production.

“If a trusting population discovers something they are not happy with … they will be more disappointed than if they were skeptical and untrusting,” he stated, citing past ‘hidden camera’ incidents in dairy barns that misrepresent production practices.

“It is imperative that the industry reduces the risk of surprises and disappointments.”

A changing marketplace

Emerging technologies such as innovations in plant-based dairy alternatives makes building consumer engagement and understanding even more important.

“The development of new alternatives to traditional dairy products increases the impetus to reinforce the benefits of dairy products with consumers,” said von Massow.

While his research found that “fluid milk is still preferred by the vast majority of Canadians who like the taste and nutrition they get from milk,” the primary reasons consumers choose a plant-based milk alternative are perceptions around health and animal welfare.

Food products created through cellular agriculture — using a bioreactor to grow cultured or fermented products — are newer to the marketplace but poised to expand in the future. An example of this is vegan frozen desserts that use genetically modified yeasts to synthesize casein and whey.

Better consumer engagement is also necessary, von Massow said, as new technologies are introduced in the livestock production stage.

Gene-editing, which alters the genes of plants and animals without the introduction of outside genes, is currently being researched as it relates to hornless dairy cattle. If this becomes a reality, it will be important to share with consumers how this technology improves the welfare of calves who won’t need to be dehorned. Naturally polled is a growing trait in the mainstream dairy industry, but gene editing would move that trait into the population quickly.

“Traditional agricultural products have many positive attributes that we need to feature as we defend our dominant share of consumer purchases,” he said.

“There may, however, be some things we need to adapt in order to meet the demands of specific consumers.”

Joining the conversation

Exactly how the dairy industry chooses to engage with consumers matters greatly, and listening to the consumer is just as important as sharing information about dairy production.

“The way we present information can also have a profound impact on the effectiveness of our outreach,” said von Massow.

“This requires careful consideration and planning to maximize the impact of communication with diverse audiences.”

Different communication approaches are needed to engage different consumers. For some demographics, audio and video content created for social media will have the greatest impact.

“Our research found that video and audio information was twice as effective as written in changing perceptions,” he said.

While written communication is still effective, for some consumers it means “that more exposure points to the written information is required to achieve the same change.”

Knowing how best to share information with consumers opens possibilities for greater engagement and to lead the dialogue around dairy production, rather than let other voices dominate the conversation.

“There is strong evidence that if we share information with consumers that is balanced and credible we can help them understand dairy production and processing and reduce the trust-knowledge gap,” he said.

“The conversation is proceeding with or without us.”

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Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, a volunteer organization that provides assistance in the aftermath of disasters in Canada and the U.S., is organizing the latest iteration of Hay West to send hay to producers in Saskatchewan who have been hit hard by drought conditions.

MDS’s Hay West is not to be confused with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s previously announced plan for a Hay West program this year; however, the MDS Hay West program’s end zone is more or less the same.

“Canadian farmers keenly feel each other’s need and are quick to respond to one another. I don’t think any other industry has as much community spirit as farming,” says Lester Weber, secretary for MDS Canada’s Ontario unit.

MDS plans to ship 50 truckloads of donated hay west throughout the fall, with the first two truckloads arriving in Osler, Sask. last week. The organization is asking trucking companies in Ontario to donate or offer transportation at reduced rates.

“We will try and co-ordinate the donations with the demand in the West, but we are hoping possibly a few loads a week ongoing through this fall,” says Weber.

“The hay will be made available to family farms in Saskatchewan at a current competitive cost of 10 cents per pound for dairy grade and seven cents per pound for beef grade,” according to a MDS press release. “Funds collected by the sale of the hay will be used to offset any transportation costs.”

Initial feedback to this program has been promising, Weber reports. “We have already received calls from people willing to donate, and we have barely even got the word out,” he says.

“We anticipate a strong response, since some farmers here in Ontario were recipients of western farmers’ generosity back in 2012, when hay was shipped in from the West.”

