Results of the inaugural Canadian Cow-Calf Survey

Insight into the 2023 Canadian Calf Crop

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), in collaboration with Canfax Research Services and regional representatives, recently took a snapshot of production practices that have been adopted by cow-calf producers across the country, as well as performance measures of their herds. 

The inaugural Canadian Cow-Calf Survey collected data from 600 producers across nine provinces on the 2022 breeding season through the 2023 weaned calf crop, as well as reasoning and rationale for some practices. 

Survey results will be used to help the BCRC prioritize research and extension strategies funded by the research allocation of the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off to support producers with different types of herds and operations in various regions.

Sample of results 
Weaning 

About one-third (32.4%) of respondents use fence line separation, 12% use nose paddle or two-stage weaning, and 2% rely on natural weaning.  

When the 50.8% of respondents who reported using traditional separation were asked about reasons, 58.7% indicated they sell their calves immediately after weaning, 21.1% cited a lack of time, labor or infrastructure to wean them differently, and 11.9% did not see any financial benefit from alternative methods.  

Nationally, 60% of respondents sold calves at weaning, while 40% indicated that they have retained ownership of most of their calves after weaning in the last three years. Among the respondents who retained ownership, close to 60% reported that they retained ownership for more than 120 days. 

Calf death loss 
Nationally, calf death loss within 24 hours of birth averaged 2.2% for cows and 3.7% for heifers in the 2023 calving season. For comparison, the reported losses in Ontario in 2016 was 3.0% for cows and 4.1% for heifers, and Western Canada in 2017 reported 2.7% in cows and 4.4% in heifers.1

Death loss between 24 hours and weaning averaged 2.5% for calves born to cows and 2.9% for calves born to heifers across Canada. For comparison, the reported losses in Ontario in 2016 was 5.3% for cows and 3.4% for heifers, and in 2017 Western Canada reported 2.5% in cows and 2.4% in heifers.1

Canadian producers employ varied approaches to resuscitate unresponsive newborn calves. Placing the calf in recovery position and rubbing vigorously are commonly practiced methods, with 37% of respondents indicating they always use these techniques. Poking straw or a finger in the nose was also commonly practiced with 30% respondents indicating they always use this technique.

Hanging a calf upside down to drain liquid from its lungs is a traditional technique, however, this only drains fluid from the calf ’s stomach, not its lungs. Holding a calf upside down or draping it over a gate or fence also causes the calf ’s stomach and intestines to compress the lungs and diaphragm, making it even harder for the calf to breathe. 66% of respondents reported never hanging calves upside down for a period of time. For comparison, more than 50% of Western Canadian cow-calf operations surveyed in 2017 reported hanging calves over a fence or gate as a resuscitation technique. 3