Skip to main content
. 2024 Apr 10;11:1392166. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1392166

Table 1.

Attributes reported on baseline questionnaire for 2018 for 171 Canadian cow-calf herds that subsequently submitted calving records in 2019.

Attribute Percent Attribute Percent
Cow-calf operation is 100% commercial 63% (107/171) Cow-calf records include:
Production activities: Backgrounding 61% (105/171)

  • Calving date

 98% (167/171)
Production activities: Stockers 30% (51/171)

  • Individual ID

 93% (159/171)
Production activities: Feedlot 14% (24/171)

  • Calf’s ID linked to dam ID

 92% (157/171)
Other livestock, Dairy 4% (7/171)

  • Wean weight

 50% (85/171)
% Farm income from cow-calf operation

  • Birth weight

 55% (94/171)

  • <25

 6% (11/171)

  • Cull/death loss

 88% (150/171)

  • 25 to <50

 21% (36/171)

  • Individual animal treatments

 76% (130/171)

  • 50 to <75

 17% (29/171)

  • Describe herd-level drug use

 59% (101/171)

  • 75 to 100

 54% (92/171) Production records used for:
% Family income from cow-calf operation

  • Culling

 92% (157/171)

  • <25

 25% (42/171)

  • Sire selection

 49% (83/171)

  • 25 to <50

 22% (37/171)

  • Replacement heifer selection

 88% (151/171)

  • 50 to <75

 23% (39/171)

  • Annual analysis of whole farm

 47% (81/171)

  • 75 to 100

 27% (46/171)

  • Break evens

 19% (33/171)
Any non-family employees 32% (54/171) Production records kept on:
Management decisions person <40 yrs 58% (100/171)

  • Paper

 93% (159/171)
Management decisions person <30 yrs 25% (43/171)

  • Electronic spreadsheet

 49% (84/171)
Education includes post-secondary 81% (138/171)

  • Computer-based program

 30% (52/171)
Calving groups separated by >1 mo 27% (46/171)

  • Smartphone app

 16% (28/171)
Separate calving groups, Age 5% (9/171) Technologies / practices used in 2018:
Separate calving groups, Breed 2% (4/171)

  • Hormone implant

 36% (62/171)
Separate calving groups, Pure/Commercial 9% (15/171)

  • Ionophores

 57% (97/171)
Primary area(s) used for calving:

  • Pain mitigation

 74% (126/171)

  • Large pasture/open range

 22% (37/171)

  • Nutritionist

 53% (91/171)

  • Small grass paddock/pasture

 27% (47/171)

  • Forage/ feed testing

 73% (125/171)

  • Corrals/dry lot

 40% (69/171)

  • Water testing

 22% (38/171)

  • Barn/shed

 27% (46/171)

  • Defined breeding season

 47% (80/171)
Breeding soundness evaluation of all bulls 67% (115/171)

  • Estrus cycle

 32% (55/171)
Breeding soundness evaluation of some bulls 7% (12/171)

  • Artificial insemination

 42% (72/171)
Test bulls for trichomoniasis 7% (12/166)

  • Sexed semen

 4% (7/171)
Test bulls for vibriosis 0% (0/166)

  • Embryo transfer

 15% (26/171)
Cow/Heifers to communal grazing – all 4% (6/171)

  • Multi-sire breeding

 57% (98/171)
Cow/Heifers to communal grazing – some 16% (27/171)

  • DNA parentage

 23% (40/171)
Bulls sent to communal grazing 15% (26/170)

  • Genetic testing

 14% (24/171)
Cow/Heifers bred at communal grazing 17% (28/168)

  • Individual female records

 47% (80/171)