The 2012 Hay East program was itself a response to a previous westbound drought relief effort in 2002.

Currently, MDS is working to source enough hay to meet its goal of 50 truckloads. “This is ongoing, and we are really only starting to get the word out,” says Weber.

Those interested in donating hay can call 519-584-4171 to learn more or bring it directly to Marhaven Agri Services in Alma, Ont. (7715 Wellington, Hwy. 8).

Donations towards transportation costs are also welcome and can be made through the MDS Canada website.

Saskatchewan farmers interested in receiving hay can learn more by calling 306-716-5909 or completing an application form, also available on the MDS Canada site.

— Piper Whelan is a field editor for Canadian Cattlemen.

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Due to extremely limited processing plant capacity, an uncompetitive market and disruptions to trade and market access, Ontario’s beef industry was losing an average of more than $2 million per week last year and into 2020. The effects of COVID-19 are expected to aggravate this situation, despite the recent upturn in retail demand.

“Even with the ballooning box beef prices at retail, the price feeders are receiving for their cattle have not kept pace, despite rebounding cattle prices in other competing jurisdictions, including those in Western Canada,” said Beef Farmers of Ontario president Rob Lipsett, a cow-calf producer at Annan, Ont.

Limited processing plant capacity in Eastern Canada is one of the major factors in the existing crisis. Utilization of packing plants in the region rose from 85 per cent in 2016 to 95 per cent in 2018, restricting processing capacity and competition in the marketplace. This issue intensified in December with the closure of Ryding-Regency, the province’s third-largest packing plant.

Why it matters: Because of Eastern Canada’s limited processing capacity, many producers are feeding cattle for longer than expected, raising input costs. They then face penalties for overweight animals once they are finally sent for processing. This has resulted in producers losing $180-$300 per head on average for the past year.

“The depths and prolonged nature of the market losses experienced by beef farmers in Ontario have not been seen since the BSE crisis of the 2000s,” says Lipsett.

The impact of COVID-19 is adding pressure to an already financially strained feeder sector. One example of this is a reduction in access to dried distillers grains (DDGs).

This, Lipsett notes, is “due to a decline in oil demand, which has resulted in decreased ethanol production and therefore a decrease in the amount of DDG by-product available.” It’s generally more expensive and difficult to source substitutions for this particular ration.

“Everything with respect to COVID-19 presents risks to the supply chain across the country,” Lipsett said. “With that said, industry is working closely with industry and government partners across the supply chain to ensure contingencies are put in place, and cattle and meat continue to flow.

“However, even by minimizing disruptions in the beef supply chain, Ontario feedlot producers continue to face serious profitability challenges in the wake of the prolonged losses.”

BFO is among the many agricultural associations that have asked federal and provincial governments to enhance business risk management programs immediately, as well as other measures to support beef producers. The association’s recommendations were sent to both the federal and Ontario provincial governments on March 20.

“What impacts COVID-19 will have in the short, medium and long term are unknown, which is why it’s vitally important for governments to enhance farm safety net programs to ensure farm viability can be ensured if the market impacts of COVID-19 get progressively worse,” Lipsett said.

The full list of BFO’s recommendations is available on the association’s COVID-19 Updates webpage. The list includes:

• Uncapping the provincial risk management program.
• Providing an AgriInvest stimulus, contributing a minimum of five per cent of allowable net sales without producer matching contributions, making withdrawals tax-free and increasing overall funds that can be accessed.
• Raising the AgriStability trigger to 85 per cent, removing the reference margin limit and making enhancements retroactive to 2019.
• Removing late participation penalties and allowing producers that have exited the programs to re-enroll.
• Creating a fed-cattle and cull-cattle set-aside program to help manage the supply of cattle.

In early March, BFO requested an Ontario Cattle Emergency Assistance Program from the federal government. This included “business risk management funding to address the shortfall in current programming,” according to a March 6 press release.

— Piper Whelan is a field editor for Canadian Cattlemen at Airdrie, Alta.

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