The 2023 Canadian Calf Crop report, based on the 2022-2023 Canadian Cow-Calf Survey, provides insights into production practices and herd performance from 600 producers across nine provinces. Key findings include:
– **Weaning:** Traditional weaning is used by 50.8% of producers, with most citing selling calves immediately after weaning as the reason. About 40% retained ownership of calves post-weaning, with 60% holding onto them for over 120 days.
– **Calf Death Loss:** Death loss within 24 hours of birth averaged 2.2% for cows and 3.7% for heifers, with losses rising slightly after 24 hours.
– **Open Rates:** Nationally, the open rate was 7.4% for cows and 11% for heifers, with regional differences.
– **Feed Testing:** 69% of producers lab-tested their feed, and 38.2% tested livestock drinking water at least once in the past three years.
– **Vaccination:** 94% of producers vaccinated their cattle, with the highest rates in Western Canada.
– **Pain Mitigation:** 53.4% of producers did not use pain mitigation during castration, with many citing early castration as a reason.
– **Record-Keeping:** Most producers (79.2%) rely on paper records, while a smaller number use spreadsheets or cattle management software.
These results will help prioritize research and extension strategies to support cow-calf operations across Canada. A full report on trends will be available in 2025.
